Reading Reflection #9

Lydia Harpe

3/29/2013

Reading Reflection #9

  

       Not all kids start at the same point coming into the same year; though they may have had the same teachers and been assigned the same homework in previous grades, your students are still coming from different backgrounds and learning styles. As a teacher, it is important to gain a sense of where each individual student is starting and how they can each meet the goals you have prepared. By establishing anchors, you can differentiate instruction so that all students have attainable goals that they can work towards throughout the school year.

       There are several different ways to assess students. Of course most teachers use tests and quizzes to assess students' knowledge, but you can also have honest conversations with students or even encourage them to blog about their learning journey. At the end of the year you might even encourage your students to work collaboratively to create something that embodies all the concepts they have learned through project-based learning.

       This chapter was very short but important: I think that time must be put aside to not only assess students for your own personal satisfaction and critique, but to let your students know that all of their work was not for nothing. I think that the final creation of a dessert cookbook will be a perfect way to assess my students and how they have prepared for this final embodiment of their hard work.

Reflection #9

Amanda Miller
1.A description of a method of prior-knowledge could be to develop rubrics to assess progress toward key learning goals. Also, many of my professors have the class do a prior knowledge test the first day of class and on the last day to compare how much we have learned throughout the semester.
2. It’s important to make sure all students are on the same page. Establishing prior anchors may help the students who many not know much about a topic, become more familiar with the topic at hand. It states in the text, that “anchors, help gain a sense of where students are starting and how far they are going as they work to meet the learning world.” With that being said, this helps all learners be on the same page and become more successful while expanding opportunities.
3. Chapter nine gives plenty of examples on assessing what students learned. Assessing the students project work requires deliberate strategies to take stock not only of what they have created, but also the teamwork, effort, and creativity that went into the project (p 139.)” Also, ask students what they have learned and have students create something new that asks them to summarize what they have learned. A way to model real-world assessment is to “promote critical thinking, and this additional level of assessment is a natural connection (p 144.)”
4. Concepts in this chapter relate to our topic/project because establishing what we already know before doing our project is important. This is important because it is essential for all group members to be on the same page. If someone doesn’t know much about a topic, another group member can help their partners better understand before proceeding with the project.

Reflection #9

Corin Justa

March 29, 2013

Chapter Nine Reflection:

In an ever growing world it is important for teachers to incorporate technology into their classrooms so that students can gain the skills needed to be successful as new ways of learning and teaching are created. It is our jobs as teachers to be able to identify each of our student’s prior understanding so that we can have a basis to start from and understand how to continue on as we build our foundation. The students in your classroom will have been exposed to different levels of technology.  Every student is going to be different, there will be those whom are fully capable and comfortable and then there will be students whom have never worked with certain types of technology before. Doing small activities will help teachers establish each students readiness and help us find out what they do and don’t understand so we can grasp a sense of where we should start on our journey. Establishing anchors helps you gain a sense of where your students are at and helps you create learning goals. Once you assess your classroom, you can think about how you to create a quality learning experience that will reach all of your students needs.

Throughout a project it is important to observe and assess your student’s productivity. Providing rubrics and deadlines helps benefit both the students as well as the teacher as projects go on. With rubric, students know what is expected of them. For each rubric deadline created, the teacher has the opportunity to assess each student’s progress and become aware of whether or not the overall lesson needs to be adjusted in any way to help benefit the students learning experience. It is important to have a basis of assessment to track your student’s progress so that no one gets left behind, and advanced students have the opportunity to learn more. Grading throughout the entire project is beneficial for both teachers and students and helps reach a successful outcome.

This chapter relates to our project and topic by reminding us of the importance of setting deadlines and creating rubrics so that we can wager how a lesson is going and identify if we need to make any changes. Flexibility in lesson is one of the most important jobs of teachers, but more importantly is knowing when lessons need to be changed to benefit the overall learning experience for the classroom. Evaluating student’s prior-knowing, creating rubrics and deadlines, and providing feedback are all key tools to necessary to assess students educational abilities and grow to reach an even greater outcome.

Reading Reflection #8

Lydia Harpe

3/25/2013

                                                       Reading Reflection #8

             Project-based learning is all about expanding your students' horizons; sometimes that means that you as their teacher have to introduce your students to other people who can help them on their journey and better inform them on their topic. There are two different groups of people that can help your classroom on their project-based learning experience: (1) experts on the topic, who normally are adults working in that field or (2) classrooms from other countries or cities who are working on the same topic. 

 

             Students following the EAST Model (Environmental and Spatial Technologies) also use technology extensively to “solve problems and make improvement in their communities” (133). They use sophisticated tools in order to make a difference in their communities from the research and work they do in and out of their classrooms throughout the year.

