Embedded Project Based Learning with Real World Connections Contents
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Planning curriculum- Going places, embedded Project Based meeting people, Learning with real world doing and connections making things Planning curriculum-embedded Going places, meeting people, Project Based Learning doing and with real world connections making things The PBL Goes to University team and authors of this guide are: Professor David Leat, Professor of Curriculum Innovation Ulrike Thomas, CfLaT Research Associate Dr Alison Whelan, CfLaT Research Associate Centre for Learning and Teaching (CfLaT), King George VI Building, Newcastle University. The team would like to thank Julie McGrane, Director of Leading Learning (Education) www.leadinglearning.uk and Anne de A’Echevarria, Director of Thinkwell, www.linkedin.com/in/anneechevarria/ for writing Section 5: Powerful Knowledge and Project Based Learning and for their expert input to our CPD sessions. We are extremely grateful to Dan Gourley, Teacher of PE and Sport, and Faye Jones, Head of Applied Science, both at Durham Sixth Form Centre, and to Lynn Kerr, Assistant Head Teacher at Valley Gardens Middle School, Whitley Bay, for their contributions to this guide and our CPD and their willingness to embrace the PBL approach. Special thanks to Neil Willis, Hannah Cummins, and all the team at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NE LEP), for their support in helping us create some fantastic projects. We are also very grateful to the Newcastle University academics, students and professionals, local industry partners, heritage providers, and other external partners who have given up their time and expertise to provide meaningful, engaging, inspiring PBL opportunities. Special thanks to Sara Bird, Gillian Johnston, Beverley Smith, Teresa Strachan, Sally Waite and Megan Wilson. Thanks also to everyone at the Edge Foundation, with a special mention to Karen Burgess, Jane Samuels and Helen Beardmore who have been incredibly supportive and helpful. Finally, many thanks to all the staff and students at the schools we have had the pleasure to work with throughout this project: Berwick High School; Churchill Community College, Wallsend; Corbridge Middle School; Durham Sixth Form Centre; Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College; George Stephenson High School, Killingworth; Hartlepool College; Hexham Middle School; Norham High School; Northern Saints Catholic Education Trust (St Bede’s, Peterlee; St Joseph’s, Hebburn and St Wilfred’s, South Shields); Ponteland High School; Prince Henry’s Grammar School, Otley; Sunderland College; Thornhill Academy, Sunderland; and Valley Gardens Middle School, Whitley Bay. chichestergraphicarts.com Design: This work has been funded by The Edge Foundation. For more information, visit https://www.edge.co.uk/ Photographs from Civil War project featuring Ponteland High School and Newark High School are copyright of Special Collections and Archives at Robinson Library, Newcastle University. Photographs from the ‘Shipbuilding on the Tyne’ project featuring Carville Primary School are courtesy of Amber Film and Photography Collective CIC’s Primary Source Programme, created by Bryan Dixon and supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation. For more information contact [email protected] February 2021 2 PLANNING CURRICULUM-EMBEDDED PROJECT BASED LEARNING WITH REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS CONTENTS Acknowledgements 2 Contents 3 Introduction 4 Part 1 Part 2 1. Making the Case for Project Based Learning (PBL) 6 Introduction to the section 64 2. The Key Principles of a Project 9 17. Planning Map and Timetable 65 2.a CASE STUDY: A TALE OF TWO SIEGES 13 18. Project Tuning 67 3. Brokerage 14 19. Planning with External Partners Why, How? 69 4. Planning with Confidence – Mitigating Risk 16 19.a. CASE STUDY: CYBERSECURITY PROJECT 72 5. Powerful Knowledge and Project Based 20. Managing Group Work 73 Learning 21 21. Tweaking 76 6. Developing Transferrable Skills 27 21.a. CASE STUDY: MINISTRY OF FOOD 78 6.a. CASE STUDY: NORTHERN SAINTS DESIGN SPRINT 29 22. Keeping your Students on Track 79 7. Developing your Hook Question 30 23. Maintaining Authenticity and 8. Launching your Project 31 Real-World Links 81 8.a. CASE STUDY: MATHS IN ARCHITECTUURE 34 24. Project Evaluation 83 9. Products 35 10. Showcases 38 10.a. CASE STUDY: cracking CHOLERA 42 11. Going Places 43 12. Meeting People “know who as well as know how” 46 12a. CASE STUDY: AMAZING CAREERS IN THE NE 48 13. Imagined Futures 49 13.a. CASE STUDY: DIGITAL MENTORING 51 14. Feedback and Assessment 52 15. Learning Spaces 60 16. Agendas 63 References 85 Useful websites, resources and contacts 87 GOING PLACES, MEETING PEOPLE, DOING AND MAKING THINGS 3 INTRODUCTION his guide is the result of a two year project Our guide is in two parts. undertaken by a research team from Tthe Centre for Learning and Teaching, Part 1 focuses on the key principles Newcastle University and funded by the Edge and characteristics of Project Based Foundation. Our