Project Based Learning in Elementary

Education
Megan Brown, Shurden Garrett, and Caitlin Terry
Purpose & Main Question
We set out to explore how project based learning (PBL) affects student engagement in various

contexts across the curriculum.

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Main Question:

How can I engage students by using Project Based Learning?

Sub-Questions
How can technology support PBL?

How does PBL promote cross-curricular learning?

How can literacy be used to develop PBL activities?

How does PBL help prepare students for real world/ further education (21st Century)?
Defining Project Based Learning

a systematic teaching method that engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an

extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed

projects and tasks (Albritton & Stacks, 2016, p. 1)

Defining Project Based Learning

allows students to have some control over their own learning, regardless of their personal learning style

engages students in purposeful experiences that allows them to utilize their strengths to create products

that demonstrates their acquired knowledge

exposing students to real world application through interdisciplinary and cross-curricular activities
Incorporating Technology in the Classroom
Todays student, regardless of his residential address, lives in the technological era in which the Internet and Google are

present almost from the beginning of his education, and for many of them even from the beginning of their lives (Lukas, 2014, p.

37).

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Project Based Learning provides a seamless way to integrate technology into instruction

Provides a resource that many students feel comfortable with using (an outlet to express)

Dive into a world of technology beyond social media and video games

Extend student learning

 Project Based Learning Across the Curriculum
Despite greater attention to PBL in STEM education, some of the most powerful evidence in support comes from social
studies education research.
Literacy research also points to the power of PBL. Students have greater motivation when they:
-read/ write for purposes beyond school
-read/write material they see as relevant to their lives
(Duke, Halvorsen, Strachan, p. 16)

Using a problem-solving, hands-on instructional approach, students are more likely to remember content and
make connections between core subject areas
Student motivation increases when they are able to see a purpose for learning
Incoporating literature into instruction, followed by a project-based activity allows students to view content
wholistically and through multiple lenses
21st Century Student/Teacher
beyond the high-stakes testing environment and to help our students develop skills so they can be successful in the workforce of

the future (FCPS, 2014, p. 1)

Shift from 3Rs (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic) taking students beyond foundational skills
Sense of Independence in their own learning through capitalizing on strengths while still building on areas for growth
Cooperation and Collaboration among students
Flipped Classroom, that promotes facilitation and collaboration as learning focus
Methods/Research Design
Grounded Theory - driven by our student teaching experiences
Data Collection:
Anecdotal Notes - observations & experiences
Journals - reflection & evaluation
Conferences - follow up & perspectives
Activities - incorporation & completion
Triangulation of Data:
Occurs through examination and comparison of student and educators perspectives on Project Based Learning and
its impact through observation, reflection, and examining before and after implementing and completing learning
experiences
Coding Data:
As data is collected - it will be sorted based on its relevance to each subquestion
Methods & Coding
SUBQUESTION Data 1: Data 2: Data 3: Data 4:
Interviews/ Journals Lessons & Activities Anecdotal Notes
Conferences

How can technology X X X

support PBL?

How does PBL X X

promote
cross-curricular
learning?

How can literacy be X X

used to develop PBL
activities?

How does PBL X X

motivate the 21st
century student?
Research Design
Week Goals

March 13th - 16th Collecting, reviewing, and sharing data

March 20th - 23rd Collecting, reviewing, and sharing data

March 27th - 30th Collecting, reviewing, and sharing data

April 3rd - April 6th Analyze all data

April 10th - 13th Write Rough Draft

April 17th - April 19th Finalize Paper

Thursdays throughout semester Meet with group