Final Inspiration

Reflection - Chapter 10

Writing is such a personal and reflective task; students are given the opportunity to write about their views on specific subjects when journaling. As educators, it is our responsibility to facilitate a love of writing and teaching students how much they can learn from themselves. We all know school days are busy; therefore writing must be planned and precise. It’s easy to think we will implement reflection; but carving out the time and pre-planning the questions will ensure this important task doesn’t get left out.

By pre-planning the questions, you can promote elaborating and critical reflection skills. Questions should ask more than, “What did you learn?” Try asking students why this project is important to them, and why they care. Predicting is a valuable skill and fits in perfectly for journaling about projects. Children have wonderful imaginations and love to share; facilitate that joyful experience.

When students care about something, it shows through pride. Build that pride by incorporating your schools’ traditions and identity into your PBL projects. For example, our bird project will include a tour of our school ground; specifically the garden sanctuary. This sanctuary was built by students and staff and is an ever-growing entity of our school pride. The students reflected during a writing assignment about how important they feel; taking care of the garden is so fulfilling. This reflection sparked the idea that we must include a tour on the day of our event.

Reflection - Chapter 9

Before starting a new project, teachers should assess their students’ prior knowledge. The best way to find out what they know is to ask them! I successful model for doing this is using a K-W-L. Ask the students to write anything they know about the topic and what they predict or expect to learn during the project. Anchors are great way for a teacher to measure learning in a frequent, timely manner. The anchor begins with the prior knowledge; from there you gain insight what direction to take.

Anchors are a great idea and if teachers use them properly, they can be great, alternative assessment tools. The information you obtain from the K-W-L can help you establish the anchor points for each individual student; possibly aiding in assigning collaborative, small groups. Also, knowing that each student learns and progresses at different rates, anchor points ensure that you are providing differentiated assessment based on each students learning journey. Alternative assessments that are effective and fun include self-reflection writings, peer feedback, project creation, portfolios; assessments that offer more than circling True or False on a quiz.

My students will journal daily on their own during the birding project, as well as team reflections on their blog. I really appreciate the ‘want to know’ part of a K-W-L and plan to use that information to help establish anchor points for each student. I believe that involving students in the planning of their learning journey of our project will help with the entire process.

Reflection - Chapter 8

Technology can bring faraway lands right into your classroom! Students can visually experience different cultures and global concepts through podcasts, distance learning sessions, and blogs. Teachers can build virtual classrooms, offering a safe and structured learning environment with students from around the world, or even down the hallway. When you branch out of the classroom your students look forward to interacting with a world that previously was out of reach.

One particular model fantastically represents the ability of branching out in a classroom using technology; the EAST initiative Model. This program started in Arkansas in 1996 and has now spread across seven states and over 260 schools; including both secondary and post-secondary levels.  Academia has partnered with industry and both state and federal government agencies to bring real world into the schools. The four main components of the EAST model are:

·         Student-driven learning
·         PBL; students are engaged
·         Technology as tools, and
·         Collaborations
Teachers are trained in these techniques and offer support to one and another. This level of professional development has proven to be positive and results in teachers and students learning.

Think back to your favorite subjects in school; you always did the best in those situations! When students lead their projects their interests are sparked, and therefore they will feel more responsibility and pride in their work.

My project will involve many components of technology. One of the most exciting is talking to other 3^rd grade classes in various countries about birds in their region, and migration. We will discuss our findings with the other 3^rd grade classes in our school by creating a blog.

Reflection 11

As a result of project based learning the student will be able to take their knowledge and memories and be able to recall them in years to come. The students will be able to make connections and use what they have learned through this process for future projects. There are many ways that you can "bring your project home." Some of these include: capitalize on your own investment, critique your own work, share your insight, create a project library, publish your project, and enjoy the journey! These concepts relate to my project because the chapter discussed the end results to "bring our project home." We will be using these concepts and show others all the work we have accomplished with project based learning by creating our own website and sharing it with others.

Chapter 11

Students can benefit a lot from Project Based Learning. Students Results from PBL contain the fact that they will move on with knowledge and skills they will be able to keep with, and use their whole life. In comparison to studying for tests, and be assessed where the students are likely to forget the information PBL gives students the ability to manage time, projects, enable the skills to work with a team, and much more important aspects to education passing on to real world situations. To be able to “Bring your project home” it is key to take your investment and capitalize on it. It is also important to critique your work, share thoughts, and become a resource to others around you. Another important thing is to be able to look back at work and understand how certain plans made it successful. By doing this you are able to pick out pieces that worked. Picking out specific things such as technological tools and strategies can help you for when planning future projects. It is important to give insight to co working teachers for they will also learn from you. This chapter applies to your project of Birding because our main goal is to have the students develop and take the skills that they build to use later in life in the real world. It is important so that the students can hold on to ideas so that they can apply them to future projects they may be assigned at a later time.

Reflection - Chapter 11

The result of project-based learning projects is an amazing learning journey! These well thought out projects provide student and teachers experiences that will last a life time; true learning. By the time a project is completed, results include research using technology and community or global collaboration, a comprehensive understanding of the project content, and an appreciation for learning.

