PBL News @SDUSD

Formerly the CCTE Showcase. This year's showcase is on May 20, 2020. It will be held at the Town and Country Convention Center. With more space, there will be an increase in opportunities for participation in the categories of STEAM, CCTE, and PBL.

We are currently planning to host two institutes in the Summer of 2020. Interest in attending PBL Institute has grown and we hope that running two institutes will provide for better differentiation and collaboration. Save the dates (June 15-26 for Institute 1 & August 10-21 for Institute 2) with the understanding that the number of participants is TBD by available funding and grant notifications. Principal sign-ups are scheduled for early March.

How do we maintain the benefits of an industrialized society while mitigating the negative impacts on the environment? Marston Middle School 8th graders are focusing on this essential question this year in their U.S. History and Science classes. Through the “Advocators for a Pollution Free Industrialization” interdisciplinary project, students will study the positive and negative impacts of industrialization in the past and present with the goal of changing behaviors that contribute to pollution. To achieve this goal, students are researching water pollution, air pollution, energy inefficiency, and waste, and collecting data to analyze in preparation for developing action plans they will present to adults currently working in industries trying to limit pollution.

Since returning from Winter Break, students have had many opportunities for active exploration through trips to Otay Valley Regional Park and the SDG&E Energy Innovation Center.

Scientists from the City of San Diego’s Storm Water Division joined students at Otay Valley Regional Park to share the importance of clean water and the risks associated with pollutants that can end up in our urban streams and eventually flow to the bay and ocean. The scientists taught students how to check for quality and safety. They also shared behaviors students can incorporate into their daily lives to keep waterways clean.

Students then spent a morning at the SDG&E Energy Innovation Center where they built solar circuits, explored the energy use of common appliances, learned the relationship between energy use as it relates to transportation and production of goods, and calculated their water and energy footprint by dissecting energy and water use of a product.

The community is looking forward to learning from these Marston 8th graders when they present their pollution action plans to industry experts at their exhibition in April.

Credit to City of San Diego for social media post on the event and for photographs taken by Ombretta DiDio at Otay Valley Regional Park.

Scientific discoveries and technological advances have great potential to promote human well-being, but what are the potential costs? In allowing us to transcend our natural limits, do they threaten human dignity and promote social hierarchy? Hoover High School Academy for Health and Healthier Communities students in Mr. Fite’s U.S. History class grapple with these questions and many others as they participate in the Bioethics Committee/Panel Project.

The Bioethics Committee is a student simulation of the decision-making process made by the President’s Council of Bioethics. The student committee is charged with making recommendations to the President of the United States based on its own research and the advice solicited by outside experts. The bioethical issues are current and relevant, such as designer babies, genetic enhancements, mandatory vaccines, organ selling, and more.

During the culminating event, the presentation of their findings, teams present to expert consultants (fellow students, staff, industry experts, and community members). The presentations consist of introducing the issue, explaining the science involved, examples from case studies, debate of ethical issues, and deliberation with the experts to allow for questions and opposing views to be shared. With input from the experts, the teams then create their final recommendation for either the President or an organization that has the power to directly influence the policies concerning the issue.

The deep dive into one bioethical issue through providing students the opportunity to thoroughly research an issue, think critically about multiple perspectives, and make a recommendation supported by evidence. For students in a health focused academy these are bioethical issues they may be confronted with if they pursue a career in that industry. Another example of excellent real-world learning!

Montgomery Middle STEAM Magnet sixth graders showcased their learning at their first Exhibition of Student Learning built around the theme, “Life Along the San Diego River: Keeping San Diego’s History Alive.”

Through this project each student had the opportunity to experience the San Diego River in Mission Valley with the San Diego River Park Foundation. This tour provided students a firsthand view. This real world experience helped students to better understand the wildlife around the river and human impact on the river.

In their exhibition, students shared scale blueprints and models of structures that could be built around the river using the design thinking process. The project highlighted the students' understanding of natural cycle simulations born out of their scientific research and provided them with opportunities to discuss their learning with families, fellow students, and community members.

Montgomery continues its emphasis on designing a better world through community-centered, project-based learning!

Congratulations to Hoover High School Sustainable Academy of Building and Engineering (SABE) for receiving the 2020 Distinguished California Partnership Academy award. Hoover SABE is among the first to be awarded to an MC3 Building and Construction Trades Academy. The team will be recognized at the Educating for Careers, CPA Conference at the end of February.

Six SDUSD teachers have joined the Jacob's Institute's Changemaker Challenge. In this competition, students use the Pactful design thinking curriculum to create innovative solutions to local and global problems aligned to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We are looking forward to their video pitches in May.

