Project-Based Learning Across the Disciplines

Acacia M. Warren, Ed.D.,is currently an assistant principal in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), where she has served as a teacher, coach, Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) coordinator, Response to Intervention (RtI) Expert, Common Core Facilitator, and district coordinator. She has extensive expertise in facilitating professional development for hundreds of schools, promoting literacy across the disciplines, Common Core planning and curriculum design, and integrating technology with instructional practices. Dr. Warren's passion is providing teachers/educators with strategies and tools that accelerate achievement in the classroom and equipping administrators with strategies for leading these efforts. Prior to Dr. Warren's professional experiences in LAUSD, she served a teacher for the Oakland Unified School District. Dr. Warren is also the president of Acacia Tree Learning Services, an educational consulting business that thrives on project-based learning, technology-integrated instruction, professional development, and global competence. Dr. Warren credits her educational career and academic successes to her alma maters - University of California, Riverside (B.A.); University of California, Berkeley (M.A. and Teaching Credential); California State University, Dominguez Hills (M.A.); and the University of Southern California (Ed.D.). She is grateful for the knowledge, research, and networking opportunities that each institution has provided. Dr. Warren can be reached through her educational website, www.acaciatreelearning.com, a digital resource that supports implementation of the contents presented in this book.

Foreword - Dr. Maria G. Ott Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction INTERSECTION 1: Planning Chapter 1: Roadmap to Success Chapter 2: Navigating the Road INTERSECTION 2: Managing Chapter 3: Route to Project Management Chapter 4: Crossroads of Technology and +1P INTERSECTION 3: Assessing Chapter 5: Exit at Assessment Chapter 6: Final Destination References Appendices Index