Chances are that when a project is finished, there will still be some lingering questions or even questions about new project topics. The first step to take in “bringing it home” is to reflect individually and as a group. Focus on how you feel now that the project is done, what worked or didn’t, and ask each student to write about something they look forward to researching after the completion of the project. Following this technique keeps the learning project alive in what your class does each day.

Our group project on birding will follow these guidelines. Our Event Day is going to be a huge deal! This final piece of our project will be such a learning event itself; requiring a great deal of reflection. I will be taking notes of how our Event unfolds but most importantly, the students will do their bst to predict what will happen that day. If we find something didn’t work the way we hoped, we may plan our next project around how to fix that kind of issue.

Reflection 10

The importance of setting aside time for reflection is an essential element in learning. Setting aside time for conscious reflection helps students reveal things they might not otherwise think about: what they learned ( and what they enjoyed about learning,) their growth as learners, and what/how they want to learn in projects ahead.

The reason students need to reflect and elaborate is so they can become more accomplished project-doers. You can ask them: What does this get you wondering about next? What do you want to learn now, and how do you want to go about it? We must ask our students where they want to go. We may find that their answer might yield a more ambitious project than we would imagine.

Many schools’ identities are tied to their traditions. Some schools are sport powerhouses, while in other communities the school symphony is a source of great pride. These schools share a sense of tradition and expectation of excellence.

Celebrating a project is very important because it gives students pride in their own work. Make sure any celebration includes the following:

·  An opportunity to look back one more time

·  Acknowledgment of how hard work and commitment contributed to the success of the project and culture of excellence at your school

·    Appreciation for those who helped

·    A display of the learning, including both student creations and presentations

·   A look inside the learners with opportunities for them to talk about their processes and growth

·  An opportunity to show case projects to colleagues, administrators, parents, and others in you larger learning community.

Concepts in this chapter relate to my topic because we are building tradition and identity in our project. We are asking our community to come together and participate in the celebration of learning in “All Things Birds, a Community Event.”

Chapter 9

 It is good to have students write brief summaries as to what there current knowledge on a topic is, this way the teacher get get an understanding to what they already know. The KWL  is also a useful tool, having students complet the KWL and read them aloud to the rest of the class or turn it into the teacher.

it is easy to get an understanding  where individual students are in the beggining of their projects and the work they need to put in to that project by establishing an anchor because In a PBL based classroom the opportunities to use different types of instruction in order to help every type of learner complete their project in a full manner.

A type of assessment that can be used is to conference with the students as to what they learned. an idea would also be to use video taping, interviews with each student so the teacher can look back on them and analyze each students differences. At the end of a project the teacher could have the students complete a separate activity so the could summarize what they learned while working through their projects. One way to evaluate the work of your students is to use a modeled real world assessment, to do this, the teacher would have the students apply the professional skills in a specific area.

This chapter was very useful to our project subject. since our subject is birding, it could be difficult in finding ways as to assess the students. The chapter was able to provide solid examples as to ways we could go about doing this.

Digital Story

http://youtu.be/bYKpz-9iE7U

Reflection 9

There are many methods of understanding prior-knowledge of students. Often not all students are on the same level. By understanding where your students stand you will be able to help and assess them on what they already know and what they have learned. Not all projects will be the same for every student. Establishing anchors for a project is very important. You can gain a sense of where your students are and how far they need to go. Measuring a students progress will help us find out how far that student is going or needs to work to meet the learning goals. There are several ways to assess what students have learned during a project. You can develop rubrics to assess the progress toward certain key learning goals. You can also do a formal evaluation of your students understand. By giving your students a test over the material you can clearing see if your students understood the material based on their scores. If the class scores good then you did it! However, if the scores are lower than you anticipated you know what you need to work on or have your students improve on. The concepts in this chapter relate to our project because we have to establish "anchors" for our students. We also need to create some kind of assessment so that we test and understand where are students stand,what they need to review,and what else we need to teach them so that they can gain a better understanding of the topic.

Reflection 8

Some ways to build connections and branch out are to use digital age projects. The students can consult with experts in the course of researching a particular topic. They can design a project so that they can communicate with fellow learners from other classrooms or even around the world. This way they can become proficient at working in a culturally diverse world. The EAST Initiative Model is a network of schools demonstrating the benefits of using technology for a real purpose. These projects solve problems and make improvements in their communities. These projects make use of geospatial technologies and multimedia tools that are more commonly found in professional laboratories or design studios. The EAST model is built on four essential ideas. 1. Student driven learning: students need to be responsible for their own learning. 2. Authentic project based learning: students should be engaged in solving real problems in their communities.3. Technology as tools: students need access to relevant technologies that professionals use to solve real problems. 4. Collaboration:When students collaborate in teams to pursue authentic projects, they accomplish more than any one person can do in isolation. As teachers become more comfortable with the project approach they can see that their students are capable of leading their own projects. This allows students to start thinking and generating ideas that they care about. Concepts in this chapter relate to my topic because our students will be reaching out beyond the classroom to other students around the world. Our students will build connections and use digital age projects too. This will allow our students to communicate with others any use the knowledge of what they know about technology.

