'BETTER LEARNERS, BETTER WORKERS' AND PROJECT-BASED LEARNING!

Project-based Learning lies at the heart of the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' approach we have been developing in Sheffield and are now piloting in Barnsley and Rotherham and hopefully Doncaster from September. It provides us with the opportunity to connect with the real world and young people's interests and passions and to bring learning alive for  those who find engaging with the classroom tough.

The Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' scheme is an employer led approach that develops the key skills, attributes and character traits young people need to thrive and succeed at school, at work and in life in general. It also has projects and challenges at it's heart and uses Adria Steinberg's 6 A's which provide a helpful checklist for planning the projects and challenges:

Which  should be authentic and:

• Use a real world context 
• Emanate from a problem that has meaning to students 
• Result in a product or performance that has personal and/or social value 

Which should be academically rigorous and:

• Address key learning standards 
• Pose essential question(s) of relevance to the student 
• Span multiple disciplines and subject areas 
• Develop habits of mind and work associated with academic and professional disciplines 

Which should involve applied learning and:

• Engage students in solving semi-structured problems 
• Call for competencies expected in high-performance organisations and the world of work
• Require students to develop organisational and self-management skills. 

Which should be active and :

• Extend beyond the classroom 
• Connect to field-based investigations, community explorations, and work internships 
• Require real investigations using a variety of methods, media, and sources.  

Which should have expert support and:

• Connect students with adult mentors and coaches from the wider community 
• Expose students to adults with relevant expertise 
• Engage adults in the design and assessment of student projects 

Which should involve assessment and evaluation and:

• Provide milestones/checkpoints 
• Involve lots of reflection for students and teachers 
• Result in exhibitions and performances 
• Be grounded in personal, school, and real-world standards of performance."

If you want to find out more about the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' scheme you can visit our website at www.misambassadors.org.uk.