PBL Archives

Building math skills by designing backpacks: How PBL shifted the way students see math

June 9, 2026 by Melanie Grosso, Riverside Presbyterian Day School

$pbl helps students understand key math concepts$

Building a strong foundation in math during elementary and middle school is essential for success in the later grades. Because each concept builds on the last, students must…

Teaching Trends

Fueling student passion for STEM with project-based learning

February 18, 2026 by Tami Brook, STEM School Highlands Ranch

Through PBL, students actively engage in real-world problems that require them to use STEM concepts to solve complex problems.

We live in an ever-evolving world, powered by advancements across STEM fields. Today, STEM has become increasingly intertwined with how we live our daily lives--from how we learn,…

Newsline

PBLWorks Announces its 2025 Award Winners

July 24, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Novato, CA – The Buck Institute for Education (dba PBLWorks), a national provider of professional development and curriculum for high-quality ... Read more

AR & VR in the Classroom

Time to dust off the 3D printers

November 4, 2024 by Susan Gentz, K20Connect

The era of COVID-19 brought about the largest boom in school makerspaces seen to date. Makerspaces have the ability to help students consider career pathways and interests they…

Newsline

PBLWorks Announces its 2024 Award Winners

July 4, 2024 by ESchool News Staff

Novato, CA – The Buck Institute for Education (dba PBLWorks), a national provider of professional development for high quality Project ... Read more

Live @ ISTE 2024

Using PBL with makerspaces across your curriculum

June 27, 2024 by Laura Ascione

Combining PBL with makerspaces (also called maker education) gives educators an infinite number of projects, assignments, and activities that engage ... Read more

Teaching Trends

How to use PBL with makerspaces across your curriculum

June 27, 2024 by Laura Ascione

At ISTELive 24, combining project-based learning with hands-on engagement yields inspiring results with maker education and makerspaces.

Combining PBL with makerspaces (also called maker education) gives educators an infinite number of projects, assignments, and activities that engage students and truly immerse them in learning.

Designing Your Own Project-Based Learning Unit

April 17, 2024March 26, 2024 by Jeff Festa

Explore PBL, why it works, and how to use backwards design to create a PBL unit within your scope and ... Read more

Teaching Trends

Infusing PBL with edtech to enhance collaboration, critical thinking

March 15, 2024 by Sam Bowman

Leveraging the right edtech tools is one of the best ways to support students in their skill development during PBL activities.

Project-based learning (PBL) helps prepare students for college and beyond by actively engaging them in meaningful, relevant projects. In many situations, students will work on these projects for…

Teaching Trends

PBL isn’t used enough–let’s change that

December 13, 2023December 11, 2023 by Kendall Stallings, First Grade Teacher, Baltimore County

PBL brings learning to life for students through hands-on engagement that lends itself to both differentiation and personalization.

As teaching becomes increasingly challenging, project-based learning (PBL) may arguably be the most underutilized resource to accommodate these needs.

Career-Connected PBL

March 22, 2023November 29, 2022 by Jeff Festa

Project-based learning (PBL) helps students learn about careers more deeply than they can by simply reading about various jobs or ... Read more

Newsline

PBLWorks Announces its 2022 PBL Champions

July 27, 2022 by ESchool News Staff

Novato, CA (July 27, 2022) – PBLWorks, the leading provider of professional development for Project Based Learning (PBL), has announced ... Read more

District Management

Essential time-tested teaching tactics

March 9, 2022February 15, 2022 by Kevin Hogan

In this week's episode of Getting There: Innovations in Education, host Kevin Hogan explores ideas to center educator wellness, using critical thinking in ELA and social studies, and…

Featured on eSchool News

5 tools that support project-based learning

December 29, 2021 by Laura Ascione

Tools for project-based learning can augment impactful lessons that help students develop key life skills

Educators know project-based learning (PBL) isn't simply another teaching strategy. Project-based learning gives students deeper learning experiences, and as they apply their knowledge, they develop soft skills such…

Apps

5 easy tools that support project-based learning

August 13, 2021July 19, 2021 by Laura Ascione

Educators know project-based learning isn't simply another teaching strategy--tools for project-based learning are a great way to engage students by solving challenges that link classroom learning to real-life…

