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.