Developing Leaders: Expanding Young Minds for Tomorrow .. TODAY !!!
Every journey has a beginning….
The leaders that sculpt our community started out just like everyone else: students, learners being groomed as tomorrow’s leaders.
Students today face a world where a far broader and deeper set of skills are essential for success than ever before. Schools that have the learner’s best interest at heart adapt new kinds of tools to teach a wider set of topics, and even more to impart the competencies, perspectives, and practices that, alongside academic and technical knowledge, are more and more essential to compete in a global arena.
The Mentor Group’s – Project-Based Learning (TMG–PBL) Our
Another benefit of our project based learning is its affect on students’ interpersonal skills. Because projects are often large and complex, students are grouped together to work, which fosters communication skills and encourages even students with diverse and possibly conflicting personalities to find a common ground, or at the very least a way to work together without constant tension.
Part of this teamwork building helps introduce students to the specialization and delegation that are extremely prominent in the real world. Some students will naturally be more adept at some problem-solving methods than others, so students will figure out how to allocate resources (themselves) optimally by having part of the group work on one subset of tasks while another part works on another subset.
Overall, TMG project based learning encourages students to develop a balanced, diverse approach to solving real-world problems, both on their own and in a team. Our Project based learning prepares students for success in the real world like no other teaching style can.
PBL Helps Students Develop Skills for Living in a Knowledge-Based, Highly Technological Society
Solving highly complex problems requires that students have both fundamental skills (reading, writing, and math) and 21st century skills (teamwork, problem solving, research gathering, time management, information synthesizing, utilizing high tech tools).
TMG-PBL is not just a way of learning; it’s a way of working together. If students learn to take responsibility for their own learning, they will form the basis for the way they will work with others in their adult lives. The old-school model of passively learning facts and reciting them out of context is no longer sufficient to prepare students to survive in today’s world.
With this combination of skills, students become directors and managers of their learning process, guided and mentored by a skilled teacher.
These 21st century skills include
- personal and social responsibility
- planning, critical thinking, reasoning, and creativity
- strong communication skills, both for interpersonal and presentation needs
- cross-cultural understanding
- visualizing and decision making
- knowing how and when to use technology and choosing the most appropriate tool for the task
How does The Mentor Group International fit in?
The core of our business is to nurture and develop, organized, disciplined and focused leaders of tomorrow through our wealth of experienced expert coachs and consultants and we do so in a practical, interactive, activity-based project development model.
TMG fits bright but underutilized high school students with an appropriate learning environment to develop career skills building on their individual strengths.
The Mentor Group International (TMG) promotes problem solving and project management, as well, in a setting tailored to the learning style of their students.
These interactive workshops teach more than just a methodology; they build students problem solving skills, confidence and ultimately teach them a skill, providing them a path for greater success in their current student’s role and also preparing them for their future role as stalwarts of our society.
Our interdisciplinary, project-based learning philosophy in which students learn using real-world problems and challenges provides context and meaning, but also the opportunity to work in groups to develop “emotional intelligence.”
How would the students benefit from this workshop?
Students involved would be learning real life skill sets, such as the benefit of work ethics, teamwork, decision-making, conflict management, leadership service, and effective communication along with the realization that achieving goals beyond their own expectation is possible.
To help students develop a positive mind framework of finding logical reasoning to face problems and hurdles and find solutions through a focused and systematic approach is what will be imparted in this workshop.
Here, creative and young minds build confidence by setting goals and working as a team to compete in and environment that promotes healthy competition. While competition is definitely in the nature of the group, personal growth, discipline and organizing skills to be developed is the heart of TMG’s mission.
Many regions and school districts have active, ongoing discussions about improving education among a wide range of stakeholders (parents, teachers, employers, students, etc.), and some have already initiated this kind of transformation.
Ex: Vistec, Chulalongkorn University, Asian Institute of Technology etc
Workshop Modules: DEVELOPING A WINNING MINDSET [2 days PBL Workshop]
- Projects are based on authentic, real-world problems and questions that students care about.
- Completed Project outcomes are tied to curriculum and learning goals, driving challenges that lead students to the central concepts or principles of the topic or subject area.
- Student investigations and research involve inquiry, problem-solving, and knowledge building.
- Students are made responsible for designing and managing much of their own learning.
- How can students get more organized?
- How can students complete their assignments on time?
- How can students determine all that needs to be done?
- How many people will students need to help them complete a task?
- How can students be sure to get a “A” grades?
- To develop awareness regarding the peculiarities of the project manager’s role in a project-based company
Key Skill-Sets Developed in:
| • Organizing skills | • Discipline and Focus |
| • Effective Communications | • Decision Making |
| • Understanding Teamwork | • Time Management |
| • Priority Management | • Conflict Resolution |
| • Adaptability (Situational Based) | • Goal Orientation |
| • Commitment (Task Completion) | • Leadership skills |
| • Effective Resource Management | • Developing a WINNERS mindset |
The benefits of our TMG-Project Based Learning apply as much to the “4C’s” –
- Critical thinking,
- Collaborating,
- Communicating and
- Creative problem solving – as to the technical mastery, life and career skills, and core subjects that are also part of state standards “21st Century Learning Framework.”
Perhaps most importantly, project management is a universal business skill that is practiced in all industries and a skill set that is in high demand by organizations.
