High Tech High [3], 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 [3]
Provides examples of featured student and staff portfolios as well as video clips.
Seven Successful PBL Projects [4]
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 [5]
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 [6]
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 [7]
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 [8]
Open to interested educators.
"Integrated Units: A Planning Guide for Teachers [9]"
An eighteen-page resource for educators on creating cross-disciplinary teaching units (PDF download, 116 KB).
Links:
[1] http://www.edutopia.org/diane-demee-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/start-pyramid
[11] http://www.edutopia.org/new-skills-new-century
[12] http://www.edutopia.org/beginning-journey
[13] http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-overview
[14] http://www.edutopia.org/ferryway-video
[15] http://www.edutopia.org/beginning-journey-five-year-olds-drive-their-own-pbl-projects