High Tech High, a charter-school-development organization that runs eight schools in and around the San Diego area, has won accolades for its project-learning approach and the way it tightly connects the classroom with the real world. Its schools, which span grades K-12, also strive to integrate subjects, and they challenge students to present their work publicly.
High Tech High makes a wealth of videos, lessons, teacher and student portfolios, and other resources available online. Here are some places to start investigating:
High Tech High Digital Commons
Provides examples of featured student and staff portfolios as well as video clips.
Seven Successful PBL Projects
Offers detailed descriptions of activities and assessments, plus rubrics you can download. This is a good entry point for exploring High Tech High's project resources.
Projects
More than sixty-five projects -- covering a range of grade levels and subject areas -- you can adapt for your own use.
UnBoxed: A Journal of Adult Learning in Schools
Published by the High Tech High Graduate School of Education; offers reflections on purpose, practice, and policy in education.
High Tech High Graduate School of Education
Established in September 2007 at San Diego's High Tech High village of schools, it offers a master's degree in education in two concentrations: school leadership and teacher leadership.
Professional-development residencies and institutes
Open to interested educators.
"Integrated Units: A Planning Guide for Teachers"
An eighteen-page resource for educators on creating cross-disciplinary teaching units (PDF download, 116 KB).
Links:
[1] http://www.edutopia.org/diane-dem-eacute-e-benoit
[2] http://www.edutopia.org/grace-rubenstein-content
[3] http://www.hightechhigh.org/dc/index.php
[4] http://www.hightechhigh.org/pbl/index.html
[5] http://projects.hightechhigh.org
[6] http://www.hightechhigh.org/unboxed/index.php
[7] http://gse.hightechhigh.org/index.php
[8] http://www.hightechhigh.org/programs/professional_development.php
[9] http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/integrated-curriculum-guide.pdf
[10] http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-student-motivation
[11] http://www.edutopia.org/new-skills-new-century
[12] http://www.edutopia.org/kindergarten-project-based-learning
[13] http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-overview-video
[14] http://www.edutopia.org/ferryway-ironworks-integrated-studies-video
[15] http://www.edutopia.org/kindergarten-project-based-learning-video