West Michigan PBL Network
The West Michigan PBL Network is a group of educators, representing Allegan, Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa Areas, who want to bring industry and relevance into our classrooms. By using Design Thinking and Project Based Learning, we hope to give our students opportunities to solve real challenges and fine-tune their 21st Century Skills. Along with this, our goal is to continue to work together to make each educator better and to help more students become ready for their next steps.
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With over 100 industry and community partners from around West Michigan we are able to bring relevance to the classrooms for our students. Through in class projects, after school programs, summer programs, and individualized experiences, our partners work with educators to help students fine-tune their 21st century skills and prepare them for what is next for them. Check out these posters highlighting some of the partnerships:
West Michigan PBL Summit
This one-day event on September 24, 2024 was designed to re-ignite a collaborative Project-Based, Problem-Based, and Place-Based Learning (3P) network across the region.
Project-based learning can seem daunting at first. How do you tie it to the standards and still keep it authentic? What do you do when one student seems to do all of the work? How do you support students who need additional scaffolding?
As educators, we can be proactive in designing projects by incorporating structures and protocols to facilitate student self-direction. By integrating design thinking as a creative framework, students become more empowered in the PBL process. PBL is the student-centered instructional model. Design thinking is the authentic creative thinking model all around the world. Combine these and you have an authentic, student-centered PBL experience.
John Spencer, former middle school teacher and current full-time professor, was the keynote speaker and facilitator of the Summit. He delved into the power of PBL by Design and incorporated themes of student voice and choice and PBL for all students. Spencer is the author of multiple books including Launch: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student, Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning, and Vintage Innovation: Leveraging Retro Tools and Classic Ideas to Design Deeper Learning Experiences.
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Annie Ratke, Andrew Ratke, and Adam Zuniga attended the Summit and shared their partnership at Grand Haven Area Public Schools.
Ashley Meyer attended the Summit and shared mutliple partnerships at Hamilton Community Schools.
Beth Bolhuis, Amanda Tejchma, Andrew Ratke, and Caleb Berko attended the Summit and shared their partnership at Grand Haven Area Public Schools.
Erin Bastic, Lesley Emmons, MIchael Gilpin, Wendy Porter, and Eric Kelliher attended the Summit and shared their partnership at Byron Center Public Schools.
Sarah Lema attended the Summit and shared how Oakwood Intermediate in Allendale Public Schools has competed in the statewide Michigan Design Prize.
The futurePREP'd program at Ottawa Area ISD works to train, partner, and connect educators with community and industry organizations around student design challenges.
Jonathan Bushen and Eric Kellher attended the Summit and shared multiple partnerships that have taken place in the Design Thinking Class at Wyoming High School.
This event was hosted by the MiSTEM Network's Greater West Michigan Region, along with a team of staff from Ottawa Area ISD futurePREP'd, Muskegon Area ISD 3P Learning, Kent ISD STEM, Grand Rapids Public Museum, and GVSU Groundswell Stewardship Initiative.