Select Page

TEACHTHOUGHT

PROJECT BASED LEARNING

GROW 23 PBL CONFERENCE

June 26-28, 2023, Louisville, KY

 

 

Our 4th Annual PBL Grow Event Returns!

June 26-28, downtown Louisville, KY!

Join educators from around the world to grow your teaching craft in an intimate and unique setting!

We’re excited to resume our PBL Grow event which has been on hiatus due to Covid! Just as with prior years, PBL Grow 23 will be centered around our popular Foundations of Project Based Learning Workshop and held at the amazing Lynn Family Soccer Stadium (Fifth Third Club Room), home of Racing Louisville FC and Louisville City FC Soccer teams!

We’ve been excited and honored by the growth of this open-registration professional learning event that has drawn pre-k to post-secondary educators from right here in Kentucky and across the US to places as far as Cambodia, Guatemala, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea!

Looking for a more intimate and affordable alternative to big summer PBL conferences? Join us for this 2.5 day workshop to recharge, grow, and create in the heart of bourbon country! Grow your teaching craft through project-based learning! You’ll leave with a project for implementation in your setting.

Read: What To Expect From A TeachThought PD PBL Workshop

*this event is limited to 40 seats, lunch is included, no refunds within 30 days of event. $50 discount per person for groups of 5+. Please choose “offline payment” if paying by invoice and purchase order

Late Registration ends in:

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

*please note, this event will include a minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of 40. We will notify registrants when we reach our minimum number of registrations and we recommend waiting to purchase any non-refundable travel accommodations until receiving that notification. All registration fees will be fully refunded in the event we do not reach that minimum number. 

Schedule

PBL Day 1 – June 26

8:30-3:30

Focus: Project Design & Planning

You’ll start the day diving into the foundations of PBL and effective project design. Make meaning of the TeachThought PBL Design Levers like “Rich Inquiry” as you explore the critical pedagogical relationship between your Driving Question and the Need to Knows that align with your content and skills. Begin your project ideation and development before getting some peer feedback to help you refine your thinking.

PBL Day 2 – June 27

8:30-3:30

Focus: Project Scaffolding & Assessment

Today you’ll collaborate with your peers to explore and deepen your understanding of “Meaningful Assessment” in PBL. Grading? Presentations? Products? Rubrics? Yes to that and more! As you start to scaffold and sequence your project you’ll get coaching and feedback to help ensure students are learning through the project. Before the day ends you’ll get more peer feedback as you refine your project towards “Craftsmanship“.

PBL Day 3 – June 28

8:30-1:00

Focus: Project Implementation & Management

As you head into the homestretch of project development you’ll refine your project design with practical activities examining PBL management issues like student grouping, accountability for individuals/teams, and tools to help keep your project flowing and growing the “Aligned Thinking and Learning” you’re after. Finish your morning work with a tuning protocol to help you give and get peer feedback deepening your understanding of PBL.

Drew Perkins | Facilitator

Drew Perkins | Facilitator

Director, TeachThought PD

As TeachThought’s Director of Professional Development and co-host of the TeachThought Podcast Drew helps design and deliver workshops and learning both on-site and virtually as well as coordinating PD work with our array of skilled facilitators. A graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Political Science in three years, he was decidedly against the idea of being a teacher. With a mother and grandmother both educators, a stint as a substitute teacher lured him back to earn a teaching certificate in secondary social studies. Thus began a journey that includes 15 years in the classroom and leadership in Michigan, California, Texas and most recently Kentucky and spanned middle and high school, Special Education to Advanced Placement and basketball and golf coaching.

Formerly with the Buck Institute for Education (now PBL Works) and the Collaborative for Teaching and Learning he has designed and contributed to several PBL models, including the TeachThought PBL Model. Drew continues to deliver professional development and speak internationally. He has been light-heartedly referred to as a professional thought stretcher due to his emphasis on leading through inquiry and questioning.

Micki Ray | Keynote Speaker

Micki Ray | Keynote Speaker

Chief Academic Officer, Kentucky Department of Education

Micki Ray began her role as the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) chief academic officer in the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) in September 2021. In this role, she serves as a leader for policy development and provides support to schools and districts with an emphasis on highly effective teaching and learning.

