Reading Reflection #4

When designing a project, certain factors can diminish the amount of learning that takes place. These pitfalls are as followed: The first one refers to the length of the project and the relationship to the outcome. If the lesson is too long and the outcome is not essential for the students, the lesson is probably not worth the time and effort. It is important to focus on the outcome of the lesson instead of the actual activities that will take place. If students can learn just as much from a project as they could from a book, chances are the project isn't that good. A second pitfall that can occur when creating projects is that technology is used in a non-effective way. It is pretty simple to just through in any technology into a project and say that it promotes better understanding, but the truth is if there is not thought of the outcome behind it, it probably won't promote understanding. However, if technology happens to help students learn more and think for themselves, then it is helpful to incorporate it into the project. A third pitfall has to do with thematic units. Just because a teacher exposes students to different areas of a topic doesn't mean they really understand the concepts within the topic better. The experiences and research needs to be collaborative, interdisciplinary, and rigorous. The last pitfall that the book mentions deals with having a project that is too scripted. Most of the times, with good lessons at least, students will direct themselves in a direction that was never expected by the teacher. In turn, this leads to a better understanding since they were thinking for themselves and creating and answering questions that they may have thought of as the project occurred. If the lesson is too detailed and scripted, students' learning is limited and the outcome is similar in all students.

Of course, within a good project, there are components that can be highlighted that other projects lack. These key features are ones that teachers should keep in mind when creating a project of their own. The best projects usually include the following: they are loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths and are generative, which causes students to construct meaning. They center on a driving question or are structured for inquiry, and capture student interest through complex and compelling real-life experiences. Since they are realistic, they also cross multiple disciplines and reach beyond school to involve others. They also are structured so students learn with and from each other, while working as inquiring experts. Of course, they also get at 21st century skills and literacies, such as communication, project management, and technology use. Most importantly, good projects have students learn by doing.

The first step of creating a project is thinking of what project you actually want to do. One might ask, where can I get ideas about a new project? Well, according to the book, they can develop anywhere. Some examples of different directions to take with getting started include giving the opportunity to students to teach others what they have learned, and project plans developed by and for other teachers. Looking at news stories and contemporary issues are also good ideas to gain inspiration for a project. A sure way to make sure students are interested in the project is to ask them what their interests are and have them ask questions about them. Finally, a teacher could even use a classroom irritant to put to education use. No matter how you get ideas for your projects, they should always be centered on students' learning and understanding.

When designing a project, it may get a bit confusing when deciding where to start. By sticking to a framework of steps to take, a successful out can be reached. The first thing that should be done is making a list of learning outcomes for core subjects and allied disciplines. Next, decide on the specific 21st century skills you want to address. This includes thinking about skills that fit in with the NETS-S. The third step is to identify learning dispositions you want to foster (such as persistence and reflection). The next key component is establishing evidence of understanding by imagining what students would know or be able to do once they have learned. Next, plan the theme or challenge of the project. Think about what students would inquire about, do, or create. Lastly, plan entry into the project experience. This means thinking of how you might get students attention and build excitement for the learning ahead.

This chapter relates to my project in a lot of ways. First and foremost, it outlines how someone should go about creating a project. This helps our group out so that we know where to start, where we will be headed, and what we hope to achieve as an outcome. This chapter also highlighted the good and bad parts that can come up in projects. These factors will be kept in mind during our project so that we can include features of the best projects. By reading the pitfalls that can occur, we have a heads up on problems that could occur that we may not have thought of otherwise.