Chapter 11 Reflection

Chapter eleven was the final chapter in our Reinventing Project-Based Learning book.  This chapter focused on bringing it home. Something this chapter discussed was what occurs as a result of using the Project-based learning approach.  There are many things that come from using this approach but some of the things listed in the chapter were the concept and idea that comes from the project is coming to an end but with this thought it is not really ending but instead it is opening up the doors and minds for new ideas and projects to stem from. Another thing was reflection, which as we see once again is an important part in project based learning because at the end of a project if a reflection is used then it is easier for the teacher to assess things like what went well, what didn’t go well, what should stay the same if implemented again, what would be done differently, did students perform the goals and objectives, and all of those questions plus many more help to guide this reflection. It is also important for the students to do a reflection. Ways to bring home our project was also discussed and with this brining it all together and making those key connections is important and is part of this.  Using collaboration can connect things to learning, it is important to have with colleges because if you collaborate what worked with your project and gave feedback and reflection to them then they are more likely to use your project and can also help you to make it even better as they can offer feedback and reflection from their perspective. This collaboration could even turn in to a topic of discussion at a professional development meeting which is actually a great time to discuss things like this as it might be the thing needed to connect and pull in all the students in a classroom. I really liked how project based learning is giving students a chance to learn in their own way and it is a lot more tailored to the individual student and it is giving them great experience and practice with problem solving skills and with real like situations. This concept relates to my groups project because we use reflection at the end of the project to see what worked and what didn’t and to see what we can do to make it even better. We also use a lot of collaboration as we have found that to be very important with teaching and with project based learning. It is important to mix things up and by using project based learning it does just that. I have enjoyed reading this book and I feel as though it helped me a lot to understand project based learning. 

Reading Reflection Eleven- Chapter 11

I like what this chapter says about the end of a project being an open door to new projects, instead of a dead end. In order to see this though, sometimes reflection is necessary. The reflection piece lets both the teacher and student step back and see how far they have come and what their project has meant. With all the work that went into the beginning and in implementing the project it is important to give that same dedication to the ending.

For teachers it is important to see what worked and what didn’t. Good projects can be used for many years with new students, but this is only possible by reflecting back and making the changes that are needed. Technology use is a big part, was it used appropriately and effectively? Reflecting on the students work is needed as well. Making sure students are really driving the project and staying engaged is an important component of project-based learning and the teacher needs to ensure they are doing their part to foster this.

Collaboration is a big part of project-based learning and it should not end with the project. The colleagues that have helped with the project should also be a part of the wrap up, included in the reflection. Sharing the work with others is also important. With all the work that went into it others are sure to appreciate it and learn from it. Overall, just take the time to step back and enjoy the whole process and the end result.

Reading Reflection Chapter Ten

Chapter ten is all about celebrating and reflecting. This chapter discussed the importance of setting aside time for reflection, which is important because it helps students to make connections and pull everything together. Students can reflect in a variety of ways from getting a grade, grading themselves through self-evaluations, answering questions, or verbally discussing what they learned, what they liked, and other basic questions. By having students answer and reflect, it not only helps the student but the teacher because they can see what worked well and what should be changed for the future. If time is not set aside then it might not happen. Students need to reflect and elaborate on the project because it can help them to gain more understanding and can clear up misconceptions they have but can also get them to a higher level of understanding. Asking students things like “what does this get you wondering about next? What do you want to learn now, and how do you want to go about it?” (Page 149) are great questions to ask. Something that also came from page 149 and stood out to me was “be sure to ask your learners where they want to go. Their answers might yield a more ambitious project that you would imagine”. I think that stands out and ties in to the rest of the book and to the concept of project-based learning because it gives them more control of what they are learning and the project they are completing. Schools build tradition and identity because the “school’s identities are tied to their traditions” (page 150).  Building traditions with in the school occur when things and projects become exemplary projects and because of what happens and goes well it stands out and becomes something that the school is possibly known for and because of that is something that is continued. The elementary school I went to had a school garden that my third grade class was the group to start and I have continued to help maintain that garden but it became a tradition because of how powerful of a teaching tool it is, every year the school and I work together to plan out what is going to be growing in it and then we connect it to what the students are learning in the classroom, for instance the kindergartners plant flowers because it connects to their learning and then students are able to see the growth and see what they planted and how it is growing and changing. It is a powerful thing and always fun to see the students enjoy it and the outcome as it changes from year to year. It took time to build the tradition but it is still occurring and because of it, I learned the importance of it and connecting it to what is being learned in the classroom. It is important to celebrate a project that students completed and worked so hard on because it shows them that what they are doing is important and has an outcome. In my case the garden the school started back when I was a third grader has the outcome of the students being able to eat the fresh food in class or during the summer and they get to see the plants as seeds and then as they grow. We celebrate the project and student work by taking what is grown in the garden and producing something for the students to enjoy showing them the importance of it. Students feel the importance of their work and the more it is displayed the more they get that feeling and with that feeling of importance is what also helps to build the tradition and to keep the project building from year to year. I found this chapter very interesting and easy to connect to our group project because we have reflections set into our lessons, and we celebrate the outcome because students get to show off their work and the healthy eating recipes they have created. This chapter was interesting and after reading it, I was able to make more connections to my learning and what I have been learning.  

