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Project-Based Learning—Key Elements of PBL

Student collaboration in project-based learning PBL

Project-Based Learning—Key Elements of PBL

Anyone who spends much time in the education world will hear about project-based learning or PBL. This growing trend is becoming incorporated into more classrooms every day. So what’s the big deal with PBL? What does it entail, and how can it improve student learning?

We found a lot of information about project-based learning. The most succinct definition came from an article by Heather Wolpert-Gawron called What the Heck is Project-Based Learning? Her “elevator speech” answer is, “PBL is the act of learning through identifying a real-world problem and developing its solution. Kids show what they learn as they journey through the unit, not just at the end.”

What are some keys of PBL?

Solving real-world problems

In PBL, students solve authentic problems they really care about. Learning is meaningful to the student and fills an educational purpose. It’s not just something students will need to know “later in life.”

Learning happens through the project

These projects don’t come at the end of the unit, after the learning has taken place. They’re not a culminating project or an enrichment activity—the learning comes as students work on the problem to find a solution.

Student voice and choice

PBL projects are student-designed and student-led. Students choose problems to solve and questions to answer. They take responsibility to refine and revise their projects throughout the process.

Reflection, critique, feedback

In traditional learning, feedback and assessment come at the end and generally just from the teacher. In PBL, students continually reflect on and critique their projects. They receive feedback and assessment from peers and teachers during the entire project.

Public presentation

Project-based learning needs to be presented publicly. Rather than just turning in an assignment to the teacher or presenting it to the class, students present to an authentic audience. Knowing their project will be shared with more than just their teacher motivates students to do their best work.

Teacher-facilitated, student-driven

In PBL, teachers become the facilitators. Students take the driver’s seat and are responsible for moving their projects forward to completion. Teachers provide structure and help along the way, but students own their learning.

If you think project-based learning might be the change you’re looking for in your classroom, check out the links in this article for more information. And come back in a couple weeks when we share how PBL benefits students!

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EPIC Spotlight: Morgan County High School

EPIC Spotlight: Morgan County High School

Our purpose at Audio Enhancement is to make classrooms more effective and ease the burden resting on educators’ shoulders. EPIC (Education Paging & Intercom Communications) System™ was developed in response to concerns and frustrations that K-12 educators had when working with their intercom, paging, and bells systems. When developing EPIC System, our goal was to create an intuitive and easy-to-use product that administrators could customize to fit their needs. This goal was realized in the experience Morgan County High School had in implementing and using EPIC System.

Morgan County and Audio Enhancement

Morgan County High School serves 9–12th grade students in Morgan County Charter School System in Madison, Georgia. It is a wall-to-wall college and career academy, focusing on helping students discover a love of learning and preparing for future careers. In October 2018, they moved into a new building and began using Audio Enhancement’s EPC System™, Classroom Audio solutions, SAFE System™, and VIEWpath®. We had the opportunity to discuss their implementation of EPIC System with Jennifer Butler, Morgan County’s CTAE Director.

Ms. Butler has worked in education since 1996 and has been with Morgan County since 2006. In her time as an educator, she has observed that schools lack flexibility in their communication systems. Typical systems don’t allow for much customization and can be difficult to use. Zones and bell tones are generally predetermined and can’t be changed by educators at the school. A year before Morgan County moved into a new building, they heard about EPIC System. When their team saw the system offered fully customizable zones, room-to-room intercom, and a touchscreen interface, they hoped it would offer them increased flexibility. Did it work out like they wanted? According to Ms. Butler, “Our hopes were realized tenfold.”

An Easy-to-Use System

Morgan County HS moved into their new school over Fall Break, so their time to learn the system before using it on a day-to-day basis was limited. Fortunately, with very little training, teachers and staff were ready to use EPIC System with confidence. Ms. Butler said, “It is almost plug and play, in my opinion. If you have any technical background, it is a very simple process to learn. If you are intimidated by technology, a short training session is sufficient.” The simplicity of EPIC System allowed them to welcome students back after Fall Break and move forward assured that they could efficiently manage the system.

