Bringing the World into Your Classroom through Project-Based Learning
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES 2026 • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
From authentic global challenges
to meaningful student action
Tatiana Popa | Deputy Academic Director
Heritage International School, Moldova
Our learning journey
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
08
Connect
10
PBL essentials
12
Our story
12
PBL Detective
20
Design sprint
12
PBL Gallery walk
Outcome: leave with a draft PBL experience ready to adapt to your classroom.
ACTIVITY 1 · PAIR AND SHARE
A classroom without borders
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
REFLECTION PROMPT
Think of a learning experience that helped your students see the world differently. What made it memorable?
• 1 minute — Think silently
• 3 minutes — Share with a partner
• 2 minutes — Hear voices from the room
THE PEDAGOGICAL LENS
PBL is more than a final product
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
PROJECT AFTER LEARNING
Students learn about a topic and create a poster to summarise what they know.
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
Students investigate a real problem, gather evidence, choose a response, receive feedback and present it to an authentic audience.
Which design creates more opportunities for inquiry, agency and revision?
A PRACTICAL DESIGN FRAMEWORK
Six elements of meaningful PBL
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
01
Authentic challenge
02
Sustained inquiry
03
04
Collaboration
05
Reflection & revision
06
THINK · PAIR · SHARE
Mini-activity: upgrade the task
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
STARTING TASK
Students research gender equality and make a poster.
DESIGN CHALLENGE
Add an authentic problem, student decisions, evidence, feedback and a real audience.
Share one change that would transform the task into stronger PBL.
HERITAGE CASE STUDY
The Goals Project: one world, 17 goals
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
18–30 MIN
A GLOBAL COLLABORATION
Classrooms of different ages connect through the Sustainable Development Goals. Students explore issues, investigate evidence, exchange perspectives and share outcomes.
OUR PROJECT SEQUENCE
Six weeks of purposeful learning
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
18–30 MIN
W1
Explore the SDGs
W2
Meet the class goal
W3
Design for impact
W4
Tell the story with data
W5
Share the solution
W6
Celebrate learning
GRADES 9–10 | FACILITATOR CASE STUDY
Our focus: SDG 5 — Gender Equality
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
18–30 MIN
STUDENT LEARNING
Research global inequalities; challenge stereotypes;
discuss different perspectives; propose changes in school and society; communicate to an authentic audience.
GRADES 9–10 | FACILITATOR CASE STUDY
Our focus: SDG 5 — Gender Equality
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
18–30 MIN
STUDENT LEARNING
Research global inequalities; challenge stereotypes;
discuss different perspectives; propose changes in school and society; communicate to an authentic audience.
AUTHENTIC CLASSROOM ARTEFACTS
Student work: inquiry becomes action
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
AFGHAN GIRLS EDUCATION | BRITISH COUNCIL RESOURCE
Letters that crossed borders
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
FROM READING TO RESPONSE
Students engaged with letters written by Afghan girls about access to education and wrote their own responses. Student letters and photographs were presented at the UK House of Commons in March 2025.
AN UNEXPECTED CONTINUATION
When the world entered our classroom
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
A LIVE CONVERSATION
Months later, students spoke directly with Afghan girls, including some of the original letter writers. They asked questions, listened and built understanding across borders.
This was facilitated by the British Council team.
ACTIVITY 2 · EVIDENCE-BASED ANALYSIS
PBL Detective: your mission
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
• Form groups of four.
• Examine the project timeline, student products, letters and videoconference.
• Identify evidence for each PBL element.
• Separate what you can observe from what you would still need to ask.
• Choose one idea to adopt and one to adapt.
GROUP WORKSHEET | USE WITH CASE-STUDY SLIDES
Worksheet 1 · PBL Detective
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
PBL ELEMENT
EVIDENCE IN THE CASE
WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU ASK?
Authentic challenge
Inquiry & evidence
Student voice & choice
Collaboration
Feedback & revision
Public audience
ACTIVITY 3 · PBL DESIGN SPRINT
From a global goal to a local challenge
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
1.
Choose a goal + local issue
2.
Write a driving question
3.
Plan inquiry + agency
4.
Choose audience + product + assessment
5.
Prepare a one-minute pitch
EXAMPLES TO ADAPT
Driving questions that invite inquiry
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
SDG 4 | EDUCATION FOR ALL
How might we make reading more accessible to children in our community?
SDG 5 | GENDER EQUALITY
How might our school create more equal opportunities for everyone?
SDG 12 | RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION
How could we reduce food waste in our school?
SDG 13 | CLIMATE ACTION
How could we help families respond to local climate risks?
GROUP WORKSHEET | PART A
Worksheet 2 · Global PBL Design Canvas
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GLOBAL GOAL + LOCAL CONTEXT
SDG: _________________________________
LEARNERS + CURRICULUM
Age / subject / standards: ______________
DRIVING QUESTION
How might we ______________________________________________________________?
INQUIRY AND EVIDENCE
What will students investigate, collect, compare or test?
GROUP WORKSHEET | PART B
Worksheet 2 · Global PBL Design Canvas
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
STUDENT AGENCY
Where will learners make real choices?
PARTNERS + AUDIENCE
Who will students learn from or address?
PUBLIC PRODUCT / ACTION
What will students create or change?
ASSESSMENT + REVISION
What evidence, feedback and reflection?
Feasibility check: time • access • inclusion • safeguarding • resources
IMPLEMENTATION SAFEGUARDS
Design for inclusion and safe collaboration
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
• Provide accessible roles and different ways to contribute.
• Use age-appropriate sources and check accuracy.
• Protect student identity, consent and privacy in online exchanges.
• Avoid tokenism: invite perspectives without asking anyone to represent a whole country.
• Assess disciplinary learning as well as the final product.
ACTIVITY 4 · GALLERY WALK
The Global PBL Marketplace
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
ROUND 1 · 5 MINUTES
Half the team stays to explain the project.
Others visit nearby projects and give feedback.
ROUND 2 · 5 MINUTES
Swap roles. Gather new perspectives and practical improvement ideas.
Final 2 minutes: revise one element of your project.
PEER FEEDBACK | ONE SHEET PER PROJECT
Worksheet 3 · Gallery Walk Feedback
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
62–74 MIN
PROJECT TITLE
____________________________________________________________
A STRENGTH
One feature that makes the learning authentic or meaningful:
AN OPPORTUNITY
One way to increase student voice, inquiry or impact:
A PRACTICAL CONSIDERATION
One question about time, inclusion, assessment or safeguarding:
PRACTICAL TAKEAWAY | BEFORE YOU LAUNCH
Worksheet 4 · PBL Implementation Checklist
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
74–80 MIN
☐ The driving question connects curriculum with an authentic issue.
☐ Students will investigate evidence rather than only gather facts.
☐ Learners have meaningful choices and clear roles.
☐ There is a realistic audience beyond the teacher.
☐ I have planned formative checks, feedback and revision.
☐ Participation is inclusive; permissions and online safety are addressed.
☐ The project fits available time, resources and curriculum goals.
Knowledge → empathy → action
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
80 MIN
“The world is already part of our students’ lives.
Our responsibility is to help them understand it (by bringing it into the classroom daily) —
and believe they can contribute to changing it.”
The Goals Project: goalsproject.org | Heritage International School
Thank you!
PRACTICAL PEDAGOGIES • HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
80 MIN
Want to stay in touch?
www.tatianapopa.com