Project Based Learning Resources


There is so much that can be said about project based learning. It provides a way for students to learn by doing and often a real world connection that makes learning relevant and interesting. The largest barriers to a successful project are inspiration, funding, and instructions about implementation.


I hope the following resources help to remove these barriers and help you implement some great projects that your students will love.


Getting Started with Project Based Learning
Work that Matters - The collected wisdom and best practices of project based learning.
Creating Beautiful Work - Such valuable insights. Learn from Ron Berger how students can create a culture of high standards and quality through peer feedback and refinement.


Inspiration for projects
BoingBoing - Eclectic collection of stories about culture. Updated often.
MythBusters - The infamous show that explores myths as well as the science behind them. Often useful to show when you are unable to recreate the situation.
Exploratorium - An incredible science museum in San Francisco which has an interactive website full of great demonstrations.
Hack-a-Day - Electronics projects and inventions. Useful and fun.
MagatopiaMagazine DirectoryOnline MagazinesOnline Newspapers - There are magazines about every topic imaginable. Many of them provide free online content.
Ted Talks - Speakers from around the world on a wide variety of topics speak about their passions. Very often you and your students will leave this videos crying and inspired.
Tinkering School - The obsession with "safety" is preventing children from learning fun and important skills. This camp provides 10 year olds with power tools and helps them to create incredible projects and opportunities for learning.
Wired - Stay up to date with the cutting edge information regarding Science, Medicine, Technology, and more.


Resources
Kickstarter - A novel new way of generating funding. You provide the information about the project and the amount you need. People from all over the world can make "micro" payments to help you raise hundreds or thousands of dollars. Lots of projects of all kinds have been funded and yours can too.
American Science and Surplus - A way to obtain scientific and various equipment at the cheapest possible price.


Instructions (browsing these are also a source of inspiration)
Craft MagazineMake Magazine - I highly encourage you to get the daily newsletter from either of these. 
Instructables - A community built repository of free instructions on everything from food to computers. I highly encourage you to read the comments as there is helpful feedback and ideas about how to improve. 
MIT Machine Shop Videos - Extremely helpful if would like to become more knowledgeable about the tools and practices you will find in a shop with expensive and potentially dangerous tools.