Newsline

PBLWorks Announces its 2021 PBL Champions

July 14, 2021 by ESchool News Staff

Novato, CA (July 13, 2021) – PBLWorks, the leading provider of professional development for Project Based Learning (PBL), has announced ... Read more

Classroom Innovations

PBL students excel compared to peers in typical classrooms

March 15, 2021March 15, 2021 by Laura Ascione

The PBL teaching strategy offers engaging, real-world experiences for students and could prove helpful after COVID-related learning loss

Students in project-based learning (PBL) classrooms across the United States significantly outperform students in typical classrooms, according to four studies released from Lucas Education Research.

Accelerating Learning with Meaningful Project-Based Learning

July 20, 2021March 4, 2021 by Jeff Festa

The global pandemic has created significant challenges for educators and students alike. Although educators have spent countless hours on designing ... Read more

Newsline

The College Board Partners with PBLWorks to Train Teachers for New AP Courses Rooted in Project Based Learning

February 24, 2021 by ESchool News Staff

PBLWorks, the leading provider of professional development for Project Based Learning (PBL), has partnered with the College Board to offer ... Read more

STEM & STEAM Trends

How an art teacher tackles STEM and PBL

December 7, 2022February 10, 2021 by Shaddai Vargas, Art Teacher, Lawrence High School

Hands-on subjects like art, STEM, and project-based learning aren't always easy to combine--but this teacher found an innovative way to do just that

This past year has been, without a doubt, the most challenging one of my entire teaching career. As an art teacher, I always say that my teaching style…

Newsline

Registration is Now Open for the 10th annual PBL World Conference

January 6, 2021 by ESchool News Staff

School operations can't stop during COVID--here's how you can hold a productive virtual school board meeting during a pandemic

PBLWorks, the leading provider of professional development for high-quality Project Based Learning (PBL), will host its 10th annual PBL World ... Read more

Newsline

PBLWorks Expands its Online Services for 2021

December 4, 2020 by ESchool News Staff

PBLWorks, the leading provider of professional development for high-quality Project Based Learning (PBL), is expanding its selection of online offerings ... Read more

Newsline

PBLWorks and ISTE Partner to Offer New Course for Teachers

October 1, 2020 by ESchool News Staff

PBL challenges students to address real-world issues and take those new skills with them for the rest of their lives

PBLWorks, the leading provider of professional development for high-quality Project Based Learning (PBL), has partnered with the International Society for ... Read more

Newsline

Interactive Online Tool that Gives Teachers a Shortcut to Creating Quality Project Based Learning Units

August 20, 2020 by ESchool News Staff

PBLWorks, the leader in professional development for high-quality Project Based Learning (PBL), has created a first-of-its kind PBL Project Designer ... Read more

Classroom Innovations

5 tools to help with project-based learning

January 28, 2020January 27, 2020 by Laura Ascione

Featured on eSchool News

Bam! 5 tools for project-based learning

March 4, 2019 by Laura Ascione

A question mark in a puzzle represents the search for tools for project-based learning.

eClassroom News

Defining high-quality project-based learning

September 17, 2018 by Emily Liebtag

A growing number of educators around the world believe that project-based learning (PBL) is an important instructional approach that allows students to master academic skills and content knowledge,…

District Management

5 steps to guarantee your PD for PBL is on point

July 16, 2018 by John Larmer

What kind of professional development (PD) is needed in order for project-based learning (PBL) to be done well, spread throughout a school, and stick? Short answer: a lot.

eClassroom News

6 questions (and answers!) to ask before moving to PBL

May 30, 2018 by John Larmer

Don’t jump into project-based learning (PBL) too quickly. But at some point you’ve got to just jump. Does that sound like conflicting advice? Let me explain. Some teachers…

SEL & Well-Being

Putting the SEL into PBL

December 13, 2018May 18, 2018 by Jennifer Money

In project-based learning (PBL), teachers present students with a real-world problem and challenge them to solve the problem through research and inquiry, often collaborating with each another and…

STEM & STEAM

3 strategies to keep students engaged in STEM

May 8, 2018 by George Hademenos

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is more than just an acronym or a collection of letters. Rather, it is an instructional movement that embodies cross-curricular concepts from…

