Expeditionary Learning at King Middle School

While some educators warn that an emphasis on project-based learning will cut into standardized test scores, King Middle School's expeditionary learning projects have flat out proven those people wrong! In the video above, learners work together in teams with their teachers, and community experts to produce video productions of the learning they do in their classes. One project, The Vanishing Footprint, documents their research into Maine's endangered species. Aided by a video expert and a publishing CEO, the students successfully published their work for all to see.

This, I would argue, is where writing, in all its phases, reveals the wealth of learning that can happen. Project-based learning is where writing shines. Even though a video is the final product, all the scripting and drafting of the project takes place through a composing process that students master as they go along. All the elements of project-based learning are here: active, in-depth learning; authentic, formative assessment; opportunities for collaboration; attention to prior knowledge, experience, and development; knowledge organized around core concepts and connections; and the development of metacognitive skills through the use of formative assessment (p. 196-198).

For more information, go to http://www.edutopia.org/expeditionary-learning-maine-video