From Pieces to Possibilities: A Discovery Journey in Project-Based Blended Learning

Imagine a vast classroom filled with educators, each holding a unique piece of a complex puzzle. These pieces represent the diverse strategies and tools available to us. My innovation plan, "Implementing Project-Based Learning in a Blended Learning Environment," serves as a framework to guide educators in connecting these pieces and creating a vibrant picture of student-centered learning. Through this project, I've not only witnessed positive student outcomes and district-wide interest, but I've also embarked on a rich learning journey myself.

The inspiration for my innovation plan, titled "Implementing Project-Based Learning in a Blended Learning Environment," came from jigsaw puzzles. In the education world, we have numerous pieces and endless combinations to create a beautiful picture by rearranging and putting them together. Grounded in the work of Horn and Staker (2017) on disruptive innovation and Harapnuik (2018) with COVA, my project aims to provide authentic learning experiences for learners of all ages.

While my approach appears straightforward, I took it a step further by theorizing that it would truly harness the power of play-based learning. Additionally, I wanted educators to "play" with their own learning through choices and authentic professional learning opportunities. This means that, in addition to students having choices in creating their projects and learning through play, my innovation project allows teachers to “play” with their learning as well and choose the type of blended learning, project-based learning, curriculum section to integrate it with, and tool to create lessons. Inspired by Alan November (2015) in Who Owns the Learning?, I also emphasize that the tool must support learning in ways that traditional methods cannot, ensuring the digital tools are purposeful and not simply "million-dollar pencils."

To establish a solid foundation for my innovation plan, I conducted an initial literature review that incorporated research from both well-known educators and more current findings. In preparation for sharing my innovation plan with others, I explored how to communicate and lead change initiatives through strategies such as the Influencer approach (Grenny, J., & Patterson, K., 2013), 4DX (Covey, S., & McChesney, C., 2023), and Crucial Conversations (Patterson et al., 2016) to inspire organizational change. My natural coaching tendencies align more closely with the Influencer strategy. However, both approaches emphasize the importance of establishing the "why" behind the innovation (Patterson et al., 2016). Sharing the rationale for change is crucial for gaining trust and encouraging individuals to step outside their comfort zones. It serves as a guiding principle, ensuring that implementation efforts ("how") and any unforeseen challenges ("oops" moments) are redirected towards the overall goal.

Professional learning is another cornerstone of my innovation plan. By intentionally incorporating the Five Key Principles of Professional Learning (Beaumont, 2011) – sustained duration, active learning, collaboration, assessment and feedback, and alignment with school goals – I aim to create meaningful and impactful learning experiences for educators, which will ultimately benefit their students. The opportunity for educator choice, alongside learner choice, has provided numerous occasions to put these principles into practice. The assessment and feedback component has proven the most challenging to implement, and I am actively working to refine this aspect to make it a more natural part of the process.

Implementation and Results

My innovation plan has achieved success at various levels through enrolling educators in its implementation.

Pre-Kindergarten Team: To support oral language development and fluency in a multilingual school setting, I collaborated with a Pre-Kindergarten (PK) team on utilizing the Seesaw Learning platform. We conducted a six-session professional learning series, breaking down the tool's functionalities into manageable chunks and culminating in a task for teachers to try with their students. This allowed them the option of independent implementation or receiving further support from me. The final session is scheduled for May, to fully launch Seesaw across the entire PK grade level next year for intentional integration from the beginning of the school year.

Eighth Grade Social Studies: Initially, an 8th-grade honors Social Studies teacher enrolled in the project to implement project-based learning (PBL) within a blended learning environment for her first unit of study. We conducted multiple coaching sessions, including in-class support where I modeled guiding students with a digital tool and demonstrating its use for learning purposes. This resulted in high student engagement with the project. The teacher herself became reinvigorated and excited about facilitating authentic learning experiences. Students were empowered to share their learning through presentations, acting as student leaders and teaching their peers about the unit content on which they became experts. A standardized test administered at the end of the unit revealed a 20% higher score for this class compared to the other honors class that did not utilize PBL.

The success of this pilot program led to the entire 8th-grade team requesting a professional learning session during their Professional Learning Community (PLC) time. As a result, all 8th-grade Social Studies teachers are currently piloting a PBL blended learning module starting in the last week of April. This module focuses on reviewing key historical periods. Each period will be paired with a specific critical thinking strategy (Point of View) and various digital tools that mimic social media platforms within Canvas, the school's Learning Management System (LMS). Students will utilize these tools to create a virtual museum for their peers to explore. An additional benefit is that each teacher will become an expert in a specific digital tool, thinking strategy, and historical period. This expertise will allow them to integrate PBL within other units of their curriculum throughout the year, with student-created examples potentially serving as learning resources for subsequent classes.

District-Wide Adoption: News of the positive outcomes from these implementations within other schools has led to a new elementary school enrolling its entire faculty in a year-long plan beginning in August 2024. This initiative aims to train educators on utilizing and implementing the district's LMS platforms (Seesaw for PK-2 and Canvas for 3-12) to enhance and support content learning in their classrooms.

Reflection and Next Steps

My strong belief in my innovation plan stems from its alignment with my personal philosophy of learning. While I have achieved success on a smaller scale, I am committed to providing evidence beyond anecdotal reports. Therefore, I plan to initiate a formal action research project next year. This research will support the work being done by myself and the pilot teachers, ultimately providing key talking points to stakeholders and contributing to increased enrollment and large-scale implementation.