Chapter 8

There are several ways to build to extend lessons beyond the classroom. Some of the ways to reach beyond the immediate classroom are to have a blog. having a blog allows a teacher to work, and share ideas with colleagues. Incorporating blogs also allows your student to be able to connect with people over vast distance so that they can experience live input and collaboration.The EAST initiative model focuses on student independent learning, project based learning, using technology as tools and collaboration with others. The model is used from lower elementary up to the higher level learning of highschool age. teachers have found that for the years this program has been implemented, it has shown a high success rate amongst educating students. A couple key points of the program is that is helps students become independent for when they head out into the real world situations.Teachers should let students lead their projects. A couple reasons that this would be effective is that it makes sure that the students understand the concepts to the point of being able to teach that subject to someone else, allows students to become comfortable with their projects, and also builds a students confidence when giving explanation.All of this summary is releveant to my project because all of the things talked about can be beneficial to use when having a class of my own. I especially find the EAST inititative model of upmost importance because it allows students to connect and become independent thinkers and to be able to take action in real world situations.

Chapter 7 Read and Reflect

The different levels of discussions within the classroom include teacher to teacher, student to teacher and student to student. Teacher to teacher includes collaboration among colleagues. It is highly important for teachers and staff to work together as a team so that the students benefit. Student  to teacher are paths of communication between the two Students need to be able to notify their instructor as to how they are coming along with their projects, what parts they are having trouble with, and what their strengths are. Also student to student includes the collaboration of work to better understand one another. For checking in, several questions can be formulated based on students during a project. Procedural; which points to making sure the due dates and check points are being completed in the time allotted. Teamwork questions help to ensure students are getting along, working well with each other, along with making progress on their project. This can be done is by having students take confidential online surveys of one another. Having students grasp a better understanding of based questions encourages students to push themselves to maximum potential. Self-assessment questions can be recorded in a personal daily journal that students make look back on throughout their project.There are many 21^stcentury skills that can make or break a project. Troubleshooting allows students to get an understanding that real-world projects come from real-world challenges. Team work skills along with dynamics can affect a project greatly both ways.Teachers should provide help to students if they sense a problem arising, also evaluation of peers can be highly effective when using a rubric. Our project uses 21^st Skills in several ways. Students will be utilizing many forms of technology, along with much group discussion getting peers to play a big part within the collaborative portion, sharing ideas, thoughts, and plans with one another.

Chapter 7 - Reflection

Walk by a classroom and you will hear lots of laughter and chatter! This chatter you hear is learning and this dialogue can be explained in three tiers; teacher to teacher, student to student, and teacher to student. Teacher to teacher describes the planning and collaboration between teachers. Student to student occurs between collaborate groups and across groups. Finally, there is the teacher to student dialogue.

Teachers need to remember that there are always chances to check learning; this cannot be overused! We want the students to be independent learners, so questions should promote self-reflection.  However, the best questions are one that the students and teachers both learn from!

Just as questions need to be thoughtful, the use of technology in the classroom should be meaningful as well. Make sure the technology helps students reach learning goals and stay organized. Technology should expand the students’ learning. Many of the 21^st Century Skills we have discussed can really make a difference in how successful your project turns out. For example team collaboration is such a valuable, real world tool for students. As a teacher, anticipate problem areas, but facilitation is a better approach as opposed to avoidance; your students will learn to work cooperatively in school and in life.

My project utilizes 21^st Skills in many ways. Students will be first introduced to many different forms of technology. Also, they will be involved in many student to student discussions during their collaborative group work.

reflection 7

Classroom discussions take place on several levels during project implementation. They include three levels, teacher to teacher, student to student, and teacher to student. In the middle of a project student teams are likely to be going in many directions/speeds. Based on the type of information you want to ask the following questions: Are we staying on schedule? How are teams members getting along? Do we have the right materials available? When’s the best time to schedule a field trip? Consideration of the following questions may help you maximize the potential of technology during a project: Is technology helping students reach learning goals, or is it leading them on side trips? Is technology helping students stay organized? Are students able to use technology to expand their horizon by connecting outside experts or a broader community? The 21st century skills that can make or break a project are very important. Helping students understand that real world projects come with real world challenges. As teachers we need to help them learn from setbacks and fine tune their strategies for getting a project. The concepts in this chapter relate to my project/topic because we have to consider questions that will help us maximize our potential of the technology part of the project.

Reflection - Chapter 6

Reflection – Chapter 6

 

Projects offer fantastic opportunities for students to learn to be reflective on their learning. Projects present mastery in a variety of forms; consider the difference of a multiple choice test and a blog. The blog not only can give the students the chance to write about what they have learned, but how they learned. Learning to self-reflect can often be a daunting task, however, to “get the ball rolling” there are online surveys such as SurveyMonkey.com.