Final Concept Map

This is the link for our final concept map.

Final Concept Map

Reading Reflection Ten- Chapter 10

I like that the book addressed reflecting on the project, and celebrating all that students have done. I definitely agree with what the book says about schools, and how they quickly move from one learning experience to another and students are rushed along. Giving students time to look back and see how far they have come is still an important piece of the learning process.

Having students reflect back can be a powerful experience for them. They can talk about what they learned instead of just getting a grade. Students can also look at their own performance and the skills they used through out the project. Hopefully they will have noticed growth in different skills. It is also a good chance to have students look at what they enjoyed about learning, and moments that really clicked for them. The teacher can also reflect back and make sure the initial learning objectives that the teacher selected were achieved.

Like anything else within project based learning, it is helpful to plan ahead. Planning reflection questions is just as important. You wouldn’t want to overwhelm students by asking too many questions, and the questions that are asked should be meaningful. The questions should also lead to a productive reflection, not just reflecting on components that don’t matter.

 A lot of projects may grow and lead to bigger things. This ties into what the chapter says about elaborating on what to do next, and creating tradition. Some projects can grow past the students that originally work on them and become a part of the school culture. When something becomes a tradition it is more meaningful for students, and there is no surprise of what is expected of them.

Celebrating student work is definitely important. Let them feel how important the work they are doing is, and display their work. Letting the students show off what they have done will create that excitement about learning, and lead to the tradition in school.

Reading Reflection Chapter Nine

Chapter nine was all about making assessment meaningful.  On page 139 I really liked and thought that the second paragraph on the page that starts off “active learning is a hallmark of good projects” this paragraph stood out to me because it grasps a lot of important things and puts it into one paragraph.  In order to make something meaningful including assessment it is important to understand what our students know because if we know where and what our students know then we are able to create a meaningful lesson that they will be more engaged in.  One way to understand and assess student’s prior knowledge is by using a KWL chart, this is something I have been taught to use and when I have used it it has been extremely helpful. Establishing anchors is an important part for a project because as it was discussed on page 140, “by establishing anchors, you gain a sense of where students are starting and how far they are going as the work to meet learning goals”.  Using a KWL chart again is a great way and easy way to do just that.  A good question I think teachers need to remember is “how will you measure the distance each student travels as a learner?” Some way they discussed in the chapter on how to assess what students have learned from the project is to use an online grading book, or even as simple as having students write about what they are learning and doing to see if they are making the connections they should be and if not then you as the teacher have a way to know what needs to be adjusted so that the student is reaching the goals. Overall connecting this chapter to what my group is doing for our class project, I can say that it relates in a few different ways but the one that stands out to me the most is standards and objectives because when we created objectives and rubrics for our lesson plans there was a lot we had to take into account.  Assessing students is another big point and connects to our project because with what all is being taught if students are not assessed before and after then it is hard to see student growth and it is hard for the teacher to know what their students also know.  This chapter was interesting to read and I am glad to be reading this book as it is filled with a lot of useful information that I am glad I am learning more about. 

Website Story Board

Website Story Board

Reading Reflection Nine- Chapter 9

I really like the concept of active learning, and fully incorporating students in assessments. A lot of the time when I was going through school it felt like teachers kept the final goal a secret, and we were just expected to do as told. Telling students ahead of time exactly what is expected of them, and why they are learning it is a powerful tool. Students will be more willing to learn and work if they know the purpose behind it. Being able to actually apply that knowledge is good as well. There is a point to the learning then, and students know its not just busy work.

The point that a multiple-choice test will not be a good assessment really sticks out to me. Its true that so much goes into these projects that there is no way student effort can be captured in a multiple choice format, even if it is easiest for the teacher. Multiple assessments that give a full picture of everything that go into a project is definitely the way to go.

Creating anchors is a good way to see where your students start, and in turn how far they go. Its also a good starting point for creating those final assessments. Grades along the way should also matter. If the teacher is making the work along the way really meaningful it will be easier to build to a final goal. The objectives will be clear, instead of having assignments that don’t seem to mean anything.

