This year's Summer Institute: Planning for Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) was sponsored by the National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) and L2TReC.

In order to attend this summer institute, you had to successfully complete the MOOC: Envisioning Project Based-Language Learning. Sadly, due to the current impasse, we did not get to travel to Utah but rather participated virtually with language professionals located within the USA, Lithuania and Panamá, representing these languages: Arabic, Hebrew, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese.
​As we worked on further designing our project, we were assisted by my personal shero Dr. Cherice Montgomery from BYU, and co-led by Stephen Tschudi from the University of Hawai'i - Mānoa. 

2020 Summer Institute required reading: 
Project Based Teaching: How to Create Rigorous and Engaging Learning Experiences by Suzie Boss and John Larmer

Our summer institute/project product ☞ Project Infographic

By participating in this summer institute, my takeaways have been:

• Entry event: When crafting a compelling entry event, Dr. Montgomery suggests to use this guide to narrow our thoughts and spark interest and curiosity while also helping our thought process generate new needs to know (NTK).
• SLOs: Should you need extra guidance with crafting your Student Learning Outcomes, we were referred to this Google Slide by Dr. Yao.
• Scaffolding your project from the get-go: Dr. Montgomery shared this 52-page packet with so many useful activities that will definitely keep your juices flowing = sustained inquiry.

​As we continued looking into different ways to scaffold the PBLL experience for our language learners, we were also tasked with creating an interpersonal and presentational mode tasks.

• For the Interpersonal task, a mock interview was chosen, and once again Dr. Montgomery, modeling what she preaches, shared with us these scaffolded worksheets that could help us get started with scaffolding an interview task for our learners.
• For the Presentational task, we concentrated on democratizing our classroom and thus helping our language learners in their decision-making when working in groups. A useful resource was the use of protocols to help aid group decision-making. For more info head here.

One of the protocols that we tried out amongst ourselves was the Tuning protocol where we would listen to one of the ISI participants presente their proposed PBLL and then we ask for clarifying and  I wonder ... I like ...  questions followed up by the participants reflection on our feedback. Very useful indeed.

Herein, I'm also sharing some of the activities shared throughout the summer institute:

Intro:

• ¿Qué papeles/roles han desempeñado las mujeres a través de la historia?
  
• En el ámbito y contexto socio-histórico, menciona algunas mujeres empoderadas que han contribuido a nuestra sociedad.

Los objetivos de esta unidad:

• Analizar y evaluar:
  • El punto de vista y la focalización en los procedimientos narrativos,
  • El valor de la descripción connotativa y denotativa,
  • La relación entre el contenido del texto literario con textos no literarios.

• Comprender e interpretar:
  
  • La producción literaria en el contexto histórico, cultural y socioeconómico,
  • Los usos de términos y técnicas literarias.

• Producción de textos y uso de la lengua:
  • Comunicarse de manera clara y lógica con argumentos debidamente justificados. 

Autoras presentadas: sor Juana Inés, Alfonsina Storni y Juana de Burgos

As we continued designing our PBLL project, we were then tasked with creating an infographic as a culminating task for this summer institute. 

​For this remote ISI (Intensive Summer Institute), we concentrated on designing our proposed PBLL. I'm sharing herein my proposed PBLL project directed to my native/heritage speakers of Spanish at the high school level. The project is framed within the MYP's Global Context of Fairness and Development and it will be a culminating project with my unit titled: Women in Literature. 

I must mention that this proposed PBLL can also be adapted to a Spanish Language Acquisition class.

So your students and you love making/presenting class projects! Let me introduce you to PBL and PBLL.

First of all, let's look into "The differences between projects and Project-based Learning". 

At the time of this post, I have been a participant of the online institute above-mentioned hosted by the NFLRC at the Univeristy of Hawai'i at Manoa which focuses on how to go from Project-based Learning (PBL) to Project-based Language Learning (PBLL). 

In this online institute, we are working on how to transfer the 8 essential elements of PBL into our language classes and thus create a true PBLL.

So why PBL? PBL, whose advocate is ​PBLWorks (former Buck Institute for Education), pursues 8 essential elements which engage students in learning that crosses borders and allows them to work on real-world issues and present their solutions to an audience beyond school. In short, we should not really just have our students make projects but rather work on wholesome projects that reach beyond our brick and mortar settings. I invite you to further read into: "Developing globally competent students through PBL"

PBL requires planning and a buy-in from your school administration and both teachers and students, especially as many of our students are so used to the teaching ways of traditional schooling. Nonetheless, if you plan to start using PBL, make sure you are able to scaffold* the language learning/PBL process for your students. Here are a few tips to get you started! 

* More information about scaffolding language learning PBLL-style at a later time!

• Activity: What was the assignment?

You are positioned to clarify what you expect if you have a well-developed rubric, first and foremost.
One option could be to use Quick Rubric which does not require you to share too much of your personal information.

• SLOs: Student Learning Outcomes:

Narrow your SLOs to perhaps 6 per course. For starters, you can access this link from UH-Manoa to help you develop student learning outcomes using appropriate action verbs, worksheets, checklists and other resources.
Some things to take into consideration are:

• deconstruct the skill into component skills
  • Ask questions
  • Listen for the keywords and main ideas
  • Ask for probing and clarification questions
  • Use compensation strategies to deal with communication
  • breakdown
  • Use back channeling, rephrasing, paraphrasing, and summarization
  • to show understanding
  • Greet and take-leave appropriately

 

• scaffold the development of the component skills
• give your language learners the opportunity to integrate the component skills, and
• apply the integrated skills to new situations.

There are four dimensions of knowledge and skills:

• Language proficiency
• Intercultural competence
• Content/Disciplinary knowledge (career pathways)
• Cognitive skills/Habits of mind

Yao Hill, our facilitator and assessment expert, has shared the following repository in which she has compiled some sample projects, sample interculturality SLOs, and learning outcomes for World Languages.

