KILUVU

Most educators, students, and parents value a model of deeper learning over the traditional model that has characterized our schools for the past 150 years. Deeper learning promotes student engagement, inquiry, student choice, collaboration, authentic assessment, individualized learning pathways, and interdisciplinary courses. At most schools, educators recognize that one of our best tools to implement a deeper learning experience is project-based work.

Project Based Learning has been a central philosophy to my teaching over the past 20 years before I even had even heard the words to describe what I was attempting. I have slowly built, through experience and trial and error, an ability to design projects that require critical thinking, student voice and choice, creative problem solving, and collaboration. My original motivation years ago was in response to a “Why should I care to learn this?” attitude from my students. It is a very valid question. Why should a 13 year old care about history, adding fractions, or themes found in Shakespeare? The desire to connect curriculum and meaning to students led to engaging projects—but the products of all this work invariably ended back in the recycling bin.