Customization

One of the features of EPIC System most used and appreciated by Morgan County is the ability to fully customize zones for paging and bells. Administrators can create zones in any configuration needed, from an entire floor to a single classroom. “This has been a game changer,” said Ms. Butler. “We have set up zones for PSAT testing, EOC testing, AP testing, ASVAB testing.” This allows them to keep a particular hallway silent from bells while the rest of the school continues with its regular schedule. They also use it to adjust bells in the auditorium to avoid disrupting a play or events being held.

Another feature of EPIC System utilized by Morgan County is customizable bell tones. They appreciate the option to set specific songs for specific events so students and teachers know what to expect. They also change bells for holidays and special events to create a fun atmosphere for everyone at the school.

Final Thoughts

At the end of our interview, when asked if there was anything else she’d like to share about her experience with EPIC System, Ms. Butler said, “I believe it has been one of our best purchases for our system. The areas that have been affected by this system—bells, paging, intercom and safety—are areas that are taken for granted by most people, but they are very important to a school. This has provided us a sense of protection that is so important and the ability to limit unnecessary classroom disruptions has helped morale.”

“I believe it has been one of our best purchases for our system.”

Jennifer Butler

From the first development of EPIC System, our goal was to make life easier and schoolwide communication more efficient for K-12 educators. We are so happy to hear that EPIC System is doing exactly what it was designed to do for educators at Morgan County High School!

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6 Key Education Leadership Traits

education leader with positive leadership qualities

6 Key Education Leadership Traits

Who sets the tone in an education environment? Who or what determines the climate of a school? A recent post on Twitter from #teachergoals caught our attention: “If admin isn’t excited, teachers aren’t excited. If teachers aren’t excited, kids aren’t excited. #leadershipmatters” A 2013 Gallup report entitled School Leadership Linked to Engagement and Student Achievement reported, “Leadership is second only to classroom instruction among school-related factors that contribute to what students learn at school.” Education leadership plays a critical role in a school’s environment.

What qualities do leaders in education need to set a positive tone and create the best experience for students and teachers? We did some searching and found six key traits to focus on for positive, effective leaders:

  1. 1. Communicate
  2. 2. Be Positive
  3. 3. Encourage Feedback and Collaboration
  4. 4. Trust, Empower, and Believe in Others
  5. 5. Solve Problems and Make Decisions
  6. 6. Create and Innovate
Communicate

Leaders need to be excellent communicators. They need to effectively communicate one-on-one, with individual departments, and with their entire staff. They understand the value of listening to and really hearing those they serve. These leaders have an open-door policy and welcome the input of others. Leaders also need to communicate their vision so everyone understands its value and can be motivated to work toward the same goals.

Be Positive

A leader’s attitude affects everyone in their organization. If teachers and staff feel like their administrator loves coming to work, they will likely to feel the same. Positive leaders take time to build authentic relationships and show others they care. They set a positive tone by being kind and patient, building up those they work with and helping them see the growth they can achieve. Even when things aren’t going as planned, a positive leader doesn’t vent by talking negatively about others.

Encourage feedback and Collaboration

Feedback is a two-way street, and effective leaders understand that. They take time to identify the strengths of those they work with and areas where they can grow. They also welcome feedback and appreciate hearing which things they’re doing well and where change might be needed. Great leaders work with their team, defining goals and plans to strengthen the students and teachers they work with. They understand the value in coaching and mentorship, both for themselves and for the teachers in their school.

Trust, Empower, and Believe in Others

People perform better when a leader trusts them to do their job and believes they can succeed. Education leaders understand this and demonstrate trust at their schools. They give constructive feedback without micro-managing. A great leader understands the individual strengths and weaknesses of those they work with. Together they can build on strengths and provide personal development to strengthen weaknesses.

Solve Problems and Make Decisions

School administrators are faced every day with decisions and problems that they can’t anticipate or plan for. They have to be ready to think outside the box and act quickly to solve unique problems. Leaders can face tough decisions—they have to be strong enough to make hard decisions and move forward with confidence.

Create and Innovate

Strong leaders know that decisions don’t always have a clear answer and often the solutions they seek are non-traditional. Knowing when to stick with “the way it’s always been done” and changing things to fit new circumstances is critical. Educational leaders are often looking for new and better ways to do things. They embrace different cultural perspectives and are open to the ideas of others. Not only are they creative and innovative, but they empower students and teachers to do the same.