Project Stage and Timeline Considerations

Following the Implementation Outline, I am currently in the midst of Phase III. While systematically adhering to the implementation plan, unforeseen circumstances, such as illness, schedule changes, state testing, and school events, led to significant underestimations in the initial timeline. These external factors highlight the importance of cultivating a growth mindset, especially for those leading initiatives that involve new endeavors (Dweck, 2006).

Learning Through Innovation

My innovation project has fostered a rich learning experience on multiple levels. The journey began with the literature review, where I explored both the benefits and challenges associated with implementing project-based learning (PBL) within a blended learning environment (Horn & Staker, 2017; Lang, 2014). Recognizing the importance of acknowledging all aspects of an innovation (Patterson et al., 2016), I actively sought information on both the positive and negative aspects of the approach. Embracing a growth mindset (Dweck, 2006), I viewed challenges as opportunities to learn valuable lessons about "how not to do things" which ultimately inform "how to do things" effectively.

My learning extended beyond frameworks and pedagogies. The project spurred a deep dive into a variety of digital learning tools, enabling me to move beyond basic use and explore their potential for supporting diverse content areas and grade levels. This exploration mirrored the approach I encouraged educators to take – transitioning from simply incorporating technology to utilizing it purposefully to create impactful learning experiences. Furthermore, I actively sought opportunities to learn from external sources, attending professional conferences and webinars, and observing and collaborating with expert educators to coach, present, and model lessons in classrooms. I am grateful to my school district and my amazing colleagues for fostering continuous professional growth and creating opportunities for learning from both peers and external professionals.

Key Learnings

My innovation project has yielded several key takeaways. First, the importance of initiating conversations and taking the initial leap to experiment with new ideas has become evident. Being "brave enough" to start these conversations is critical (Patterson et al., 2016). Furthermore, I have discovered a natural aptitude for embracing the inherent chaos that accompanies new endeavors. Additionally, I have honed my ability to guide others in navigating these challenges.

This project has also bolstered my confidence in sharing my ideas with colleagues, substantiated by the research of prominent educators in the field (e.g., Horn & Staker, 2015; Lang, 2014). A crucial lesson learned is that many educators yearn for the type of playful, student-centered learning environment my project fosters, often without realizing it is a viable option. However, I recognize that teaching styles and content areas vary, and my innovation plan might not be the ideal fit for everyone. Ultimately, I find value in both scenarios – whether it reaches a single pilot class or an entire school.

The project has emphasized the importance of thorough planning and preparation. The more time invested in these stages, the smoother the execution becomes. Finally, a core belief I hold dear is that everyone deserves the opportunity to approach learning through a playful lens. This project has equipped me with the tools and experiences to champion this ideal.

Communication and Promotion Strategies

This course provided extensive opportunities to explore various communication strategies. Early on, we established a professional online presence through ePortfolio creation . We learned website design, content creation, academic writing for literature reviews and action research proposals, and learning to master APA 7 formatting-a significant learning milestone for me (American Psychological Association, 2020).

Additionally, we gained experience in developing infographics, visuals, presentations, and even writing for publication. I authored an article titled "Ready, Set, Play," currently under finalization, which highlighted the challenge of translating research, frameworks, and leadership strategies into a digestible format for a wider audience. Furthermore, I co-created a podcast with members of our amazing collaboration group to share my passion for integrating play into blended learning project-based environments. The positive podcast experience has sparked my interest in exploring social media platforms for further promotion, networking, and collaboration.

Reflections and Future Application

The project has emphasized the importance of collaboration, continuous learning, and realistic timelines. I would not be in such a positive position without the support of my network. My network includes family, friends, colleagues, peers, and the schools I serve. I would not be where I am today without their support and encouragement. Also, my family helped cultivate my learner's mindset, and that has proven especially useful as I take these classes fully online and have to be disciplined enough to oversee my own learning as I encourage others. In hindsight, I am not good at estimating how much time the tasks in my innovation plan take to actually implement. Any initial time estimations I made should have been doubled to accommodate unforeseen circumstances and physical time.

Drawing upon the lessons learned in this project, I am determined to champion the benefits of incorporating play-based, student-centered learning environments. This approach leverages the power of digital tools and fosters a growth mindset in all learners (Dweck, 2006). I believe that the current educational landscape presents an unparalleled opportunity to embrace innovation and create truly significant learning experiences.

In conclusion, this innovation project journey has not only yielded positive student outcomes and sparked interest, but it has also served as a rich learning experience for me. Throughout the innovation plan implementation process, I've honed valuable skills, embraced a growth mindset, formed friendships and partnerships, and discovered a passion for guiding others in navigating educational change. As I move forward, I am committed to expanding the reach of this initiative through action research and fostering a playful, student-centered approach to learning in all classrooms. This project may be just one piece of the puzzle, but it holds the potential to create a vibrant and engaging learning experience for educators and students alike. What a great time to be a part of education!

References

Beaumont, C. (2011). Five key principles of professional development. Solution Tree Press.

Covey, S., & McChesney, C. (2023a). The 4 disciplines of execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. Simon & Schuster UK Ltd.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.

Grenny, J., & Patterson, K. (2013). Influencer: The power to change anything. McGraw-Hill Professional

Harapnuik, D., Thibodeaux, T., & Cummings, C. (2018). Choice, Ownership, and 

Voice through Authentic Learning. Creative Commons License.

Horn, M. B., Staker, H., & Christensen, C. M. (2017). Blended: Using disruptive innovation to improve schools. Jossey-Bass.

Lang, D. (2014). Blended learning: Bringing the best of traditional and online learning together. Corwin.

Patterson, D., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2016). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Tedx Talks. (2009, September 28). Start with why: How great leaders inspire action [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA