Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Planning and implementing great project based instruction in your classroom can be easy and fun.  Projects can be short or long, simple or complex, and they can address any content area or set of skills by using all or some of the elements of effective project based learning design.  Check out the following Teacher Feature video illustrating parts of  a short project that Candi Gorski (Harlan 2^nd grade) used to perpetuate her instruction in reading comprehension.

Teacher Feature Link:  http://tinyurl.com/d8ydsak

In the span of a week she…

…read a great book about Native American culture to her students.

• Played traditional Native American music softly while reading
• Set the stage by making some connections to Native American culture and generating a thoughtful mood in her classroom
• Transported the group through space and time with her voice and energy

…followed up with a collaborative workshop in which her second grade students created Dream Catchers with their fifth grade learning buddies.

• Collaboration
• Communication
• Authentic purpose and connections to content

…Incorporated Native American cultural artifacts in classroom communication across the curriculum.

• More music
• Other literature
• Photographs

…facilitated ongoing comprehension conversations, revisiting content, skills, and strategies repeatedly.

Again, the critical content driving this project was reading comprehension; specifically making connections for enhance comprehension.

Thanks for your great work Candi…and thanks for sharing!

Stayed tuned and/or contact your Ignite Facilitator, Media Specialist, or other interested colleagues for more information about planning for project based learning in your classroom.

Have a great week and let me know how I can support your exploration!

Seth