Strong and effective education leaders are critical to the success of today’s schools. Their ability to uplift and inspire those they work with, along with their ability to be creative and effective in their decision making and collaboration, will affect the atmosphere of their school and the attitude of all they work with. 

Check out these other sources with great information:

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How does VIEWpath® enhance education?

Man reviewing VIEWpath video

How does VIEWpath® enhance education?

Our mission at Audio Enhancement is to empower educators to create more effective classrooms. When teachers and administrators tell us what tools they need to do that, we get to work developing it. One example is VIEWpath® (Video Interactive Education Window)—an installed classroom camera that integrates with computer software. Educators use this platform to enhance professional growth and increase learning opportunities for students. Through VIEWpath’s recent redesign, educators have an easy-to-use, intuitive solution for professional development (PD) and content creation.

Five key benefits of VIEWpath for PD

VIEWpath is a complete solution for professional development. From recording lessons to sharing them with a student, PLC, or coach; from editing video to using it in Google Classroom™, VIEWpath helps teachers enhance instruction through personal video.

Teacher Reflection

Video playback lessons to reflect on teaching methods, classroom experience, and student engagement. This increases self-awareness, paving the way for efficient professional growth.

Collaboration

Share video with your team or PLC for collaborative sessions. Evidence-based feedback, along with time-synced text and audio notes, increases effectiveness.

Best Practices

Create a video exemplars library to demonstrate best practices in action. Share with teachers, instructional coaches, and others.

Coaching

Capture authentic teaching moments and classroom behavior when they won’t be affected by the presence of a visitor. Facilitate remote coaching opportunities.

Inter-rater Reliability

Clarify standards to ensure all coaching and evaluations are assessed equally. Review coaching on video submissions to ensure accurate, quality feedback.

VIEWpath expands learning with content creation

VIEWpath makes it simple to create digital content for use inside and outside the classroom. Now, learning can happen anytime, anywhere, and by anyone.

  • Share lessons with students who are absent due to extra-curricular activities, suspensions, or being hospital homebound.
  • Prepare lessons to pre-teach concepts for personalized learning, flipped classrooms, and blended learning.
  • Add recordings to your Learning Management System.
  • Easily download recordings and other files to Google Drive™ for easy import into Google Classroom™.
  • Use Lecture Capture to combine camera recording and desktop side by side.

VIEWpath was built with educators and their heavy workload in mind. It’s easy to use, offers multiple recording options, is controlled by teachers, and is simple to share. VIEWpath includes a simple Chrome™ web-based interface with all controls on a single page. An intuitive editing tool enables simple modifying within the platform. Recordings can be scheduled in advanced or started by pressing the REC button on the teacher microphone. You can also now record within the mobile app. As always, teachers control the camera and manage who can view their recordings. Recordings are also easy to share with an individual or a predefined group.

VIEWpath makes it simpler than ever to record, reflect, and collaborate on your lessons. This complete solution for professional development provides tools for educators to enhance the classroom experience for themselves and their students.

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Teacher Collaboration—Why is it so helpful?

Teachers Collaborating

Teacher Collaboration—Why is it so helpful?

Collaboration is not new in the world of education. Discussions on student collaboration happen regularly, and many sources offer tips and guides for facilitating it. People generally accept that effective student collaboration plays an important role in classroom learning and preparation for future careers. Teacher collaboration is just as important and can greatly affect classroom learning for students.

“If our ultimate destination as educators is student achievement, think of teacher collaboration as the journey.”

–Lauren Davis, Schoology

What does it look like?

Teacher collaboration happens when teachers work together, possibly planning for their particular grade level or subject. It might look like a teacher submitting a video lesson with her PLC to get feedback or share best practices. It could be a teacher team reviewing student work so they can select targets for instructional improvement. Collaboration happens when teacher teams work together to plan professional development.

How does it help?

Effective teacher collaboration takes additional time and effort, but we found many examples of its worth. It has been associated with increased student achievement. Research has also indicated teacher collaboration can lower turnover rates among new teachers. Sustained teacher collaboration is a primary vehicle for continuous improvement of teacher practice and encourages shared accountability and collective responsibility for student achievement.