There are many great ways to begin a project. There are also two very important concepts that aids in getting your students minds’ prepared for the learning journey ahead; activating prior knowledge and using an anticipatory set. One common method of activating prior knowledge is to use a K-W-L (Know-Wonder-Learn) chart. This activity asks students to first think about what they already know about the subject, what they wonder about, and then what they have learned at the conclusion of the project. Anticipatory sets vary greatly depending on what the subject for the project is. This exciting introduction can be as simple as a really silly and disequilibrium-invoking question about the topic to really get the students pondering about what comes next.

Equally popular with teachers is the “I do, we do, you do, “or scaffolding model of instruction. This concept applies to teaching technology as well; however, it is important to first consider that the students may already have vast knowledge in the technology department! An assessment of the skills students posses can be done by just letting the students “have at it” and watch them closely; monitoring what skills they made need you to model.

When monitoring your students during assessment, consider the learning opportunity that is in front of you. Ask students what they know, how they know that; promote deep learning. Use this strategy from beginning to end of each project and you will facilitate inquiry and deep learning skills for your students.

My project requires self-reflection in many ways. The students will have a blog, work collaboratively as a team, and ask themselves questions that promote critical thinking, or deep learning. The act of presenting their findings on birds in a variety of styles and media they wil not only learn content but will evaluate their learning journey as well.

Read and Reflect chapter 6

It is good to lay ground work before starting a project with your students. Teachers should take into consideration that they need the student’s attention. Teacher should allow students to open up their imaginations, and encourage students to explore the topic for a good amount of time. Students should also be instructed to discuss the topic amongst fellow students. By spending time amongst the topic before starting a project students become engaged and focused. Teachers should instruct students to become independent with their learning, but to do so students must utilize the skills or knowledge that they already have. Students should have prior knowledge of the topic that they are working on this way they can take charge of their own learning. their are several steps when teaching students how to learn with technology some include setting up a technology play ground, tapping student skill sets, and introducing project management tools. Setting up a technology playground refers to opening up opportunities for your students so that they can learn independently instead of your direct instruction on how to use that technology. Tapping student skills sets, allows advanced students help lower level students with technology. Introducing project management tools contain journals, and daily logs are highly helpful to students. Using these tools the students are able to track their own progress on parts of a project they have worked on or completed, and what still needs to be finished. Some more steps for preparing students for technology include demonstration, relying on a technology specialist, and the thought of one size fits all or not. Being a teacher you should be comfortable with the technology, and tools your students will be using. By demonstrating how to use this technology it is beneficial to your students learning. If you as a teacher are not familiar with the technology you should ask for the assistance of a technology specialist. It is also helpful to collaborate with this specialist so that you can choose the technology that would most benefit your students. Lastly it is good to ask yourself "do all my students need to have mastered this technology?" If the students are going to be using it throughout their life then yes. This chapter helps us with our project because it is good useful information to know when understanding how we need to structure 

Reflection 6

Technology tools can encourage students to be reflective and evaluate their own strengths in many ways. They will be able to try new tools and help others use the ones that they already know. Students will be able to organize their own work over time and reshape work into more final products. Before and after the project students can complete a self-evaluation that will have them focus on the learning dispositions that they should learn during the project. At the end of the project, the students can then reflect on their work and feel a sense of accomplishment. For example, Blogs offer students space where they can reflect over time about what they are learning. You can get students minds ready for a project by tapping into their prior knowledge. Start with getting the students’ attention and giving the idea time to settle in their imaginations. This way you are inviting them to think about the possibilities before they start to “dig into” the actual project. Encourage students to explore and think about the topic for several days. Before starting a project, you first have to think about teaching a prerequisite or some skill that the students will be able to work independently. By teaching the fundamentals first, you can be sure that your students are on the right track to start their project. Technology is not the main part of the project but it helps your students get the project completed. Learning to use technology or an application for a project can be a good problem solving experience. By setting up a technology playground students are able to explore and encourage teaching each other. Ways to promote inquiry and deep learning is to guide the students as they choose questions, plan investigations, and begin to put their plan together. A main topic in this chapter that relates to my topic is the use of technology. This chapter talks about technology tools that can encourage students to be reflective. For our project and in the class we have all created a blog. This blog connects us to not only our partners for the project but also every one else in the class. This chapter also talks about how to prepare ourselves and students using technology just as we are doing in our projects.

Revised Birding web

Reflection/Chapter 5

Before starting a project, you should look at your inventory and see what supplies, tools, or other materials that you will need. Some materials might be available to you at your school or even offered by parent communities or other supporters. If you do not find what you need, either put a word out in a class website or email a newsletter to post so that parents can be aware of the supplies you need. You can also look at local recycling centers; you never know what you might find. Teacher project-management needs include: • Tools for communicating with students and others about the project • Tools for making milestones and events visible and for notifying students when changes occur • Methods for getting resources to students • Systems for management work products • Structures that support a productive learning environment in which teams and individuals are engaged in a variety of learning tasks at the same time Student project-management needs include: • Systems and tools that help them manage their time and flow of work • Systems that help students manage materials and control work drafts • Collaboration tools • Methods for seeking assistance • Ways to get and use feedback on their work, through self-reflection, team input, and teacher advice • Ways to work iteratively and to see how parts add up to the whole Technology applications that should be considered for your project could be to link a set of tools together in a wiki, associate them with a blog, or alternatively, use a web-based “desktop” application. Concepts in this chapter that relate to my project are the web-based application. In class, we have created a blog, which allows viewers to comment on postings that we have created. It also allows us a great tool for communicating about the progress or milestones related to our project.

