Project Based Learning - Introduction
Since 1994, the Center for Youth Development and Education (CYDE) has been providing professional development for educators in the K-12 system and in alternative schools With a focus on contextualized learning, real-world applications, and career development, CYDE has delivered extensive professional development in areas including:
- Project-based learning
- Standards-based teaching and learning
- Differentiated instruction
- Authentic assessment
- Portfolio development, including career portfolios
- School-to-career programs and systems
- Partnership development and strategic planning
- Career pathways
- Smaller learning communities
- Mentoring, including an innovative web-based mentoring program developed by CYDE.
This site is dedicated to the project-based learning training. CYDE staff have trained over 3,000 educators in this method, have presented workshops at major conferences, and have developed a manual—available on this site—that is used for training throughout the country.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) organizes learning around projects (instead of, or in addition to, textbook reading, lectures, etc.). A project involves a number of activities leading to an end point and resulting in a product or presentation. Simply doing a project does not guarantee that learning is taking place, so PBL involves a number of steps and strategies to ensure that relevant and rigorous learning occurs as a result of the project. Project-based learning, then, engages students in complex, real-world issues and problems and asks them to apply content and SCANS skills and knowledge in a variety of contexts. Learners use inquiry, research, planning skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as they complete the project. Learning standards as outlined in state or local curriculum frameworks can all be addressed in the context of project-based learning.
For information about our trainings, please contact Ephraim Weisstein at 617-727-8158 or Bill Diehl at 413-582-9054.
Presentations
- Training packets (in MS Word) that give information about PBL and its components and include tools for use in planning and implementing PBL
- Power Point presentations that can be adapted for use in trainings
- Overview of the trainings that are given by CYDE
Resources
- Complete manual on PBL developed by CYDE (also available for sale in hard copy)
- Planning Tools
- Rubrics
Links
- Links to some of the major PBL sites
- Links to selected PBL projects
- Links to sites on standards-based education
- Links to sites on reflection
- Links to sites on authentic assessment and rubrics
- Links to sites on portfolios
Projects
- Selected examples of good projects
- Works-in-progress; a place to post projects as they are developed
