PBL: It Takes a Community

 

The central aim of our new strategic plan is to prepare our students to be the thinkers, innovators and leaders of tomorrow, but how we will do so is a frequently asked question that warrants explanation. Perhaps the most important means we are adopting across the school, from Pre-Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade, is “project-based learning (PBL),” which the Buck Institute for Education, a leading educational research and consulting organization, defines as follows. PBL is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge which comes not from a textbook, but the world around them, which is not imposed, but chosen by them, which is not siloed to a single subject, but integrates several disciplines, and which does not culminate in something that gathers dust in a binder, but is shared beyond the walls of any given classroom.

Heidi Hayes Jacobs, renowned educational researcher, professor and consultant. (©Twitter)

To help us design a PBL framework for the Lycée Français de New York that both respects and builds on the extraordinary richness and rigor of our curriculum, not to mention the special openness and creativity of our students, we have called on one of the most highly respected educators in the world, one who has worked with outstanding schools on every continent, Heidi Hayes Jacobs. This past November 30th, Dr. Jacobs joined our 153-strong faculty to get us started on the important journey which lies ahead and on which we are now so boldly, collaboratively and thoughtfully embarked. To discover more about this exciting, path-breaking work, please take three minutes to watch the introductory video below and stay tuned for regular updates in the future!


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