Chapter 5

Materials should be carefully chosen when teachers are formulating a lesson. when choosing materials a teacher should take many things into consideration to make sure that the materials utilized fit in with the lesson. The materials should go along with the lesson, and each material should be picked to keep the students interest engaging them. for example students studying bugs should be provided with a net, along with a magnifying glass. the net to catch the bugs, and the magnifying glass to get an up close analysis on that bug. Another important thing in the subject of classroom management, is keeping a calender. using a calender keeps the students, along with the teacher organized. Using a calender allows the teacher to look ahead and give an explanation to the students as to what they will be doing later on to catch interest.video conferencing expands the classroom and can bring experts beyond the teacher at hand. video conferencing allows students to explore the world without leaving the classroom face to face with other students. Technology will be a significant part of my groups project because many parts of our lesson will contain the use of audio, and computer.

Chapter 5 - Reflection

When planning a new project teachers should carefully consider what materials they will use in their lesson. The key to making the materials be major component in the project, teachers needs to really think outside the box, and look outside the classroom cabinet. Organizations have started providing recycled materials to teachers; fantastic, free, for students. It is difficult to say exactly what materials a teacher should use, as that information really should be project-specific. Some examples from the text indicate what a PBL environment; trips to hospitals for health projects, in-person and Skype visits from specialists, and demonstrations. The common thread in these non-traditional materials is community.

Teachers are rarely seen without their calendars, and now students are using calendars to manage their projects. Using a calendar can be as simple as the teacher sharing the project milestones with the students to be as advanced as a class Web site. The end result will be the same; management needs being met for both teachers and students.

As previously mentioned, technology can bring an expert right into your classroom via videoconferencing. An opportunity such as this can expose your students to experts in their project content and that is invaluable. Technology in projects has gone past word processing and research, it is now a material.

Technology will be a huge part of my birding project. We will have many material needs, many of which will require help from the community. I love that there are organizations to help teachers bring these projects to life.

Chapter 4 - Reflection

Designing projects that are engaging and promotes critical thinking is a difficult, yet rewarding task. One way to make this process easier is to be aware of potential pitfalls. Projects should be “right-sized” meaning they shouldn’t be too long, or full of busy work. Also, teachers should be mindful of how they are using technology in the project; there should always be a significant learning outcome.  Another important area to consider is thematic units. Themes should involve the community, not just a symbol.

Good projects should start with student curiosity and interest. In addition to ideas for projects coming from the students, there is a vast amount of internet resources for creating the perfect project every time. These amazing projects are designed around student collaboration and teamwork; incorporating 21s Century Skills. A classroom that implements these types of projects is free of traditional learning environment characteristics.

When designing a project, it is essential to make a list of learning and objectives for core standards. Next, decide which 21^st Century Skills will be addressed, and be very specific. After you have determined what it is you want your student to learn, you must then decide how you measure their understanding.  In PBL projects, this task does not involve a traditional one-size-fits-all test. Next, imagine how you can make present this topic in a manner that the students will see value; make connections. Finally, how will you grab their interest? What will you say, or do, on the first day that will pull them in?

My project involves the community, various types of learning “vehicles” and assessments. My students will be exposed to art, research, technology, and will have fun throughout the entire unit. I believe that announcing to the class that our end result will be a community event, in which parents, community members and school officials will attend, will certainly grab their attention.

Assignments for Podcast

I plan to do my section of the Podcast on PBL. If anything different was disussed, or sections were assigned, please let me know by tomorrow afternoon. In my email from Monday, I stated that I would get my Audible to Theodore by Wednesday afternoon, not realizing that the project isn't due this coming Friday. So, are we working on it this coming Monday? Did you guys complete your sections this Monday? If I don't hear back, I will just assume that it is fine for me to do the PBL and I will post it here, as well as email to Theodore.

Thanks,
Tommye

reflection 4

The potential pitfalls in project design are : long on activiy, short on learning outcomes , teachnology layered over traditional practice, trivial thematic units, overly scripted with many many steps. These pitfalls are things to look out for so that you can improve your own critical thinking skills when working with prject designs. There are many features for a good project. Some are loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths. They are generative and cause students to construct meaning. Good projects are realistic and get at important learning dispositions, including communication along with project management and teachnology use. Project ideas come from all over the place. Project plans are developed by and for other teachers. One successful project will lead into another one. When designing a projects there are some steps to follow. 1.Revisit the framework 2.Establish evidence of understanding. 3. Pan the project theme of challenge. 4.Plan entree into the project experience. A quote i liked from the chapter is " Planning a student centered project is like planning a voyage across uncharted seas. You have a destination in mind, but not knowing your route, you and you students build a trusty ship, and bringing all our seamanship to bear, get wind in your dsails and set off." I think that this quote explains what designing projects are all about. Concepts in this chapter relate to my topic/project because we are "designing a project." At first we weren't sure what we were going to do. But over time and thinking about what kind of projects we could do we have come up with some great ideas. This chapter gives us good features that we can incorporate into the making of our project and our ideas.

