Shelly Henderson - EDT 3470 - Reading Reflection #9

Understanding your students’ prior knowledge is important when beginning a PBL project.  You need to know where they are each starting in terms of what they bring to the class.  Everyone will likely come with a different set of skills and have varying ideas about the subject.  A great way to find out about your students’ prior knowledge is to do an activity like a K-W-L chart, a small group or whole class brainstorming, or some sort of pre-assessment.  Completing an “anchor” activity like these will help you see where your students are starting and how far they will need to go to meet the learning goals you have set for them.  I think it is good for students to see where they began as they finish their projects.  It can be rewarding to see your own personal growth along the way.  Also, establishing anchors will help you, the teacher, provide learning opportunities for all your students and will help you help all learners to be successful.  We have learned how important it is to have milestones set up along the way in a PBL project to help with assessment, and I think an anchor activity would provide a solid beginning for each student. 

In your classroom, it is important to pick your assessments carefully.  You want to be sure you are successfully assessing the learning and looking at whether the learning goals you established for your students were met.  Using rubrics that you develop according to the goals is a great idea.  This way, students can see so much more than just a letter grade.  When creating a rubric, collaborating with your students is even better.  They get much more meaningful feedback this way.  Online grade books also are a great tool for assessing.  These help teachers communicate with students and parents so everyone can see what is going on all along the way.  Good conversations can happen when the data is readily available.  Being able to measure student understanding goes beyond the traditional tests that we have all suffered through.  As a teacher, it is important that you set up assessments that truly reflect what learning happens, what learning goals were met, and what the student’s level of understanding is.  Your assessments should be meaningful!

This chapter encouraged me to think about my project and look at where I would assess along the way.  I thought about what I would do at the end for assessment so that I can get a good idea of what the level of understanding was compared to what it was at the beginning.  Also, I thought about what I could do at the beginning to gauge where my students are in terms of prior knowledge.  I think I have more work to do in the overall outline of my project and need to look more closely at how and when I assess.

Reading Reflection 9

One method of understanding students’ prior knowledge is to do some type of activity that you can use to determine how much a students has learned either inside another classroom or out in the world. One activity that you can do with your students to get their prior knowledge is K-W-L which stands for know, want to know and what you learned. This will show you not only how much they already but what they have some ideas about and what they do not. 

The importance of establishing anchors for a project is to have a sense of a starting point for students and how far that they have to work in order to meet their learning goal. It is important to realize that each student will have different anchors, for example one student who may be dyslexic needs to have an anchor of taking maybe 2 hours to type a paper where as a general ed student may take thirty minutes to type the paper. 

One way to asses your students on what they learned during projects is to have the students create a comic book where they use specific quotes and descriptions from a specific book they are reading. Another is having your students create their own book using specific idioms that they had been blogging about, then have the students share these books with one another. One other way to asses your students is have them put together a portfolio about what they are learning and explain to them that experts in these fields will be looking over their portfolios. Then have the experts help you grade them and give the students feedback on how they could improve. The last example in this book is to enter the students work for publication. This will encourage the students to do a better job, therefore making their stories reflect more of what they learned. 

One way that I am going to use these concepts in my project is to have the students fill out a K-W-L explaining what they already know about weather, some different things that they want to know and when finished have the students share what they actually learned from the project. Another concept I am going to use is the different ways to asses students on what they learned. I am going to asses the students based on their weather channel, which will include things that they learned like how to tell temperature/predict the temperature, how to give the report itself and how to read a weather map. 

Reading Reflection 8

There are many ways that teachers can build connections with others outside of their own classroom or school. One way is to make a video blog for students to connect with outside writers, artists, and lots of other jobs that people have. You can also use wikis, podcasts, and Skype for real life conversations. 

The EAST Initiative Model is Environmental and Spatial Technologies. Schools have been demonstrating EAST to show the benefits of using technology for real like purposes, like solving problems and make improvements in our communities. EAST students use commonly found technologies in professional laboratories and design studios and master how to use these tools and use them to solve common problems. The EAST model is built on four ideas, students are responsible for their own learning, students are to be engaged in solving real problems, students need access to the relevant technologies that professionals use to solve real problems, and students will collaborate in teams to pursue authentic project. 

As teachers we should allow students to lead because students will actually take an interest in their projects and want to be involved with what is happening. Students will want to change their communities with their projects especially if students think that their ideas will affect something important.

I am going to use this within my project because I am going to allow the students to lead their own groups. I am also going to have the students connect with other students across the world which will the students branch out outside of the classroom. 

