An Argument for Project-Based Learning #PBL #EdChat #Education

There are people that are still very wary of project-based learning. I understand that there are questions about why it is better than other pedagogical approaches. There are some educators that are afraid to try and add PBL to their classroom because their school/district is chained to standardized tests and the thought is that PBL doesn't prepare students for those types of assessments. I wanted to give a few reasons why PBL is worth exploring in your classroom. 

1. Active engagement - One of the things that is amazing about PBL is the fact that students are actively engaged in the process of learning. In a traditional model, students are passively receiving the information. When a student is actively engaged, they are more likely to retain the information. If standardized tests are a worry, PBL will allow students to retain more of the material covered in class. Another nice part of active engagement is the energy that comes to the classroom. There are few things better than a jumping classroom because students are actively exploring  a variety of interesting topics. 

2. Soft skill work - When students are working on their projects, they are also getting a chance to work on their soft skills. Communication, collaboration, time management, and other skills are important when working on complex projects. Students will work on these skills many times over during a year filled with projects. Again, the traditional classroom, format has everything structured for the student with very little need to work on the soft skills. A student can sit in the back of a traditional classroom all year without being actively engaged. Those soft skills are important for everyone to have as they mature and enter the workforce. 

3. Ownership - I used to tell students, "If you can't get excited for the project you chose, why on earth would you get excited about the one I choose?" When students choose their project, they have a sense of ownership of their work. They take more pride in it and they commit to the ins and outs of it. There are times when students need to jump through hoops and complete mandated work, but that is true for most people in their jobs. Doing the boring stuff is required so you can do the fun stuff. When the students get to choose what the fun project is going to be, they take full ownership of it and get to work. 

4. Class culture - Classroom culture is important in every school. Creating a community of learners is not easy task. I noticed how students all came together during their different projects. They supported one another and offered feedback and cheered each other one when it was time to present. Students were far more respectful of a student presentation because they know how hard they worked and they wanted the respect of the class when they presented. The bonds that are formed by group projects are an amazing thing to watch. Groups form and create amazing things together and I would hear them talk fondly about them years later. Those memories are connected to the content in a way traditional note-taking instruction could never accomplish. 

5. Differentiation - Our students are on an educational journey and they are all at different points on the trip. PBL allows for students to choose projects, set goals, and share their work in ways that meet their needs. Not all projects are going to look the same and that is a good thing. A classroom full of students will be filled with a variety of IEPs and 504s. As a teacher, crafting different assignments for each of those students every time one is needed can be too time consuming. Allowing more choice in their work with PBL lets the students adjust their work as needed. That way, all of the students will be able learn in a way that is best for them. Over time, I did not have to help those students tweak their projects because they learned what would push them to do their best.

These are just a few reasons why project-based learning is a great thing to bring into your classroom. There are so many other reasons! Check out my book on PBL in the classroom and feel free to reach out if you have questions or are interested in PD on this topic. 

Hugs and High Fives, 

Nick 

@iamkidpresident visits Selma in new episode of Are We There Yet

I'm excited to see another episode live on YouTube from my buddy Brad and Kid President. In this episode they are visiting Selma, AL to see some kids doing awesome things in their community and to chat with Joanne Bland. She was active in the Civil Rights Movement and was arrested 3 times by the age of 11 when she marched to Montgomery with Dr. King.

I think this video is important to show students because there is this belief that you need to be an adult to make change in the world and we are seeing that is not true today with Greta Thunberg, but child activists have a long history and I love that Brad and Robby are recognizing someone that many people never learned about in History classes.

Check out this video and consider sharing with your students.

Connecting Through Coding #MakerEd

I had the privilege to attend BETT 2018 and I spent my time in the Kano booth connecting with educators and students about using code. It was a tiring, but very exciting time in London and I really gained a nice perspective on what Coding looks like in other countries around the world.

The same.

That is what coding looks like all over. There are teachers that are interested in coding, but are unsure of where to start. There are students that love to Minecraft and work on Scratch. There are expert technology teachers that love to code but have never used Scratch or seen Minecraft in action. It is not like I was expecting things to be so vastly different in other schools around the world, it was just something I never really thought about before.

I've been spending lots of time with 6th graders as they have been building arcade games on Scratch and a fun little interaction took place as I was trying to help a student with their code. I was going through a string of blocks to make a ball bounce and another student walked over and said there was an easier way. He sat down and walked me through the easier way and I learned a couple of things along the way. The student I was trying to help said, "This is so funny. A students is teaching the teacher who is trying to teach me. I love it." I simply responded that we are all lifelong leaners and I will listen to anyone that has something new to teach me. When it comes to code, we can all connect and speak the same language no matter how young, or old we are.

