Project based learning

Are you stuck getting project-based learning to stick with your teacher teams?

Get access to experts from the field who are not only practitioners of project-based learning, but regularly provide PBL training to educators and other stakeholders.

Get your project-based learning unstuck.

Are you stuck getting project-based learning to stick with your teacher teams? Are you a district leader who supports teachers in implementing project-based learning? Do you help teachers make the connection between what they teach and what’s happening in the real-world?

Project-based learning is an effective core strategy for teaching standards while connecting those standards to the real world. It’s all about designing authentic projects. That said, we also know that implementing the use of authentic student projects is challenging for teachers. That’s why we want to equip you with the material and information needed to support your teachers in the best way possible.

This on-demand course is unique, because its content continues to grow over time with the addition of video modules, resources, and an expanding community of like-minded individuals. These are caring professionals who fill roles similar to yours and share a common goal. They all want to effectively transform teaching and learning in support of our students.

In this course, you will have access to experts from the field who are not only practitioners of project-based learning but regularly provide PBL training to educators and other stakeholders.

Get access to the following video modules and resources, and kick your PBL success into high gear.

Deconstructing Standards

What are consequences of teachers who don’t have a firm grasp on their standards? It means their students won’t know or understand the standards either, and that spells P.A.I.N. for everyone involved!

It means teachers will struggle with how to find common concepts with which to align their standards in other subject areas. This will lead to projects that are not aligned to standards. It will lead to teachers who feel like they are being asked to teach content that is either not theirs or is out of  sequence. Why put anyone through this unnecessary struggle when you can simply tap into the power of the Ford NGL Network?

Mapping Standards Made Easy

In this module you’ll learn how to help your teachers find common ground in their interdisciplinary teams. You’ll learn how to easily cross-map standards with a project, and you’ll significantly improve project experiences for your academy team.
  • Develop Interdisciplinary Projects Using Curriculum Maps – February 21
  • Degrees of Interdisciplinary Participation – February 28

During this two-part workshop your district and school team will be introduced to:

  • Exploring the Ford NGL Community-connected Learning Framework.
  • Strategies to align curriculum maps.
  • Protocols for finding curricular connections such as mind mapping and timeline mapping.
  • Research-based resources.
  • Ready to use templates.
  • Samples from the Ford NGL Network.
  • A panel from within the Network who have been where you are

Assessments

An evaluation is like asking a customer if she enjoyed the soup. An assessment is like the customer telling the chef that he needs to use a bit more pepper. Evaluation and assessment are two distinct features of measuring progress. Achieving appropriate and effective evaluation is a common challenge for teacher teams when delivering a cross-curricular, standards-based project.

  • Know exactly when and what to assess during the project to achieve the best results.
  • Learn the method for creating assessments that are authentic.
  • Gain the expertise and skill to find the balance of group/team assessments versus individual assessments.

Project Management for Teachers & Students

Have you ever given a collaborative project to a team of students and realized that they don’t know how to self-organize much less organize the project?

Have you ever worked with a team and wondered how the project would ever get off the ground because of the lack of organization?

In this module you’ll learn how project management skills and PBL connect to make a lasting, positive impact on the process, the project, and your students.

Meet the Experts

Kelly Henderson

Professional Development Coach

Kelly has been a practitioner for 30 years with Metro Nashville Public Schools (now known as the Academies of Nashville) and has provided coaching and training for 11 years. Most of this work has been in support of teacher teams as they integrate curriculum standards and develop a team-approach project for students.

Beth Grzelak

Professional Learning Coach

Beth Grzelak is a professional learning coach with Ford Next Generation Learning. She currently supports four Powered by Ford STEAM academies in Southeast Michigan and works on a variety of projects for the Ford NGL Network. Beth has over 25 years of experience in the fields of K-12 education, teacher preparation, and teacher licensure.

Frequently Asked Questions

This leader series is designed for those district and school leaders who are supporting teacher teams.

You will need to attend each session that is offered and fully participate. At the end of the workshop, you will receive a completion certificate from Ford NGL. You may also download the workshop syllabus and share it with your district. Usually the syllabus is all they need to pre-approve participation in the workshop, but if you need something more, please let us know! To satisfy district requirements you may use the completion certificate as proof of your successful participation.
That’s okay. We understand that you have a busy schedule. While there is great value in being part of the discussion with other Ford NGL Network peers and with the professional development coach, we will be sure that the PPT, the audio recording of the meet up, and any related material is posted online.

In order to get a completion certificate, you must attend all meetups in the series.

Ford NGL U workshops will definitely give you helpful resources and tools to use. We encourage you to actually apply those tools and share your reflections and feedback. Sharing feedback is one of the key powers of the Ford NGL Network. We will not assign homework, but you will gain more from the experience if you practice what you learn between meetups.
Ford NGL uses Adobe Connect, and we want to make sure to engage you in a fully interactive experience. That means we’ll need to hear you and sometimes see you. You’ll access the session via unique web link and also dial into the session conference line. If video is required for a virtual experience we’ll let you know ahead of time. That way you can plan for and have access to a webcam. Click here for our Adobe Connect User Guidelines.
Yes, open communication is very important to us! Since these are workshops, we don’t want you to wait too long for a response to your questions. Even if you use this workshop as an on demand experience, we still want you to be able to connect with the workshop instructor. Read about our communication policy in each syllabus.

You will have access to resources and tools which you can use with your teacher teams.

Sign up Today! It’s free for Ford NGL Network members and only $697 for nonmembers.

FORD NGL NETWORK

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OUT OF NETWORK

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$ 697 00
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