Teachers should allow students time to reflect on their project after they have spend so much time on it. Setting time aside for reflection will help students feel like their project was important and they will be able to actually see how much they accomplished from start to finish. Reflection can be the one thing that wraps up the entire project and helps it stick in their brains for a very long time. A teacher asking too many reflection questions could overwhelm the students so they should really think about what they want to ask. There should be a lot of planning that goes into the final questions to reflect upon on the teachers part.
As students get older and can think more critically the teacher should allow them to make decisions for subsequent projects. The teacher should ask the students where they see the project going next, what questions were sparked, what they are wondering about next, what else they want to learn and how do they plan on going about it.
Teachers should build traditions in their schools so that students who are younger are already excited about their projects years before they are in your classroom or grade. One teacher, for example, left a project based classroom and ran into a young lady several years later. The lady told her how bummed she was when she found out the teacher had left because she was so excited to do the salmon project that her brothers did years before she was going to be in that grade. This proves that siblings talk and they can get others excited about projects done on a traditional basis many years before the youngest steps foot in the classroom.
Teachers should celebrate students work by hosting an event for the school to come visit the classroom as well as parents and friends. Then they should display the students work for others to view for some time after the project is over with. Having a main celebration at the end of the year to show a retrospective "year in review" of projects for people to view is always a good way to show how much the students have accomplished all year long.
Reflection is an important piece to our project on food preservation because we want students to remember everything they have done and to be able to see where else they could go with our project.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Reading Reflection 11
A good project continues even after the initial project is done. It should open new doors and could build a future project design. It is important for students to have time to reflect at the end of a project not only for the students, but for ways to improve the project. Michael Mcdowell, a high school teacher says he has a big reflection piece at the end of the project. The students tell him what they could have done better or what can be done to improve on the project.
To "bring the project home" you should first critique your work. At the end of the project it is important to get together with your team of colleagues to discuss the outcomes and to share ideas for improvements. This could be meeting with other teachers at your school, or by communicating across distances through the email or blogs.
Another thing that should be done at the end of the project is to share your insight. Designing a project takes a lot of time and effort and when you have good ideas you should share them for other teachers to use. There are a number of different ways to share your idea including sharing on existing networks such as iEarn, creating a project library, turning your project into an archive on the web, or publishing you project. You could also become a resource for your colleagues. A project could be turned into a professional development opportunity for your colleagues, and help them get into project based learning.
There are contests where you can enter your project into to gain more exposure for your project and can help raise the profile for what you are doing. This is also time for a colleagues to give critical feedback. Most importantly you should enjoy the journey. It was a long road to develop and teach your project.
This relates to our topic of food preservation because it is a good way to end the project. After we give the homeless shelter the canned food we processed students will have time to reflect on their experiences with canning, or how they felt helping others.
To "bring the project home" you should first critique your work. At the end of the project it is important to get together with your team of colleagues to discuss the outcomes and to share ideas for improvements. This could be meeting with other teachers at your school, or by communicating across distances through the email or blogs.
Another thing that should be done at the end of the project is to share your insight. Designing a project takes a lot of time and effort and when you have good ideas you should share them for other teachers to use. There are a number of different ways to share your idea including sharing on existing networks such as iEarn, creating a project library, turning your project into an archive on the web, or publishing you project. You could also become a resource for your colleagues. A project could be turned into a professional development opportunity for your colleagues, and help them get into project based learning.
There are contests where you can enter your project into to gain more exposure for your project and can help raise the profile for what you are doing. This is also time for a colleagues to give critical feedback. Most importantly you should enjoy the journey. It was a long road to develop and teach your project.
This relates to our topic of food preservation because it is a good way to end the project. After we give the homeless shelter the canned food we processed students will have time to reflect on their experiences with canning, or how they felt helping others.
Chapter 11
Projects done by students in a classroom should allow them to capitalize on their investment. The more students invest into a project and the amount of time dedicated to planning the project by the teacher, the more the students will gain from the project. An example of this is the Flat Classroom Project. The students learned how to manage a project and meet deadlines in order for their peers around the world to be able to do their part while they were sleeping in the U.S. The students in both countries understood why working collaboritively is important and according to the teacher, the students were ready to be placed in college and would have no issues on their own.
The students feedback for the teachers is helpful to know what needs to be changed with the project and what worked extremely well with the project. Teachers should critique their own work by looking back through their students work over the course of the project to see how much knowledge they gained from start to finish.
When teachers post their projects to networks such as iEARN, Global SchoolNet or publish their projects, they will be able to get feedback from other teachers to help them learn new ideas and extensions for their projects used in the classroom. Entering your students projects in a contest is a great way to get their work seen by others and to receive critical feedback from teachers that also share the passion for students to work on authentic projects in the classroom.
The most important thing to come out of a collaborative project in the classroom is that the teacher has had a chance to help the students as much as they possibly can. When teachers teach the traditional way, they miss several opportunities to get to know their students. The more collaborative work a teacher can do, the better rapport they gain with their students in their classroom.
