Taking time to fully and collectively understand the “why” not only builds ownership and increases the chance for a meaningful and sustainable solution, but it sustains us through the hard work of change.

Do we need personalized, project, problem, maker, STEM, STEAM, technology, challenge, college ready learning? Maybe yes, maybe no, perhaps sometimes, perhaps a little bit of all these . . . The only way we can find out is to take time to understand our goals, our learners, our community. CBL provides a process for this work.

Just because words rhyme and create a catchy phrase does not make them correct. Before they become the basis for decision making and practice they need to be thoroughly unpacked and discussed.

Reflection is a key piece of the CBL framework because it allows the learner to think deeply about the process and become aware of how they make decisions and learn.

CBL facilitates connections — deeper relationships that evolve between classmates and myself as co-collaborator on the learning journey. It is these connections that help kids see that they matter, that help them care.

CBL provides a framework to deal with the challenges that we find and the ones that “find” us. The more we are versed in the framework, have visualized successfully using the process and prepared for the bumps in the road the more successful we will be.

If we persist in an adult controlled calendar driven march towards preconceived solutions, we will continue to suffer the significant opportunity costs of lost ideas, students, and teachers.

The value of teaching/learning using the Challenge Based Learning framework is it gives us the tools to do the hard work of thinking through big challenges, and only through hard work will we identify sustainable solutions.

CBL provides a framework to deal with the challenges that we find and the ones that “find” us. The more we are versed in the framework, have visualized successfully using the process and prepared for the bumps in the road the more successful we will be in finding meaningful and lasting solutions.