An Online Graduate/CEU Course Focused on Collaborative Design of High-Quality Service-Learning/PBL Project Ideas and Resources
Calling all K-12 educators . . . Our professional learning opportunities have been designed to enable many teachers to use service-learning/PBL as an effective instructional strategy that raises awareness of important needs/causes while involving students in action that makes a positive difference. A benefit of this approach to authentic learning is that in addition to their academic progress, students’ social/emotional learning is enhanced by making a difference for others and demonstrating what it means to be “experts” and “changemakers.” Teachers ask for practical ways to get started. That’s where this class, offered with great success, helps!
"Making Learning Irresistible" was designed as a graduate/CEU course to engage educators in collaboration on service-learning/PBL ideas and resources. Each session featured activities to spark inspiration and creativity, lots of video and print examples, and significant opportunities to collaborate in large group and breakouts. The resulting projects were successfully implemented and were tied to enhancing academic content standards and the social/emotional learning of students. Participants in this hybrid (Zoom and Google Classroom) course helped create teacher-friendly service-learning/PBL project ideas for other educators to consider as well.
“ Thank you for offering this course. It was exactly what I needed! ”
— Janice D., Hasting Middle School.
In this highly interactive course, participants:
fully understood the definition, standards, and research-based benefits of high-quality service-learning/PBL
effectively developed their own high-quality service-learning projects, with clear connections to curriculum goals, standards, and 21st Century Skills, including social/emotional learning
understood and actively applied classroom strategies that can be carried out whether schools are open or if there are school closures/blended learning
engaged in teaming/collaboration/community-building; use of technology; multiple intelligences and learning styles; in-depth reflection; goal-setting/planning skills; and evaluation/assessment of overall project results and individual student progress
reflected upon their own educational vision as educators, as well as how they might best help every student create passion and purpose for their learning.
“ I loved our meetings. The information/videos that were shared were thought-provoking. We were then able to discuss the info/videos and talk about our takeaways and hear others perspectives. As we began thinking and working on our own projects, having the support of Kathy and Ellen is so very valuable!! Then, to have our colleagues there to give suggestions and bounce ideas off of helped me solidify my ideas even more. Listening to others’ ideas, their work, and ideas for projects brought to light aspects that I am wanting to incorporate into my own project. ”
— Julie N., Tallmadge City Schools