Our kingdom’s schools need to produce graduates in ever-growing numbers who are college, career, and citizenship-ready. Students must possess both content knowledge and the 21st Century Learning and dispositions demanded by their future employers today.
The Project based training courses are particularly innovative because they are not limited to lectures like most school and university courses. Instead, they aim to leverage natural learning situations which are typical for a young student, most of it being activity based adaptive learning methodologies that ensure an imprint of the methodology in the young minds for years to follow.
Students will learn how these key knowledge areas would help them produce better assignments PBL ( Project Based Learning) has proved to be an excellent approach to help students to build the learning and innovation, digital literacy, and career and life skills that are increasingly recognized as essential to work and life today.
Research in recent years across several academic subjects has shown that PBL is a highly effective method to help students learn content, process, presentation, and problem-solving skills.
What are the benefits to the school through this initiative?
The list of benefits both tangible and intangible are numerous, some of them are:
- To assist in advertising Project Based Learning Initiative in the kingdom
- To be able to develop disciplined students with a higher EQ level.
- Happy and relaxed teaching staff managing better disciplined students.
- Increased school rankings across the kingdom as grades get higher.
- A win-win revenue share model*.
* To be discussed during the scheduled meeting.
These are some of the benefits that the school could profit from this initiative. Please contact us NOW to discuss the various options we have for this Learning Experience.
Testimonials:
Some of the feedback received from the students are mentioned below:
“Being like part of a company was interesting because we were in charge of a project activity and everybody had to work for a common goal. An important event like this motivates people to work hard and not disappoint the group members… Things like the Gantt chart, WBS or Concept Note were something new for some of us, but at the end we realized that were useful things to work with.” a student participant
The project helped significantly to improve leadership and teamwork skills.
“This project helped me to improve my team-work abilities…it was even more interesting because almost every team member was from different country which sometimes brings some difficulties, but also brings new ideas and solutions which may not occur in teams from the same country or background.” a student participant
“I learned from my mistakes and I will do my best so as not to make them again in the future. It was a great accomplishment for me as a person. Now I know that it is possible to work on leadership skills through practice and new experiences. And I know that if I made it ones, I can do it again. Leaders are not born. They are made.” a student participant
CONTACT :
Pattita Chetaruk ( MAY ) our School Program Coordinator on 080 245 4561
( For English and Thai )
Research Summary: PBL and 21st Century Competencies
Project Based Learning has been shown to yield a number of benefits for students, ranging from deeper learning of academic content to stronger motivation to learn. Looking specifically at how PBL supports 21st century learning goals, we can find several promising areas, including:
Academic achievement:
Goals for 21st century learning emphasize mastery of significant academic content, which also is the foundation of any well-designed project. Comparisons of learning outcomes in PBL versus more traditional, textbook-and-lecture driven instruction show that:
Students learning through PBL retain content longer and have a deeper understanding of what they are learning.
(Penuel & Means, 2000; Stepien, Gallagher & Workman, 1993)
In specific content areas, PBL has been shown to be more effective than traditional methods for teaching math, economics, language, science, and other disciplines.
(Beckett & Miller, 2006; Boaler, 2002; Finkelstein et al., 2010; Greier et al., 2008; Mergendoller, Maxwell, & Bellisimo, 2006)
On high-stakes tests, PBL students perform as well or better than traditionally taught students.(Parker et al., 2011)
21st century competencies:
PBL helps students master the key competencies identified as essential for college and career readiness. Research has shown:
Students demonstrate better problem-solving skills in PBL than in more traditional classes and are able to apply what they learn to real-life situations.
(Finkelstein et al., 2010)
When teachers are trained in PBL methods, they devote more class time to teaching 21st century skills; their students perform at least as well on standardized tests as students engaged in traditional instruction.
(Hixson, Ravitz, & Whisman, 2012)
PBL students also show improved critical thinking.
(Beckett & Miller, 2006; Horan, Lavaroni, & Beldon, 1996; Mergendoller, Maxwell, & Bellisimo, 2006; Tretten & Zachariou, 1995)
Through PBL experiences, students improve their ability to work collaboratively and resolve conflicts.
(Beckett & Miller; ChanLin, 2008)
Opportunities for collaborative learning provide benefits to students across grade levels, academic subjects, and achievement levels.
(Johnson & Johnson, 2009; Slavin, 1996)
Equity:
PBL shows promise as a strategy for closing the achievement gap by engaging lower- achieving students.
(Boaler, 2002; Penuel & Means, 2000)
PBL can work in different types of schools, serving diverse learners. (Hixson, Ravitz, & Whisman, 2012)
PBL also can provide an effective model for whole-school reform.
(National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform, 2004; Newmann & Wehlage, 1995; Ravitz, 2008)
Motivation:
In PBL classrooms, students demonstrate improved attitudes toward learning. They exhibit more engagement, are more self-reliant, and have better attendance than in more traditional settings.
(Thomas, 2000; Walker & Leary, 2009)
Teacher satisfaction:
Teachers may need time and professional development to become familiar with PBL methods, but those who make this shift in classroom practice report increased job satisfaction.
(Hixson, Ravitz, & Whisman, 2012; Strobel & van Barneveld, 2009)