Shelly Henderson - EDT 3470 - Reading Reflection #8

PBL activities are a great motivation for students to reach beyond their classroom, even their school.  Students are able to use digital tools to connect both to an authentic audience and with experts out in the field.  When students engage in real-world projects that connect them with others, they approach their work differently than they would just doing a report for their teacher.  They are more apt to take their audience into consideration, knowing that their work will be read, watched, listened to, and commented on.  Beyond connecting with an audience, students are able to connect with an expert.  They can take their questions to the source and benefit greatly from another’s experience.  The connection benefits the expert too, which is great!  Also, students can connect with other learners.  They can work on global projects, projects with other classes in their school, or even with an older student that can take on the role of mentor.  It is our job as teachers to keep a list of experts and foster such relationships.  Teachers can tap into their students’ parents, prior classes, and even members of their school community.  We should not be afraid to ask for help!

The EAST Initiative Model is a wonderful example of students putting technology to work for them as they solve problems and make improvements to their communities.  They use “sophisticated” tools to solve community problems that are of interest to them.  Over two hundred students are involved in the Initiative and come from several states, ranging in age from second grade to post-secondary.  The initiative started with a teacher who wanted to engage students who were not typically successful in a traditional school setting.  It was realized that what he had in place could be replicated and implemented in other schools too.  The model was formalized and remains built on four essential ideas:  students need to be responsible for their own learning, students should be engaged in solving real community issues, students must have access to relevant technologies that mirror what professionals use, and students will work collaboratively to accomplish more than what they could do individually.  In order for the Initiative to broaden its scope, training is critical.  When teachers join, they become facilitators and must learn to let their students take the lead.  On-going professional development is offered at training facilities and is given by experienced educators.  Teachers are given the opportunity to bring their questions, discuss what is going on in their classrooms, be supported and interact with peers.  EAST Initiative Model participants are able to share their projects at an annual conference.  Teachers and partners of the Initiative can see firsthand what the students accomplish.

Letting students take the lead on their projects can be a scary thing.  I think teachers worry about what direction their students might head, how to maintain classroom management, and how to assess along the way.  Though letting them lead might be scary, I can’t think of a better way to get students engaged.  If they want to follow an idea that reflects something they are passionate about, the advantages are great!  When students take the lead they are taking ownership of their learning, they are more likely to push themselves, and are likely to get more involved.  They experience learning in a more real-world way that will encourage them to be life-long learners.   When a teacher has a classroom of engaged learners, behavioral issues are fewer, discussions are stronger, collaboration is more automatic, and students are simply happier to be there.  I think it is a win-win!

In this chapter, I was reminded about the importance of having a list of resources to tap in to.  Being able to readily connect my students with experts will benefit them greatly.  I think parents are willing to help and would welcome a request from a teacher.  I was also reminded that it is okay to let my students take the lead.  That is scary at times, but I see more clearly how beneficial that would be.  We need to trust our students and believe that they are capable of great things.  We can provide the framework and offer the support, they can take the lead.  I would have loved to have had more opportunities for that when I was in school!

digital story

Hi Stephanie!  Hope you're having a good week!  I wanted to let you know that I am going to do my digital story on tornado safety.  See you Wednesday!  :O) Shelly

Shelly Henderson - EDT 3470 - Reading Reflection #7

   Throughout your PBL projects, classroom discussions should take place on different levels.  First, there should definitely be “teacher to teacher” discussions.  These conversations are very important to the success of your students’ projects, especially if you are team-teaching.  If you can’t have face-to-face conversations, try using a blog, wiki, Google docs, or something else that you have set up.  It is important for teachers to support each other as well as their students.  Second, “student to student” conversations will also take place.  They should be talking to their team members as well as to other students in their class. These conversations will allow them to help each other, learn from each other and support each other.  Thirdly, “teacher to student” conversations should be happening as well.  These conversations are not simply done in lecture format; they are also done with each team and individual student.  Like teacher to teacher talks, conversing teacher to student can and should be done along the way and can be held through the use of technology.  It is ok to use the lecture format under certain circumstances, especially if you need to teach a new skill to the whole group.  Regardless of the type of conversation, it is important to be a good listener and to ask questions that keep your students moving along with their projects and pushes them to higher-level thinking.  It is important to ask such questions with regularity.  This should happen at all times, be it when you are conversing with one student, a small group, or the whole class.  Your questions should encourage them to take on the role of the expert. 