Schools and students receive a lot of benefits when teachers collaborate. When educators share the same vision, they create an environment for more effective student learning. Sharing ideas for presenting content can result in more creative lesson plans. Teachers, especially beginning teachers, more easily avoid isolation and feel more supported when given the opportunity to collaborate with others. It also gives teachers a great opportunity to test out new instructional methods and receive feedback on their effectiveness.

Tips on making it happen

So how do you make teacher collaboration a reality? Time, trust, and respect are three key ways that we found. Teachers already have a lot of requirements on their schedule, so time has to be set aside specifically for it. Some schools even adjust their schedules to create common planning time, allowing teachers to designate a specific day and time to meet. Open collaboration requires trust, and a safe place to learn. Ideas and perspectives of all involved need to be respected.

“The more people invested in a student’s education the better the chance that student has to be successful.”

Lauren Davis, Schoology

Collaboration is a valuable tool in education, whether between students or between teachers. When teachers are given the opportunity to collaborate effectively, we can see a great impact on classroom learning and student achievement.

What experiences have you had with collaboration?

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5 Tips for Creating a Positive School Culture

Positive School Admin

5 Tips for Creating a Positive School Culture

Positive school culture—it’s talked about a lot, but why is it important? According to ASCD, “A positive school climate, many argue, is directly correlated to school success.” The National School Climate tells us “Empirical research… shows that when school members feel safe, valued, cared for, engaged and respected, learning measurably increases.”

Since a positive school culture increases learning and improves school success, we decided we wanted to learn more. We searched articles and blogs for tips to build that kind of culture in schools and found some recurring themes. Below are the ideas we saw repeated in most, if not all, of the sources we found.

How to do it?

  1. Build strong relationships. This idea wove itself through most of the other ideas. To build a positive school culture, relationships are key. This includes relationships between faculty and staff members, between the principal and the teachers, between teachers and students, and between students and the principal.
  2. Celebrate, recognize, and praise the awesome. Show people that the great things they do get noticed. Focus on the positive and appreciate when good things happen.
  3. Be a role model. If we ask people to behave in a certain manner, we have to exhibit that behavior ourselves. Set the example with your attitude, words, and actions.
  4. Mindfully manage the physical environment. Is your school clean and orderly? Is it a comfortable place for all to be? Ensuring the school is well-maintained and displays are inviting and inclusive to all of your school community can help everyone feel safe and welcome.
  5. Develop a shared vision. It’s easier to move forward in the direction you want if everyone clearly understands the goals and objectives. Communicate and be straightforward about expectations, policies, and rules.

Establishing a positive school culture takes intentionality and work, but it’s worth the effort if it increases learning and improves success.

Want to read more? Check out these sources:

Steps to Creating

11 Real Ways to Build

8 Ways Principals Can Build

8 Ways to Build

Building a Positive School Culture

Twitter Survey—What demonstrates positivity in a school’s culture?

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Teacher Self-Care

Teacher taking time for herself

Teacher Self-Care

Teachers are some of the busiest professionals we meet. We watch them juggle the needs of students, administrators, team members, and family members. They have to manage classroom behavior, be mindful of curriculum requirements, and prep students for testing. With this myriad of responsibilities on their shoulders, it’s not surprising that many teachers suffer from long-term illness and burnout.

“Too often, we do not make time for sufficient self care because we’re too busy taking care of others.”

Eleanor Brownn

Classroom technology can help ease some of the burden, but that’s a small part of the puzzle that makes up a healthy environment for teachers. A recent study showed that “workload and a better work/life balance are the main reasons teachers leave or consider leaving the profession within 10 years.” Without active preventative measures, teachers can end up on long-term sick leave. Some teachers decide to leave the field forever.

“By making time for self care, you prepare yourself to be your best so you can share your gifts with the world.”

Eleanor Brownn

One way to combat this trend is with teacher self-care. Whether big or small, self-care habits can be impactful and help teachers manage a stressful environment. We searched a collection of articles and gathered a list of ideas below:

Start the day right.

The way we start our day sets the tone. Taking time for yourself in the morning can ease stress and create more peaceful feelings before heading to a high-pressure day of teaching. These activities can take as little as 5–10 minutes, but they make a big difference in how you start your day:

  • Meditation—Take a few minutes to focus your mind.
  • Mindful breathing—if meditation isn’t your thing, just a few minutes of mindful breathing has been “linked to improved heart, brain, digestive and immune system function, as well as overall stress reduction.”
  • Exercise—Make time for exercise that you enjoy, like stretching, walking, running, yoga, playing sports, or a trip to the gym. Exercise is a great way to wake up our minds and bodies, and it relieves stress too!

