Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

New ASCD Publication Sets New Standards for Project Based Learning

  • 06/10/15

Alexandria, Va. — ASCD released a new professional development publication, Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning: A Proven Approach to Rigorous Classroom Instruction, that explores project based learning and how to fully prepare students for college and career. Copublished with the Buck Institute for Education (BIE), this book provides a step-by-step process for how to create, implement, and assess projects that meet state standards, increase students’ motivation to learn, and offer a more satisfying experience for teachers.

Authors John Larmer, John Mergendoller, and Suzie Boss showcase a classroom-tested framework for the highest quality of project based learning, referred to as Gold Standard Project Based Learning. When teachers use this comprehensive, rigorous framework to plan instruction, they enable their students to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of the real world, so they are better prepared for college, careers, and citizenship.

“Project based learning is gaining traction around the world, and a growing number of educators are recognizing the need for new approaches to teaching and learning in the 21st century,” said Larmer. “But projects can't just be hands-on activities, so in the book, we discuss design principles for a gold standard project—how to make it rigorous, align it to state standards, and include authenticity and student voice and choice. We want teachers to create a new standard for project based learning in their classrooms and create lasting experiences for students to excel in the real world."

The book shares examples from K–12 teachers in all content areas and offers advice on how school leaders can use project based learning in informal settings and implement the model systemwide.

Educators can order a print version of Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning: A Proven Approach to Rigorous Classroom Instruction from ASCD’s online store. ($20.95 for ASCD members; $27.95 for nonmembers)

To learn more about our books or to read sample chapters from these and other publications, visit www.ascd.org/books. For more information about ASCD, visit www.ascd.org.

Featured

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

  • DLR Group Appoints New K–12 Education Practice Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named its new global K–12 Education leader, Senior Principal Carmen Wyckoff, AIA, LEED AP, according to a news release. Her teams have members in all 36 of the firm’s offices in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Europe, and Asia.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • University of Illinois Moves Forward with College Sports’ Largest Digital Scoreboard

    The University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., recently announced a series of upgrades to Gies Memorial Stadium that will include the largest scoreboard in college sports, according to a news release.

Digital Edition