With technology there are many ways students can show what they have learned. Students can orally explain how far they have come with podcasts, or they can create something that sums up what they have learned. Teachers can even draw on experts and give students a real world assessment, having the experts look at student work and determine the strengths in it. Assessment is becoming the focus in education, but that does not mean it has to be standardized and meaningless to students.

Chapter 8

for this chapter talks about branching out and building connections there are three parts it is broken down into the first one is connecting with experts, when the projects are designed based on inquiry asking questions of experts becomes a huge part of the learning experience.sometimes this connection to me about the teacher introducing things online to make it connect with the students are learning. Can I do your students with expert will take some effort on the teachers part but you can start by developing a list of Willy experts. Knowing the skills of your students parents is a good place to begin you can give them surveys and then you can use those for years to come. But if they don't have the expertise you're looking for they might know someone who does. The next section is expanding the learning circle, this is saying you should reach out and expand your learning community to not just your classroom or your school but finding participants from other districts, cities, states, countries or continents. And the third one is simply communicating your findings.you need to find authentic opportunities for your students to share their research or advocate for a cause to make it more powerful.
Knowing that it brings us into the EAST Inititive Model. This stands for the environmental and spatial technologies. Which is simply demonstrating the benefits of using technology for real purpose or to solve problems and make improvements in their communities. They use geospatial technologies and Moulton media tools there more found in professional settings but now used by students in applying them to problems that interest them.
I believe this ties into letting the students leave their own projects. You want to start with an idea that they care about and then have them work through it they will be more passionate about it.
Turning this into our project I believe it is important that students leave their own projects and there's a lot of wiggle room with an art project for the students to go their own direction.

Chapter 7

in chapter 7 there are three levels of classroom discussion. The first one is teacher to teacher:this is when the teachers get together and talk about the procedure all the way to the formative assessment. And how about their going to plan the lesson, and the direction that they're going. This is important to have the face-to-face collaboration with your colleagues you can use a blog, or other collaborative tools to keep your teacher to teacher conversation going. The second one is outlined is student to student: this is on students talk about their learning experiences as they happen within their teams and also across other teams. This will help with good communication and effective teamwork to help keep them organized and on track. As a teacher you want to make sure that you are listening to the students conversations. The third and outlined a student to teacher: and traditional classrooms it's for lecture and then the interaction of students have with the teacher due to election but this will change with a project-based classroom.
Therefore types of questions for checking in they are procedural, teamwork, understanding, and self-assessment. The first is procedural this is good for checklists and monitoring student project logs. The second is teamwork giving them a safe place to raise concerns and ask help if they need it they can also Ask questions using a blog or journal having them write entries. The third one is understanding you want to spend time watching the teams work listen and conversation while asking and solving problems. The last One is self-assessment, you want to ask students questions for self-assessment and sulfur flexion again journals or blobs offer space for the students to describe the challenges of frustration and ask questions that they might not be comfortable asking out loud or they can even just share how excited they are about the project.
When it comes to optimizing technology in the classroom you want to make sure that the tools the students are using meet learning goals and don't poses a distraction. Students respond positively to the experience of learning the technology, it gives them an alternative way of presenting The information you can make it fun while still reaching the learning expectation.
For the 21st-century skills they talk about troubleshooting and managing conflict within teamwork. Troubleshooting helps distinguish the effectiveness of the project. The students for understand that real world projects come with real-world challenges, and learn from setbacks and help them get back on track. For managing conflict this can be challenging because of different personalities do you have to pay close attention to team dynamics you to talk trouble you to help the students learn to manage their own team conflict. Again it is a real life skill that will serve them in music on in the real world with jobs and other opportunities.
For my project we are using Skype, the Internet and ePals,  students are going to have to work together and overcome challenges with troubleshooting and managing conflict with in their teams. It also talks about the questions for the students and I will have to make sure to ask these questions to students along with having them ask questions and work together with in their groups.

