What does a theater director and the coordinator of a wall-to-wall PBL program have in common?

They are both experts in facilitating several projects at once.

Whether that's script writing and set design in preparation for a major performance, or student-designed health apps and meal plans in response to the obesity crisis in their community.

In this short interview, Kim Flintoff, coordinator of TIDES (Technology, Innovation, Design, Enterprise, Sustainability), a year 7-10 micro-PBL program, shares with us how to:

Use a few simple frameworks to help generate and facilitate multiple student project ideas
Partner with and frame project-based experiences around REAL issues in the community
Use a repeatable process to help students self-assess project work and become self-directed learners
Build 'future ready skills' and still cover our curriculum
Build momentum for learner-centered PBL across the whole school

Connect with Kim: LinkedIn (@kimflintoff), Twitter (@kimbowa), Facebook (@kimfutures)

Kim's Website: http://www.stem4innovation.org/

TIDES Program Overview

Kim's Bio:

Kim has traversed many roles in forty-odd years since he left school. Studying in a range of disciplines across the arts and sciences, and working in many areas including theatre, circus and media before settling into education where his combined experience seemed to find a home. Formerly an internationally recognised high school Drama teacher and teacher educator, then inaugural Learning Futures Advisor at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, in 2021 Kim returned to a role in school leadership (TIDES Coordinator) and his work continues to engage him in global advisory and consultation roles in all education sectors. As well as establishing and coordinating the Learning Futures Network, Innovative Schools Consortium and shared development of STEM4Innovation, Kim is also a founding member of the ShapingEDU community and continues as Lifelong Change Maker, advisory board member to Consortium of Schools Networking Driving K-12 Innovation initiative, FutureWe, NetEDU, OneHE and other projects around the world. Kim's ongoing research interest is considering the impact of educational collaborative networks on school innovation and transformation.

Accelerating Learner-Centered Environments with a micro-PBL program with Kim Flintoff

The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning