Therewasoncealittlegirlwholovedtogotoschool.

Shelearnedaboutletters,numbers,
andtheworldaroundher.Herkindergartenclassroomwasfilledwith
colorfulpaintsand
crayons,tableswereformedincircles,andlessonsweretaughtthroughhandsonactivities.
Learningthroughplaywasnaturalandfun.
Shewasintrinsicallymotivated.Shewasnaturally
drivenbythejoyofreallywantingtolearn.Butasshegotolder,
thosepaintsandcrayonswere
replacedbynumber2pencils.Theprojectswerereplacedbyworksheets,popquizzesand
standardizedtests.Sothecolorfulclassroom
wastransformedintothesereallyexcitingrowsof
desks
.
Thelittlegirlbecamealettergrade,apercentileandanumberonatest.Thecurrentday
inhighschoolisdividedupinto4050minuteblocks,bellsring,andstudentsrushfromone
classtothenext.Theyaretaughttoacethetestattheendoftheunit,andthatsallan
organizationaldevice,notaneducationalprinciple.Iwanttoinspireandempowercommunities
acrossthecountrytobyrevolutionizethewaystudentslearninschools.Itstimetomove
educationintothe21stCentury.Myhopeistohavestudents,parents,educators,and
policymakerstakeastandfortheacademicpotentialofeveryyoungperson,helpingthem
succeedandrevolutionizeeducationthroughprojectbasedlearning.

Sixtyfivepercent(65%)oftheU.S.population
arevisuallearnerswhile80%of
educationalmaterialispresentedorally.Iamoneof207millionpeoplewholearnbetter
visually.Allstudentslearnbyseeing,hearing,and/ordoingandonemaylearnbetteroneway,
butwhenall3arecombined:visual,auditoryandkinesthetic,itcreatesthisthingcalleda
projectbasedlearningenvironment.
Projectbasedlearningiswherestudentsparticipateinan
activeclassroom.Thereislesslecturingandmoredoing.Itsproventhatstudentsrememberand

recallinformationbetteroveralongerperiodoftimewhentaughtthisway.Theyareableto
discovertheirpassions,buildcommunicationskills,andconnectwiththeircommunity
...notto
mentionreachingeverystyleoflearner,includingsomewithlearningdisabilities.

OneschoolhasalreadyimplementedaProjectBasedLearningcurriculumandtheyhave
discoveredgreatacademicsuccess.HighTechHighisaschoollocatedinCalifornia.Ithasa
networkofelementary,middle,highschool,andgraduateschoolsallacrossCalifornia.Right
now,ninthgradersareworkingonaprojectcalled:TodaysMachines.Studentsmustanswer
thequestions:Areweandourtechnologiesaproductofourancestors?Howdidancient
technologiesshapecultures?Studentsthenmustchooseamachineorinventionthatexists
today.Fromthatmachine,theychooseonepiecethatexistedbefore1400C.E.andonepiecethat
wasinventedafter1400C.E.Studentsresearchtheoriginofthepieces,whoinventedit,howit
impactedculturestocome,andthephysicsofthemachine.Studentsarerequiredtowritea
formalresearchpaper,createavideoofthemselvesexplainingthephysics,andcreateaposter
showingthemathematicaldiagramofthemachine.English,history,math,andscienceareall
tiedintooneproject.Insteadofafinaltest,thestudentandteacherfilloutarubricthatassesses
thestudent'sknowledge,presentation,format,andrequiredelements.HighTechHighfully
meetsthenation'seducationstandardsandrankstowardthetopinrawscoresonCalifornia
standardizedtests.Theyareactuallyinthe94thpercentilestatewide.Attheendofeachschool
year,allfamilymembers,friends,businessowners,andpeoplefromsurroundingcommunities,
attendtheschooltoexperiencesomeofthebestprojectsfromtheschoolyear.Thisgenerates
interest,excitement,andultimatelycontributestofundraising.Tograduate,eachstudentmust

completeaninternshipinalocalbusinessorsocial/communityserviceagency.Themainreason
fortheirsuccesshasbeentheirprojectbasedlearningapproach.PBListhefirststepinbringing
myhopeanddreamtolife.

Oureducationsystemwasdesignedin1893andnotmuchhaschanged.Educationhasto
takeinaccount:whattheeconomy
islookinglikeandhowpeopleareshapingup.Andpartof
theproblemisthatthecurrenteducationsystemisrootedintheoldindustrializedeconomyof
the19thcentury,wherestudentsweretaughtbylearningaseriesofinstructions.Wearent
rootedintheneweconomyofthe21stcentury.Itswhysomanyemployersarecomplainingthat
toomanywelleducatedkidsstilllacktheskills,attitudes,anddispositiontofilljobvacancies.
T
hemajorityofworkthatpeoplearedoingintheirjobstodayareprojectswhethertheyare
brief,shortterm,orlongterm.
Sowhyarentstudentsinaprojectbasedlearninginenvironment
inschoolthatbetterreflectstodaysjobmarket?ThissimplePBLsolutionwouldalignstudents
moreaccuratelywiththerealworld.

Sohowdoweactuallygetthisintomoreschools?Therearethreebasicsteps.Thefirstis
creatingthatconversationandunderstandingbetweeneveryone.
Whenpeopleareinspiredthey
aremotivatedtohelpmakechange.
Steptwoistomakethenecessarychanges.The
administrationmustintroduceprojectbasedlearningtoteachers.Theyhavethepowertochange
theschoolscurriculums,especiallywithalargenumberofsupporters.Thefinalstep3isto
followthrough.Makethisstyleoflearninganormforeveryone.Thechangeneedstobemade
acrossallsubjectsbecausewedeservetoplayanactiveroleinoureducation.


Today,educationintheU.Sisrankedonly18thoutof23industrializedcountries.Project
basedlearningisntsomethingthatwouldjustbenicetodothisisabouttheveryessenceof
LakeForest,surroundingcommunities,Illinois,andournation'sfuture.Bytakingtheseactions,
hopefullyoneday,thatlittlegirl,likeme,willlovetogotoschoolagain.