The PBL Playbook Is Now Available 

There is something happening across the country and around the world right now. It's hidden in the planning sessions of colleagues, in the professional development opportunities at schools and conferences, and in the hallways as teachers and administrators talk with each other about their students. 

It's been happening in pockets for so long, that now those groups of teachers and leaders are starting to bring in new teachers and new leaders to build a true culture of learning that looks and feels different. 

It's taking shape as a revolution of sorts (but not some type of education reform) that is beginning to make its way into every school and every classroom. The textbooks are no longer "good enough", and the multiple-choice tests are no longer "good enough", and the lectures are no longer "good enough" for our kids. 

We've seen what can happen when students are presented with a problem to solve, a challenge to overcome. 

We've seen what can happen when students have learning experiences that are both relevant and meaningful to them as an individual and citizen. 

We've seen what can happen when students own their learning, have a choice in the process and performance task, and get to choose how they can demonstrate understanding. 

Project-based learning (PBL) is no longer relegated to gifted classrooms, honors classes, and exploratory specials. PBL is an active piece of the K-12 learning experience, found in every subject, in every grade level, and in every part of curricula and scope and sequences. PBL is taking over traditional finals and mid-terms as the performance task. It is showing up as HOW you teach the unit, instead of only an ending project to the unit. 

PBL is growing because it engages and empowers students to learn experientially and share that learning in new and unique ways that go well beyond the classroom. Yet, many teachers are asking: How do we plan and implement PBL? How do we "fit it in" our current curriculum? How do we assess it using our current grading guidelines? How do we manage this type of learning? 

These are all real concerns and questions that cannot be dismissed. PBL takes time to plan, implement, manage, and assess. Then it takes time to tweak, improve, and highlight. In The PBL Playbook, we dive into specific answers to all those questions, and what PBL looks like in each grade level and subject area! 

The PBL Playbook is right for you if: 

• You are a teacher ready to move towards an authentic learning experience for your students. 
• You are a superintendent, district administrator, or principal who is leading a school through project-based learning. 
• You are a coach, staff developer, or teacher leader that wants to help guide colleagues into PBL with a gameplan that works.

What They Are Saying About The PBL Playbook

"I've always appreciated A. J. Juliani's blog, and this book is similarly filled with practical, classroom-tested advice for PBL teachers. He makes a persuasive case for PBL and, even better, offers lots of tools and wisdom to guide teachers in creating and facilitating high-quality PBL units. Also great to see are the many examples of actual teachers and projects."

-- John Larmer, Editor-in-Chief, Buck Institute for Education
 

"The PBL Playbook is a must-read book if you are looking to meet the needs of all learners--now and in their future. A. J. Juliani not only provides a compelling argument for why it is critical that we empower students and create authentic learning experiences through Project -Based Learning; he provides the strategies and examples for how to make that vision a reality in any context."

-- Katie Martin, Head of Partnerships-West, AltSchool and Author of Learner-Centered Innovation
 

"The PBL Playbook is an inspirational and accessible guide to project-based learning. A. J. Juliani lays out a clear blueprint, addressing the burning questions teachers have as they take the PBL leap forward. It's packed full of concrete examples and comprehensive sample projects you can use tomorrow!"

-- John Spencer, Professor, co-author of LAUNCH and Empower