            Not only can teachers encourage students to interact with experts and to use technology in order to research and work on their projects, they can let students take the initiative throughout this experience. As a result, students will feel more “tied in” to their project and interested in their results as a whole.

         I think that this chapter connects nicely with my project, which is all about kitchen cooking and catering. I am not really an “expert” on desserts, but I think my students would benefit greatly from hearing from cooks and health professionals who are! I look forward to using the ideas from this chapter in my future classroom.

 

                                                                                                                                 Amanda Miller
Reflection #8

1. Some ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom are using digital tools. This makes it easy for students to share their work and exchange ideas with diverse audiences. Another way to branch out in the classroom is to use blogs. The book says that “This helps connect with other content experts, to reflect on their own learning, and to engage in global conversation that would not otherwise take place (p 127.)” It also states that “students can communicate with fellow learners and become more proficient at working in a culturally diverse world (p 127.)” In this case, students become the experts. This has to do with digital age projects.

2. In the text, The EAST Initiative Model is based on four essential ideas.

a. Student driven learning: Student need to be responsible for their own learning

b. Authentic Project Based Learning: Students should be engaged in solving real problems in their communities.
c. Technology as Tools: Students need access to relevant technologies that professionals use to solve real problems.

d. Collaboration: When students collaborate in teams to pursue authentic projects, they accomplish more than any one person can do in isolation.

3. Some reasons to let students “lead” their projects are starting with an idea they care about. In this case, students can come up with their own idea based on what they are passionate about. Creating resources that may benefit other kids may really be beneficial and help other students out.

4. Concepts in this chapter relate to my topic/project because it is extremely important to build connections and branch out in the classroom. I feel my group has a pretty good grasp of these concepts that are talked about in this chapter. We communicate and connect well and have a good understanding of what happens in the class J

Reflection #8

Corin Justa

Chapter Eight Reflection:

As teachers we are always looking for new ideas on how to keep our students engaged while learning and finding things that make their education fun. Some of the ways to build connections and branch out beyond classrooms include reaching out to and sharing the children’s work with a diverse range of audiences. As a tool to motivate students, we can seek family members, peers, local community members and even other teachers and students around the work to look at a students work and reflect on it. Some ways that we do that are through blogs and videos. We can even go further in benefiting our student’s educations by expanding our learning circles and providing our children the opportunity to speak to experts, as well as students in distant countries or continents who are working on the same topics.

            The Environmental and Spatial Technology Imitative Model (EAST) is a network of schools that demonstrates the benefits of using technology for its real purpose of solving problems and making improvement in communities. Using tools that are more commonly found in professional laboratories or design studios, students master the ability to use these technological tools and applications while solving problems that interest them in their community.

            When teaching, it is important to model and guide students to work independently to achieve their own successes. Letting students take the lead in a project allows them the ability to begin charting their own learning path. If teachers encourage their students to take the lead in their own projects, their students will develop a since of pride and accomplishment in the work they are doing and be eager to share the new information with their classmates, providing and engaging and rewarding learning experience for everyone.

            The concepts in this chapter relate to our topic/project by identifying the ways that outside sources can be beneficial to our students learning experience within the classroom. It focuses on the ability to motivate students to learn more and share their new discoveries with others. The chapter talks about how using technology devices such as blogs and videos can be useful in allowing students to publish the information they have learned and have it reflected on my peers and teacher throughout the community, as well as the world. As teachers in an ever growing technological world, it is important for us to be aware of these resources and use them appropriately to provide our students with the ultimate learning experience.

Amanda Miller

EDT 3470

15 March 2013

Reflection #7

1.      The levels of classroom discussions are:

a.       Teacher to teacher

b.      Student to student

c.       Teacher to student

2.      In the book it states that you should, “frame your questions to get at the information that you want to discover, ad use the right tools to help keep projects moving. Procedural: Are we staying on schedule? Do we have the right materials available? When is the best time to schedule a field trip, expert visitor or other activity?” Teamwork: “How are team members getting along? Is one student carrying too much of the load for the whole team? Are students able to manage conflict themselves or do they need my help?” Understanding: “Spend time observing teams at work, listening to student conversations, and asking probing questions. If you see students going way off task or basing their decisions on faulty information, ask questions or suggest resources to redirect them. If you see opportunities for students to go beyond expectations, encourage them to push themselves.” Self-assessment: “Ask questions that encourage self-assessment and reflection. Project journals or blogs offer space for students to describe challenges or frustrations, to ask questions that they may not feel comfortable asking in class, or to share their excitement about a project.”

3.      The benefits to students when optimizing the use of technology is that “with optimum use of technology, you may find students gaining benefits you did not envision at the outset of the project (p 121.)” Students get the opportunity to gain new insights into how to converse with a culturally diverse group of people.