#4

Their are Some potential pit falls in project design. A few potential flaws include long on activity, short on learning outcomes, when technology layers over traditional practice, having trivial thematic units, and having the project be overly scripted. Long on Activity is a problem because although having put together a long detailed stepped project the project may only be aimed at low order learning. It is not worth investing yours or a students time with this. It would be good to look at how much the student could equally learn with your long multiple stepped processes in comparison to a brief lecture or personally reading about that topic. Having technology layering over a traditional practice is another pitfall. Student using technology to research and present that research in a set of slides is not helpful A good way to go about it would be to aim towards your students to reach significant learning growth. Having a project which is pointed to a low level subject when that subject could be instructed so student receive a much more in-depth information on that topic is not a good thing. trivial thematic units can be a pitfall with projects. As a teacher it is important to look for ways to elevate a specific theme. lastly overly scripting a project with many steps can ruin it. student need to be making critical decisions about how they learn. Try not to use over prescriptive project plans and discrete steps for this could lead to predictable results.

Topics for TaskStream/Lesson Plans

Hi Birding Group!

I thought we could use our blog to post our topic for this weeks assignment, therefore we can ensure there will be no overlap.

Although I have not tied my topic to a standard yet, I am sure I will do something in the Social Studies field and it will be related to the Bald Eagle (U.S. bird) and the Robin (Michigan bird).

This is just an idea that I am interested in. I will research it more this evening and will post again after I have finalized my topic for the lesson plan due this Friday.

Tommye

Chapter 3 - Reflection

All educators are aware of the significance of the “purpose of the lesson” when writing a lesson plan. Projects are no exception to this rule; however, because they are so involved and contain so many curriculums, it is often easier to consider the “big idea” of a unit, or project. Once you have narrowed down your big idea, the concept surrounding the idea can just take off. This concept can be visualized by thinking about how concept maps are used and designed. Often, one great idea can lead to another, and another. Concept maps; or big ideas can be as specific as topic related or as broad as subject-related.

The first words that come to mind when describing 21^st Century Skills, is higher-learning and critical thinking. The big idea of 21^st Century Skills is thinking outside of the box! The skills required for this learning process include: analyze, evaluate, and create. These three words differ greatly from traditional learning tools such as rote memorization, lecturing, and drill-and-practice. By using the 21^st Century Skills students will think about their projects. The skills provoke students to investigate, compare and contrast debate, anticipate, and theorize.

“Learning to be independent, aware, and productive citizens,” describes the literacy of a student utilizing 21t Century Skills. Just as there are age-old skills associated with learning, as described in the previous paragraph, there is an age-old definition associated with the term literacy. However, literacy in this sense is more of a literal term, meaning that the students are literate in their content. In order to be achieve this level of literacy, the teachers facilitate learning by giving the students the tools to drive their own education.

When students are given the opportunity to take charge of their own learning, something magical occurs; confidence, curiosity, and motivation. These dispositions cannot be taught! Learning Dispositions are a direct result of the student feeling the learning process. It is invaluable and will fuel the students to be life-long learners.

I cannot imagine that the birding project is not one that the students will never forget. By implementing a PBL setting, introducing students to 21^st Century Skills and making their project fun, it will be unforgettable. Learning occurs when there is first a bit of disequilibrium, concentration, and then conclusion. This very project will build connections with the students’ community. Connections such as this will build confidence and true learning; 21^st Century Literacy.

All Things Birds - Google Document for ePal Project

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TxXZ73esQOeCwEIU9J4OL8u21APs9IU3AGmyji0tR6A/edit

Chapter 3 reflection

Chapter 3 explains what the author calls the “Big Idea” which is the over all main objective of what you are instructing to the class. Steps should be taken for your students to understand this concept. After identifying the objective in which you want your class to learn about, the next step is to speak to the class about why the concepts based around the objective are important. As an instructor you should ask the class questions to get them thinking, and have them engage in the topic. What key points are based around this topic, how does this topic affect you? What can we learn from this topic? Or how has this topic changed then until now? In the book the author also touches on the eight essential learning functions. Ubiquity, deep learning, making things visible and discussable are the first three. Ubiquity is the concept to which students learn in a variety of places at a constant pace with basic everyday items. Deep learning explains the learning of information not provided by others, but being able to figure out information on their own. Making things visible and discussable this is the action of students learning by pictures, videos and images used from technology. The next essential learning functions are expressing ourselves, sharing ideas, and building community, collaboration, and research. Expressing ourselves describes students being able to use the web to put their ideas down to share with society, and find common interest amongst others. Collaboration describes the process of working with others. Collaboration is a key concept for student is the sense that they learn to work with others and share ideas. Research, another essential learning function, allows for students to expand their knowledge in broad manner. With access to the Web students research boundaries are almost limitless. The last two essential functions are project management, which teaches students how to manage time, and develop organization skills, and reflection- iteration which calls for students to go over all of their work, research, and accomplishments to evaluate themselves bringing a feeling of success, a creation. The concepts in this chapter relate to my project because I plan on incorporating these eight learning functions.

