I had no idea that designing a project for my students to complete would require so much work. As an educator who has 15 years of teaching experience, I thought I had a pretty good idea of how to help my ELLs to complete a quality project. Though there is always room for improvement, I felt that my approach was sufficient. My doctorate course helped me to realize that despite my well-meaning efforts, I had to make some changes. I was serious about using Project-Based Learning as a tool for evaluating student comprehension of science concepts, so revisiting my practices was essential. There were things that I had not considered as I planned, designed, and assigned projects for students in previous years. Now was the time to take my approach to the next level.

Students need a clear understanding of teacher expectations regarding their output. In the past, I had focused mainly on obtaining resources and materials that were necessary for project completion and designing projects that were aligned with content-specific TEKS. Now that I have much more insight on how to effectively plan for a project, I decided to look at all of the ways that I was setting my students up for success (or not) as I implemented Project-Based Learning into my classroom.  

So what now? How can I plan so that students get the full benefit of Project-Based Learning? What adjustments should I make to my approach? These questions can be answered with 4 simple steps for planning a project that is meaningful, engaging, and organized. They are as follows:

1. Entry Event: An Entry event is a way to get students interested in doing the project. It should appeal to them in a way that will promote inquiry and engagement. This part of the project can stimulate curiosity and encourage problem-solving. Entry Events that are authentic motivate students to get started. 
2. Team and/or individual products to be submitted: Whether students are working collaboratively or individually, they should be given clear instructions about what they should be turning in. If it is a project with several products, there should be specific information given that communicates exactly what is expected.
3. Audience: Who, what, when, and where are applicable terms here.If students are required to present their projects, who will they be presenting to? What will they be presenting and what role will the audience play? When will the presentation take place? Where will students present? Knowing the answers to these questions prior to assigning the project is a great way to organize the process.
4. Resources: At the start of the project, students should be aware of what resources and materials they will need, how they will be used, and where to locate them. Having this information sets them up for success from the start.

These 4 steps are super simple, but very helpful. As I continue to grow in my knowledge and understanding of Project-Based Learning, I have come to a shocking realization. Small changes that seem miniscule could be exactly what are needed to yield results that have a lasting impact on student learning. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference.