Practicing PBL: a self-directed PBL course, grades 4-12
A to Z Project Based Learning for middle and high school educators
Enroll in Course
This course is designed specifically to learn how to build and manage a PBL classroom from start to finish. How do I create an unforgettable learning experience with my students? An experience they will not shut up about at home? An experience that later in life, they’ll recognize as a pivotal point for them at school? An experience where they will look back, remember you, remember themselves, and smile! If you want this, you’re in the right place!
By the end of this Practicing PBL course, you will have not only created a phenomenal PBL unit that will make your students beg for more, but also be able to create any PBL experience for any unit and topic you choose from now on, following our LifePractice PBL process. It doesn't matter what topic you teach as long as you teach kids!
Learner engagement, content relevancy, and deep learning will never be an issue again!
Who should sign up? Educators who want to learn about PBL fast. or who feel they need less support. or who are self-starters and self-disciplined finishers. or who want to go slower, practicing and applying each portion as they learn. Want to go fast, slow, and/or deep? This is the class for you!
What will you gain? Learn the continuum of shifting yourself and your students to PBL. Understand daily realities of this type of learning environment, including assessing learning, student engagement, group work dynamics, real-world involvement, and more! Move deeply into the portions where you know you need more help -- and do so at your own pace. Skim those parts where you need less help. This course is self-directed and self-paced for you to make the learning what you need, for your learners!
** 3 hours of college credit is available. Contact me for details.
"I always wanted to make change in the world and I knew my best shot would be to do that in the world of education. I'm in my sixth year of teaching and have known Ginger for the past two years. I had no idea what kind of change was possible until I started attending her workshops. I already had a passion for teaching but she helped me to find a foothold on an amazing path in my career. My kids are hands on learners and are excited to come to school. Because of Ginger I have an incredible passion for a new kind of teaching and learning and my students share that passion everyday in my classroom."~ Rachel Meenen, elementary teacher
Your Instructor
Keynote speaker, Trauma Responsive Education, Education Redesign, Project/Problem/Passion-based Learning, Gifted & High Ability Learners, Instructional Technology & Integration
“There is nothing better than watching the face of a teacher, or a group of educators, or an entire school, as they watch their kids get excited about learning and doing things they never thought was possible. I know exactly what that feels like from the perspective of the learner, the teacher, and the school leader. It’s the most awesome thing in the world. Because in that moment, everything is possible. It’s the best feeling of possibilities for all involved and they will want to do it again.”
Ginger is a national consultant & keynote speaker with ESSDACK, a non-profit education service center based in Hutchinson Kansas. She inspires and helps all levels of educators figure out the in’s and out’s of teaching and learning. Some of her specialty topics:
- Redesigning schools & learning environments
- Building Resilience in staff & students (self-care and
co-care) - Project/Problem/Passion Based Learning
- technology integration
- working with gifted and high-ability learners
Ginger is deeply passionate about helping educators rethink and revision what teaching and learning can be in today’s world.
Originally a social science teacher, then shifting to Special Education/Gifted, Ginger eventually was tapped to start a school from the ground up with the only directive being that it was to be 1:1 laptops and 100% Project-Based Learning. She describes the adventure of building the school with her students, their parents, and the staff she hired as a “baptism by lava,” learning so much about truly student-driven learning and how to rethink how to serve a variety of students and families. When she stepped away from that beautiful school to join ESSDACK full time as a consultant, it was K-8, both virtual and F2F, and they were in the process of building the high school.
Combining nearly 30 years’ teaching & leading experience with her childhood background, rooted in incredible abuse and addiction which caused her to have 7 ACEs, Ginger is well-suited to helping school and communities rethink their school systems and what we might do differently to better serve students from all backgrounds.
Course Curriculum
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StartThe challenge: Let's start building!
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StartEssential Components for PBL (0:25)
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StartTeacher collaboration (0:50)
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StartTimeline for implementation (0:44)
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StartMaking sure they're truly learning (0:36)
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StartAssessing the learning (0:27)
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StartFinal products of learning (0:30)
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StartMaterials (1:00)
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StartStudent grouping and collaboration (0:24)
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StartOutside resources and research (1:23)
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StartPublishing and Public Relations (0:35)
"Ginger's experience running a project-based school has helped her develop a clear and grand perspective of how we can change school cultures to create meaningful and lasting learning experiences for our students. Ginger has a bag full of 'bridges' to help teachers at all comfort levels make real changes they can take into their classrooms tomorrow to take steps towards improving the educational experience for students."
~ Justin Coffey, HS Math teacher and Kansas teacher of the year
"If you are looking to redesign your schools and create a more learner-centric environment, I can think of no one better to help guide that effort than Ginger Lewman." ~ John Martin, Director of Innovation & Technology, Inter-Lakes School District, NH
"I think that one of the things that most people do not realize about Ginger is that she has a boatload of knowledge up her sleeve. Over the years she has found method after method of getting her main message across. "Give students authentic experiences that are relevant to their world and entice them to learn". Her skill sets are boundless."
~ Patti Duncan, Discovery Education, science educator
By the end of this Practicing PBL course, you will have created a phenomenal PBL unit that will make your students beg for more! And now you will be able to create any PBL experience from now on, following our LifePractice PBL process.
Frequently Asked Questions
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