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.
I totally agree with you that students need time to reflect! Teachers are often so pushed to cover x amount of material that they just jump from project to project without giving the students time to reflect. I totally understand the time constraints they are under but the students will learn so much more when they reflect. Sometimes that is the point in which the learning really clicks and it allows them to recall strategies that they can use in future projects. What upsets me with education is not all the proven technique’s that help students learn are put in use because of time constraints and crap our government wants us to cover. My opinion is that master teachers, not people in different fields, should make laws and regulations in public schools. How else can they possibly know what’s best for students when they haven’t studied education?
ReplyDeleteIt’s definitely true that a lot of schools move quickly from one learning topic to the next. Therefore, students are rushed. Students reflecting on the skills they used while completing the project is important so they notice where they can improve and what skills they excel at. Planning ahead is important. Planning reflection questions is important as well and the questions should pertain to the topic and be meaningful. I agree that tradition can be more meaningful for students.
ReplyDeleteI think it is super important for teachers to celebrate students accomplishments. Students need a boost every once a while just like how all of us need support. A teacher that supports their students will see better results than teachers that don't and it will help the student become more comfortable in the classroom so they can improve better work.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I enjoyed reading your post on chapter ten. I like and strongly agree with what you said about how it is important it is for students to reflect and to celebrate their accomplishments. I also agree with what the book says about schools and how they tend to quickly move from one learning experience to another and because of that students become rushed along. Reflecting is an important part in the learning process just as you and the book pointed out and the goal is having students get the max out of a project so by reflecting they can do just that. Support was also something you brought up that I feel is very important for a teacher to do as it also aids in students learning and gets them to a higher level of understanding. You had a great post about chapter ten.
ReplyDelete