I expected a lot from this book. Linda Darling-Hammond has a stellar reputation in my circles, so I expected this title to be amazing. It wasn't.

The title was a rather pedestrian affair filled with lots of hackneyed phrases and trite observations. The book covers project-based learning in general with little in terms of practical advise. The book then covers project-based approaches to literacy, math, and science. There's a lot of ed-school jargon and tons of analyses of "the literature". I had hopes this book would help me better understand project-based learning. I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. ( )

There are hundreds of books giving sample units of instruction for teachers to mimic or try in their own classrooms. This one is a big cut above the competition. Why? The George Lucas Educational Foundation or GLEF, is dedicated to finding the best instructional strategies in a technology-rich world with their website, newsletters, and books. This one is a jewel. It is a collection of articles about the role of technology in teaching and learning and a collection of excellent examples from actual classrooms the help us view excellence in action. The appendices are worth the price of the book since they list the various recommended strategies, describe them, and list the foundational sources supporting that strategy. There are two ways to approach this book for use in professional learning community discussions: by strategy or sample unit. In five minutes, the discussion leader can present either with the example of a particular chapter, then question: What is there about this strategy that makes it likely to succeed? How would we adapt this strategy for the learners in our school? Within ten to fifteen minutes, such a conversation would lead to a volunteer to try and then showcase the strategy to the rest of the school. This is one of the most important books of the year.