PBL at Tech Valley High School

As teachers we often exist in our own silos of pedagogy and content. Seldom to we leave our room biome except to maybe procure nourishment and coffee. We need to break down these cubicles around us and be the risk takers and thinkers that we want our students to be. With great excitement I ventured with some fellow science colleagues from my district to visit Tech Valley High School.

The School

Tech Valley High School (TVHS) is a public school that is funded through school districts and Questar III and Capital District BOCES. Surrounding districts pay to send students but do get some of that money back. My district currently has one student attending that I know quite well. The school has about 35 students per grade level. Students come from a variety of backgrounds and they are not all the "best of the best" as might be thought. All classes are taught per regents requirements, but it is the methodology of teaching, school structure, and culture that make TVHS special.

Students are taught four pieces of the school's cultural pie: trust, respect, responsibility, and stewardship. These are not just words tossed about flippantly. During their freshman year students take these to heart and apply them. Their are also School-Wide Learning Outcomes (SWLOs) that are embedded in the methodology of the school.

School-Wide Learning Outcomes (SWLOs):

• Knowing & Thinking (content)
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Agency (Self-Direction)
• Technology & Information Literacy

These are used by teachers to plan curriculum, assess students, and direct student activities.

I would say one of the big things that separates TVHS from other school in the area is their focus on  Project Based Learning (PBL). Every class includes at least one PBL unit (task). We spent much of our time as teachers today learning about how PBL looks in a class and exploring the possibility of incorporating PBL into our own classes.

Our Day

We met our guide, Sarah Fiess, when we arrived and went to a classroom. There we brainstormed what we knew and what we wanted to know. Sarah then went through a slideshow presentation on the basics of the school (see above). Next, two students took us on a tour of the building. The building is new and smaller than you might think. Rooms are equipped with rolling chairs and desks (except for lab), and a large wall to wall whiteboard is present in almost every room. T.V.s throughout the building have a rolling slideshow that includes student projects. There is a relaxed yet driven, professional atmosphere permeating the carpeted halls and rooms.

After the tour we did our first classroom observation. The Bioengineering class had the PBL task of identifying a biome to recommend to UNESCO for preservation. On the day we visited students were examining live animals to identify adaptations that allow them to survive in their biome/habitat. The students, however, did not know what habitat the animals were from and had to infer that based on the adaptations.

We then went back to our room to learn how projects are rolled out. Physics teacher Michelle Sweeney walked us through her projectile motion project that she recently developed. I could almost see doing this right away in class. Developing the rubrics and timing seem to be key in a successful roll out.

Four students then came in and we held a panel discussion. The main topic we discussed was teamwork. Students have a warning system. They essentially have a contract with each other in their groups. Warnings can be issued by group members or teachers. Parent contact and then having to do a project yourself are the find warnings.

After lunch we visited two more classrooms. We visited a computer science class and then a physics class. Each time we only observed for 20 minutes, taking notes on SWLOs and the 6A's of High Quality Projects (see below). Teachers often referred to SWLOs directly as did students. "How should we collaborate.", said one student. Teachers tell students how they should communicate. Participation is graded based on the SWLOs and how well students address them. I found this unlike what we teachers often do, which is use it as a squishy grade to pad a grade or track how often a student doesn't have a pencil.

We met again with Sarah at the end of the day to discuss what we saw and go over possible PBL projects in our own district. Teachers at TVHS present their project ideas to their colleagues for review. Your colleagues have a chance after you present to tell you what they like and make say "wonder statements" (recommendations). High Quality Projects should have the following:

• Authenticity
• Academic Rigor
• Applied Learning
• Active Exploration
• Adult Connections
• Assessment Practices

Reflection

I found this experience invaluable in gaining an understanding of what PBL is and isn't. PBL is not just about the project. Students still have textbooks and problem sets to do. The project is there to give authenticity and agency. The project puts the knowing and thinking into a context that students can better latch on to. Projects also don't need to be huge undertakings. They can be small, especially if it is your first as a teacher. With my current load of physics work and other initiatives I am not sure if I will attempt a PBL this year. My creative eyes and ears are open and the pedagogical muse my hit me at any time.