Reading Reflection #9

There are a variety of ways to understand and gain a sense of students prior knowledge before starting a project in the classroom. One of the most effective ways, in my opinion, is a KWL chart. A KWL chart gives students the opportunity to tell the teacher what they already know, what they want to know, and after the project is all complete, what they have learned. By collecting a KWL chart from each student, the teacher is able to determine the level of prior knowledge that the class has on a certain topic. Of course, not all students will be "starting" in the same place. It is important for the teacher to take into consideration all prior knowledge (and the lack of) of all students before starting to plan the project. This will ensure that all students have the chance to learn and succeed within the classroom during the project.

During project-based learning, it is crucial to make sure that anchors are established. This means that the teacher knows exactly where the students are starting from and also how far they need to go to meet certain learning goals. If there is no starting point to a project, it is impossible for a teacher to look back to see how far students have come in their project. Being able to measure the distance that each students travels during a project is an extremely important part of the project that the teacher must ensure to do effectively.

There are several ways to assess what students have learned from a project. One of the most common ways to do so is to create a rubric, like we did for our two lesson plans. This serves not only as a checklist for students and teachers, but also holds the students accountable for each part of the project. Allowing students to give feedback, either through an online source or within class, is also a good way to see how they feel about certain issues within the topic. It gives them a chance to give their opinions and also a place to disagree with anything that may have happened. Another unique way to assess what students gained from a project is to interview them. This gives them a chance to reflect on the project and be honest in their responses. When teachers do interview students, they tend to find that they gained and learned a lot more from the project than the teacher had originally thought. Another way that the book talked about that I thought was really cool and different way to make a book of everything they students learned. The book would be created by the students themselves and they would all work together to have a part in it. The book would have pictures and descriptions of things they learned along the way of the project. This would be a great way to show teacher what the students have been up to in school and also use it to model for classes in the future.

This chapter related to my project because it got me thinking about how I would assess my own students within the Kitchen in the Classroom project. I really like the idea of creating a book, and with our specific topic of cooking, the students could even make a cook book. They could include photographs of all the dishes they made throughout the year, as well as recipes and cooking tips. This would definitely give them a chance to display everything they learned. In the back of the book, the students could even display pictures of dishes that didn't come out as they hoped they would (if there are any). They could go on to explain why they think it didn't work out how they wanted it to and if they have or would try to create it again. This would be a great way to get all the students to work together even after the project is complete.

Reading Reflection 6

Technology can be used in a lot of ways to encourage students to be reflective and evaluate their own strengths. Using a classroom blog is a perfect example. Students can organize their work, give feedback, and respond to feedback from others. Before and after projects students should complete self evaluations. Self evaluations help students think about their capabilities and how they feel about their own learning.

There are many ways to get students minds ready for a project. First you want to tap into students prior knowledge. You want to give the idea of the project time to settle in the students imaginations. Encourage students to explore and think about the topic and to discuss it with friends. Using discrepant events and role-playing are two other ways to get students wheels turning.

It is very important to teach the fundamentals first. Before beginning a project tap into your students prior knowledge and think about the prerequisite knowledge or skills they will need in order to accomplish their goals.

Students must be prepared for the technology that will be incorporated into the project; this is how the project will get done. Sometimes this will require advanced planning and other times the students will learn on their own or with other students. Some effective ways to do this are to let the students just play with the technology or tap into an expert for advice. Teachers will have to comfortable with the technology as well because demonstration of the tools is also effective.

To promote inquiry and deeper learning students should be guided as they choose questions, plan investigations, and begin to put their plan into action. Projects should be complex and engaging.

The concepts in this chapter are very closely related to our project. Kids are going to be introduced to technology and we want to keep our kids interested in the project and promote deeper learning.

reading reflection 8

Ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom is through technology, especially through medians, 21^st century tools, where ideas and works are shared to some many people all over the world.  Tools and applications such as Skype, blogs, wikis, and podcasts allow peoples’ voices and opinions to be heard.  When students know and understand what they are doing will be heard and recognized in some way, it is a great motivator for students when they are presented with a real audience.  And when they reach out to this really audience some will reach back; experts, other students, and interested members of the community.  21^st century technology, blogs, Skype, etc., are excellent ways for get in tough with the experts when working on projects. 