You can also find the following resources very handy:

Updated August 2017:
​
On our first day of the 2017 Intensive Summer Institute we were taken to Hawaii’s Plantation Village (HPV) where our main objective was to help create an activity-workbook for Chinese children that would visit HPV. Currently, HPV does not have many interactive resources available for young children visiting their location other than those offered to school tours.
In this Mini-PBLL experience, we were tasked to use our tour time throughout HPV to look for possible activities that would engage Chinese children in learning more about HPV in a fun way. These activities would be incorporated and placed into an activity book.

• Our driving question was:
  

​How can we design and create a printed activity book for Chinese children visiting HPV?

I greatly appreciated diving-in into this mini-PBLL as we could get a broad sense of what a final product would look like. Some topics to be discussed and keep in mind where:

• Problem / Purpose: Our problem was already presented as we are trying to create a product that would be beneficial for Chinese children visiting HPV.
• Product: Keeping in mind that our final product would be an activity book for children under 5 yrs. old that would engage them in a fun way.

It was also noted the following adapted checklist from Tony Wagner reminds us what we need to take into consideration before writing our driving question. Remember that “a question that is captivating to you might not be to your students”.



To conclude, you'll find below the final product of this Mini-PBLL which is an activity book for Chinese children visiting the HPV:

We discussed the importance of PLN and you may also read and start your own or become a part of a PLN. Read more at Introduction to Personal Learning Networks.

You can access some of the tech sessions showcased in this institute by going to this Tech Blog.

Other tech highlights included:

• Tele-collaboration: http://uni-collaboration.eu/ 
• https://appear.in/ 
• Creative Commons attribution builder: http://www.openwa.org/attrib-builder/ 
• StoryboardThat (which includes a presentation mode) ... something like using BitStrips or GoAnimate.
• MoveNote: It's a Chrome extension and it could be used to record yourself and then share an url to video each other's recording.
• Code editing using Fraise.
• Kahoot! came up as a tool to use in class.
• Flipgrid: This site provides a safe and close video discussion platform where students can record themselves in response to a specific prompt. Let's ignite discussions and inspire.
  • Imagine how you could use this tool with student exchanges around the globe beating time differences.
  • For computer users: You can start working right away; however, if you have a smartphone/tablet, you will need to download the app.
  • A reading about 5 reasons for using this tool in the language classroom.
• Tricider: An online tool to post a question and have others add the pros and cons, vote on a specific issue or post, generate discussions and present information not only in writing but with video and/or graphics. 

Some other highlights were:

• Syndication (compiled resources to share information w/students and the general audience),
• TubeChop.

As with all technology, do check first with your school's tech use policies.

From the 2015 PBLL ISI:
Throughout these first few days we have worked on what makes a high quality PBLL.

It's important to start using the new Gold Standard PBL

Thereafter, you need to work on creating an engaging Driving Question. Some resources that are available are:

• PBLWorks resources
• Refining Driving Questions
• How do I create driving questions for my project? using Tubric TM
• Driving Question Round Robin 

Thanks to the experiences, techniques and guidelines shared by our presenters @senoralopez and @L_Scheller_BIE (Do follow them on Twitter),  we have access to this document "World Language Product Guide by level" which helps you align your final product to your challenging problem or question.

Furthermore, we also looked at some authentic ideas that can inspire your projects:

• What does it take for a project to be “authentic”
• Spanish project ideas transferable to other languages BY @sraspanlish
• Arabic project example

Crafting a compelling Entry Event to Launch your project: By using the idea of developing a unique meal, you need to:

• ​Visualize clientele,
• ​develop a list of ingredients,
• iterate plate designs,
• prepare for a tasting.

This metaphor refers to having our students design or create a final product that in collaboration with the target audience can serve/aid them in the target language. Do note that PBLL is not intended for our language learners to all of a sudden become saviors of those in the target culture/language.

Updated 2020 » Product Square:​

The following product square is used to help you develop your PBLL project. Herein you will find the first sample product square created but do take into consideration that the newly revised one can be seen below. The revised version now includes:

• Community Partners,
• Product and Public Audience are now combined, as well as a
• Real world and Authentic purpose. 

Although a work in progress, the following is an infographic of my "product square" prototype which makes reference to my upcoming PBLL:

Throughout the various intensive summer institute, participants have helped fill this repository with projects that have been designed and most likely implemented in various language classes.

Today I am adding information about the standards for PBL (with a link to other related blogs) as well as articles to reflect upon what makes a PBL or PBLL project authentic, meaningful and worthwhile.

• What does it take for a project to be "Authentic"? by John Larmer
• Using PBL to teach World Languages by Don Doehla
  • PBLL News (resources)
• Quality Instruction + Differentiation: Beyond the Checklist by John McCarthy
• My first PBL Unit: Learning from my Students by Katie Spear

Are you too busy?  
If you feel you just have too much to handle/manage, refer to these six blogs which can serve as a springboard to your PBL or PBLL experience: 6 Awesome Blogs for Project-based Learning.

I'm thrilled to have been accepted into NFLRC's Intensive Summer Institute on PBLL to be held at the University of Hawai'i  - Manoa. As from my previous posts and from the badge I so proudly display on the right column, you can tell that I had successfully completed the initial phase of fundamentals of PBLL.

This summer, from July 27th to the 31st, as educators, we will meet and discuss how we can better implement PBLL in our classes. I truly believe that it will undertake quite some effort, research and shift how I employ projects within my classes.

I leave you for now with this reading I came across in Google+ and it comes from MindShift titled: How to create the Learning Community vital to Project-based Learning's success.

... and do follow the BIE (Buck Institute for Education) on Google+.