Project Based Learning (PBL)

Waipahu Elementary School uses the teaching method of Project Based Learning, or PBL, to help our students learn better. Students at WES will complete 2 projects a year.  A project motivates students to gain knowledge, and they remember it longer. Projects give students the chance to apply the skills they learn in school to personally relevant and real-world situations. Our students also learn skills in PBL, such as how to think critically, solve problems, work in teams, and make presentations. These skills will help students succeed in the future, both in school and in today’s work world.  At the end of the project students will share their work publicly.  Students are assessed individually in the project, based on the knowledge they gain and the skills they demonstrate.   

What is PBL?

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. 

In Project Based Learning, teachers make learning come alive for students.

Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience. -From PBL Works:  https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl