Miller, Kelley How-tos

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Instructional Materials & How-Tos

This image grabbed from a digital thank you we sent to the Napa Valley Film Festival, after they helped us with a project.

My thinking around project based learning has changed drastically since I rolled out my first rough-and-tumble project in 2013. Some of my shifts are big and some are small; if I were to list them all here, my page would look like a bowl of spaghetti. I'm following Ruth Clark's advise to use examples and non-examples, to illustrate my most fundamental thinking shifts around how to align PBL to Common Core.

Do This:

My standards-based rubric for StoryWars! 2017 keeps expectations clear.

Do This:

Click on the image above to see a form used for quick feedback. I added AutoCrat to this Form so that students received an easy-to-read report in their inbox.

Do This:

I used this visual to show students what they were doing in the scope of the project I examined in my action research.

Do This:

Click on the link above to see part one of a reteach I did, to show students how the same themes can appear in very different stories.

Decontextualize the Learning
In Rigorous PBL by Design, Michael McDowell explains that learning needs to be decontextualized. In other words, if all focus is on a final product, students will only remember what they created. Instead, focus students on a learning objective- then explain that it will be applied in a project.

Clarify Learning Goals
John Hattie's research reveals that clarity of expectations is a decisive factor in learning. Three or four focus standards are enough for one project. NTN and NVUSD have beautifully detailed rubrics; keep them in mind in designing a project, but keep students' attention on standards-based goals.

Authenticate the Process
An authentic audience is essential to Gold Standard PBL. But why not bring in community members for the process? I found that inviting professionals into my classroom during the course of a project was easier to schedule ("Join us any time in the next three weeks..."), and also gave students a boost mid-project.

Specify Peer Feedback
Peer feedback is powerful! Unfortunately, 80% of it is wrong. When I used Google Forms to direct peer feedback throughout a project, two things happened: 1) students' work improved and 2) work got done on time. (My usual procrastinators wanted to have something to show their peers on feedback days.) Here's an AutoCrat-ified example.

Use Visuals
Most people are visual learners. Dr. Bobbe Baggio wrote an entire book, The Visual Connection: You Listen With Your Eyes, about the importance of visual appeal. My students have a better understanding of expectations when there is a simple visual on display throughout the unit. As my learning evolves, I am including standards in those visuals.

Use Tech Tools
Sometimes students need a direct teach. But that doesn't mean that a teacher needs to be standing at the front of the room. Using technology to get the point across can be more engaging and it can minimize classroom management problems. I found that when I "flipped" using EDpuzzle or VoiceThread, the results were positive.