This helps reiterate the fact that our collaborative project on food preservation will help our students gain as much knowledge as they possibly can. Every style of learning will be welcome and met with a collaborative project like our food preservation project so no children will be left behind.
The students feedback for the teachers is helpful to know what needs to be changed with the project and what worked extremely well with the project. Teachers should critique their own work by looking back through their students work over the course of the project to see how much knowledge they gained from start to finish.
When teachers post their projects to networks such as iEARN, Global SchoolNet or publish their projects, they will be able to get feedback from other teachers to help them learn new ideas and extensions for their projects used in the classroom. Entering your students projects in a contest is a great way to get their work seen by others and to receive critical feedback from teachers that also share the passion for students to work on authentic projects in the classroom.
The most important thing to come out of a collaborative project in the classroom is that the teacher has had a chance to help the students as much as they possibly can. When teachers teach the traditional way, they miss several opportunities to get to know their students. The more collaborative work a teacher can do, the better rapport they gain with their students in their classroom.
This helps reiterate the fact that our collaborative project on food preservation will help our students gain as much knowledge as they possibly can. Every style of learning will be welcome and met with a collaborative project like our food preservation project so no children will be left behind.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
CH 11 RR
As a result of PBL, many positive things occur. For one, it allows us as teachers to examine our insights into our students. As international teacher Julie Lindsay puts it, "fostering student engagement means encouraging them also to think beyond the set class time...and therefore to be thinking about and constructing thier own reality". It is so important that our students take what they learn and apply it, and then for us as their teacher to watch what worked and what didn't work. From project based learning we also are able to collaborate with other teachers or colleagues. Furthermore, we can share our insights and ideas on a broader scale to get great ideas out, and then to search for different ideas if you have come upon a new idea or topic.
There are a few different ways to "bring the project home". As mentioned earlier, it is very important to make our PBL's real to our students. Once the learning becomes real and authentic, the students are truly motivated to do their best, and then hopefully do additional research on their own. When we hear of students going above and beyond the requirements, as teachers we feel as if we have truly done our jobs right.
One concept in this final chapter that relates to our project is bringing the PBL home. We don't want all of our hard work to go to waste, but to really cement the ideas in our students, and have them be responsible and motivated enough to take it home and expound on it. It is so important that what we are teaching and doing has meaning in our students lives, otherwise it can basically be for naught. By coping with the demands of the 21st century skills, we can use this in our PBL on nutrition/preservatives to keep in mind various tools and resources we can use to be successful, and then meditate on our success and make it even better the next time around.
There are a few different ways to "bring the project home". As mentioned earlier, it is very important to make our PBL's real to our students. Once the learning becomes real and authentic, the students are truly motivated to do their best, and then hopefully do additional research on their own. When we hear of students going above and beyond the requirements, as teachers we feel as if we have truly done our jobs right.
One concept in this final chapter that relates to our project is bringing the PBL home. We don't want all of our hard work to go to waste, but to really cement the ideas in our students, and have them be responsible and motivated enough to take it home and expound on it. It is so important that what we are teaching and doing has meaning in our students lives, otherwise it can basically be for naught. By coping with the demands of the 21st century skills, we can use this in our PBL on nutrition/preservatives to keep in mind various tools and resources we can use to be successful, and then meditate on our success and make it even better the next time around.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Chapter 10 reading reflections
It is important to set time aside for reflection because it helps students to feel good about all of their accomplishments and because reflection helps students remember. When students reflect, they create their own meaning. They need to look at their project from different aspects and from a distance to get to the next learning challenge. Reflection also helps students' project have a personal meaning and to discover the importance of it to them. Students should reflect on the good aspects of their projects as well as the challenges and frustration and they should look at how they overcame those obstacles.
A successful project should set students up for the next cycle of learning. To get students to elaborate on their reflection questions should be asked such as "what are you wondering about next?" or "what do you want to learn next?"Teacher should be asking where students want to go next. It could help develop a project that the teacher would not have thought up on their own.
Schools build tradition and identity a number of ways. For example some schools are known for their sports or a performance such as a symphony. Schools using project based learning should establish a tradition of exemplary project work. To begin, building awareness in other is important. When others know what you are doing you have a foundation for tradition. When the community sees students' accomplishment they will support what you are doing, and they may want to get involved.
There are many ways to celebrate children's work . The school could hold an event, create a blog or have a party. A classroom display is a good way to share students work with others. For longer projects that last the whole school year a year-in-review retrospective could be held. This reminds students of everything that they did throughout the year. This is a part of building a schools identity in project based learning.
This chapter relates to our topic because students will need to reflect on their project. It is important for them to pick out what was important to them in our canning activity and feeding the homeless. It is also important to celebrate students accomplishments.
