The resources available to students is greater now than during any other point in history. With the Internet, students have access to content on virtually any subject. This makes digital citizenship especially important. Being a digital citizen includes having online etiquette, reporting and preventing cyber bullying, learning how to protect private information, using appropriate sources and giving credit, respecting others’ points of view on the Internet, and using technology to voice opinions and findings. To learn more about digital citizenship, visit Common Sense Education’s K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum. Here you will find lesson plans, videos, student interactives, and assessments for teaching digital citizenship to students.
Resources for the PBL classroom should extend beyond the computer screen. They do not all have to be digital either. This page provides examples of the types of resources that will enhance students’ PBL experience. This is by no means an exhaustive list. The future holds new information, different formats, and technological advancements. Never stop searching.
Resources for the PBL classroom should extend beyond the computer screen. They do not all have to be digital either. This page provides examples of the types of resources that will enhance students’ PBL experience. This is by no means an exhaustive list. The future holds new information, different formats, and technological advancements. Never stop searching.
Seeking innovative PBL resources is a quest. It is exciting, difficult, rewarding, and never ending. Begin your journey by exploring the resources presented. Your quest will lead you in unexpected directions. You may very well be lead to new resources that address your students’ PBL goals.
Multiple Literacies
Every student should learn how to utilize multiple literacies strategies. The best way is through practice! Give students access to a diverse set of resources during PBL. Information can come from virtually anywhere: personal experiences, books, articles, expert opinions, videos, podcasts, and the Web. During PBL, students should analyze a number of sources and express their own understandings in different ways. If you need help integrating sources in multiple formats, ask your school librarian. Librarians have the expertise in multiple literacies to collaborate with teachers for effective teaching and learning. In addition to the library’s print collection, there is a lot of content online that will support students’ research. Include primary sources like letters, photographs, newspaper articles, and paintings in addition to secondary sources that are usually easier to access. 21st-century reading is accomplished through a variety of resources beyond the traditional print—one can: “read” a picture, “read” an auditory story, “read” a multimedia website, and so much more.
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Informational SourcesYouTube
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News and Current EventsNewsELA
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Primary Sources |
Library Collection |
The National Archives
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Print Items
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Searching the World Wide Web
Students will ask if they can just “Google” information for their PBL topic. Of course, they can. Teachers can scaffold the way students search the Interned by integrating different search engines and modifying search strategies. Practice conducting Internet searches possesses many benefits.
Students will:
Students will:
- identify unique search terms to locate targeted sources
- apply filtering tools and basic "operators" to narrow search results
- learn about the different parts of the results page
- evaluate individual results based on cues like web addresses and snippets
- investigate different page formats (blogs, news articles, wikis, etc)
- identify the right format for the type of information they are seeking
- consider, tone, style, audience, and purpose to determine the credibility of a source
- Students practice evaluating the appropriates and credibility of websites
Students can apply strategies from the Google’s search literacy lessons when using Google, the most popular search engine in the world. Most students use Google daily and feel confident in its simple one field interface. Yet, most do not realize or utilize the powerful features hidden just below the surface. Help your students find the best results with Google Advanced Search.
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Google Scholar helps students find scholarly literature such as books, theses, abstracts, and articles, across many disciplines. Scholar ranks documents by taking into account the author, the date published, and how recently it has been cited in other scholarly literature. Inform students that clicking on a title may only take them to a citation or description, rather than to the full document itself. They will learn to discern the difference.
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Kiddle is a visual search engine for kids powered by Google, offering safe kids web, image, and video search. The site is designed to block profanity and other questionable words from search results. As expected, searching is limited but there are usually plenty or search results for a given topics. Common Sense Media has a list of safe search sites available on their website.
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There's an (Educational) App for That
Apps are essentially computer programs designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone or tablet. There seems to be an app for almost everything: nutrition, music, streaming, shopping, gaming, social media, and the list goes on. Apps can connect us with friends, look after our personal needs, provide entertainment, and keep us informed. The same goes for students when they use educational apps during PBL. Finding educational apps of high quality can be a daunting task particularly when you take into account the fact that there are over 500,000 options. Explore the lists of creative, tool-type apps that students can use for many different areas of learning at many different stages. Download the apps that you believe foster innovation, creativity, and collaboration and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover.
ExploreThe Best Apps for Teaching & Learning is a recognition honoring apps of exceptional value to inquiry-based instruction as embodied in the American Association of School Librarians standards.
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DownloadCommon Sense Media presents lists of apps for mobile and tablets that are entertaining, educational, and age-appropriate. Get independent reviews, age ratings, technical information, and links to download.
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UseBest Apps for Kids lists the most popular and highest rated apps for young learners. Get in-depth ratings, reviews, and buying advice for must-have children’s apps based on rigorous expert testing.
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Enhance Online Experiences With Chrome Extensions
PBL is technology rich and often self-guided. Students will need support even when the teacher is unavailable. Enhance students’ use of the Internet with Chrome Extensions. Extensions are small software programs that customize the browsing experience. They enable users to tailor Chrome functionality and behavior to individual needs or preferences. Many Extensions are great for students of all ages. These apps are especially useful if your school is 1-to-1 where each student has a Chromebook or laptop. The Chrome Web Store includes educational games, foreign language learning apps, administration software, scientific calculators and other academic oriented software. Let’s look at some Chrome Extensions every student needs.
Virtual Reality
Learning in VR Will Inspire
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Augmented Reality
Bring the World to Your Students' Fingertips
Augmented Reality (AR) is an interactive experience of a real-world environment whose elements are "augmented" by computer-generated perceptual information. AR adds to the reality you would ordinarily see rather than replacing it.
Click on each application to learn how your can use AR to support students' PBL goals.
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Presentation Tools
A major piece of PBL is presenting findings and products to a public audience. There is a number of ways to share work with others. Students might deliver presentations at a special event, pitch ideas to a panel of community members, or publish work online for the world to see. This section presents several options students might want to consider when preparing final presentations. Even if students plan to give a demonstration or create a product, a digital presentation is a great supplement. Plus, technology products can be shared with more than just the audience in the room. Students and teachers can upload work to a classroom website, to social media accounts, to YouTube, and other networking platforms. Posting research and presentations online could gain so much attention that people reach out to students to learn more about their projects. Students’ projects do not have to go viral to make a difference. Sometimes appealing to the right person in the right position leads to action.
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Students can connect with audiences from across the globe. Find out which presentation tools are best suited for your students and project goals, and then give them the opportunity to choose.
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