aim was to work with teachers Learning. interested in developing Project Based Learning (PBL) through providing them with brokerage, Part 2 focuses on the ‘how to’ aspect of resources, professional development activity planning, running and evaluating your and perhaps most importantly encouragement. project. Throughout the two years we have been fortunate to work with many truly inspirational Case studies are used to exemplify ideas people both in schools and representing a throughout this guide. Where a symbol range of organisations and businesses. Their appears a more detailed version exists on our commitment to PBL has been humbling. project website, often with accompanying We are conscious that there are already many resources produced by the teachers and excellent resources available to teachers partners that we worked with. interested in PBL and we will be making explicit = https://research.ncl.ac.uk/ links to these as appropriate. Our particular pblgoestouniversity/ focus, however, has been on writing a guide that presents all that we have learnt about We hope that this guide both provides planning and executing PBL projects and inspiration but also useful resources to begin which draws heavily on detailed case study your own journey into the world of Project examples all underpinned by relevant theory Based Learning. and research. Whilst we are cognisant of the Ulrike, Alison and David fact that our project was based in the North East and our examples understandably draw on this context; we are very confident that similar opportunities are available nationally. So for example when we discuss visits to Newcastle University and the Great North Museum, or projects involving local employers like Rolls Royce, we know that FE colleges and universities close to your school will also offer outreach opportunities, that there will be museums near you and other local, relevant employers all equally keen to work with you. 4 PLANNING CURRICULUM-EMBEDDED PROJECT BASED LEARNING WITH REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS PART 1 GOING PLACES, MEETING PEOPLE, DOING AND MAKING THINGS 5 SECTION 1 MAKING THE CASE FOR PROJECT BASED LEARNING (PBL) It is fair to say that the main demand on schools is to This guide is an important starting point in developing hit exam targets and get good Ofsted ratings and one high quality projects – and it should be seen as might therefore see Project Based Learning (PBL) as a a journey or trajectory marked by continuous distraction. So here are some reasons why you should improvement. There is no magic wand or silver bullet, NOT do PBL: it is hard work, but you can look forward to some of the following: ■ It will distract you from delivering a coherent curriculum as it does not fit with a ■ Students who ask if they can do more work normal timetable and staffing pattern; or who pester teachers with challenging ■ Exam results might suffer if subject content questions; is not covered properly; ■ Public facing events in which students’ work ■ Teachers will be out of their comfort zone is showcased and which amazes, captivates, and will struggle with a new pedagogy; benefits or challenges people in the local and wider community; ■ If you give pupils more autonomy they will mess around; ■ Links with local businesses, charities, clubs, learned societies, universities, public bodies, ■ The EEF did a trial of PBL and the results were not good; religious groups and individuals, some of which become meaningful sustained ■ Parents won’t like it. partnerships; Alternatively you could be on the side of history and ■ Students who come back to school from be a part of educational change that can produce university or working lives to pay tribute to great outcomes, address social justice and widening the experiences projects provided which participation issues, transform the lives of individual opened their eyes to some intriguing aspect of life or study; students, produce citizens to play their part in addressing the challenges of the C21st and position ■ Parents who report that their daughter or son your school at the heart of the community by serving has been talking about what they have done at school and nagging them to take them that community. BUT these noble outcomes are only somewhere, watch something or change their possible if the PBL projects are high quality. behaviour. So it is a finely balanced decision – PBL or not PBL? You can make this decision as an individual teacher, a middle leader or senior leader and if the answer is PBL then two questions arise: 1. What curriculum space can I use to experiment – maybe just 2 lessons with one class in Y5 or Y7? 2. Where can I get help? This guide is a good place to start AND will point you towards much more help, whatever your level of responsibility. 6 PLANNING CURRICULUM-EMBEDDED PROJECT BASED LEARNING WITH REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS Going a Bit Deeper If you work in a school then it is difficult to imagine and political consciousness of students (note that this them differently, but they could be very different.