PBL News @ SDUSD

Renee Thomas (US History) and her teaching team at Marston Middle School recently launched the 8th grade project, titled Advocators for Pollution-Free Industrialization. From now through the end of the school year, student teams will become experts in land, water, wind, and energy to dream up solutions for a pollution-free world. Industry partners, including I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Coastkeeper, SD Air Pollution Control District, and others, will support students throughout their project work.

What if you could build a better world?

The Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the University of San Diego is calling for middle- and high-school educators to join their effort to make a local and global impact.

In the 2022 Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge, students are introduced to the innovator’s mindset, using the 17 United Nations Global Goals, and design thinking. Students form teams to identify a local or global problem that feels relevant to them and then work through three phases of a design thinking curriculum, using Pactful, to develop solutions. Ongoing support is provided to educators through a series of webinars and the challenge culminates with a virtual pitch competition.

Winning teams and their solutions (see 2021 Winners) will be celebrated in the Pactful Community and the media. In addition, winning teams will receive certificates celebrating their success, plus up to $1000 to be donated to their charity of choice.

This is a FREE opportunity. Applications will be accepted until January 10, 2022, though teachers are encouraged to sign up ASAP. Sign up today!

If you would like support with implementing design thinking, using the Pactful curriculum, or signing up for the 2022 Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge, email cmillow@sandi.net.

Whether it is getting student work on the walls, showcasing a class project, or hosting a whole-school exhibition with community members and experts, celebrate students’ work and learning by making it visible.

Why do exhibitions? Exhibitions promote...

• High Quality Work for Authentic Audiences: The best exhibitions showcase work that has required students to think critically, problem solve, and revise through multiple drafts.
• Community Pride & Transparency: They they bring families and community members together to celebrate the collective work of a class, a team, a school.
• Equity: Exhibitions set the expectation that all students, not just a select group, are capable of producing high-quality work!

Head to Share Your Learning to download an Exhibition Toolkit, listen to Stephanie Brown (Principal, Lincoln HS) share her story about exhibitions, or to watch a video about the impact exhibitions have on students.

Receive access to the San Diego County Office of Education's Work-Based Learning opportunities, as they are made available, by completing the Work-Based Learning Training (30 minutes).

After completing the training, submit the Sign In for Work-Based Learning Training Form and the SDCOE College and Career Readiness Team will add you to their email list and send you the training presentation with links to WBL resources.

Deadline: Monday, December 6, 2021.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Students in grades 7 through 12 can submit their best art or writing pieces and win recognition, awards, and scholarships. View the submission categories for Art and Writing to learn more, and encourage and support your students to submit their best work!

Here's HOW TO ENTER.

BlueTech Week is November 15-19, and is all about the companies and the people driving the sustainable Blue Economy. It's the annual event where hundreds of senior international participants collaborate and innovate on our toughest water and ocean challenges. This year BTW2021 will once again be held virtually, utilizing technology to bring worldwide experts together. Register HERE.

NOTE: This is a fee-based experience and is not sponsored by SDUSD. It has been included in the newsletter for awareness of events that pertain to PBL/Linked Learning/CCTE/Pathways. You can follow these events for free virtually on many social media platforms, especially Twitter.

If you'd like support, guidance, or a thought partner in developing/enhancing PBL at your school, building connections between schools/with industry, or integrating any of the resources within this newsletter, use this form or email Christopher Millow, PBL Resource Teacher.

To find out more about curriculum, instruction, and assessment resources, as well as professional learning opportunities, visit us at SDUSD Instructional Innovation.

This monthly newsletter shares Project-Based Learning within and beyond SDUSD. If you would like to submit something for a future newsletter, or if you have PBL-related suggestions, questions, highlights, or shout-outs of staff and/or students, please email Christopher Millow, PBL Resource Teacher.

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