Authentic learning...REAL learning...the kind that lasts, the kind that sticks...only comes when a child is completely engaged in the learning process.
Can this type of learning happen with a worksheet or a flashcard? You bet. But, it happens more easily and most often with a hands-on approach to learning. It happens when all five senses are put to work; when the child can see the relevance in the presented material. It happens when the black and white facts of a page are applied to real life.
It's easy to see that a project-based learning approach to education swings the learning door wide open. And with the help of many online resources designed to encourage hands-on learning by providing challenging projects and knowledgable mentors, the opportunities for authentic learning are limitless!
(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for full details.)
DIY.org
Designed to be an online skills camp complete with badges and a community of fellow campers, DIY.org is a fantastic site for curious kids. There are hundreds of project challenges in dozens of skill areas. A child can explore his/her passion at great depth OR dapple in many new areas of interest to learn new skills.
Digital badges can be earned in the following areas:
- Acting
- Animating
- App development
- Backyard farming
- Botany
- Cartography
- Circuit making
- Coding
- Fashion design
- Film making
- Geology
- Homebuilding
- Landscaping
- Rocketeering
- Tracking
- Web designing
- AND SO MUCH MORE!!!
Schoolhouse Teachers
Offered by the folks at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Schoolhouse Teachers offers online classes in core subjects with a more traditional approach of learning as well as electives that are more project-oriented.
Flourish Mixed Media Workshops
The budding artist will bloom with these seasonal art workshops by Alisha Gratehouse of Flourish. These 2 or 4-week eCourses are offered via a password-protected site and can be accessed to fit your schedule.
Instructables.com
This online showcase of hundreds of project ideas is home to a community of DIYers who enjoy sharing the instructions to their latest projects. While some are experts in their fields, most are just life-long learners trying, failing, and succeeding...and sharing the results. Please be aware that while this is a very helpful site, it is not necessarily designed specifically for kids and should be used at parent's discretion.
Built by Kids
The title of this site is a bit misleading as it sounds like it is a site specifically for kids to navigate on their own. It is actually a DIY blog for parents that is packed with kid-friendly projects for families to do together.
Craftsy
With over 900 video-oriented classes, Craftsy is the premier, online resource for learning the basics of a new handwork skill or taking the next steps of improvement or mastery in a previously-learned craft.
Current class offerings include basic and mastery levels in the following:
- embroidery
- quilting
- sewing
- cake decorating
- food and cooking
- crocheting
- knitting
- spinning
- weaving
- drawing
- painting
- photography
- gardening
- woodworking
- jewelry making
- paper crafting
Follow The Unlikely's board Project-Based Learning on Pinterest.
For more resources for the homeschool mom, be sure to visit iHomeschool Network.
Thanks for these resources!!
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