Keep it up at school.

A good start to the day is important, but it can be challenging to maintain the focus and peace of a morning routine when faced with the pressures of school. Here are some ideas to maintain some focus on your own needs as you care for others:

  • Avoid trivial classroom conflicts; if your students can work it out with themselves, let them.
  • Prioritize and eliminate—decide what is the best use of your time and eliminate the extras that aren’t necessary and detract from that.
  • Keep a small pick-me-up at your desk, like tea, chocolate, nuts, a stress ball.
  • Accept that you’re a “teacher in progress”—you don’t have to be perfect. We should all continue growing and learning, and we all make mistakes.
  • Learn to say no. This may be one of the hardest, but focusing on priorities and saying no to things that don’t fit those priorities can relieve huge amounts of stress.

End the day on a positive note.

There are a lot of important things that we can try to cram into the end of the day—it’s the last chance to cross items off our to-do list. Make sure some of those to-dos are taking care of you!

We’re not saying this is a checklist of items that you need to tackle—we all know another list of things to do is NOT what teachers need. The important thing is to find self-care options that will make a difference for you.

“Don’t just pick whatever sounds easiest, or whatever sounds fun. You want it to be something that’s going to take a weight off your shoulders and give you this real sense of satisfaction.”

Angela Watson
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Employee Spotlight: Patrick Sobak, Territory Sales Representative

Employee Spotlight: Patrick Sobak, Territory Sales Rep

Patrick Sobak spent 13 years working as an educator and with educators before he came to Audio Enhancement. His experience in education helps him understand many of the challenges that today’s teachers face. Patrick values education and knows the importance of making it as effective as possible.

Patrick grew up watching and admiring the difference his mom made as a teacher. When he went to college, Patrick got a job working with children and discovered he loved working with kids. That was when he knew he wanted to follow in his mother’s footsteps and become a teacher, too.

Joys and Challenges of Teaching

Patrick taught math, science, and social studies to fifth and sixth graders for six years in South Carolina. When asked what his favorite part of teaching was, he had a hard time choosing. He loved the students, especially his 5th and 6th graders. He loved getting to know a new group of students each year and watching them grow and learn. He loved that each day was different with different opportunities.

 Of course, every job has its challenges. The demanding schedule and lack of time were the hardest things for Patrick. He often felt like he worked two jobs—teaching the students during the school day, then grading papers, talking to parents, and prepping lessons in the afternoon and evening. Patrick also felt they lacked time to fully cover standards and still discuss certain subjects at a deeper level. Experiencing this struggle helped him understand how important it is to ease the burden on teachers and make classrooms as efficient as possible.

Working With Educators

When Patrick left teaching, he did so to work with educators on a different level—with education software. He enjoyed the opportunity to help school districts get software that would serve their needs and then help teachers implement it. When it was time for Patrick to move away from the software industry, he chose to sell Audio Enhancement products because, “I’d heard many great things about Audio Enhancement and the products speak for themselves.”

Because Patrick has been in the shoes of teachers, he understands how helpful it is to lighten their load. Teachers have a taxing job with very little downtime—any chance to make their lives and jobs easier is valuable. One product he feels can help significantly is a classroom audio system. They help relieve stress on teachers’ voices because the teachers don’t have to talk so loudly all day. Additionally, the system offers benefits in improving student behavior, which also eases teacher stress.

We are grateful to have dedicated employees like Patrick Sobak, who care about educators and the challenges they face.

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Video Reflective Practices

Video Review for Video Reflective Practices

Video Reflective Practices

Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall to get a clear picture of how you do your job, how you interact with the world around you, and how others respond to you? Have you ever thought back to an event and wondered if the details really happened as you remember them? How would that impact your personal and professional growth? Imagine if someone gave you the opportunity to do all those things. With video reflective practices, you can.

