Customer Reviews

Project Based Learning Handbook: A Guide to Standards-Focused Project Based Learning for Middle and High School Teachers

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I taught for ten years as a high school math teacher between 1990 and 2000. During that time, I was constantly trying to bring the 'real world' into my classroom by creating projects and problems that replicated reality and engaged my students with as much passion for the subject as possible. I often got plenty of passion, and lots of great mathematical reasoning. I often had the kids writing math papers so that they had to explain their reasoning in detail. However, I was frustrated when trying to teach them to prepare more thoroughly for their oral presentations, or to work more cooperatively and produce equal effort in their groups.

If only I had had this Handbook on Project Based Learning. There are very clear guidelines on how to take ideas for a project that you already have, or to create one from the curriculum you already teach, and to then map out a highly focused, thoroughly engaging, tightly managed, standards based project, including ideas for authentic assessment through artifacts which support the student's time and effort(phone logs of group communication, meeting notes, library research logs) as well as rubrics and forms for planning, managing and assessing the work throughout the project.

You will be amazed at the work that your students produce when you add only some of the ideas in this book.

The book is so rich with material that each year you can add a few more of the suggestions to your project until it is a dense, rich, powerful learning experience that your students will talk about and remember for years.

I highly recommend the PBL Handbook to teachers aiming to facilitate student learning for the 21st Century. This handbook is, in my opinion, the best training guide available to help middle school and high school teachers design and implement rigorous, relevant, and challenging student projects.

The PBL Handbook draws from the best work of leading practitioners from the PBL community, including Handbook author Thom Markham, Ron Berger, Linda Ullah, and Paul Curtis. PBL at New Tech High School (Napa) utilizes the same methodology and practice as the BIE Handbook. Both New Tech Foundation (NTF) Director of Curriculum Paul Curtis and New Tech teacher Megan Pacheco contributed to the handbook. NTF utilizes the handbook in training teachers from the growing national network of New Tech High Schools.

Bob Pearlman
Former President, Autodesk Foundation
Director of Strategic Planning, New Technology Foundation

The Buck Institute's PBL Handbook is a great resource for any teacher who wishes to create a more meaningful educational experience for students. Very few teachers have had any experience or training in implementing content based projects and this guide provides step-by-step instructions in developing PBL units. The handbook is also full of examples and ideas that come from the classroom. We use the PBL Handbook extensively in training all of our incoming staff members.

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Paul Curtis
Director of Curriculum
New Technology High School / New Technology Foundation

As a high school social studies teacher, I used this handbook to develop units and units of curriculum in World History and Economics. It first helped me to understand the essential elements to successful projects. Then, it taught me about ways to push kids to learn more through projects than traditional methods. I used to think that project-based learning was just more "fun," but now see its potential for IMPROVING student achievement.

Thanks to the author for opening my eyes to this out-of-the-box way of looking at teaching.

Trent Kaufman
Assistant Principal, Dublin High School

The Project Based Learning Handbook is an essential tool for any educator looking to design more rigorous and relevant curriculum. Markham and associates take the educator step by step through the design process - explaining concepts, offering examples and encouraging the educator to apply their learning. The handbook serves the needs of both the novice and the more experienced teacher. The novice will devour each and every section while the veteran can hunt around to find resources, templates and high quality examples that they can adapt for their classroom. The PBL handbook is required reading for all new teachers to Envision Schools, a San Francisco Bay Area cluster of new, small, innovative high schools dedicated to implementing academically rigorous project-based learning. While the handbook is focused on PBL, the instructional design strategies are sound practices for every type of instruction.

Bob Lenz
Chief Education Officer
Envision Schools

This book is excellent for use with our group of gifted students (3rd through 12th grades), as it provides the step-by-step strategies for teachers/facilitators to consider as we delve into 21st century real-world projects which connect with standards. Excellent service and product provided.

Highly recommend for teachers - it offers a lot of ideas for creating projects that enhance learning while also helping students improve other critical skills such as communication, teamwork, research, presenting, etc..

Easy to read. Lots of great suggestions.