PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AT CCS
On a normal day at Charleston Collegiate School, students will explore real-world problems and challenges using creative thinking, non-routine problem-solving skills, and teamwork.
From a second grade student writing business proposals for selling their garden produce at the local farmers’ market, donating their earnings to a local non-profit, to a High School sophomore tackling the ‘essential question’ of how a Langston Hughes poem connects to his own life and perspective of the world, our students are creating a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the subject matter and the world around them.
One of the most promising trends in education today is known as Project Based Learning. This approach maintains academic rigor while also focusing on high levels of student engagement and deeper learning concepts. This methodology challenges the traditional notion of how material is presented and challenges how we know if students have learned the material.
Instead of a teacher rushing to try and cover multiple topics, leading to poor retention rates, teachers using a project-based learning approach focus on students’ mastery of the most important topics. By spending more time on carefully selected topics, teachers can allow students greater choice and give them the opportunity to practice additional skills like collaboration and presentations skills.
We invite you to come to campus and see for yourself the exciting project-based learning opportunities that are available to our students!
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF PBL?
PBL, in its most basic definition, asks students to tackle real problems and issues that matter to them and to the world around them and actively engages their minds and bodies in the learning process. Additionally, it provides sustained learning opportunities for students to then produce observable evidence that they have mastered rigorous curricular standards and skills and apply what they have learned to solve the problem at hand with public displays of learning through exhibitions.
WHAT APPROACH TO PBL DOES CCS USE?
CCS has developed its own approach, drawing its foundation from High Tech High (HTH) and Buck Institute to help provide a framework. At CCS, we have modified High Tech High’s 6 A’s as well as Buck Institute’s Gold Standard for projects and have developed our own 7A’s of Learning to include our CCS Pillars for Success.