Reading Reflection Five- Chapter 5

I like the comparison of a business manager and a teacher. On top of the common skills they list, the relationships are also similar. With a traditional teacher-student relationship, you picture the teacher lecturing and the student doing. With the idea of the teacher as a manager, the teacher is still in charge but students are in charge of carrying out their own work and problem solving when necessary. There is also more collaboration between “co-workers” or fellow students.

The small things that go into a project, like all the materials you may need, may be easy to forget about. I like that this chapter is keeping a focus on not only the things needed to start a project, but ways to get what you need. It would be things like this that can get over whelming, or forgotten. This chapter does a good job and focusing your attention on these things, while giving you the tools to manage them.

Putting responsibility of time management into the student’s hands is a good component of project-based learning. It is a 21^st century skill like any other that students need to master. It can be easier these days, with reminders on phones and electronic planners, but students still need to be taught to use these skills effectively and efficiently. I also like the idea of an online calendar so parents can stay up to date and involved.

I like the points that were made about the teams through out the project. A lot of the time teachers try to create equal groups, and keep control over all the groups at once. With project based learning there is going to be more flexibility. I do think this would be hard to get used to. The careful arranging of students is something I am used to, but having some students independent while others are in groups, and others still in pairs would be a lot to juggle. It will definitely make it more difficult to track each step, instead trusting students to keep focused on their own components of the project.

Using formative assessments is an idea I am comfortable with, and agree with. I think teachers can get more out of these informal tests of understanding and students are more open to participating. These assessments do not have to be a big deal, like standardized tests, they really are just to see how students are doing. It also plays into the idea of project-based learning well since there is nothing really standardized about the process in general. The type of assessment should match the classroom atmosphere, and formative assessments are a good match for project-based learning.

Making use of the web, and wikis and webpages is a really cool idea. Students are more likely to be engaged in these online resources since they are more in tuned with technology. It also makes use of the resources available; students are no longer limited to paper/pencil activities. It really broadens the possibilities.