Why PBL? Why STEM? Why now? an Introduction to STEM Project-Based Learning

STEM Project-Based Learning (PBL) requires a professional teaching force empowered with the skills necessary for designing learning experiences that maximize student potential. Therefore, effective STEM PBL requires teachers to experience high quality professional development to learn how to design high quality experiential learning activities. Not all professional development activities are created equal (Desimone, Porter, Garet, Yoon, & Birman, 2002; Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, & Yoon, 2001) and not all enactments meet the expectations of high quality professional development (Capraro, Capraro, & Oner, 2011; Capraro, & Avery, 2011; Han, Yalvac, Capraro, & Capraro, 2012).