Assignment III web evaluations

www.birding.com/wheretobird/michigan.asp
www.web4.audubon.org/bird/at_home/bird_watching/index.shtml www.localmarket.birdzilla.com/Birds_Bird_Watching_Kalamazoo_MI_t9660_Kalamazoo+MI.html

Reflection 3

The "Big Idea," is the main focus of what your trying to teach and have your students learn. Every grade level and subject areas focus on big ideas. After you have identified the concepts that you want your students to understand, you then want your students to reflect on why these concepts are important. This helps your students think about things like: Who cares about this concept? or What does this concept relate to? After your students understand the "big idea" of the subject then you want them to imagine how it helps or relates to 21st century skills. These skills can help students to analyze, evaluate, and create their work. Students need to be able to have their work or projects relate to 21st Century awareness and be able to use that for critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. Literacy in the book is defined as, " the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts." "Literary involves a continuum of learning to enable an individual to achieve his or her goals, to develop his or her knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in the eider society." There are eight essential learning functions. 1. Ubiquity: Learning inside and outside the classroom, and all the time. This mean that students have the ability to learn anytime, anywhere. Some tools that they can use include: mobile phones, web based applications,and Google Docs. 2. Deep Learning. This is going beyond information made by others on web sites and being able to make sense of "raw" information on the web. Examples that students might use are educational videos on demand, primary source archives, and real-time data. 3. Making things visible and discussable. You can do this with digital tools so that you can show rather tell tell. "A picture is worth a thousand words," This means that we can make our thoughts and ideas visible and share the to get the conversation going. 4. Expressing ourselves, sharing ideas, building community. This simply students using the web to express their ideas and build society around shared interests. Examples include: blogs, social software, tagging, and virtual meeting with Webinars. 5. Collaboration--teaching and learning with others. We can all learn from each other and collaboration is a big part of projects which helps us learn from one another. 6. Research. Most research we can do on the web. Google Search engines help students expand and research almost anything. 7. Project management: planning and organization. This helps students manage their time, work, sources, and feedback from others. 8. Reflection and iteration. From this students can examine all of their ideas and points of view. Students can look back on their work and think deeply about what they have accomplished or created. Concepts in this chapter relate to my topic/project because i have to use a lot only 21st Century skills and literacies, but also by doing this project i can incorporate all of the essential learning functions into my project.

Kalamazoo Nature Center

This map represents Kalamazoo's Nature Center. All visitors are welcome at the Kalamazoo Valley Bird Observatory Bird Banding Barn from 9am-1pm, weather dependent.
View Larger Map

Chapter 2 – Reflection

The focus of Learning Communities is collaboration. It is vital that school personnel work together to implement PBL. When considering the term Learning Community, the effectiveness of the community is what facilitates the learning aspect of the concept. A Learning Community can begin by one teacher taking the initiative to use PBL in her/his classroom and then engaging their fellow colleagues. Or perhaps the school is innovative enough to have collaboration and PBL teamwork built into the agenda.

One of the benefits of a Learning Community to teachers is that it provides a built-in professional development offering. Teachers are often called to attend professional development seminars and courses, however, by instructing in a positive PBL environment the teacher is constantly learning, sharing, and developing their practice to better serve their students.

Learning Communities strengthen the professional bond between teachers. It allows for growth both professionally and personally. Learning Communities involve all  teachers and staff, therefore eliminating the feeling of isolation of teachers, and offering a support network for new teachers. Learning Communities often experience a change in focus, philosophy, and strive for critical thinking from staff and students.

Students benefit greatly from being in a Learning Community. They are responsible, active members in their own education and feel the importance of being a valued member of their school.  Since the main goal of this type of environment is student learning, the education received by the students is superior and will open their eyes to the value of collaboration; a tool they will always use in the future.

Taking the initial steps to implement a Learning Community is not that difficult; especially considering the vast rewards that will follow. The book offers key components for a new “organization” to help guide the team through the process. The first component is to have a clear sense of mission. All organizations write a mission statement, and this exercise allows the group to discuss and define their agenda. A few of those goals are: focus on student learning, collaboration, hold shared values and beliefs, and to see themselves as life-long learners. The process of writing mission statements help unite teams; reminding everyone of why we are here and what it is it that we are working to accomplish.

Our group project would certainly be a Learning Community for both students and teachers. Our project includes bringing in experts from the community, such as Naturalists, Artists, and local businesses. Our students will work together to think globally about where birds live, and how they vary by climate. Also, by using technology to chart migrations and life spans, our students will think beyond the here-and-now; looking into both the past and future of birds. We will utilize our fellow 3^rd grade classes and collaborate with them on items such as raffles, guest lists, and presentations. All information gathered and collected by our class will be shared in multiple formats, providing something for everyone and every learning style.