The EAST Initiative Model, Environmental and Spatial Technology, is a group that focuses on the use of technology to help solve real life problems in the classroom.  The EAST is a four part system; holding students responsible for their learning, or student-driven learning; authentic project-based learning where students work to solve real-world problems in and outside their communities; technology as a tool, appropriate technology used by professional counterparts to use in solving real-world problems; and collaboration, when working on these authentic problems students should learn to work in groups instead of on an individual basis so the flow of ideas of more open. 

When students take charge of their own learning and “lead” their projects, students become more motivated and encourage themselves and others to do the best possible job and prove themselves to the world.  When students pick their topic of interest it sparks a desire to learn as much as they can about it, it helps create a passion for learning that hopefully they care on through life.  Through PBL’s students must change the way they think, they must learn to wear many different hats: investigator, scientist, reporter, and teacher. 

This chapter talks a lot about ways to connect and communicate with experts and using the tools that they use, we are doing very similar things in this class.  We have used Skype to talk to and expert and we learn how to utilize these tools in our future classes.  One of our first group activities was to set up a lesson where we used Skype to connect with students from another country.  We are learning to use these communication tools to build and explain our knowledge on PBL’s.  

Reading Reflection #8

When it comes to project based learning in a classroom, there are various ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom. Most 21st century tools allow people to share ideas and work among a diverse audience. When students know that people will be listening to what they have to say, they will become more motivated to work for a purpose. By students being able to connect with a real audience, they even have the opportunity to reach out to experts to help with research for a particular topic. By reaching out to people outside of the classroom, communication can be increased. This will ultimately help students with their communication skills throughout the project. Skype is a great tool to use to reach people who may live far away, as well as blogs. Blogs let people communicate back and forth no matter where someone may be in the world.

The EAST Initiative Model (Environmental and Spatial Technologies) is a network of schools that focus on using technology to solve real life problems. They use authentic tools to help improve their community and also work for a real purpose. It began in Arkansas in 1996 and now includes more than 260 schools throughout seven different states. The EAST model is focused around four main ideas: 1) Student-driven learning (students being responsible for their own learning), 2) Authentic project-based learning (students being engaged in solving real world problems), 3) Technology as tools (students having access to technologies that professionals use), and 4) Collaboration (students working in teams to pursue authentic projects). Teachers who implement this model in their own classroom first need training and support. They must learn to lead students when it comes to technology as well as support their interests.

Throughout a project, it is important to remember to let the students lead. The more they are interested in a topic, the more they will be engaged. This is why they should base their research and projects on what they are really passionate about. By allowing students to work on projects that go beyond the classroom, they can continue working on them throughout their life. Through project based learning, students learn to think like detectives, scientists, and journalists. They can take the skills that they learn and apply them to the community around them.

This chapter relates to my project because the first part of the chapter discussed branching out and building connections, which reminded me of our e-pals. Using Skype would be a great way to communicate with the e-pals that our students would work with, especially if the students were to actually pick a place like Italy, which is all the way around the world. Technology would allow our students to build a connection with another classroom and with tools such as Skype, they can even see the students and classroom through a live feed. Blogs are also a great way to communicate with other students by posting questions and comments as well as photographs and videos.

reading reflection 7

            An important part of project based learning is communication or discussion; discussion can take place face-to-face, over the phone, letters, email, blogs, and websites.  Discussion that occurs in project based learning, in project based learning discussion is broken down into three levels, the first being teacher to teacher.  Teacher to teacher discussion is discussion or collaboration on the growth development, planning, or creation of a project.  Discussion between colleagues doesn’t have to take place face-to-face, within a district, I can take place anywhere around the world via blogs or wiki’s where teachers can keep each other up-to-date and share ideas.  The next level is student-to-student, student collaboration with each other to helps the spread of ideas and help on their projects.  Students to student discussion also help build teamwork skills.  The third level of discussion is the most common in the standard classroom but takes place the least during project based learning.  Student to teacher discussion is minimal due to the increase in technology blogs and wiki’s are used more in place of lectures. 