"Educators nationwide believe in the general purpose of project-based learning. +1 Pedagogy puts these beliefs into action. This is a transformative framework that is imperative for 21st century teachers and learners." -- Nicole Jacobson, Ed.D., Assistant Principal "What a rich resource and blueprint to guide and support reluctant educators! It takes the daunting task of getting started with project-based learning and makes it manageable. Dr. Warren weaves authentic rigorous tasks with personalized learning and high quality differentiation. This work will bring many stuck learning environments into the 21st century." -- Kendra Wallace, Principal "Through decades of research, we now have the benefit of knowing how to design learning opportunities that engage the brain and result in mastery of content. Putting theory into practice has long been problematic and time is often the biggest barrier to full implementation. We know that project-based learning (PBL) provides a powerful learning environment for students of all ages. However, the everyday life of an educator often slows down the process as we deal with the daily realities of the classroom. This prevents us from harnessing the full power of PBL. In her book, Dr. Warren provides an integrated framework that crosses grades and disciplines to assist us with the daunting task of organizing the learning for students. Her framework, along with sample lesson designs, technology integration, and rubrics, provides a solid foundation for producing PBL experiences for all students. Dr. Warren has focused on standards, assessments, and instructional practices in a manner that bring all of the essential components of PBL together, thus enhancing the probability that educators will engage students in meaningful learning without the frustration that might otherwise inhibit the decision to implement PBL. Through the careful use of these tools, Dr. Warren's framework will impact the learning of students and allow for creativity to blossom and ownership to be assumed by supporting both the educator and the learner." -- Deborah Hamm, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools "This book serves as an innovative, interdisciplinary teaching and learning guide. Schools and districts will rethink project-based learning by learning how to seamlessly weave essential 21st century inquiry, application, collaboration and research skills into their curriculum design and prepare students to meet the rigors of a globally competitive society!" -- Donna Stewart Lewis, Ed.D., J.D., Founder and CEO "We are at a pivotal time in the history of education, where questions about inequity, accessibility, and bridging the achievement gap undergird the conversations of the political pundits. The dire pronouncements focus on the extent to which current educational practices are not preparing our students to be analytical and critical thinkers. To this end, Project-Based Learning Across the Disciplines: Plan, Manage, and Assess Through +1 Pedagogy has made a tangible contribution to the field of project-based learning. Dr. Warren has an acute understanding of what it takes to guide our students into becoming autonomous learners with the skill set to work collaboratively in a team setting, skills that are integral in a global economy. For the educator, the lessons, activities and resources remove the guesswork and allow for creativity and individualization. This book is filled with a plethora of topic ideas and transcends mere interdisciplinary conversations while also providing a road-map for students to become difference makers. It takes a critical look at what positive contributions students can make, not only to their immediate neighborhoods, but also to their society and country." -- Ruth Brown, Educator - English Language Arts/English Language Development "As the principal of a middle school, +1 Pedagogy helped build the capacity of my teachers by providing solid instructional tools for students to engage in PBL. Dr. Warren's book is a step-by-step process for building classroom environments that are rich in learning and guided by PBL. This book is a must for all instructional leaders on a school campus. As we expand STEAM/STEM programs on our campus, we are doing so with hard work, dedication, and Dr. Warren's guidance on PBL. Her book enables us to use frameworks and models that support our teachers and learners in all classes, from Physical Education to Language Arts, with projects that are models of effective instruction across the content areas. This book is helping to bring all departments together by providing interdisciplinary frameworks and rubrics that teachers can use. The most valuable sections are the sample frameworks provided because they contain important standards for student mastery that beautifully transition into student inquiry, activities, presentation, assessments, and reflection. Simply stated, +1 Pedagogy allows teachers to let their students create, discuss, design and show mastery of the content being taught by creating a project that prepares students to be college and career ready. Powerful! +1 Pedagogy is helping to provide the foundational part of a learning environment that assists students in meeting the demands of the 21st century. Thank you, Acacia Warren, for providing a wealth of tools that are valuable and applicable to teachers and students who engage in PBL." -- David Herrera, Principal "In her discourse on project-based learning, Dr. Warren accomplishes a work vital to education in the 21st century and beyond. Her concept of +1 Pedagogy is thoughtful and masterful, and provides an invaluable resource for educators. As a post-secondary music educator and online instructor, I applaud her demonstrated passion for bridging the gap across the disciplines at every level, skillfully addressing technology and the arts. Dr. Warren generously provides a universal framework ready for immediate application, and beyond that motivates and inspires us to greatness. Bravo!" -- David Shawn Valcarcel, M.M., Music Educator, Author of History of Rock Course Resource Pack "The theories and methodologies in relation to pedagogy are vast, but +1 Pedagogy synthesizes these methods and fosters a healthy disposition towards learning. Dr. Acacia M. Warren is an educator who has sacrificed her time and energy to reform curriculum and academics for teachers and students. This book is designed to provide students with the same level of educational opportunities, despite socioeconomic status. Students are more inclined to learn because they are engaged in topics that interest them. Great educators are lifetime learners and Project-Based Learning Across the Disciplines: Plan, Manage, and Assess Through +1 Pedagogy offers a series of steps in the direction of solving one of the most important issues facing our modern society - how to help teachers and students become successful in the classrooms of the future." -- John W. Horton, III, English Teacher, Tokyo "I have no doubt that Dr. Warren's comprehensive, highly-readable, and excellent book will be a standard and sought-after resource for any teacher who strives to implement rigorous, exciting, and real-world project-based learning in their classroom. The tools and scaffolding she outlines in this important book make PBL real and accessible for both beginning teachers and seasoned veterans. I can't wait to share Project-Based Learning Across the Disciplines with my teacher education candidates. It will be an invaluable tool in helping them to plan, manage, and assess deep and powerful instruction for the 21st Century." -- Elisa Salasin, Ph.D., Program Director "The lessons and powerpoint presentations in this book clearly describe what students have to do and gives them different ways of learning the subject. Students can be more expressive in how they present their assignments. It may look like a lot of work, but it is the right amount for the student to fully understand the subject. The project-based learning techniques demonstrate active learning rather than passive learning. Active learning challenges students and is a simple yet effective method of teaching." -- Ian Brewer, 10th Grade Student "As a student I always ask the question, Why? Why is this assignment important, how will it benefit me, and how do I successfully complete it? The guided presentation and templates demonstrated in the book help me to understand the purpose of a project and eliminate confusion. I know exactly what to research and how to complete the study. If more teachers used this method it would help students achieve a good grade more efficiently. I need to be challenged and prepared for college level work, and this method will help me reach that goal." -- Akemi Williams, 9th Grade Student "This is a well-researched and thoroughly written guide for implementing +1 Pedagogy. Dr. Warren includes step-by-step guidelines, templates, guiding questions, and other resources that provide teachers with the necessary tools to carry out the +1 Pedagogy with success. Additionally, her clearly written text and examples make this book a valuable resource. With the guidance of this book, I can see myself bringing +1 Pedagogy to my classroom." -- Tara Winberry Litt, 5th Grade Teacher "Acacia Warren has written an exceptional piece that will improve teaching and the lives of all students. She has been a thoughtful practitioner throughout her career and her research insures more rigorous classrooms for the future. Using research, best practice, and a theoretical framework around learning theory, she has provided the pathway for teachers so that they can create not only powerful learning experiences for them but guarantee that they are prepared for the 21st century. Dr. Warren's clear guidelines to create a new pedagogy will inform the field for years to come." -- Antonia Issa Lahera, Ed.D., Program Coordinator School Leadership Programs "THIS is what I've been waitng for. With +1 Pedagogy, Dr. Warren lays out so clearly a framework for teaching in the 21st century classroom. It is an elevated level of teaching and learning to which I aspire as a teacher, and it is exactly how I want my own children to learn." -- Adreanna Clark, Elementary School Teacher "An effective mathematics program requires students to collaboratively engage in making sense and reasoning about meaningful mathematics through real world contexts. Although the enormous challenge of connecting mathematics to authentic 21st century experiences can become a reality through project-based learning, many math teachers have yet to embrace this approach because it can be difficult to implement. Dr. Warren's book on +1 Pedagogy provides an invaluable framework and practical resources that address PBL management and organization, technology implementation, and the Mathematical Practices through incorporating high cognitively demanding tasks. Mathematics teachers and leaders looking to achieve effective and relevant math instruction should make +1 Pedagogy a key part of their daily planning." -- Travis L. Holden, Secondary Mathematics Coordinator, Local District Central