Benefits

Obstacles

Teacher efficacy to implement interdisciplinary, student-led, emergent curriculum

Impossible to plan out completely in advance--required flexibility as teachers followed lead of students

Brainstormed viable solutions to implement civic action related to garbology issues

Areas students idealistically as challenging, were issues easily solved

Students interested, attentive, & intrinsically motivated in memorable, self-directed work worth doing

Students idealistic solutions were not always easy to implement in the real-life community

Students engaged in critical thinking, problem-solving, & collaboration skills to help prepare them for 21st-century life, work, & democratic citizenship

PBL implemented by a team of teachers who had to manage extensive blocks of time to plan