Reading Reflection 1

          Project-Based Learning is as the name suggests, a way for students to learn while working on projects. During Project-Based Learning children do the work on their own with facilitation from the teacher but no direction. Many skills are learned during PBL and they include teamwork, collaboration, and project management. There are many things you need to keep in mind when starting your journey through PBL. One thing to keep in mind is that we are in the age of technology and in this digital world students lives are very much impacted by technology. When starting PBL teachers should keep in mind that children are up to this challenge because they have the tools necessary to complete the projects. Students live in the real world and therefore their learning should be from the real world as well. Students want to know that the work they are doing matters and that they are making a difference. These projects are worth the effort for teachers to do because you will feel rejuvenated by not doing the same old lessons over and over again. As well new contexts encourage the project approach so there are always opportunities to incorporate projects and technology in the classroom.

            Project-Based Leaning is beneficial to both the teacher and the student. Some of the benefits include that the technology encourages a range of learning styles, the projects are motivating, the projects support self-directed learning, technology projects promote inquiry, the projects are interdisciplinary, and these projects encourage collaborative learning. There are many benefits of project-based learning for both students and teachers. The projects that are chosen are from the centerpiece of the curriculum so they allow the children to learn in a creative way while still staying with the required curriculum. In PBL the students are encouraged to work together to solve real world problems so that they feel important and engaged in their community. We are in the age of technology and integrating it into our classroom assists the students in learning and provide the teachers with a wider range of ways to teach the lessons.

            Students who participate in Project-Based learning are offered many benefits. One benefit is that students develop good communication skills which allow them to break through cultural misunderstandings and find consensus. Students also develop good inquiry skills which fosters a sense of wonderment at the differences in the world. Many students also learn to be flexible with their working hours because they know people are relaying on them to meet deadlines and this allows them to develop the understanding that the world does not revolve around them. Lastly students have the opportunity to witness firsthand how individuals can do something about changing the world.

            Using the project approach will prompt teachers to reconsider some of their previous teaching techniques. One thing to reconsider is your learning goals, teachers have to be able to rethink their expectations for their students. Teachers have to be willing to talk and engage with their students, you have to be able to manage your class while also helping the students to better manage their own progress, teachers have to be willing to reconfigure their classroom to facilitate the class in teamwork and collaboration, you must be willing to reevaluate how you assess the children throughout the year, teachers have to make a decision about what work is worth keeping, and finally teachers have to be able to reconsider how they will communicate with parents and colleagues. Making changes in a classroom takes time and you will continually be a work in progress but many teachers agree that the changes are worthwhile.

            New Technology High is a school designed from the ground up to meet the needs of 21^st century learners. This school has no more than 100 students per grade and the maximum student body is 400 which allows for the students to get to know each other on a personal level. The center of learning at New Technology High are projects that immerse students in real-world learning. Even though technology is everywhere at this school, it is not its only focus. The technology is viewed as a tool in the school which allows the students to collaborate and work together. Another aspect unique to this school is that the teachers are given time and incentives to work together and are able to use assessment tools that allow them to give individualized feedback. Students and teachers are able to share their online projects so that people can get ideas for their own projects. Overall it seems like New Technology High is a model of PBL schools and its education proves that PBL attracts many learners.

Map 1

Reflection 1

Brittney Cox

Chapter 1 Reflection

            Like many, I too was a victim of a boring, textbook-centered high school curriculum.  There were few projects and many hours of tuning out teachers lecturing about a bunch of material that did not connect (or at least I thought did not connect) to my life.  To learn new ideas, concepts, and facts, students must have prior knowledge to connect them to.  “Project-based learning—powered by contemporary technologies—is a strategy certain to turn traditional classrooms upside down (p 11).”  Traditional classrooms need a facelift and technology is the starting spot.

            We all have ideas about what we think works best in our classrooms.  It is important to keep our ego in check no matter how many years we put into our profession.  Teaching is not about us, it is about how successful we can help every one of our students become.  We must speak their language and teach them more than the core curriculum information.  Communication is the singular most important skill we can teach our students.  Chapter one talks a lot about how to use technology as a tool for communication.  Some people may reject technology for many reasons, but I think this is one of those times where we must drop our ego and let go of our insecurities.  Instead of rejecting technology because of insecurities we must embrace the challenge if not for ourselves, for our students.

            I was not aware of all of blog sites there are that embraces education as their main topics.  This is a great way to share ideas and learn from other teachers.  Students could benefit from becoming a part of this “blog world.”  Students need to trust their voices and know that their ideas are valued.  The internet can be a great, nondiscriminatory, vessel for young and old students, to voice their opinions and thoughts without the subjective biases of others. 

            This form of project based teaching is a little daunting to me just because there is so much unknown.  I will use it in my classroom and I am excited to learn how to create lessons that inhabit multilevel thinking.  I am also looking forward to learning new ways to assess my students since this is the most vital thing we do as teachers to ensure a dynamic, flowing, learning environment. 

            Overall this chapter was a quality introduction to the technology world.  Like many classes at Western Michigan University, I do believe this is written for teachers that will teach in economically middle class or higher schools.  I am always a little disappointed in the fact that most books we use exclude the realities of inner cities or classrooms that are not lucky enough to have an abundance of extra technology.  I am hoping we will gain ways to obtain technology for our classrooms that cannot afford it.  Either way I am dedicated to gain the knowledge needed so that one day I can open the world of possibilities up for my students.