PBL World 2024

Joy is . . . beauty, aesthetics, creativity, art, music, wellness, healing, peace, happiness, self-determination, collaboration, wonder, laughter, imagination, care, advocacy, and love in the self and humanity.
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, keynote speaker

Igniting Joy Through PBL was the theme of this year's project-based learning conference. I certainly found the joy of learning on this trip - both in the conference and in exploring many activities and sights in Napa Valley. The conference was held at American Canyon High School. This campus was amazing! The library, cafeteria, and classrooms were located in buildings set around a large open space with multiple tables, benches, and seating options. The school has beautiful baseball, soccer, and football fields, as well as an outdoor swimming pool. As a former swimmer and diver, I would have loved that pool. Although it definitely would have been a bit too cold during the winters in Boise, Idaho.

I participated in a new science PBL workshop for kindergartener through fifth-grade teachers. Through this workshop, I got to to try out a new app called TEACH. This app will have an extensive library of PBL project units. Currently, there are 35 (K-5) project units. For my learning, I selected a unit called Expert Ecologists. I collaborated with two other teachers - Eric (Louisville, Kentucky) and Sam (Henderson, Nevada). It was exciting to be grouped with someone who was from my hometown and someone who had specific knowledge of Kentucky!

The Expert Ecologists unit is based on the ecosystems of the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. The goal of the PBL workshop was to develop and adapt a project for our own students based upon an ecosystem we live near. This unit is so specific and detailed about the Kentucky cave ecosystem that it will not be easy to change to a similar theme in the Mojave Desert. I decided to teach the unit as is for the first year, and then adapt it more specifically to our local ecosystem in the following years.

Each PBL project unit has a driving question, a question designed to inspire problem-solving. This unit's question is,
How might we, as ecologists, support the sustainability of Kentucky's most well-known park's ecosystem?
The students study the living and non-living (biotic and abitotic) organisms within the cave's ecosystems. They will also study a disruptor (a bat fungus called white-nose syndrome) and how that impacts the ecosystem.

This unit is fascinating in itself with so much to learn and teach. But, how could I adapt this to the Mojave Desert in three days at the conference? I have an idea, but it will take a lot of research and getting to meet and talk to the right people. Here's a sneak preview - On the Muddy River, only 30 miles northeast of Las Vegas, is a special fish called the Moapa Dace. These fish are currently on the critically endangered list due to the introduction of non-native fish in the river and loss of habitat. The Muddy River is close to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Valley of Fire State Park, and Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Overall, I found PBL World 2024 to be engaging and thought-provoking. This was such a wonderful opportunity provided to me through Fund for Teachers. Being a 2024 Fund for Teachers Fellow has brought so much joy as a learner. It will definitely translate into more joyful learners within my classroom.



Photo credits - Erin Gannon

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