Many professions use video for training, and education is no exception. Different devices and products make it possible, but we may wonder how much of a difference it can really make. Is it worth the time and effort? Is it worth the discomfort that can come from watching yourself? A recent study conducted by Dr. Kasey Clements-Hutchinson investigated video reflective practices and answered a lot of those questions. And they used our favorite video reflective tools—VIEWpath® and the EduCam360®!

Video Reflective Practices Study

The school district chosen for the study, Julianna School System (pseudonym), had previously installed VIEWpath and EduCam360s in every classroom. They also valued reflective practices and peer feedback on a district level. Three different teachers from each of three different schools were asked to participate. None of them were brand new; in fact, they all brought at least three years teaching experience to the study.

The results of the study are very enlightening and make a great case for classroom video and video reflection for teachers. Teachers reported observing things happening in their classrooms that might generally go unnoticed. They gained insight into their students’ engagement, understanding of concepts taught, and how to improve that understanding. The teachers also reported gaining a better self-awareness—a more realistic picture of their strengths and weakness.

Video Reflective Practices Benefits

Video reflection gave teachers a clearer picture of what happened in their classrooms and a better understanding of some unacceptable behavior. They could assess how different students learned best. Teachers could further see that some students who got off task did so because they didn’t understand the content. The teachers then made immediate adjustments in their scaffolding, questioning, and delivery to improve student understanding and increase student engagement.

“Self-assessment fosters self-awareness; self-awareness promotes self-correction; self-correction enhances student achievement.”

Dr. Kasey Clements-Hutchison

One of the biggest benefits seen in the study was the teachers’ improved self-awareness. Video reflection showed that self-perception and reality were not always in sync with each other. Teachers saw strengths they didn’t realize they had and noticed areas where they wanted to grow. One teacher reported, “It was so eye-opening; I saw some things I liked, and I saw some things I changed.” The ability to clearly see what she was doing right and what she needed to change was very helpful for her. When adults are self-aware, they are more open to change and see the need for more growth.

Everything we do in schools is intended to enhance student achievement. Video self-reflection enhances opportunities for this by giving teachers insight into their classrooms, their instructional practices, their strengths, and their weaknesses. They gain a clearer picture of their students’ needs and how to best meet those needs.

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5 Ways to Encourage Student Voice

Lineup of students representing student voice

5 Ways to Encourage Student Voice

Young people possess a unique perspective on the world that can enlighten adults. These students are the “customers” of our schools and possess insight into the support they need for healthy development. We give students a voice in school when we listen to their ideas and provide opportunities for them to enact change in their education. When we support student voice, it strengthens students’ confidence and helps them discover their unique skills.

How then do we involve students more in their education and help them become active contributors to their own learning? We found five different ideas.

Student debates and classroom discussions

An organized debate or classroom discussion opens up opportunities for students to share their perspective and ideas with their peers and teacher. For quieter students, brainstorming sessions offer a low-pressure way to get involved. Providing a student microphone can give those students more courage to speak up and give their input.

Incorporate student surveys and feedback

Specifically asking students for their input on their educational experience shows them that we value their opinions. They can give feedback on how the school is functioning overall or even just about their experience with the latest unit in their classroom. Some students desire more involvement and could conduct a study and assessment of the school. With their unique perspective, students’ findings provide valuable insight into schoolwide processes and policies.

Student participation in meetings that apply to them

Educators can involve students in meetings that pertain to them. Rather than talking about a student in an IEP, including that student and talking TO them can help them invest more in their education. Students can lead parent conferences, setting their own goals and discussing areas where they’d like to improve. Students can also participate in education conferences—some even present at these conferences!

Provide opportunities for creative expression

Students may take a more active role in their education when given the option for creative expression in their schoolwork. They can choose to present their efforts through art, essays, or presentations. Additionally, project-based learning and genius hour provide opportunities for students to direct their own learning and explore their own interests.  

Nurture student leadership

We easily spot leaders in the outgoing, outspoken kids, but students demonstrate leadership in other ways. Some students excel at teaching and mentoring other students. Others volunteer in their school and community. All forms of leadership deserve recognition and add value to a school community.

“When schools give students the agency and the tools to speak out, the effects can resonate across students’ lives.” –Leah Shafer

Students are not just future problem-solvers. They can make their schools, communities, and world better today. They just need the opportunity to speak up and have their voices heard.

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