Todd Stanley in his book, Project-Based Learning for Gifted Students: A Handbook for the 21st Century Classroom, provides us with the tools necessary to transform our classrooms. The teacher, instead of functioning as the purveyor of knowledge, becomes the coach, guiding the students towards mastery. The students determine specifically how and when learning occurs. They choose the kind of project and the project timeline. They create a rubric to evaluate the project and complete a contract, specifying the exact state standards to be learned. Thus the students become responsible and accountable for the education they receive. This book could easily be adapted and used by all classroom teachers.
Because Mr. Stanley recognizes that project-based learning may differ from how we usually "do school," he carefully describes each component of the process. He provides examples of calendars used to discuss backwards building with those gifted students who have difficulty with time management.