   During the course of your students’ PBL projects, you will need to check in with them and see where they are and learn where you might need to make some adjustments to your overall plan.  You will need to ask procedural questions that will tell you how they are progressing towards milestones, how their progress compares to the project calendar, and help you monitor their journals and lists.  You will also need to ask questions about their team and its dynamics.  You will need to assess how everyone is getting along, if one person is carrying the load for everyone else, if there has been conflict that needs to be resolved, etc.  A good way to do this is through the use of a journal, blog, personal surveys, etc.  It is important to provide them a safe place to reflect on their team and share with you.  Also, you will need to observe your teams at work, ask probing questions, and be prepared to possibly redirect them and move them along.  Good questioning will also help you discover what they are thinking about the project, what they are discovering along the way, and help them with some self-assessment.  Again, doing this through the use of a journal or blog will encourage them to discuss things they might not be comfortable sharing with the whole class.  Be open.
   In order to move your students along with their PBL projects, it is crucial that you have chosen technology that is helping them not hindering them.  Think about whether or not the technology is helping them reach their learning goals.  Is it leading them astray or keeping them focused?   Are they caught up in the meat of their ending presentation or in only making it look good?  Look at whether or not the technology is helping them stay organized and on top of things.  Are they able to communicate regularly with each other?  Are they tracking their progress and milestones?  Also, look at the technology and whether or not it is helping them connect to a larger community.  Are they able to extend their research?  Are you able to keep their parents informed and in touch with what their students are doing?  In addition, you need to make sure your students all have access to the technology you have chosen.  Ask yourself if they have ready access to what they need.  Do they need more time in the computer lab at school?  Everyone involved will benefit from optimum use of technology; there may even be benefits that surprise you.
   PBL projects provide numerous opportunities for students to learn and use 21^st-century skills.  These skills introduce students to real-world situations and all the challenges that come with them.  Being able to troubleshoot (or not being able to) can make or break a project.  Students must learn that it is okay to go through a challenge and figure out how to get back on track.  Students must also learn how to work as a team. Teamwork is another skill that is crucial to the success of a project.  Students need to learn how to manage their own team conflicts and work for the greater good.  You can incorporate things like a team contract, peer evaluation, etc. that will help students look at each other objectively and look at themselves and what they have to offer.  Learning these skills will only help them as they continue on with their education and enter the real-world.
  I think this chapter is full of good tips to help teachers keep their students moving.  It reminds us that the focus should be on the students and their learning.   It is important to ask probing questions, have good conversations where we are listening as much if not more than talking, and have things in place to help us be available for them individually and collectively.  The thing that stuck out to me the most from this chapter was the reminder that using the appropriate technology is so important.  I think it would be easy to get wrapped up in all the bells and whistles that technology offers and forget to look at what it can bring to the project in terms of learning.  

Reading Reflection 7

The first classroom level discussion is teacher to teacher. This is when teachers converse with each other on how the students are doing with main points of the projects, where each classroom is in within the project, and how you think there is some improvements can be made within the project. The second is student to student conferences. This is when the students will converse with each on how they are coming along with the project and where they were supposed to be at. As a teacher you should be looking over the conversations to make sure that they are all on the correct track and having good conversations. The last conversation is between teacher and students. This should be circulating, observing and talking with smaller groups of students and having them discuss their projects with you and how you can improve. 

Procedural is the first questions of how are we staying on schedule, do we have the right materials, and when is the best time to have a field trip or visitor? It is good to have these questions figured out and make sure the students have a project calendar before beginning the project. Teamwork has questions like how are the teams getting along, is one student carrying a lot of the work, are the students able to manage the work between themselves? Some ways to get the answers to these questions is to have  give them a journal where students are able to safely give their opinions on their group mates and their progress. Understanding is asking questions like how you thought about or have you considered this research. These questions are for students who seem to be getting off track or are stuck on ideas within their project. Self-assessment is for students to be able to express their feelings for the project and how they think the project is going. 

Students gain insight into how to communicate with a culturally diverse audience from having exchange podcasts and other forms of communication with other foreign countries. 

The 21st century skills that can make or break a project is teamwork. By making teamwork a formal assessment, you emphasize the importance of the 21st century skill. We need to encourage self-assessment and peer-assessment so students learn how to be part of team, 

I am going to these skills in my assignment by having the students work in groups for their weather broadcast and how they work within a group. I also am going to have teacher to teacher conferences, student to teacher conference and student to student conference. 

Reading Reflection 5

Technology tools can encourage students to be reflective and evaluate their own strengths because blogs offer students space where they can reflect over time about what they are learning. ProfilerPRO can help identify interests, strengths, and weaknesses and use this as a guide for learning. You can see how much the students improve and see their new skills and understandings. Other tools such as SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang will allow you to set up surveys and see students self-assessments compared to the larger group. 