While you can no longer sign up for the Changemaker Challenge, you can register to be a Pactful beta tester and use their design thinking curriculum with your students. If you would like support with implementing design thinking or using the Pactful curriculum, email rhoffman@sandi.net

Do you want your students to participate in a real world project and to add the element of an authentic audience? Take a look at and consider having your students participate in one or more of the following competitions.

• SDUSD Change our Communities to Change the World (Elementary | Middle | High School)
  

• Earth Day Campaign Contest (High School)

• Coming Together for the Climate (Middle | High School)

• Be the Voice for the Planet (High School)

Are your students already planning or want to design a hands-on learning experience? If yes, then consider submitting your event for the Remake Learning Days San Diego.

During the inaugural Remake Learning Days San Diego (May 4-22), a variety of organizations - such as schools, libraries, nonprofits, businesses and other community centers - will come together to provide our youth, families, and teachers with innovative hands-on learning experiences showcasing the future of learning.

Share Your Event - Submit your event by February 14th to be included in the national initiative outreach. Postings after that date will be included in the online database only.

Micro-Awards – are available for up to $500, applications accepted on a rolling basis until funding is spent. Funds can be used to cover any food costs and/or activity supplies. Please complete and submit the application. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by February 14, 2020.

Questions? Please contact Alina Mitchell at alinamitchell@sandiego.edu.

SDCOE's College and Career Readiness Team has a new website, which features resources for educators, employers, and students, including a database of regional internships and jobs.

Project Based Learning

Interested in getting started with PBL? Let's customize an experience for your site or team. Contact Reuben Hoffman at rhoffman@sandi.net.

Design Thinking

Interested in getting started with Design Thinking? Let's customize an experience for your site or team. Contact Reuben Hoffman at rhoffman@sandi.net.

Google Certified Educator Level 1 & 2 - March 4

Becoming Level 1 Certified will help you create a more student-centered classroom, understand the functionality of GSuite apps, and support your quest for lifelong learning. Contact Julie Garcia at jgarcia@sandi.net

SDUSD Innovative Teaching Network
A community of SDUSD educators that shares, learns, and grows with and from each other.

March 11 from 4:15pm-6:00pm at Mt Everest Academy - Register

Mark your calendars for the final meeting - May 7

* The events listed below are paid events not sponsored by SDUSD. They have 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.

• Educating for Careers Conference (Long Beach) - February 27-29, 2020
  The Educating for Careers Conference is an annual three-day professional development event surrounding career technical education (CTE).
  
  
• Linked Learning Conference - (Long Beach) - March 16-17
  This is a great opportunity to learn from educators, postsecondary institutions, and economic development and employer leaders who come together to make the vision of Linked Learning a reality.
  
  
• CUE Conference (Palm Springs) - March 19-21, 2020
  The Spring CUE Conference is an annual three-day event focused on educational innovation and educational technology.
  
  
• Deeper Learning Conference (San Diego) - March 25-27, 2020
  Annual conference focused on experiencing deeper learning for yourself and engaging with others to create more equitable schools around the globe. To receive San Diego educators discount rate, "Apply Promo or Voucher" = DLSD
  

Are you a disruptive high school educator passionate about design thinking and empowering youth? Project Invent Fellowship is designed to fit you. Attend a weeklong summer intensive in design thinking and invention, lead your students to invent for social good, receive support throughout the year from expert advisors, and bring your whole team to pitch to top investors. It's an opportunity to grow as a professional and network at top tech companies like Facebook and Adobe to bring their innovative practices into your own classroom.

Note: This is a self-funded program not sponsored by SDUSD. There is a $1,000 cost to help cover a portion of the costs for the summer training, Launch Weekend, and year-round advisor support.

Donors Choose

Great option for all types of funding related to student learning. Create an account at www.donorschoose.org

Follow @sdschools on Twitter for daily highlights from schools throughout SDUSD.

For some indepth stories, you can checkout the weekly updates on the Office of School Innovation Blog. This is news from TK-12 focused on students in action and teachers learning innovative practices to implement in the classroom.

For more information regarding PBL at SDUSD, please contact Reuben Hoffman at rhoffman@sandi.net, visit the SDUSD PBL Website, follow #sdusdpbl & @reubenhoffman on Twitter.

Please invite me to see your students in action, so I can share more of the great things happening in SD Unified.

If you would like to submit something for a future newsletter, please contact Reuben Hoffman at rhoffman@sandi.net.

Email: rhoffman@sandi.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/pbl/home
Phone: 8584142557