Students engaged in PBL are self-motivated, partly because they select their own topics. They solve problems by designing solutions that fit their unique learning styles, and they work independently. Because the biggest barrier for many teachers is finding the time and flexibility to infuse technology into the curriculum, I have compiled some creative methods already in use. For example, At Beers Street Middle School in Hazlet, NJ, Eileen Bendixsen asks students to design a solar structure. One particularly useful feature of Passport to Knowledge is that participants don't have to rely on responses from other sites something that can cause problems in a collaborative project.
Teachers can select items just as patrons choose dishes from a buffet line.
Sheila Greemore, science teacher at Clark Middle School, Vincennes, IN, uses project-based learning in a summer computer camp. Students contribute to a CyberZoo by selecting an animal, learning the basics of web design and web research, creating portfolios, and adding these to the web zoo. These students are then able to help others by sharing their computer skills. Their 6th grade students chose three individuals from an assigned category, such as sports hero, politician, and entertainer, etc., gathered information, wrote essays, and developed a PowerPoint Slide to recommend individuals for the list. These results were combined in a huge timeline on the cafeteria wall.