Some ways to get students’ minds ready for a project is to encourage students to explore and think about the topic and discuss their ideas with their peers or family. Get the students really excited for the project. Find different ways to get them excited throughout the week by giving them little hints but not telling them exactly what is going on. This will get the students imagination going as to what the surprise will be. By having a good kickoff the students will be more excited and eager to learn. 

Teaching fundamentals first helps make sure students are on the right path as soon as they start their project. This also allows students to realize everything that they know about the topic and everything that they want to know about the topic. Sharing the rubric is also a very important part so the students know what to expect throughout their project. 

The first step that you have to do is figure out exactly what type of technology and tools that you are going to need for the project. Teachers then should set up a “technology playground”. This allows students to figure out how to actually use the technology before it is important for their project, it allows gives students a chance to help each other learn new things about the tools. Another way to prepare children with technology is to have a check list that checks off that they are on task with the tools that they are using. Lastly have yourself or a media specialist demonstrate how to use the tools. 

Ways to promote deep learning within students projects is to know there is a relationship between need and opportunity, and between scarcity and abundance. Ask students “which one” questions and “how questions”. Students need to be asked “what if” questions and “why” questions to help understand the effect that we have on people. 

I will use this in my project because I will ask students why they think the weather will be what they predicted. I will have the children help each other with the use of thermometers and rain gauge and have demonstrate how to use it before they begin the project. 

Shelly Henderson - EDT 3470 - Reading Reflection #6

Technology tools can help and encourage students to assess themselves, their strengths and their progress.  They can keep a journal of sorts through the use of a blog or some sort of document where they can record their thinking and their learning processes as they go along.  You, the teacher, can set up surveys that they can take at points during the project that will not only help them but also give you some insight into what is going on.  It is important for students to see where they came from, where they ended up and how they got there.

I think getting students’ minds ready for a project could be really fun!  I love the ideas in the textbook where the teachers created a mystery of sorts by presenting artifacts or asked thought-provoking questions without giving much information.  You could also use stories or articles to get students thinking about a topic.  You can even tap into some technology resources to help introduce your topic.  I think giving them just a taste every day and building up their curiosity is a great way to go.  You might even be surprised by what they think or even by what they discover along the way.  It might bring a new perspective to what you were thinking about the project.  Go with their enthusiasm!

Teaching fundamentals first is very important.  When planning a project you don’t want to simply throw the instructions to the students and let them go.  If you teach the fundamentals first, they will head in the right direction with confidence and then be better able to work independent of you along the way.  You don’t want them getting bogged down figuring something out that you could teach them.  Also, it is very helpful to give students an assessment rubric so they know what good performance looks like and what you value.  Give them what they need to move along smoothly and continue with the big picture of your project and they will be more successful.

Preparing students to use technology in a project requires some attention.  As we learned earlier in the book and were reminded of here, technology should not be the project itself, but rather the means by which the project gets done.  Look over your asset map that you created early in your planning process and line those resources up next to what you feel the most important learning functions are.  Then, figure out what the best tools for the job are and think about your students using them.  Think about how they can learn new technology by themselves or by helping each other.  Use technology-advanced students to teach other students. Setting up computer stations and moving students through them in pairs or small groups is a great way to do this.  Be sure to help your students track their progress by showing them some project-management tools where they can journal and keep on top of what they have accomplished.  Also, demonstrate technology to your students if you are able and comfortable.  If you’re not, ask for help from another teacher, a tech-smart student, or your technology specialist.   Think about what technology will really be beneficial for your students to know in the long run and what technology will be useful for the project and teach that. 

Promoting inquiry and deep learning can be done by guiding your students toward skilled questioning.  Help them imagine what the experts would ask or what they would do.  Use question starters like “which one”, “how”, “what if”, “should”, and “why”.  These will help your students to think on a deeper level and look at things differently.  There is so much information out there for students to look at and sift through.  It can be pretty overwhelming.  They need to learn how to assess information with a critical eye and then how to evaluate how much it is worth.  You can help younger students with this process by giving them fewer sources to look at.  You can then give older students richer sites and databases to explore.  After that, students can tap into search engines from which they can get good results.  Beyond that, students could be introduced to the “Big6” which is “an entire information literacy problem-solving approach.” 

The information in this chapter is good to have for planning a PBL project.  It is important to consider how you introduce the project to your students, how you plan for the use of technology, and work towards deeper learning.  I liked reading about different ways of getting students interested and to “buy in” to a project.  I learned more about using technology and that it is necessary to make decisions about what and how much students need to learn.  After reading this chapter, I would like to figure out a way to incorporate more reflection and self-assessment in my project.  I think my students and I would both benefit.