The PBL Ship

Schools often start exciting projects but few ever seem to last.

🧐Why is that? What is needed for schools to really transform?

I spend a lot of time thinking about this and working with schools to dig deeper into how they can use project-based learning to facilitate lasting change.

⚓️Through this work, the "PBL Ship" was born.

First, the school must create a vision. A direction that everyone is going. PBL is not that. PBL is our transportation to something else: higher student engagement, empowered change-makers, growth in essential skills. We need to get everyone to see that vision.

Then, we build the ship. The hull. The decks. By learning the basics of PBL, we can start to use some practices that change learning experiences for our students. We design projects, create schedules, collaborate with colleagues.

🌊And slowly, we can stay afloat.

But it's not enough. It won't bring us to our destination or help us in bad weather. We need sails. A crows-nest.

💡We need to change our mindsets about teaching and learning.

Schools will never see lasting change if we continue to give them a few tools, some wood and expect them to build and sail a boat.

By Loni Bergqvist