Project-Based Learning: What Parents Can Do
How parents can encourage and support their child -- and their child's school -- in project-based learning.
by Edutopia Staff
Become acquainted with project-based learning practices
Check out The Project Approach created by University of Alberta Professor Sylvia Chard, an expert on learning through projects. The Buck Institute for Education offers an extensive introduction to project-based learning, including research and training manuals for middle and high school teachers.
Keep an open mind
Bruce Alberts, president of the National Academy of Sciences, says one reason project-based learning isn't being tried in more schools is that parents don't support it. That is because they were taught in a more traditional way and aren't acquainted with how project-based learning works.
Talk with your child's teacher about possible projects
Offer your assistance in whatever way you can -- by locating needed resources, by offering your expertise, or by driving on project-related outings.
Ask how your company would be willing to support project-based learning
Expertise? Materials? Classroom volunteer time? Funding? Because students are involved in real-world projects, local companies have much to offer in terms of support.
Resources
Brave New Schools. This book by Jim Cummins and Dennis Sayers serves as a guide for educators and parents to schooling in the age of technology. Through enlightening case studies, Brave New Schools highlights how the Internet facilitates communication across geographical and cultural barriers.
Engaging Children's Minds: The Project Approach. This book by Professors Sylvia Chard and Lilian Katz, first published in 1989 and revised in 2000, provides an introduction to the project approach to learning.
Global SchoolNet Foundation Project Registry. Created for teachers, this Web site contains worldwide projects using technology from classroom teachers and organizations such as NASA, iEARN, and GLOBE. The projects can be sorted by age level, subject, and project start date.
Virtual Architecture. University of Texas Professor Judi Harris created a Web site that is rich in ideas on how to mine the Internet for projects. She offers a framework for designing and implementing curriculum-based telecomputing projects.
WebQuest. Created by San Diego State University Professor Bernie Dodge, this Web site shows teachers and students how to select and analyze information found on the Web for any subject at any grade level. WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented approach that supports thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
This article originally published on 11/1/2001
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