STEM & STEAM

How we developed a personalized PBL model for STEM

May 7, 2019April 20, 2018 by Levent Sakar

How can schools and districts prepare students for college and careers in STEM? Is it by asking them to passively read a textbook or listen to a teacher…

STEM & STEAM

Our research shows that when students work on projects, they learn more

November 3, 2016November 1, 2016 by Michael Speziale, Kerry Speziale, Byron McCook, and Karim Letwinsky

Educators often talk about 21st-century skills and the benefits of incorporating communication, creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking into lessons. ... Read more

STEM & STEAM

I made my classroom look like the real-world—and test scores soared

October 7, 2016 by Anthony Johnson

Think about the jobs in today’s economy — the ones we’re supposed to prepare students for after graduation. Are employees ... Read more

21st Century Skills

District adds course on problem solving with technology

September 9, 2016 by Tim O'Brien, Times Union

This article is no longer available.

District Management

What schools can learn from the unschooling movement

July 7, 2016 by Michael Niehoff

Unschooling is reaching way beyond the homeschool crowd. Traditional schools take note.

District Management

Why we all need time to tinker with tech

January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 by Jasmine Escalante

Tinkering in the modern context is a process of trying something to figure out what works or doesn’t to find your way to the best solution, often going…

STEM & STEAM

7 ways data collection is improving STEM education

January 12, 2016January 4, 2016 by Larry Plank

One district is getting students more active and analytical with data-collection tools, like probeware Today’s students, being technology natives, expect ... Read more

STEM & STEAM

When students become entrepreneurs, real learning happens

April 16, 2015 by By Jason Braddock

Some are embracing their entrepreneurial spirit right at school, engaging in a style of project-based learning that helps make lessons come alive and touches on almost every aspect…

District Management

This innovative district lets students choose how to learn

April 7, 2015 by By Dennis Pierce

Rather than imprisoning students in front-facing classrooms, one Kentucky district is instead trying to entice at-risk, and even low-risk, students to enjoy their education through a series of…

Building math skills by designing backpacks: How PBL shifted the way students see math

Fueling student passion for STEM with project-based learning

PBLWorks Announces its 2025 Award Winners

Time to dust off the 3D printers

PBLWorks Announces its 2024 Award Winners

Using PBL with makerspaces across your curriculum

How to use PBL with makerspaces across your curriculum

Infusing PBL with edtech to enhance collaboration, critical thinking

PBL isn’t used enough–let’s change that

PBLWorks Announces its 2022 PBL Champions

5 tools that support project-based learning

5 easy tools that support project-based learning

PBLWorks Announces its 2021 PBL Champions

The College Board Partners with PBLWorks to Train Teachers for New AP Courses Rooted in Project Based Learning

How an art teacher tackles STEM and PBL

Registration is Now Open for the 10th annual PBL World Conference

PBLWorks Expands its Online Services for 2021

PBLWorks and ISTE Partner to Offer New Course for Teachers

Interactive Online Tool that Gives Teachers a Shortcut to Creating Quality Project Based Learning Units

5 tools to help with project-based learning

Bam! 5 tools for project-based learning

Defining high-quality project-based learning

5 steps to guarantee your PD for PBL is on point

6 questions (and answers!) to ask before moving to PBL

3 strategies to keep students engaged in STEM

How we developed a personalized PBL model for STEM

Our research shows that when students work on projects, they learn more

I made my classroom look like the real-world—and test scores soared

District adds course on problem solving with technology

What schools can learn from the unschooling movement

Why we all need time to tinker with tech

7 ways data collection is improving STEM education

When students become entrepreneurs, real learning happens

This innovative district lets students choose how to learn

Why interactive solutions are a smarter investment for schools

ClassMate by World Book Recognized with Prestigious ISTE Seal

School Specialty Honors Top Educators with 12th Annual Crystal Apple Awards

Follett Content Accelerates Public Library Strategy

Celebrating Teachers: Nominate Outstanding Educators for Crystal Apple Awards

School Specialty Expands Learning Beyond the Screen with New Outdoor Furniture Line

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