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.