Technology is an effective facilitator of this approach when it is integrated into the curriculum. Project-based learning has four components: explore, create, communicate, and reflect. This article notes ways in which Microsoft® Office 2000 can be an integral part of a project-centered classroom.

Explore

In developing their projects, students use software applications to facilitate many aspects of the learning process. To this end, Office 2000 provides improvements in ease-of-use and the Help system.

When students encounter a question regarding a software feature, the Microsoft Office Assistant, part of the Help system, guides them toward finding the answer on their own. Context-sensitive tips and wizards help students complete specific tasks, providing solutions directly within the applications they are using. Students can also query the Help system by asking natural-language questions. By enabling students to answer questions independently, Office 2000 fosters the development of important problem-solving skills.

The explosion of Internet access in schools and homes has opened the research and inquiry process to a seemingly infinite number of resources. The gift of worldwide access to experts and research data challenges us and our students to become keen and responsible researchers. Office 2000 helps students organize and manage their research.

To document their work, students use the Notes feature of Outlook® 2000 messaging and collaboration client, keeping track of and organizing the information they gather. If students are gathering and responding to information from a peer in another country, they may find it practical to correspond in the international student's native language. The Language AutoDetect feature in Office 2000 automatically recognizes the language that the students are using and provides language-specific spelling and grammar correction tools. With this resource at their fingertips, students can confidently explore the diversity of other cultures.

Create

For younger students, the intricacies of creating and formatting documents can present a daunting challenge. Imagine how much easier it would be if your students could begin a writing project by simply entering text where they would like it to appear. Envision a drop-down menu that displays not just a list of font names but the way the fonts appear in the document. Using Word 2000's Click N Type feature, students can double-click any location on the page to begin typing there, eliminating the need for tabs and carriage returns. To select a new font, students display the drop-down fonts menu on the toolbar and preview the fonts before choosing one. Office 2000 enables students to give free rein to their imaginations in laying out ideas on the printed page while still focusing on the organization and content of their work.

An important part of project-based learning is the construction and assimilation of knowledge. In creating a document, students incorporate several pieces of data gathered during the exploration phase. To assemble the data, they can use the Collect and Paste feature, gathering information from multiple sources simultaneously, then organizing that information in a meaningful order. Because the document can be easily revised and updated, according to a peer review cycle or as new information is discovered, technology can encourage students to revisit their work and reach for the excellence that satisfies them.

Communicate

PowerPoint® 2000 presentation graphics program offers students a dynamic medium with flexible editing tools in which to create their presentation. Students can use the Tri-Pane view in PowerPoint 2000 to view multiple representations of a single concept. If they want to reposition a slide in a presentation and add a table for clarity, students can drag and drop the slide to its new location in the outline section of the view and update its content by drawing the table directly over the slide, visually creating rows and columns. Once the creation process is complete, students can broadcast the presentation to other students in the school as well as to the World Wide Web. Whatever the venue, the sense of publishing to a real audience provides an valuable incentive for students to take pride in and ensure the quality of their work.

Reflect

Clearly, technology can be infused into project-based learning events in transparent ways. The point is to create a classroom environment full of enthusiasm for discovery and learning and provide the tools to carry out the learning. And, note that Donald Graves reminds us in one of his stories about teaching and learning (How to Catch a Shark, 1998), "We were hanging around with a learner, the best kind of teacher."