"Once you put in project learning, then a lot of other things fall away because it's hard to do project learning without having communication with the students. You can't ... do it in isolation. And obviously you're not doing things in the abstract ... you end up having to work with other students, which is cooperative learning, which promotes emotional intelligence, which is actually much more important in the real world than a high degree of intellectual intelligence because what you're really doing is working with other people."

--George Lucas, from a Q&A with Linda Darling-Hammond

Compared with learning solely from textbooks, project-based learning has many benefits for students. A growing body of academic research supports the use of project-based learning in schools as a way to engage students, cut absenteeism, boost cooperative learning skills, and improve test scores. Those benefits are enhanced when technology is used in a meaningful way. In many schools, educators believe that project-based learning that freely crosses disciplines provides an education superior to the traditional "algebra at 9, Civil War at 10, Great Expectations at 11" structure.

http://glef.org/pyramid.html

Erin Rietow was a straight A but "bored stiff" student at her old high school. When she transferred to the project-based West Hawaii Explorations Academy (WHEA), she still garnered top grades, but she became so excited about what she was doing that she came to school early and stayed late. What changed Rietow's attitude was the approach toward learning at WHEA, which is located on property of the Natural Energy Lab of Hawaii on the lava-covered Kona coast. WHEA's program is based on the philosophy that students learn best when confronted with hands-on, real-life challenges.

http://glef.org/whea.html

Seymour Papert, a renowned expert on children and computing, discusses the powerful impact of project-based work, how to assess project-based learning, using technology, and how to reconcile dreams of the future with the reality of today's classrooms.

http://www.glef.org/papert.html

Academic studies support hands-on learning that solves real-world problems. This article includes synopses of a range of studies on project-based learning.

http://www.glef.org/pblresearch.html

Whether you are a parent, classroom teacher, policymaker, or school administrator, you can play a part in supporting project-based learning.

• What Administrators Can Do - Tools and resources for principals and superintendents who want to

support project-based learning.

• What Business Can Do - Strategies and resources to help business leaders promote project-based learning.
• What Parents Can Do - Tips and resources on how to support your child's teacher and project-based learning practices.
• What Policymakers Can Do - Links to research and resources that can be used in committees to ensure that project-based learning is incorporated into curriculum.
• What Teachers Can Do - Links to the basics of project-based learning as well as successful projects that have already proved their worth. http://glef.org/pblaction.html