Workshop Outline

NOTE: This workshop is designed to support teachers in the creation of projects in line with the Québec Education Programme (QEP) while they use an interactive project planning tool, .Plan (Dot Plan) specifically created for that purpose.

In this workshop we will not offer ready-made activities that teachers can implement on Monday. Rather we will look at some of the changes that can be implemented incrementally while having a bigger picture in mind and so, having an idea of where we want to go. The question we offer you then is "What can we do Monday that will prepare for one day". (Seymour Papert)

You will look at ways to create projects that use technology-based cognitive and communications tools. As a group and individually, you will experience the three phases of an inquiry project.

• Establishing our baseline knowledge about the topic: Project-based learning, the QEP and ICT
• Investigating and representing by gathering more information through first hand experience
• Concluding by personalising and applying the new knowledge - pulling it all together by beginning to plan a project using an interactive tool called .Plan (Dot Plan)
  

The issues we will consider

• What do we mean by a project?
• How do we use the QEP to design projects that meet student interests and learning needs while addressing the requirements of the curriculum?
• How can we use ICT to extend learning environments, to encourage learn by doing and to foster knowledge construction?
• How do we assess and evaluate FOR learning?
  

What is a project? What is a Project-based learning project

There are many ways of talking about project-based learning. The view adopted here is that successful Project-based learning has these 5 ingredients

1. A guiding question or problem that sets the scene and holds no right or wrong answer
2. Student collaborative research, often over an extended period of time
3. Construction of an artefact or presentation by students, ideally to an extended classroom audience
4. Use of technology-based cognitive and communications tools (ICT)
5. A community of inquiry that can extend beyond the walls of the classroom

Resources

• . Plan (Dot Plan)
  An interactive project planning tool that gives you access to your curriculum as you plan your project.

What teachers have said about the workshop

• "I love that everything is so clearly presented." (Sec. Cycle 1)
• "I learned that the QEP is not scary." (Sec. Cycle 2)
• "I now understand what is a competency and its role in project planning." (Sec. cycle 1)
• "I learned so much about how all the parts, BALs, CCCs, evaluation, etc., fit together in project planning." ( Sec cycles 1-2)
• "Well done!  Every teacher should take this workshop." (El. Cycle 3)
• "I learned how to address all essential components in developing learning situations." (Administrator)
• "I will rethink what I wish to evaluate in my next project: target competencies and not all of them at once." (El. cycle 3)