            The term “checking in” on students during a project is not always taken well by the students but it is very important as teacher.  Checking in is a way for teachers to make sure students projects are on track, on schedule, all materials are readily available and students have an understanding of the materials at hand.  Checking in is to make sure that, as a teacher, you are giving and making the right information and materials available and it there is a problem or the goals for the project are not heading in the right direction, it’s a time where adjustments can be made.  Online surveys are a  great ways for students to also make sure their goals for the project are being met.

            By optimizing the use of technology, students are optimizing their learning potential for their project based learning.  Using blogs and other websites, students are able to spread and find ideas outside of their own class, in the community or around the world.  Also, blogs and websites are constant and can be accessed at anytime so students can work at their own pace.

            When given a project based learning assignment, students should be told there are certain expectations, like any assignment, these expectations need to be met.  A 21^st century skill that expect is troubleshooting.  This is problems within groups and students attitude towards this project.  To help manage the troubles within a group, students must be given tips and tools to help the group deal with any problems themselves.

            This chapter greatly relates to our own projects.  In regards to discussion and communication, we, as students, use out blogs as a way of communication.  We communicate with our members of our groups more than we do our instructor.  The blogs help us keep track of what needs to be done and that we are on schedule, the blogs are also a way for our instructor to check in on our progress. 

            

Reading Reflection #7

An important part of Project Based Learning is to promote discussion by posing questions. The discussions that occur in the classroom can be broken down into three levels throughout the project. The first level is teacher to teacher discussion. By talking with other teachers, more ideas can be thought of for the project and any problems in previous lessons can be modified. Teachers can even use the Internet to communicate with one another if they don't have the time to meet face-to-face that often. Tools such as wiki's and blogs help to stay up to date with other teachers about the project. The next level of classroom discussion is student to student. As students engage in their projects, they should be talking with one another about the project in different ways. By talking with other students, their communication skills will also improve, which is crucial in teamwork. The communication will also promote learning by challenging each other and asking questions. The last level is teacher to student communication. This, of course, is the most common type in most classrooms. In project based learning, however, it is really used the least. Websites or blogs can replace the lectures by posting deadlines and announcements for the students.

During a project, students will be going in many different directions. It is important for the teacher to keep track of where they are headed and check in on their progress. By asking questions to the students, the teacher can determine if he/she needs to offer any suggestions or make adjustments. There are four kinds of checking-in questions that center around the information that is being asked about. The first one, procedural, involves questions that ask about staying on schedule, materials, and times. These questions also help to track progress and remind students of deadlines. The second type of questions relates to teamwork. Questions that could be asked would be, How are team members getting along? Is one student carrying too much of the load for the whole team? and Are students able to manage conflict themselves, or do they need my help? The third type of questioning is about understanding. This involves listening to students, asking probing questions, and observing teams. The last type is self-assessment. These questions will help the teacher to find out what the students are thinking about the project. It will also allow for the opportunity of reflection and feedback.

When optimizing the use of technology, students will benefit in various ways. By relying more on the Internet to gain information (such as through blogs or wiki's), students can learn at their own pace. Some students find that the teacher goes to fast or is too boring; by putting up information where students can access it at any time, they can better understand the material. It also allows students to connect and collaborate with the outside community and even experts. People who may be far away can still be communicated with through tools such as Skype and email. Students can also stay on track better through organization devices and online deadlines, where they can access it at any time.

When it comes to project based learning, there are certain 21st century skills that can either make or break a project. The first one is troubleshooting, which distinguishes effective project managers. Teachers should explain to students that since they are doing a real world project, they should expect real world challenges. When a student comes to a setback, they should learn from it to see what they need to change or work on in order to correct it. Teamwork is another 21st century skill that is crucial in a project based learning classroom. Throughout the project, teams will encounter problems, so it is important for the teacher to make sure to pay close attention so he/she can assist them when needed. Students are most likely going to disagree about ideas at one point throughout the project, so they need to know that opinions and new ideas are valued rather than put down.

This chapter relates to my project because I think it's really important to ask good questions to get the students engaged. This is a crucial component to keep in mind when actually doing a project, and could definitely be used in ours. By asking questions, students can think more deeply about a concept and become more interested. Also, by students asking each other questions it will promote a trusting environment. I would have students post questions on a blog, for our project, so that they don't need to worry about students not agreeing with their idea.