We are heading into a third week on the second session of our Project Based Learning demonstration. This session on "What Does a 21st Century Classroom Look Like" has been ambitious. We need now to have the student teams established and give them the time to create. While I'm not sure they all understand how to manage time all that well, at some point we must turn over the keys to the car and let them drive.

This might be the biggest challenge of PBL- developing in the learners a sense of being in charge of their learning. A few may already have a terminal case of "show me what you want so I can graduate" disease. The traditional system is too ingrained and they are too cynical to change. However, on Friday, I sat with two teams that understood their role much better. Five Latino students and two country boys had the right idea. I wonder if the reason is that they have more responsibility in their personal lives giving them a strong sense of what power they have in their lives. I can imagine them working somewhere in the future, driving a project with energy and purpose.

The career readiness of this approach becomes clear as the learners grapple with the challenges of working with a team. Some still want to work by themselves, but the inevitability of the 21st Century workplace standards make collaboration all the more necessary to master. Here's to making this work!