I met some amazing educators from all over and I look forward to connecting with them and seeing how we can engage our students in the process of coding together on teams and creating some very fund and exciting games. I'm not quite ready to tackle this project, but I know it will be something that is going to happen down the line. If you code with other countries, please share it with me and the community on Twitter so we can all check it out.

Here are some pictures of me having a good time in London.

More Icelandic/British/American goodness at the Icelandic Embassy in London. Amazing conversations about Education in three very different learning communities. I felt very proud to be able to share the amazing things happening at @uniliggett. #BETT18 #LiggettLearns

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 28, 2018 at 3:57am PST

More Icelandic/British/American goodness at the Icelandic Embassy in London. Amazing conversations about Education in three very different learning communities. I felt very proud to be able to share the amazing things happening at @uniliggett. #BETT18 #LiggettLearns

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 28, 2018 at 3:57am PST

More art that is modern.

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 27, 2018 at 10:32am PST

Seeing friends and connecting is such a great part of being able to travel and connect with some many people dedicated to supporting education. Seeing @msclaragalan is always a bonus to any trip.

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 24, 2018 at 12:05pm PST

Seeing friends and connecting is such a great part of being able to travel and connect with some many people dedicated to supporting education. Seeing @msclaragalan is always a bonus to any trip.

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 24, 2018 at 12:05pm PST

Makerspaces and You #MakerEd

If you want to know a bit more about Making and Makerspaces, this is the post for you! I wanted to share just a few tips with anyone out there that is interested in exploring the world of Making for themselves or their students. 

1. If you want your students to Make, you need to Make.

You have to be ok with trying new things and seeing where the adventure takes you. I've learned to code a Raspberry Pi and Arduino. I've made some very cool, crazy things, and practical things as I honed my Maker skills. You do not need to be an expert in all areas, but start to dabble and learn alongside your students if they are trying something new. It's a great experience to learn something brand new from scratch. Start Making to create new Makers. 

2. Create a Safe Place for Failure

The biggest thing I've learned about Making is that you are going to mess up. Things are not going to work the first time and some things might not work at all despite the hours put in. Students need to know that it is ok for things not to work right away. If you are Making with the students, they will see that failure is part of the process. People say, "You have to fall down a few times before you ride a bike successfully". In the Maker world, you are going to burn a few finger tips before the solder is in place. 

3. Have some fun

When it comes to choosing projects, have some fun. Go out there and find something that just looks neat. You will learn many valuable skills along the way no matter what you choose, so you might as well choose something interesting and fun to you. Make: and Instructables are great places to start looking for fun projects. If you are not having fun Making, something is terribly wrong. 

These are just a few things I've learned over the course of my time Making. I'm always learning something new and exciting. You can keep up to date on my crazy Making projects on Twitter or Instagram. If you want to dive deeper into Makerspaces and want to set up a space in your school, check out my book, Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces. It's perfect for someone who is just getting started in the Maker world and needs a good "how to" guide to get them started. 

My book has also been used by schools and districts as a book study. If this is something you might want to bring to your school or district, send me an email so we can set up a time to chat and make it happen. 

Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces Available Today! #MakerEd

Today is the day! I just can't believe that my Makerspaces book is available for purchase on Amazon right now. It was a labor of love that I'm so happy to share with all of you. If you buy the book and you really liked, it would be awesome if you could write a review on Amazon to let others know what you thought. Also, feel free to share out the Amazon link with the tag #IAmAMaker.

Look at what these amazing educators had to say about "Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces"

I've never had so much fun reading a professional book, ever. Somehow each chapter is equal parts hilarious, gleeful, inspiring and practical. I would recommend to this every educator I know and even parents and students. This is a book you can come back to again and again to laugh learn and make each time in a new way. - Jennie Magiera - Jennie Magiera, Educator and Author of Courageous Edventures

Your Starter Guide To Makerspaces makes any Hufflepuff feel like they can tackle the maker movement with the brains of a Ravenclaw, confidence of a Gryffindor, and cleverness of a Syltherin. - Emily Gover - Spirit Animal, Edtech Nerd & Librarian

In Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces, Nicholas Provenzano creates a practical and personal look at how to get started with the maker mindset. Chock-full of nerdtastic pop-culture references, the book practices what it preaches and even invites the reader to make content and hack the book itself. While not taking itself too seriously, this book serves up some seriously useful content and new ideas on Makerspaces. - Adam Bellow Co-Founder Breakout EDU

"Interested in STEAM education and even starting a Makerspace in your community, then this book should be on your reading list! Whatever your subject specialism it will give you new perspective on your lessons and maybe even get you thinking a little more nerdy." - Carrie Anne Philbin - Director of Education at @Raspberry_Pi, Author, @thePSF & @CompAtSch board memeber, Founder @GeekGurlDiaries, Chari of @CASinclude, Google Certified Innovator.

