Chapters 6 & 7

Chapter 6

When reading the chapters in the book, I often times think back on when I was a student in middle and high school. I guess it works cause blogs are about reflection and I tend to reflect alot on my experiences as a student since I haven't actually taught students yet.

In reading Chapter 6, I definitely understood why its important to peak the interest of the students before beginning projects. We want the students to want to learn as they are completing the projects, as well as enjoy doing them. In high school, we did science projects for the science fair. Instead of giving us topics to do projects on, the teacher allowed us to complete a project on whatever we were interested in. It was good method, in a way, because it allowed us as students to explore what we already had an interest in. However, you always have those students that just aren't interested, so they do something simple like "Does alcohol have the same affect on baking soda as vinegar?" However, I was deeply interested in DNA Fingerprinting because it was something we had just studied and it amazed me. I went to my teacher for some supplies and I did more research online for the project. I created a crime scene with leftover "DNA" and used the DNA to determine who had committed the crime. I won first place at the Science Fair, and I was really pleased because I had learned more about a topic that interested me and could share with others.

This is how we, as teachers, should want our students to feel. Before we introduce the project, we should build up their interest and eagerness to learn more about the subject. It's like the students from "The Magic School Bus". Ms. Frizzle would ask questions to get the students to ask questions and increase their curiosity. Just when the students were at the brink of their curiosity, they'd go on a field trip to learn and mostly problem solve their way out of situations. We should create that same sense of curiosity and eagerness for our students to want to learn and complete projects.

Chapter 7

This chapter was mainly about how to keep a project going and/or how to keep the students engaged and involved in the project. A section that I had to read and re-read was that of "Questions for Inquiry". It took me a minute, but I had to understand what types of questions to ask and how to ask higher-order questions. All too often, teachers ask simple questions that only allow students to recall information. We should ask them questions that make them scratch their heads and think a little longer. This will lead them to ask questions that they can answer themselves while completing the project. However, as teachers, we need to make sure that their questions do not cause them to go in a direction we didn't intend for them to go. Their questions should inevitably lead them to the learning goal.

During the projects, we must also monitor the students. If projects are completed in different groups, we must make sure that the students are getting along, each student is carrying their own weight, and the project is going int he intended direction. We must keep in mind that even though these projects are handled by the students, we aren't supppose to just leave them out to dry. We will need to be around to help with troubleshooting and managing conflict. When our students are stuck, or even scared, we should be their to help guide them until they can get going again. I generally liked the example given in the chapter about a teacher from Georgia named Anne Davis. She realized something was wrong with her students and immediately seeked a resolution that would help them continue with the project.

These chapters were very enlightening and brought up many good points and ideas on how to get our students started and help progress our students through projects.

Reflection: Chapter 3, 4, 5

Chapter 3

The Big Idea... Hmmm.... I had to ponder on this idea for a while.  Since deciding to pursue the math field, I still feel that technology can and will still play a huge role in my classroom.  I guess that would be my big idea, to incorporate technology in my math classes.  In using the project-based learning, my students will be able to do mathematical projects using software like Excel and Maple Lab 2.0.  In doing this, it shows that I agree with the statement that "project learning, like real life, gets messy and overlaps multiple disciplines.  It's in this overlapping space where great projects are born."  Because the projects my students do in math class will overlap into their business education classes (in using technology), and more than likely it will overlap into other disciplines, depending on what the project requires.

Chapter 4

In this chapter, the first section discusses overcoming pitfalls of project based learning.  Some pitfalls listed are:  Long on activity but short on learning outcomes, Technology layered over traditional practice, Trivial thematic units, and projects being overly scripted with many, many steps.  I haven't encountered any of the pitfalls mentioned in this chapter yet, mainly because I'm not yet a teacher.  However, looking back at when I was in grade school, I remember how some of the projects we did had these pitfalls.  What's kind of bothersome though, is that teachers may still be creating projects that have these pitfalls, thus hindering the student from actually learning all they can from the project.

This chapter also discussed "optimal ambiguity" in which teachers make the projects both structured yet flexible.  This is a great idea and the perfect example is a project I recently had to do in my Web Design class.  The project was structured in that we had to do certain sessions and tutorials that would aid us in creating actual webpages.  The sessions were all online and were accompanied by video tutorials, practice labs, and pre- and post- tests.  However, the project was also flexible in that we could complete the sessions in any order we wanted and was alloted a certain amount of time to have the sessions completed.  Even after the deadline of completing the sessions, we were still able to use the tutorials as help in designing our webpages.  This project was both structured and flexible and I actually learned a great deal about creating a webpage.  I think students will be very responsive to "optimal ambiguity" in their projects.

Chapter 5

This chapter discusses project management strategies for teachers and learners.  I don't have any students as of yet, but I think that students will need to build their skills in ALL areas.  However, I believe time-management and communication would be the top two.  Most students are very savvy when it comes to technology and can come up with ways to collaborate, troubleshoot and utilize resources.  However, when it comes to communicating ideas and making time to collaborate and utilize resources, I believe they really need that help, especially since students seem to become increasingly involved with activities inside and outside of the school.  (I know this based on incoming applications I processed in the admissions office on campus.)  

Module 1 Reflection

In reading the chapters, I had this huge desire to want to make my classes different from those I had experienced in High School and College.  In all honesty, I don't remember having an extremely boring class in high school (except for that one history class), unless there was a substitute.  I thoroughly enjoyed all of my classes and teachers.  However, I want the students in my class to not only enjoy the class, but take something away from it.  I want them to actively engage in the class and learn and apply the lesson to their lives.  This is part of the motivation for me taking this "trip" and wanting to consider new approaches for teaching and learning.  

The students today are in no way close to being the same students I and my classmates were.  And they are even farther away from when their own parents were students.  The same teaching style that was popular twenty years ago, or even ten years ago, will not work for the students of the present.  It's imperative that I learn different teaching approaches and network with other teachers to discover new ideas.  

I am very interested in the project based learning approach.  I don't remember having many project centered lessons in High School, but I do remember having them in college.  They were very unique, yet sometimes exhausting.  However, to this day, I remember what all of my projects were about and how they each related to real life.  Students should have projects that make them think critically in terms of real life.  

I'm looking forward to reading more of this book and learning what else can become of project based learning.

First Blog for TSTM 720

Wow! I haven't been here in a while. Just creating my first blog so I can get this class underway. Looking forward to learning about Excel and Access.