WHAT WORKS IN EDUCATION The George Lucas Educational Foundation

Five-Year-Olds Pilot Their Own Project-Based Learning

Student-driven class activities, enhanced by technology, launch kindergartners on a journey of lifelong learning. Read the article.

Student-driven class activities, enhanced by technology, launch kindergartners on a journey of lifelong learning. Read the article.
Download | Credits | Release Date: 05/09/2007

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Video Credits

Produced, Written, and Directed by

  • Ken Ellis

Associate Producer:

  • Amy Erin Borovoy

Editor:

  • Karen Sutherland

Camera Crew:

  • Patrick Gregory
  • Dale Gray
  • Amy Erin Borovoy
  • Ken Ellis

Narrator:

  • Michael Pritchard

Original Music:

  • Ed Bogas

Still Photographs Courtesy of

  • Auburn Early Education Center
  • © 2007
  • The George Lucas Educational Foundation
  • All rights reserved.

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Comments (39)

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Doing a PBL for the first time

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I teach kindergarten in Elizabeth NJ and are required to do a PBL for the very first time. Our topic has been picked for us by our reading coach. we are required to have the students write an All About Book. We have been learning about plants and animals. Our students have to select either a plant or an animal to write about including a Table of Contents and glossary. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Excellent tool for Staff Development

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Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for to share with primary teachers who are beginning to craft project based learning experiences for their students.

Quote: I can't express how

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Quote:

I can't express how amazing this school is, and how much my daughter has learned since she started in August. AEEC is amazing.

I am so happy for you and your daughter. My daughter is in a super-traditional 'worksheet' skills-based school. I would weep joyfully if she could learn like this.

Parent of twins in middle school, a 9 year old, and a 5 year old

Thank you!

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I am SO happy that my daughter attended this school during this documentary. Now her younger sister is enrolled this year and enjoying the GREAT benefits of this school. I wish something like this had been around when I was a kid!

eve lewis

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Children are eager to learn and are fascinated by a project, and want to feel like they are making a part of the big picture. Project based learning is working together to achieve a shared outcome as a team. Just as project based learning is a team effort for students, it has to be embraced by a larger team of principals and teachers. I applaude Auburn and celebrate their leadership, dedication and patience...It takes work to be innovative!

educator

Authentic Integration

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I absolutely love how they incorporated the smartboards, and the project base for the lerning. Everything is authentic, not forced, not "just because we have the smartboard". Bravo to the school!

educator

Yes, it is definitely

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Yes, it is definitely appealing to students,and it is a lot of work for teachers. I think that since the job of teaching has changed so much over the years, we need to change how we work. If we partner with another teacher on the grade or in the same subject (for secondary teachers) then we can do more of these projects.Sharing lesson plans is a step, but it is not until we share labor and work together to create something that we are truly sharing. We need to move away from thinking of teaching as a solitary pursuit, and think of it as a team effort. Excellent learning experiences are created with collective effort because of the time constraints that are there.

Jacquelyn Baldwin

UNT Student

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I feel that this is a great video and that more schools should do these things, for example using the dramatic play senerio for real life things. I taught a lesson on the post office and the children loved it they got the oppurtunity to do so much and to first hand how things were done and the students loved it. One thing that i have to say that i just loved was how you all have incoorporated the smart boards. Great Job

Jennie Rojas

YES!! I agree. By watching

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YES!! I agree. By watching this video, I wish I could go back to school. Or at least go back to college and learn how to use technology in my classroom. I am a Kindergarten teacher and I would die to teach that way!!

caitlink4

i agree that technology does

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i agree that technology does make learning styles easier. it is the new futer. I find it interesting that a 5year old is not expected to know the correct spelling of a word, it does open up doors for them, make them feel comfortable about writing. I'm going to use that strategy in classes to see the what happens.