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.

lesson plan 2

what are you guys doing??

lesson plan 2

I think I might do a survey to see what type of food most people like between mexican, italian, american, and chinese then create the graph to show what one is liked most

Lesson Plan 2

Just wondering what topic you guys were doing for your second lesson plan, I want to make sure that I am not doing the same one.

lesson plan 2

What are you guys doing your lesson plan on?

Reading Reflection 6

Technology can be used to explain a child’s knowledge by playing on their strengths.  Technology can be used to help create project management tools like list, rubrics, and templates.  Like we use our blogs in this project based learning, we use them to communicate with each other to make sure we are on track.  Students can use blogs to keep track of their progress and follow their progress.  Some other online recourses, ProfilerPro, SurveyMoney and Zoomerang, can also be used to help communicate with other group members or help reflect on their own thoughts.  These websites are used to make surveys where students can evaluate and reflect on their progress, time management and learning progress.

Motivation is so important for keeping students interested and preparing their minds; especially on these longer project bases learning lessons.  A great way to do so is by activating students’ prior knowledge and having the students build off of what they know so they can ask more questions.  A great tool for teachers and students it the Know-Want to learn (questions)-Learned chart, K-W-L for short. 

The first fundamental step of teaching is to think about knowledge and skills students need in so they can function independently or with others throughout a project.  Students can create these questions and written them, along with their current knowledge on a K-W-L chart; a table students apply their current knowledge to create questions that students use to gain more knowledge.  This is a great was for students to take charge of their independence.  Students need to first know what they are doing, and the purpose of each lesson.  To help students activate this prior knowledge pre-assessments which helps “set the stages” for independent exploration and sharing of the finds. 

Demonstrating what you want or need students to do is a key step for students to explain their knowledge especially when using new technology.  Students need time to explore and understand the new technology given to them.  If you, as a teacher, do not have the proper knowledge on the technology needed for a project, going or collaborating with a staff member or specialist who does is better to increase the students learning opportunity.  Since two minds are better than one, working with more than one teacher can bring new ideas to the table.

Connecting what students already know what they are interested in can be intertwined with all subjects included in their project, these are ways to get a deeper level of thinking for students.  Giving students chances to brainstorm will push students to go deeper into their understanding of the project.

This chapter has provided methods that help to develop students’ drive for understanding and knowledge of a project, based upon what they already know.  These tools also prep students for further independent work with the use of technology, planning and reflective tools, that promote independence and self-monitoring.  I want to find other ways we, as a class with my future students, can utilize blogs and other monitoring tools to help gain a more independent, self-sustaining  work environment.  

Reading Reflection #6

Technology tools can encourage students to be reflective and evaluate their own strengths in many various ways. First of all, rubrics and checklists in general can offer an opportunity for students to build awareness of the skills and attitudes of their accomplished outcome of the project. Tools that are specifically used include blogs, which offer students space to reflect over time about the learning that takes place throughout their project. Also, ProfilerPro allows students to identify learning characteristics of not only themselves but also among other members of a group. It is an online survey tool where strengths, weaknesses, and interests can be identifies to guide learning. With this, students can also reassess their profile over time and see how their "badge" develops as they gain new skills and information. SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang are two additional online surveys that students can benefit from. The results can aid students in tracking trends to help them see how their assessment compares to other members of the group.

There are numerous ways in which students' minds can be prepared for a new project. The first and most important way is through activating their prior knowledge. A KWL chart is a great way to see what students already know and want to know, while getting them excited about the project. It is important for the teacher to express the passion that should go into this project and give students time to settle in their imaginations. They should be invited to open their eyes to the possibilities that can come from a project they will be working on. At the start of a project, it is important to keep in mind that it's all about possibilities because all learning is yet to come. Teachers and students should be optimistic when starting a project and explore a variety of ideas for the project.

When the book talks about teaching fundamentals first, it means to think about the skills and knowledge that students need in order to work independent and with a group throughout the project. Students first need a basic understanding of what it is they will be investigating. Once they have background knowledge on the subject, they can then investigate details within the subject and further plan their investigation. By teaching the fundamentals first, students can be headed in the right direction as the project starts. Two crucial components of teaching the fundamentals first include setting the stage for independent inquiry and sharing the assessment rubric. This will help students to become aware of what they already know and what they will need to know. Also, it will help them imagine where their learning can go through the involvement in the project.

There are also important steps to take when preparing students for working with technology within the project. In some cases, this means preparing students in advance to the start of the project so that they will be more familiar when it comes time to use it for investigation purposes. The first step is to set up a technology playground. This means giving students the opportunity to teach each other about certain tools to see where help is needed, such as a brief demonstration or more in depth lesson. Secondly, teachers should tap student expertise, where some students act as trainers to help demonstrate certain tools. Before the project is actually started, the tools should be discussed to talk about their purpose as well as the expectations for its use. The third step is to introduce project-management tools, such as a project log or journal. These tools offer a way for students to help keep track of their progress by giving them a checklist or having them write about their own progress. Another important component is to demonstrate the tools. If the teacher is not familiar with a certain tool, he/she should consult a technology specialist.

To promote inquiry and deep learning within a project, certain outcomes should be understood by all students. All subjects should be thought of before the actual project takes place. The students should explore for a week or so before getting started on the project. It should always be kept in mind to explore students own interests and not just the concepts the teacher decides to investigate. The project can take many directions and the teacher should allow it to so that students can learn many concepts together at once. Asking questions is a great way to gets students to think more about an idea or concept as well as to deeper their understanding.

These ideas in this chapter related to the project that my group is working on because they talked about exploring the different subjects that could be incorporated before the project actually gets going. This is exactly what my group did with the use of the bubbl concept map. We went through every subject and thought of lessons and concepts that would fall within each subject. This was a great way to keep our thoughts organized and make sure that a wide variety of learning takes place during our project. Also, the chapter talked a lot about rubrics and after working with them in class, I can see how they can be used. I now understand that they can benefit both the teacher and student, by acting as a checklist as the project takes place. Students could even make their own rubrics to determine what learning outcomes should be gained at the end of the project.