4.      Some 21^st-century skills that may make or break a project is that of which, teamwork is a big factor in project making. If a teacher senses trouble, help students to understand and become aware of their teams conflicts. In the book, it says that, “making teamwork a focus of formal assessment, you help to emphasize the importance of this 21^st-century skill (p 123.)” Evaluation peers could be a great way in trying to get students to work and help put their team. Also, conversation is a huge skill that can either make or break a project. Teachers must build their classroom and have to talk about what is happening while it unfolds.

5.      Concepts in this chapter will relate to our project in this class because it will help up pay close attention to how our group interacts with one another while working as together. Making sure everyone in our group understands and communicates what is going on is essential in this project as well. We cannot just throw something as someone and tell them to go do it. As teachers, we must help and elaborate when we are working as a team.

 

Teamwork makes the DREAM work :)

Reading Reflection #7

Corin Justa

March 15, 2013

EDT 3470

Chapter Seven Reflection:

Teaching is an extraordinary task that takes a ton of patience, time and consideration. It is important that teachers know how to create an appropriate lesson plan, promote it and keep it moving to reach the end with a successful outcome. Classroom discussions, which take place on several levels during project implementation, are very important and helpful throughout a project. Levels of classroom discussions include teacher to teacher, student to student and teacher to student. Each of these levels of discussion is beneficial to both the teacher and the students to keep a project moving successfully in the classroom.

Throughout the duration of a project it is important that the teacher routinely monitor the students work and asks questions to determine how each student is doing. Checking in involves asking questions to follow up on your students progress. Certain question topics that teachers may ask their students about include procedural, teamwork, understanding and self assessment. Each of these topics helps the teacher determine whether a student is meeting the deadlines, understanding the assignments, working well together, and reflecting on their own work. With this information teachers can determine if they need to adjust the overall project in any way to help benefit the class and keep the students engaged in the activities.

Technology has many benefits to helping students grow and learn throughout their education.  The benefits of optimizing technology in the classroom include helping your students reach learning goals, stay organized, expand their horizons, and providing access to other equitable technologies that may be useful. There are many skills that can be used in education. Some twenty-first century skills can have a positive effect while others can have another. The twenty-first century skills that make or break a project include troubleshooting and manage conflict, such as teamwork. It is important to recognize these skills in the classroom and determine how they are affecting student learning.

This chapter relates to our project by illustrating the importance of keeping a project moving. It provides details on ways to observe students as they work, reflect on how the project is going and how to interact with students and other teachers to end with a successful outcome. It is important when doing a big project that student’s stay on task and that teacher’s adjust their lessons when necessary. One of the biggest responsibilities of teachers is being flexible. Being aware of how to keep a project moving and adjusting things when necessary is extremely important in any lesson plan big or small.

 

Reading Reflection #7

                                                                                                                      Lydia Harpe

                                                                                                                     03/15/2013

                                                   Reading Reflection #7

                    There are several different levels of discourse that can occur between the participants in a classroom including: teacher to teacher, student to student, and teacher to student. In a traditional classroom the primary level of conversation is teacher to student, or, more specifically, the teacher to the entire group of students as a whole. However, in classrooms focused on project-based learning there is also an increasing need for student to student collaboration and teacher to teacher peer review and support.

               Part of the importance of teacher to student conversation is checking in on the students as they move through their project and making sure they are on the right track; this can involve asking questions about their procedure, teamwork, understanding, and self-assessment. For example, asking students if they have considered a related topic may lead them to a deeper understanding of the project than they might have reached if they had just worked independently. Teachers should also continually monitor that their students are appropriately using technology to help their research and discovery instead of distract them from it.

              This chapter related to my two lessons I have created on taskstream because of the importance of continual teacher monitoring, support, and feedback. Though it is important to encourage student to student conversations and collaboration, teacher guidance should never be neglected or underestimated. When students use technology to aid their research, they are always going to need teacher monitoring to help them keep on track. As Teacher Anne Davis put it, “You have to build your community of learners, and you have to talk about what's happening while it unfolds” (123).

Reflection #6

Corin Justa

Chapter Six Reflection

Technology tools can encourage students to be reflective and evaluated their own strengths by using such things as blogs which offer students to reflect on what they are learning overtime. Survey tools are also helpful to assist you in identifying the learning characteristics of each student and be able to identify their strengths, weaknesses and interests to better adapt your teaching to reach all students.

Ways in which you can get students’ minds ready for a project include shaking up ideas on what they already know. Arousing curiosity will spark a student’s interest and they will want to learn more. By generating events that grabs students’ attention, teachers can build confidence among their students who will in turn become eager to learn generate more information on a topic.

