Allen County teachers were among 255 across Kentucky who participated in free project-based learning training ahead of the 2022-2023 school year. Turning academic standards into hands-on, student-driven investigations is part of a three-year state grant to promote achievement and skills for adult success through relevant, engaging student work.
“It's a great way to build those collaborative skills, a great way to build those communication skills, problem solving skills, those things that we have on our [graduate] profile,” said Allen County Superintendent Travis Hamby. “That's what project-based learning helps us to do. It helps to build those muscles around the skills that we desire for our kids. It brings in those real-world experiences, but more importantly, our community has helped define the skills of our [graduate] profile. And as a result of that, we have a responsibility to help not just meet those academic content standards, but also those skills that were defined on the profile.”
The push toward new classroom approaches is key to the state education department’s United We Learn strategic plan, drafted in 2021 following meetings with educators, students, families, and business leaders across the state. It calls for delivering more vibrant learning experiences for students, creating innovation in assessment, and establishing greater collaboration between educators and communities.
In the fall of 2021, the state education department launched its Local Laboratories of Learning to collaborate with school districts in a network of community projects to redefine essential student outcomes, overhaul teaching and learning, and explore assessment and accountability alternatives.
Seven districts joined the first year, including Allen County. The state’s assistance is designed to combine community understanding with education system changes to assure wide and lasting input and support.
By the start of the upcoming school year, 100% of Allen County teachers will have gone through project-based learning training or orientation, said Hamby. They aim to give each high school student two project-based learning experiences per year, he added.
Hamby said training and support is key for teachers adopting this new mode of teaching.
“When you're asked to do something new, it's, it's uncertain,” said Hamby. “I think there's always that fear that students aren't going to learn the content, that makes people apprehensive. ... And, you know, we've tried to make it safe for those mistakes, and we have coaches that try to help.”
