High School Principal and PBL Expert Dr. Daniel Ching Shares What He Knows About Project-Based Learning

PBL expert Dr. Daniel Ching is the principal at Minarets High School

Dr. Ching began his teaching career at Lemoore High School in 2009, after working as a firefighter for the Crane Valley Hotshots while he was in college at Cal State Fresno.

In 2010, he became a U.S. History and a World History teacher at Minarets. There he also taught Native American studies and coordinated the Veterans Day History Project.

In 2013, he became an Apple Distinguished Educator, and the following year he became the principal at Minarets. He was awarded the CVCUE Site leader of the year award in 2019.

Dr. Ching earned his Doctorate of Education from Brandman University in 2016.

Over the years, Dr. Ching has not only traveled nationwide presenting seminars on innovation in education he has also authored several books, including A PBL Revolution: Join the Movement to Transform Education One School at a Time Through Project-Based Learning (published in August of 2020).

In this episode of Titan Talk, Dr. Ching answers the questions appearing below (all related to project-based learning)

1. How do you define the term PBL?
2. Can you give an example of a Physics PBL?
3. Can you give an example of an English Lit PBL?
4. Is a mock trial a form of PBL?
5. Is a mock congressional hearing a form of PBL?
6. Is a knock-off TED-Ed Lesson or knock-off Crash Course video a form of PBL?
7. How do you respond to those who say that not all 'projects' should be considered PBL?
8. How do you respond to AP teachers who say that PBL dumbs down the curriculum and therefore fails to properly prepare AP students for the annual AP Exam?
9. How do you respond to those who say that PBL is great for social studies and English classes but not so great for math and science classes?
10. Do you agree with our principal that one of the best things teachers can do in the online era is to put one or more PBLs before their students?
11. What do you think is the ideal ratio of directed teaching to project-based learning? 60-40? 70-30? 80-20?
    12.. Can you tell us about your book, A PBL Revolution: Join the Movement to Transform Education One School at a Time Through Project-Based Learning?
12. What do you say to teachers who want to learn more about PBL?
13. Is there anything you want to say in closing?

Titan Talk is hosted by SMHS social studies teachers Peter Paccone and Andrew Gayl. Peter can be reached at ppaccone@smusd.us and Andrew can be reached at agayl@smusd.us.

San Marino High School is a top-rated public high school located in San Marino, California, just twenty minutes northeast of downtown Los Angeles, a few miles southeast from the Pasadena Rose Bowl, and just up the road from the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

This "Home of the Titans" serves grades 9-12, with the SMHS website to be viewed at https://www.sanmarinohs.org.

This Titan Talk was produced using Free Conference Call to record, Audacity to edit, Auphonics to level, and Libsyn to publish.