A successful project should set students up for the next cycle of learning. To get students to elaborate on their reflection questions should be asked such as "what are you wondering about next?" or "what do you want to learn next?"Teacher should be asking where students want to go next. It could help develop a project that the teacher would not have thought up on their own.
Schools build tradition and identity a number of ways. For example some schools are known for their sports or a performance such as a symphony. Schools using project based learning should establish a tradition of exemplary project work. To begin, building awareness in other is important. When others know what you are doing you have a foundation for tradition. When the community sees students' accomplishment they will support what you are doing, and they may want to get involved.
There are many ways to celebrate children's work . The school could hold an event, create a blog or have a party. A classroom display is a good way to share students work with others. For longer projects that last the whole school year a year-in-review retrospective could be held. This reminds students of everything that they did throughout the year. This is a part of building a schools identity in project based learning.
This chapter relates to our topic because students will need to reflect on their project. It is important for them to pick out what was important to them in our canning activity and feeding the homeless. It is also important to celebrate students accomplishments.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
CH 10 RR
It is very important to set aside time for reflection. Not only is it an essential part of learning, but it is essential when students create meaning because it allows the meaning to take shape, especially when viewed from angles not otherwise thought about. When the project draws to a finish, students can reflect on what they learned and how it was personally meaningful and beneficial. A teacher can help facilitate reflection by asking questions such as how specific learning behaviors factored into the success of the project; their skill development; how they changed/improved; how their collaborations improved; how they got better at giving/receiving;how they learned to hold themselves and the team to high standards; if technology skills were used, and if they could apply their technical learning; and if they wanted to know about any other related technologies. Our students should also reflect on their growth and development as a learner, and well as graciously reflecting on how fun the learning journey can be.
There are many reasons for students to reflect and elaborate. When students become more accomplished "project-doers", teachers feel more comfortable putting decisions into their hands. Asking where students want to go is very enlightening for a teacher, because it allows them to really understand what the students want to get out of it. When students elaborate, they embrace challenges and employ skills to delve into the subject. Authentic assessments then help to solidify the information to make it realistic.
Schools need to build tradition and identity. When schools are unique and have a sense of tradition and expectation of excellence, a sense of community is created. The tradition of exemplary project work is formed partly when the students build an awareness for others, and partly when you are transparent in your activities and traditions. When community members notice and value student contributions,, they will give you as the teacher enthusiastic support. For example, the Charles N Fortes Magnet Academy in Rhode Island has a long tradition of focusing on history. Students, parents, and teachers alike feel "honor-bound to uphold the tradition of serving the community" in different ways.
Once a project has finished, it is important to celebrate! When a student spends so much time devoted to a specific project, working on it slowly and in depth, students need a finished project and a reason to celebrate their hard work. Holding a retrospective "Year in Review" is a good way to acknowledge the students consistent hard work all year long by capturing moments throughout and posting them all at the end of the year. Having an "end of project" celebration will be meaningful to students by anchoring memories, and will also help you as the teacher to learn the highlights of projects and how you can improve them in the future based on students' experiences.
This concept definitely connects to our PBL on food preservation. When designing the project, it is important to have a sense of tradition, connecting the students to the rest of the community. It is also very important to allow the students to reflect and elaborate. It helps them to expand their knowledge to the best of their ability, and allows us as teachers to know what was good and what can be improved upon for next time.
There are many reasons for students to reflect and elaborate. When students become more accomplished "project-doers", teachers feel more comfortable putting decisions into their hands. Asking where students want to go is very enlightening for a teacher, because it allows them to really understand what the students want to get out of it. When students elaborate, they embrace challenges and employ skills to delve into the subject. Authentic assessments then help to solidify the information to make it realistic.
Schools need to build tradition and identity. When schools are unique and have a sense of tradition and expectation of excellence, a sense of community is created. The tradition of exemplary project work is formed partly when the students build an awareness for others, and partly when you are transparent in your activities and traditions. When community members notice and value student contributions,, they will give you as the teacher enthusiastic support. For example, the Charles N Fortes Magnet Academy in Rhode Island has a long tradition of focusing on history. Students, parents, and teachers alike feel "honor-bound to uphold the tradition of serving the community" in different ways.
Once a project has finished, it is important to celebrate! When a student spends so much time devoted to a specific project, working on it slowly and in depth, students need a finished project and a reason to celebrate their hard work. Holding a retrospective "Year in Review" is a good way to acknowledge the students consistent hard work all year long by capturing moments throughout and posting them all at the end of the year. Having an "end of project" celebration will be meaningful to students by anchoring memories, and will also help you as the teacher to learn the highlights of projects and how you can improve them in the future based on students' experiences.
This concept definitely connects to our PBL on food preservation. When designing the project, it is important to have a sense of tradition, connecting the students to the rest of the community. It is also very important to allow the students to reflect and elaborate. It helps them to expand their knowledge to the best of their ability, and allows us as teachers to know what was good and what can be improved upon for next time.
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