The elements of teaching fundamentals first include helping students build their skills gradually before taking on a complicated project. It is important to provide students with the necessary information to build and strong foundation before moving forward and onto larger, more complex tasks.

The important steps in preparing students for using technology include setting up a technology playground, finding out each student technical capabilities introduce project management tools and demonstrate. It is important to educate yourself in what your students already know. Those students whom are more advanced in their knowledge of technology may be helpful when assisting other students who lack in the awareness. Once all the students are on the same page, providing tools and demonstration will promote a successful experience for each and every student involved and the teacher as well.

Ways to promote inquiry and deep learning involve guiding students throughout their learning experience. Provide questions and comments that will help expand their thinking and direct them in the direction they should be going. Positive feedback is one of the most important tools when trying to promote a successful experience in the classroom.

Concepts in this chapter relate to our topic by showing how important it is to demonstrate and guide students along while teaching. Project based learning provides students the opportunity to take control of their education. It is important that we understand how to appropriately conduct our lessons and know how to properly engage with students so that they can reach the expectations that we set out for them. Organization, demonstration, reflection, and positive feedback are all important attributes to establish success as our students venture out and use technology to reach their educational goals.

Reflection #6

Amanda Miller

EDT 3470

01 March 2013

Reflection #6

1.      Technology tools can encourage students to be reflective and evaluate their own strengthens by blogging. For example, blogs offer students space where they can reflect over time about what they are learning. Another way that technology tools can encourage students is my profilerPRO which allows you to identify the learning charachterisitcs of an individual and also amount members of a group. The last suggestion is tools such as SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang which allows you to set up online surveys and use the results to track trends and help students see how their self-assessment compares to the larger group.

2.      There are several ways to get students’ minds ready for a project. Some ways are to tap into student’s prior knowledge to see where they are at. Start by getting students attention and giving the idea time to settle in their imaginations. Encourage students to explore and think about the topic, and to discuss their ideas with friends and at the dinner table for several days. Another way is to invite them to open their minds and eyes to the possibilities before digging in.

3.      The elements of teaching fundamentals is to think about teaching prerequisite knowledge or skills students need in order to work with a degree of independence in their investigations. Student must know more about the project topic in order to actually carry it out. Seeing what ideas and prior knowledge the students have before can benefit the whole class or group.

4.      When preparing students for using technology in a project, it depends. Teacher’s needs to think about what tools are best for the job? What do students already know how to do? What will they need to know? Also, setting up a technology playground for the students to get familiar with would be a good idea as well. Tap student’s expertise and introduce project management tools as well as demonstrate. These are all great ideas to get students prepared for a technology project.

5.      This chapter gives a good amount of suggestions in promoting inquiry and deep learning. First, we must choose questions, plan investigations, and begin to put their plan into action. Another key thing to do to promote inquiry and deep learning is to ask questions to make sure that the students are understanding what they are learning. Ask them a series of yes or no as well as open ended.

6.      Concepts in this chapter relate to our topic/project because the above are all amazing points that we, as future teachers should keep in mind in order to make our project successful. I think that using prior knowledge can really help us as well and become engaged and prepared before doing the project could boost our potential too!

Reading Reflection #6

                                                                                                                                      Lydia Harpe

                                                        Reading Reflection #6

          In the past couple of chapters, we have read how important it is that teachers develop appropriate lessons and take advantage of their peers' advice in order to provide a profitable project-based learning experience for their students. Now in this chapter we read about how students also must be prepared and have the proper background knowledge necessary to tackle such a project. The first step in this can be as simple as encouraging your students to use the technology available, such as ProfilerPRO, in order to evaluate themselves and get their minds ready for this process. 

           Students will learn better when they know that their work in the classroom is also impacting their lives in the daily world, so making sure that your students develop a real interest in your project's main idea is key. Teachers should devote a considerable amount of time getting a sense of what students “know about a topic, and also what they wonder” (101). Teachers can do this by having whole group discussions with their students as well as teaching mini-lessons on specific topics or evaluating students one-on-one.

         Because technology is so important in the modern classroom, take some time to explain new skills to your students. Just like setting aside a hotlist of websites that are appropriate for students to browse, taking time to explain the fundamentals and appropriate usage of technology will benefit and guide your students to a better learning experience.

         I could easily relate this chapter to my group's project on designing a healthy dessert cookbook because I could see how important preparing our students would be. If students do not understand rudimentary concepts about researching, using technology, or even the main core of subjects (math, science, language arts) that are learned through this process, they will not understand how to contribute to the cookbook as a whole. I hope to use technology and in-class work to lead my students to a clear understanding of project-based learning.