​Ray, a native of Anderson County, has been at KDE for five years, previously serving as a literacy consultant for program standards and as a policy advisor for OTL. She was most recently director of the Division of Program Standards. Ray has an additional 15 years of service in Kentucky public education working as a high school English teacher and also served as an adjunct English professor at Hocking College in Ohio.

Ray earned her master’s degree in education from the University of Kentucky and graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown College with a bachelor’s degree in English, with minors in history and sociology.

The connections I made with other like-minded teachers from various parts of the world will create powerful learning experiences for our students. We can't wait to see what global PBL collaboration might look like!

-Rachel Kinsey, MS teacher

Great experience; I expected to find roadblocks in the development of PBL products within Mathematics. I now understand the use of PBL.

-Nello Thomas, Math Department Chair

I had an amazing time.

-Samantha Rankin, Vice-Principal

You need to go to this training. It is a transformational experience.

-Eric Terrell, MS math teacher

If you are ready to change students' lives come to this conference.

-Deana Ellis, lower school technology and science teacher

It was a great event that is empowering to teachers.

-Kara Owens, elementary teacher

I would encourage others to go if there is a #Grow18.

-Grace Nafziger, HS science teacher

If we are going to do what is best for students and have their learning be authentic, this training is essential!

-Dylan Wince, social studies teacher

Go, go, go!

-Stephanie Hansen, HS history teacher

Had the opportunity to start interdisciplinary planning because PBL starts to open your eyes to cross curriculum work that you don't realize exist until you are seeing all the ideas on the table!

-Jeff Bracken, high school social studies teacher

I had already developed a good mindset, but this event will help me make it happen in our school. PBL is about learning and growing and connecting with the world, and that is what I want for our students.

-Elizabeth Butler Hinkebein, librarian

This was the best professional development opportunity I have had in years. I left feeling inspired, encouraged, and challenged and I truly believe having a greater understanding of PBL has changed the way I will teach.

-Sarah Harris, 3rd grade teacher

From the greeting committee the first day throughout the workshop, everyone was focused on sharing ideas and developing a deeper understanding of PBL.

-Dirk Fogg, Associate Professor,  College of Arts & Sciences

I really enjoyed this workshop as a 3rd year teacher because it opened my horizon on new things to do in the classroom. John also demonstrated most of the things he talked about which made it even better to remember.

-Ebonie Thomas, middle school teacher

I have already reached out to our district coordinator and requested more workshops from TeachThought PD.

-Elizabeth MacQuigg, middle school teacher

You will leave this workshop overflowing with ideas, technologies, and strategies that you can implement in your classroom on Monday morning!

-Thomas, HS teacher

Thank you for changing the way I teach!

-Jana McCarthy, elementary teacher

Thank you so much for giving us (the teachers) the tools to make real education happen! Finally!

-Amy Guier, middle school english teacher

This is a must-attend workshop. It really changed my perspective on what exactly I should be teaching through my content.

-Philip Ellis, high school science teacher

We were constantly engaged in group activities and discussion/dialogue. Excellent trainer with a lot of knowledge and understanding about PBL, it took me out of my comfort zone!

-Shafaq Imran, teacher

Thank you very much. I have a new "light" on how to get my students to think on their own and at a deeper level.

-Morgan Payton, middle school ELA teacher

The content is excellent and the presenter was highly effective.

-Jim Whitaker, high school social studies teacher

This is effective and worthwhile professional development.

-Emilie Clemmens, math teacher and curriculum coordinator

I enjoyed the workshop. I am able to use what I learned in my classroom!

-Tonya Jones, elementary teacher

Well designed learning presentations and activities...wonderful enriching learning activity.

-Marlene Burek, Manager of Special Education

Fantastic job facilitating a super helpful workshop. I hope to have an opportunity to attend a TeachThought PD again soon!

-Leann Turner, agriculture sciences teacher

Excellent training, built confidence in teachers to further become facilitators of student learning!

-Ron Lockhart, high school math teacher

I found this to be more informative and useful than any other PD I've participated in.

-Deborah Shirley, Elementary Teacher

Get in touch:
502 373-0040
grow@teachthought.com

TeachThought Professional Development will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Please let us know all the ways you would like to hear from us:
You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at grow@teachthought.com. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Copyright © 2023 TeachThought PD

Join our community!

Join our email list and you'll receive updates about events and more as we grow.

You have Successfully Subscribed!