Reflection #2

     Professional learning communities focus on three things: ensure that students learn, create culture of collaboration for school improvement, and focus on results. Benefits of learning communities include: decreased teacher isolation, increased commitment to the mission, shared responsibility, more powerful learning, and a higher likelihood of fundamental, systemic change. 
     Learning communities affect students and teachers. Both students and teachers develop skills and dispositions in the "real world." Some of these skills include: communication, problem solving, project management, motivation, and persistence. 
     A learning organization is also known as a professional learning community in education. In a shared vision individuals learn new patterns of thinking, learn how to capitalize on the wisdom of the group, and they continually learn how to learn together. 
     Concepts that relate to my topic are online tools to support my professional learning community. By participating on online communities it will help me connect to a bigger network of colleagues who share my professional interests. As teachers we create our own opportunities for shared learning. 

Birding Concept Map

Chapter 1 - Reflection

The PBL approach is very different than the way many grew up learning. The shift from teacher-led to student/technology driven is not one that most are familiar with. However, by assessing ones current knowledge and keeping an open-mind, one can reap huge benefits from learning how to implement PBL in their future classrooms. Newcomers need to remember that technology takes the lead role in learning PBL. Technology should no longer be looked at as a tool, but as an integral component of a PBL classroom.

The benefits to PBL are enormous to both the teacher, and the students. Teachers are setting the stage for students in use real-world, real-time technology to conquer problems. The overall benefit is a high-functioning, technology-driven, exciting learning platform for students; no limitations, just connections resulting in true learning.

The connections the students will gain through PBL will last forever. The students will be better prepared for life after school by becoming experts at research, collaboration, and problem solving. Today, professionals in all fields require the ability to think “outside of the box” and the demand for keeping up with technology continues to increase. The students in a PBL classroom will be happy, have a great time, and a sense of accomplishment that cannot be acquired through traditional teacher-led instruction.

When considering the switch to PBL, teachers need to assess their current understanding of technology and PBL basic concepts. The self-assessment needs to include reflecting on teaching style, and classroom management skills. The physical space needs to be arranged in a manner that facilitates collaboration; the traditional set-up of pairs of desks, and a few computers lining the wall, will just no longer work! Lastly, and most importantly, teacher must collaborate with their colleagues and the parents of their students.

New Technology High sounds amazing! It almost sounds too good to be true.  The idea of “project briefcases” replacing traditional homework, and textbooks being “scarce” shows that New Tech is leading in the PBL world. We need to believe that a setting like that is possible; even if it is on a smaller scale! Finances and Administration help make New Tech the success that it is, however, those elements are not mandatory for a PBL setting. PBL is more of a shift in thought and preparation, as opposed to being program requiring costly components.

Response

Project Based Learning is a strategy of teaching based  with  learning  that engages student interest and motivation. project based learning strategies are constructed  to answer or solve a problem and look in certain areas of types of learning and work that is achieved beyond the boundaries of the classroom.
A well designed project allows students to come across and struggle with the main concepts and principles of a discipline. Project Based Learning teaches students modern day skills along with content. These skills include communication and presentation skills, research and inquiry skills, and group participation.
it is generally done by groups of students working together toward a common goal. Performance is observed and tested on each individual, and takes into account the quality of the class work produced, content understanding, and the ongoing process of project realization. In my definition I define Project Based Learning as a  teaching method that engages students in learning important life skills, through an extended, student  inquiry process based around detailed, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks.

Reflection #1

     As you start on your journey through Project-Based Learning you should know that PBL is a strategy that is powered by contemporary technologies. This means that there are new kinds of learning communities with the internet open to new research opportunities. Digital tools are essential features of the environment that today's students are living and learning. This journey is a learning process for both the students and the teacher.
     Some overall benefits to the PBL approach are that teachers are using technology to open opportunities to reinvent projects so that they become more authentically connected to students lives. We can use these digital tools for inquiry, collaboration, and communication to connect learners to one another or even to beyond the classroom. Teachers also use these new strategies to meet instructional goals and are reflective about wanting to improve their own practices so that all learners will succeed. 
     Some benefits to the students who participate in PBL are: students develop good communication skills to break through cultural misunderstanding and find consensus, students develop good inquiry skills, which foster a sense of wonderment at the differences in the world, students learn to be flexible with their hours because they know other people are relying on them to meet their deadlines, students develop a fuller understanding of how the world works and that it does not just revolve around them, and finally that students achieve the feeling that through communication with and understanding of other people, individuals can do something about changing the world.
     Other things to be considered to this approach is that today's students are up to the challenge, projects are worth the effort, students live and learn in the real world, and that new contexts encourage the projects approach.
     At New Tech High, the project approach is the "cornerstone" of instruction which has spread to a growing network of schools across the "U.S. This is an example of New Tech Model because technology is everywhere but it is not the main focus. Technology is used as a tool rather than the focus of learning. Overall, good ideas are shared and the projects have students in real-world learning that are the centerpieces of instruction.