“When teachers ask me how to get started creating a makerspace, this is the book that I will point them to. What I love is that through his humorous yet personal "nerd alerts" and the embedded reflective "maker thoughts" that help frame thinking at the end of each chapter, readers will not only feel a connection to Mr. Provenzano the teacher but also create a pathway towards authentic making in the best possible way...with their purpose in mind. “ - Rafranz Davis - Exec Dir of Prof & Digital Learning

"Nicholas is a pioneer. His experience, enthusiasm, and good humor make this book a fun and indispensable resource for fostering meaningful making in your school." - Matt Richardson - Product Evangelist

“The Nerdy Teacher has done with this book what all good makers and educators do in their classrooms and communities. He took a deep, wonderful topic and made it accessible to everyone by scaffolding the content to offer timely and relevant content to everyone, regardless of experience or prior knowledge. Oh, and the pop culture references and whimsical drawings are awesome, too!" - David Saunders - School Library Maker & DesignSaunders.com

“The best part about "Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces"... is it the awesome tips? The pop culture references? The stories? It's all of these things but what makes the book most special is how Nick's voice can be heard throughout it encouraging me to try new things, think big for students, and not to be afraid to step out of my comfort zone. This book is for anyone who's toying with the idea of Makerspaces and hasn't yet taken the plunge. Nick's positive demeanor and warmth shine through every word.” - Sherry Gick - Associate Director of Innovative Learning

Five-Star Technology Solutions

“Nick Provenzano writes the perfect book for anyone interested in Making but don't know where to start. Your Starter Guide to Maker Spaces lowers the barrier to entry and proves that we are all Makers.  The guide is more than a book, it's a companion that new Makers can turn to on their creative journey. We are entering a brave new world in education and Nick is one of the voices proving that more is possible.” - James Sanders - Co-Founder Breakout EDU

"Nick Provenzano has written an awesome guide to 'making', that not only makes it accessible to everyone, but is an awesome and fun read. His mix of personal anecdotes tied into powerful examples of how to get started and move forward, make this book an awesome addition to a collection for all educators, not just the ones looking to start a 'make space'. Awesome read!" - George Couros - George Couros is the author of "The Innovator's Mindset", and a global Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Consultant.

The First Five Minutes #EdChat

I've been paying close attention to my time management this year. I was curious how I used my time at the start and end of class. I want to be as efficient as possible and those times of a class period could run smoother.

I found something very interesting after looking at my classes for about 6 weeks. The first five minutes set the tone for the entire class. Here is what I'm talking about.

One approach had me jumping into the material the second the bell rang. I started rattling off the things we were going to cover for the day and all of the stuff they needed to have out and ready to go. I also would take attendance during this time. I was always amazed at how chatty all of the kids were and how many of them were not quite ready to go when I was.

I was very annoyed that my students couldn't get their crap together and be ready to go when I wanted them. I wanted to know what the problem was. I went to one of many meetings that teachers go to and I was just struck by something. What meetings start exactly on time discussing the business at hand? The first five minutes or so is all pleasantries. As adults, we like to talk and catch up on things going on in our lives. Depending on the meeting, some people might not have seen each other for days or weeks. Those five minutes are crucial to catch up, settle down and get in the right frame of mind for that meeting.

Why do we treat students differently? Some of these students haven't seen each other since the day before. I have found that by letting these students have these first five minutes has actually increased the work we get done. I walk around the room and talk with the students. Those five minutes allow me to engage and personally tell each table what we will be doing. I take attendance as I walk around and talk to the students. By the time that five minute catchup period ends, the students are ready to go.

I have learned so much about my students from talking with them and sharing ideas. These five minutes have become a fun part of my class and my kids like the talk time as well. Those connections I have made during those five minutes have made a lasting impact on student engagement and relationships. It is something I really encourage all teachers to look at implementing in their class.

How do you start your class?