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Impactful PBL Podcast
Hi, I’m Dr. Candice Wilson, the founder of Impactful PBL Network, where we cultivate a community of practice for 3rd-5th grade teachers so they can transition students from being passive learners in their classrooms to active participants in their schools and community via real-world project-based learning experiences.
This podcast provides proven strategies and invaluable tips for building a sustainable project-based learning culture at your school without overwhelming instructional leaders, teachers, and students. If you are an educator who desires to move from theory to practice with project-based learning, follow the podcast to receive notification of new episodes. Let's talk PBL!
Episodes
43 episodes
[3.14] Sustaining PBL: Measuring your initiative success
Have teachers implemented a PBL unit but have not seen immediate results? Are you wondering if it's worth continuing? You're not alone. In fact, this is one of the most common reasons schools abandon their PBL initiatives - but here's why that'...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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12:17
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[3.13] Sustaining PBL: Customizing instructional resources
Are you wondering how teachers can use predesigned project-based learning curriculum but still make it authentic for students? Most teachers prefer to have ready-to-facilitate lessons but also worry that the resources may not meet their student...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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11:28
[3.12] Sustaining PBL: Selecting high-quality instructional materials
When launching project-based learning initiatives, school leaders often ask teachers to create resources from scratch or modify existing curricula. While this might seem cost-effective, it's actually compromising both teacher effectiveness and ...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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14:42
[3.11] Sustaining PBL: Building a community of practice
Is your project-based learning initiative struggling to gain traction? You're not alone. Many schools invest in PBL training only to see enthusiasm fade and implementation stall. But there's a crucial element that successful PBL schools have di...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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11:00
[3.10] Sustaining PBL: Aligning existing goals with your project-based initiative
What's one of the biggest challenges instructional leaders face? Viewing project-based learning as separate from their priority initiatives.You're focused on reading scores, math benchmarks, and other pressing goals. PBL feels like a lux...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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10:42
[3.9] Sustaining PBL: Co-designing professional development with teachers
Remember the last time you sat through a professional development session that had absolutely nothing to do with your needs? That sinking feeling of wasted time while your actual challenges went unaddressed? Let's avoid accidentally hosting a d...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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11:34
[3.8] Sustaining PBL: Helping teachers create a personalized growth plan
Are you struggling to connect teacher professional development with actual student growth in the classroom? You're not alone, and here's the good news: there's a way to ensure every step of teacher growth directly impacts student success!
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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9:18
[3.7] Sustaining PBL: Conducting a needs assessment
Picture this: You're excited to bring project-based learning to your school. Your teachers say they're experienced with PBL, and you're ready to dive into advanced implementation strategies. Sounds promising, right?But here's...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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11:01
[3.6] Sustaining PBL: Misconceptions about launching
If you have been following the sustainable PBL series, you now understand that building a sustainable, high-impact, project-based culture is challenging and rewarding. School or district leaders encounter three primary roadblocks when launching...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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9:43
[3.5] Sustaining PBL: Building capacity
The success of project-based learning initiatives depends on initial implementation efforts and teachers’ ability to sustain project-based instructional practices over time. Instructional leaders play a crucial role in this process by creating ...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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15:23
[3.4] Sustaining PBL: Boosting teachers’ competence
Project-based learning (PBL) holds the transformative power to engage students actively, foster collaboration, and develop essential problem-solving skills. While PBL yields numerous benefits, implementation has its challenges. Comm...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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15:12
[3.3] Sustaining PBL: Gaining clarity with a vision
The challenges instructional leaders encounter when launching a project-based learning initiative often stem from a lack of vision setting. A well-defined vision for a project-based learning (PBL) initiative is essential. The vision not o...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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15:53
[3.2] Sustaining PBL: Identifying common roadblocks
In this fast-paced, ever-changing world, teachers must adapt their teaching methods to prepare students for the challenges they will face in the real world. One approach that has gained traction for its ability to cultivate critical thinking, p...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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15:58
[3.1] Sustaining PBL: Reimagining professional development
Welcome to season 3! This series will focus on how to build a sustainable, high-impact, project-based culture at your school site or within your school district without overwhelming instructional leaders, teachers, and students. This series is ...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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13:11
Reflections from another year of learning in public + podcast update
Season 2 of the Impactful PBL Podcast ended in May which marked two years of this podcast. The podcast started as a “learn in public” project so that I can document my professional journey and share insights about what I’m learning about projec...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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27:13
[2.13] How can we write a compelling scenario for a PBL unit?
Phase 2 of the Impactful PBL Roadmap™ is to map the scenario and write a driving question. The initial scenario structure will involve first determining what students will learn (i.e. standards), thinking of a theme or topic second, and then wr...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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11:58
[2.12] How can we create a PBL unit plan?
As I support teachers to design project-based learning experiences, I notice confusion often arises during phase 5 of the Impactful PBL Roadmap™ planning process. Phase 5 is about creating students' daily learning experiences or lessons. Teache...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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11:49
[2.11] What type of public products can students create during PBL? I'm sharing 50+ ideas
An essential part of the project-based learning experience is producing a public product or artifact to showcase knowledge for an authentic audience. Depending on the PBL topic and driving questions, the audience could be peers, parents, or com...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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13:51
[2.10] How can we get students excited about the PBL topic?
It is essential students buy into their project since they will be exploring their complex question or challenge over an extended time. While hooks for traditional lessons are typically short, less than ten minutes, project-based learning hooks...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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8:14
[2.9] How can we promote STEM education via project-based learning?
In traditional learning experiences, subject areas are taught in silos, and teaching often focuses on the "what" of a subject area. Students do not synthesize the material when they memorize parts of a cell in isolation or memorize the steps to...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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11:14
[2.8] How can students support a cause via project-based learning?
We've all participated in a fundraiser at some point in our life, especially as a student. It seems kids bring home items to sell every year to support a team, club, or school. Although many students do not necessarily think about whether or no...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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12:52
[2.7] How can we create a dynamic group culture during PBL?
Project-based learning is an effective way to help students foster their social-emotional learning skills, especially during group collaboration. During phase eight of the Impactful PBL Roadmap™ planning guide, we focus on uniting students and ...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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12:09
[2.6] What role does reflection play in the PBL process?
Recently I’ve heard from many of you who listen to the podcast, attend my workshops, or communicate with me on LinkedIn that you're finishing up a project-based learning unit. I've been checking in with past and current members of the Imp...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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11:14
[2.5] How can we teach standards and implement PBL?
As a project-based learning coach, I'm often asked if it's possible to design a PBL unit that integrates standards. Teachers wonder how they will find time to teach content standards and allow students to create public products. Identifying the...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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11:08
[2.4] How can we create a memorable experience via project-based learning?
I enjoyed college because most of the learning activities the professors used would be considered active learning strategies. We engaged in many case studies or projects, and the professor would utilize relevant current events to lead class dis...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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8:50