SCSD’s
Strategic Plan places an emphasis on Project-Based Learning (PBL) where students learn by engaging in rigorous projects (usually in teams) that are carefully planned, managed, and assessed to help students learn key academic content, practice 21st Century skills (the 5 Cs), and create high-quality, authentic products and presentations. This project-based, technology-infused approach to teaching and learning features real world, meaningful design challenges and is infused throughout the whole curriculum (often cutting across traditional subject areas). Through PBL, students learn problem solving, collaboration, critical-thinking skills, and time management skills. Most importantly, students are often the catalysts for project ideas and design, thus promoting greater student engagement and “ownership” of their own learning. In support of the classroom curriculum, SCSD has enlisted the
Buck Institute for Education (BIE) to deliver professional development support to prepare teachers to design and orchestrate PBL projects that incorporate
Common Core State Standards and technology infused
21st Century learning skills. SCSD offers some specific PBL programs outside of the daily curriculum. See examples listed to the right.