STEM-Oriented Problem-Based Learning

How shifting to problem-based learning can make an impact on student engagement.

Topics: Curriculum and Instruction, Innovation

Most school leaders will be familiar with PBL. But for principal Amy McElroy PBL means Problem-Based—not Project-Based—Learning. We discuss what the differences are and what it means for her school, and how this approach impacts her student’s engagement and overall success.

Amie McElroy is elementary school director at STEM School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

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