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The PBL Design Process, For Educators

HTHGSE’s PBL Design Camp has adapted the design process to represent the cyclical nature of designing in education.

Nuvia Ruland, Kali Frederick

Latest

How to Teach Material that Doesn’t Fit into a Project

Students strengthen their learning by practicing skills that may not fit directly into a project but build the foundation for authentic, high-quality work.

Alec Patton

The PBL Design Process, For Educators

HTHGSE’s PBL Design Camp has adapted the design process to represent the cyclical nature of designing in education.

Nuvia Ruland, Kali Frederick

Reflection: Transform Experience Into Meaning

Self-understanding is one of the oldest and most venerated forms of wisdom; but it does not come easily.

Peter Jana

How to Teach Material that Doesn’t Fit into a Project

Students strengthen their learning by practicing skills that may not fit directly into a project but build the foundation for authentic, high-quality work.

Alec Patton

The PBL Design Process, For Educators

HTHGSE’s PBL Design Camp has adapted the design process to represent the cyclical nature of designing in education.

Nuvia Ruland, Kali Frederick

Reflection: Transform Experience Into Meaning

Self-understanding is one of the oldest and most venerated forms of wisdom; but it does not come easily.

Peter Jana

Seven Questions to Find Out If Your Question is Essential

Here are seven questions to help you develop an engaging and profound essential question.

Alec Patton

Improvement

See all improvement content

Campus Connections at King Middle School

Principal Natalie Daniels and her team partnered with educators and community to develop a powerful two-day seminar and advisory program focused on connection, relationships, and whole-child support.

Brent Spirnak

A District-Wide Approach to Improving Math Proficiency

Alec Patton talks to Michael McDonald, Stephen Rinaldo, and Tarima Levine about how Yonkers Public Schools and Bank Street Education Center improved eighth grade math proficiency particularly for students who are Black, Latinx, or experiencing poverty.

Alec Patton

Deeper Learning & PBL

See all deeper learning & PBL content

How Exhibitions of Learning Came to Lincoln High School

Alec Patton talks to Lincoln High School Principal Melissa Agudelo about the challenges of bringing exhibitions of student learning to a large urban high school, and how they made it successful by literally doing everything all at once.

Melissa Agudelo, Alec Patton

How to Teach Material that Doesn’t Fit into a Project

Students strengthen their learning by practicing skills that may not fit directly into a project but build the foundation for authentic, high-quality work.

Alec Patton

From the Latest Issue

Tackling Chronic Absenteeism

Tracking absences quarterly allows schools to spot trends and changes faster, whether they be something to celebrate or a student who needs more support. When we track the number of absences by quarter, just a few missed days in a row can trigger early intervention or celebration.

Linzi Golding, Melanie Gonzalez, Erin Asselin

Tidepool Protectors

Through fieldwork and research, students learned how tide pools are created and how the environment changes with low and high tides

Claire Deken, Lydia Callis, Ailinne Jimenez

Student-led Advisory

Try Stuff was a hit! Crew advisors were thrilled to hand over some of the facilitation, and students came up with all sorts of creative lessons to share with their Crews.

Hannah Read

HTe Imagineering: A Cultural Journey

Fifth graders designed themed park lands based on cultural characteristics to inform their engineering and design choices.

Bailey Wallace, Jenny Merrill, Jeff Govoni

Issue 28: Spring 2025

This issue highlights stories of school improvement and practical tools for educators. It features how Parkway Academy supports students during the school day, how NYC Outward Bound schools are rethinking advisory, and how the Teaching Matters Network is using identity questions to boost literacy. Tools include Baltimore’s method for turning routine processes into improvement projects, Chicago’s protocols for data reflection, and RISE Network’s resources on tracking absences and fostering improvement through personalized strategies. Additional insights come from educators like Loni Berqvist, Aneesa Jamal, Peter Jana, and Sara Sadek, who explore student voice, reading engagement, skill development, and child-centered learning.