Chapter 1 summary

I think what needs to be kept in mind as we, future teachers, explore Project Based Learning is an innovative way to evolve the classroom experience for both teachers and students.  For teachers to be guides and students be their own kind of teachers.  Since students are now growing up with this fast paced world of technology, students use and view technology as a virtual playground where they can “talk” to friends, blog about their lives, or just kill time playing games, looking at whatever they want, or watching videos.  I do not think students often utilize technology as a learning tool.  By introducing PBLs (Project Based Learning), students will intergrade what they enjoy and know about technology with the material they are being taught in a way that they have some control of their own learning and being their own teacher but at the same time hopefully making a memorable experience that they will remember.

There are several overall benefits of the PBL approach; one of the being that learning is being pulled away from the textbook, which, students do not connect.  Using PBLs is also not a way for teachers to get out of interacting with students or be less responsible for their learning, it is a way to hold kids accountable for their learning in a way that, hopefully, students will enjoy.  Students using real world projects, build real world experience, at that point in an education students began to realize that what they are learning is actually important and they will use it in the real world.  Using real world projects will help students work as partners, groups, and individually. 

When introducing the idea or practice of Project Based Learning, it has to be made clear that this would not be time to slack off fro both the students and the teachers.  It will be a lot of work until you get the hang of the PBL but the results out way everything.  Also with the PBL, students have the opportunity to focus more on the in information content than the grade because there can be multiple opportunities for students to fix or turn in finished projects for grades. 

New Technology High is a new school that supports the new idea of New Technology Model where the PBL models are utilized.  This new school has a total school population of only 400 students, 100 in each year.  Students have the ability to access anything they work on from school, home, or anywhere.   With the smaller class sizes, teachers can work more closely with students and with other school staff to expand the bridges for learning.