Reading Reflection: Chapter 8

Chapter 8 was all about building connections and branching out.  Some ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom include connecting with experts, expanding the learning circle, communicating findings.  Each of the ways to branch out that were discussed in the book all made great points and things I think are important for teachers to remember.  Connecting with experts would allow students to do just as it says connect with experts which allows students to ask questions of experts which then becomes a learning part that they get use to doing.  Expanding the learning circle reaches out to include other classrooms, districts, businesses, and even to other parts of the world which gives students a cultural experience and huge learning potentials. Communicating their findings is an important part because in many cases students are conducting research to raise awareness for a real world problem and if so then they need to communicate their findings so that others are aware and more is done/change is made. All three of those are important and are great things for students to learn.  The EAST Initiative Model was developed first by Tim Stephenson. The EAST Initiative started in rural Arkansas in 1996 and since it has been developed it has grown to include more than 260 different students from second grade up to the post secondary grades. This allows students to use technology for a real purpose and to demonstrate the benefits of it.  I like the point that Matt Dozier said on page 133 “Technology is the hook we use to get kids into significant projects and to get communities into significantly wanting to support those projects”.  I agree with him and also think that technology is the hook that we (teachers) use to get kids interested in something because our society is growing on technology so it comes natural to many students and because of that it might as well be used to its full potential.  I think it is important for students to lead their projects because if they are able to choose what they want to do then they are more likely to be passionate about it and interested in it therefore they will be eager to work on it and excited for class.  I think letting students lead their projects is the “hook” to get them interested.  By having a project being student lead it makes the student accountable and responsible for their own learning, they are engaged in learning, and they are taking on their own learning and the teacher is supporting them.  This chapter has related to my groups topic/project because we are leading our project as a group but it was a topic we all wanted to do, we are learning how to use different tools that we can use in the future for student tools, and we use the blogg/elearning/google docs all as a discussion place where we are able to connect with each other and with other classmates.  This chapter was interesting to read and brought up a lot of useful things that I can see myself using in the future. 

Chapter 6 Reflection

What is super awesome about this chapter, Project Launch--Implementation Strategies is that it reflects on how students can reflect and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and grow within their work. Examples of this is having a blog just like I am using here. The students have their own space in order to write and reflect on their learning. They can post as much as they want, they can also add to previous blogs.
The chapter also covers ways that students/teachers can get the students ready to do their projects. To begin with you should tap into prior knowledge, or using K-W-L charts.  Each day have the students for a few minutes, this could bring up more ideas they have, or ones they are still interested in. This way the excitement will build and get them ready for the project.
The elements of teaching fundamentals first are important because students need to understand what is expected and what the goal of the project is before they start it and before it gets to far in to it and they are lost. There are some elements of teaching that are important; Setting up a technology playground. Tapping student expertise, introducing project-management tools and then ending with demonstrating the tools for the students. They all are important for setting the students up for achievement for the project.
There are ways to promote inquiry and deep learning. Students should understand that there is a relationship between need and opportunity. Also money, bartering and other means of exchange as existed throughout history and will always change. Modern money has a symbolic worth as an exchange medium, economics, health and well-being are actually related. And humans are interdependent.
This relates to my project because with deep learning and inquiry, I want my students to have a deep understanding in their learning, and want them to want to learn.

Reading Reflection Eight- Chapter 8

I think having an authentic audience means a lot to student. Not only does it get them more excited about the work they are doing, but it makes it more meaningful too. It is no longer just an assignment for a grade. They can be encouraged knowing that others will see it and appreciate all the hard work they put into it. Using technology to share their work also opens a lot of doors. Parents are always going to love their child’s work, but using technology opens the door to all sorts of different audiences.

This same technology also allows students to learn from others. Teachers will not always know everything and with technology students can find an expert in their area and reach out for more in depth information. Having a plan for connecting with experts is important. While students’ work may take a different course than originally planned, the teacher can do what they can to think ahead and think on their feet when necessary. When possible it is important to do research on who would make a good expert, if they’re willing to help, and how best to utilize their help. I also like the idea of creating a list of experts. This could come in handy if students develop a line of questions that was not expected, you can still find an expert willing to help. Using parent is another good idea, they are easily accessible and a lot of parents can bring a lot to the classroom.

Preparing students is important as well. Having the best expert in the world is not going to be helpful for students if they do not have specific goals in mind, or how best to communicate with the expert. Of course there is the technical aspect as well, learning to use the technology necessary to actually communicate. As a student teacher, I also like the point that it can be mutually beneficial. College students can offer a lot in an elementary school while getting experience working with students. Connecting with others through technology does not always have to mean connecting with an expert either.

Technology breaks down barriers that prevent students from connecting with each other. When I was in school you would hear about pen pals every now and then, but students today are not as limited. With use of the Internet students can connect with students across the country, or across the globe. I really liked reading about how teachers are using this to give their students the chance to experience new things and different places.

Using these connections to form a project around something that is actually meaningful to students adds a lot as well. Students can step outside of the classroom and get into actual real world problems, and find something they can do to make a difference. When this is combined with global connections, it can really grow into something significant. This kind of grows into letting students lead a project as well. If they find something they really care about they could be given the chance to create a project around it.