How two Biomed teachers use Trello to execute on Project Lead The Way

This is the first of many Showcases highlighting incredible Atlassian users in Education!

And Michael Burke and Josh Clemmer are setting the Showcase bar high. The pair of Biomed Science teachers at Bel Air High School are pioneers of the recent trend in project based learning, a style of teaching that allows students to develop real-world skills by investigating complex problems and challenges. Michael and Josh are incorporate project based learning into their curriculums through Project Lead the Way (PLTW), which is the nation's largest science, education, tech, and math project based learning organization. (And to sweeten the deal, they use Trello as part of their process)! 

Michael adds more color about the value PLTW brings to his Biomed curriculum, saying, “The entirety of their assessment is based on projects, so one of the key aspects of that is organizing your project, creating a timeline, responsibilities, and checklists. All the types of things you can use Trello for, which is why we enjoy using it so much.”

Example of a project based learning assignment flow

  1. Divide students up into groups of 3 or 4
  2. Have groups create a new Trello board including all group members
  3. Give groups instruction sheets for their projects
  4. Groups dissect instruction sheets, creating new Trello cards for each requirement/task they need to address to complete their project
  5. For each card, groups discuss and assign due dates so that they have a clear sense of timeline and sequence and so that they can meet their ultimate deadline.
  6. Once groups complete their projects, they leave peer review notes directly on other group's Trello boards, closing the feedback loop! 
  7. Hi-fives all around!

ProjectLeadTheWayBoard_Crop.jpg 

You can interact with this board in Trello - Click here!

 

Project based learning: Emergency room edition 

At the end of the day, Michael and Josh like that they can apply their PLTW system they build with Trello to so many things. 

Recently they used Trello for an emergency room triage lesson. Students were given 15 patients, each with case files on why they were admitted to the ER. Students had to decide who should see a doctor and who should wait.

Michael and Josh created a card for each patient and students would drag the cards to urgent or non-urgent lists. Students would then comment on the patient cards and debate their choices.

 Triage-Card-Crop-1.jpg

Are you using Trello in your school? Are you a fan of project based learning? We'd love to hear about it! 

6 comments

Jodi LeBlanc
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
May 21, 2019

How did I miss all these great posts of your Bridget!?

Like Bridget likes this
Adam Blunt August 23, 2019

Great use of Trello for teaching

Michael Rom September 5, 2019

Great post and using it for teaching to make learning fun is a bonus that will stick with them!

Devon Henderson
Rising Star
Rising Star
Rising Stars are recognized for providing high-quality answers to other users. Rising Stars receive a certificate of achievement and are on the path to becoming Community Leaders.
September 10, 2019

This is great! One of my best friends is a teacher in a school program that uses Project Lead the Way. I'm going to send this to her, I think she'll love it.

Michelle September 11, 2019

Love the idea about closing the feedback loop, 

naman johnson101 September 27, 2019

hey,

I am really happy to say it’s an interesting post to read . I learn new information from your article , you are doing a great job . Keep it up

regards

Comment

Log in or Sign up to comment
TAGS
AUG Leaders

Atlassian Community Events