New Concept Map

Read and Reflect # 11

Students benefit greatly from Project-Based Learning.  As a result of PBL, students will walk away with knowledge that they will be able to recall for a lifetime, as opposed to studying for a test, taking it, and forgetting all of the information.  Students can also use what they have learned to help them in future projects.  Through PBL students learn time management, project management, how to work with a team, and many other useful aspects that can help them in the real world.

In order to "bring your project home" it is important to capitalize on your investment, critique your work, share your insights, become a resource for your colleagues, enter a contest, and enjoy the journey.  It is important to look back at your project and realize what planning helped to make the project successful.  There may have been certain technological tools that either worked well or not so much, and that can help in planning for future projects.  It is important to share your project with other teachers as they will learn from you.

These concepts apply to our project of creating the living museum because it is our hopes that they will walk away from the project with skills they can use later on in the real world, and also ideas on what they can do when they have other projects to complete.  It is also important that we "bring our project home" rather than just completing it and being done abruptly.

Chapter 11 - Bring It Home

     Looking back at the end of a lesson, using a project-based learning approach has a long list of benefits. But at the end, what you're really looking back at is the experience of working through the project. The end is really a time for reflection - how everything played out, how much the students enjoyed it, what you might do differently next time. Essentially, what you want to come away with after using a PBL approach is a sense that students truly learned something. Using this learning approach is setting students up for success in their futures; the ultimate goal at the end of the project is to have students that know truly know more about the world around them than they did when they started the project.
     As the project comes to a close, it's important to reflect on everything that occurred along the way. While not being too hard on yourself (if using PBL is a first), it is an important step to critique your work; see what areas were successful, what techniques need improvement the next time around, etc. This is also the perfect time to reflect on collaboration that may have occurred with other teachers. While you once bounced ideas off each other when the project was underway, now you can give one another insight into how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Another suggestion is sharing work with other colleagues (or with others in general). This is not only helpful for your own needs, but gives other teachers a point at which to begin their own exploration into project-based learning.
     This chapter gave some wonderful insight into our topic because it gives us an endpoint as the guides in the process. Since we have built the foundation and executed the project, we now know where to go next, what to fix, and even what to expect when we implement these techniques in our future classrooms.

Chapter 10 - Celebrating and Reflecting

     There is importance in making time for reflection. In this fast-paced world, students often lack the time it takes to reflect and review what information they were just given. According to the constructivist theory, this time is an essential part of the learning process, and gives students a chance to look at information at all sides, while simultaneously forming new inquires in their mind and asking questions. This practice, just as with many other steps in the learning process, is basic and needs to be remembered and utilized.
     As students come to be familiar with creating and accomplishing projects, they inadvertently begin to expand their knowledge and thought processes - basically, students are elaborating on information they already knew by learning more and participating in projects. A natural progression of this is that students want to know more. Asking students what they want to know - what questions they still have, what new ideas surfaced, etc. - gives way to deeper and more elaborated learning. Taking time at the end of a project to ask students what they learned and what gaps they'd still like to fill (or even what new avenues of information they have wondered about) is a perfect opportunity to open doors to more projects.
     The identity of schools and the traditions they uphold go hand-in-hand. From anything like a championship football team to award-winning Mathletes, success helps make schools known. It's never too late to put a school on the map for learning excellence - all it takes is one class to start the tradition. Implementing project-based learning early helps set young students up for the expectations that await them in their later school years. When success plays a role for multiple years and generations, notice is always taken. In many disciplines it is said that introducing a concept to children at a young age sets them up to be more proficient throughout their lives; such success in school is no different.
     Along with reflecting on a completed project and being recognized throughout a community for such success, a celebration needs to be a part of the project. The ideas for creating such a celebration are endless, with only one thing to keep in mind: students should be rightly proud of all they've accomplished. Examples such as displaying student work, creating an event where the community gets a chance to view their accomplishments, even praise from parents and family - all of these ideas instill pride in hard work and greater self-esteem.
    This chapter relates to our current project primarily because it gives us an idea of what to plan for as a project comes to a close (much as ours is soon). It reminds us to remember the final steps in project-based learning: reflection, elaboration, and celebration.

Read and reflect #10

Setting aside time for reflection is very important when students complete a project. Setting aside time for reflection helps students reveal things they might not otherwise think about including what they learned (and what they enjoyed about learning), their growth as learners, and what (and how) they want to learn in projects ahead. Students are able to reflect on how the project became personally meaningful. When thinking about reflects is is important to ask students how specific learning behaviors factored into the success of a project and their skill development.

One important factor that helps schools build tradition is building awareness in others. When families, the community, and students coming up through the grades know what you are up to, you have the foundation for tradition. As community members begin to notice and value students' accomplishments they will become enthusiastic and show support. It is helpful to ask community members to participate in learning. This way they can see how your class accomplishments are the results of students' commitments to their own learning.

Creating a celebration for a project can actually be a project in and of itself. Put students in charge of planning the celebration. Celebrating a project can help build the school's identity as a place where kids get to learn through projects.

All of these concepts relate to our project of creating a living museum. I think it would be a great idea to have students plan an event to hold for their parents and members of the community once they have experienced the living museum the students created. Planning the event could be incorporated as part of the project, giving each student an opportunity to plan some aspect of it as they are also creating the living museum. I also think that reflection upon the project could be a part of the event as it would give community members a chance to hear the students' thoughts on the living museum they worked on.

Chapter 9 Reading Response

Having students write a brief summary about what they already know about the topic is a way to gain understanding of a student's prior knowledge. You can also have a student fill out a KWL and can either have the students read them aloud to the class or have them hand it in to you and read them yourselves.

By establishing an anchor, it's easier to gain a sense of where each student is starting in the project and how much work they need to put in in order to reach their learning goals. Since, in a PBL based classroom, you have more opportunities to use different forms of instruction in order to help all types of learners be successful in the project.

One type of assessment that can be utilized is to simply ask the students what they learned. You could even videotape these mini interviews with the students in order to look back on them and see how each child differed. You could have them create something new at the end of the project as a whole as a way to summarize the entire project and what they learned while they were doing it. You could evaluate the work of the students using model real-world assessment, by applying the skills of professionals in a particular discipline.

This chapter was very useful to our project subject. Since our subject is history, it can sometimes be rather difficult to find ways to assess the students. This chapter provided ample examples of ways that we could assess our students in this particularly difficult subject.

Read and Reflect #9

One helpful tool for determining students' prior knowledge is the use of a K-W-L chart.  A K-W-L chart gives the students an opportunity to describe what they already know, what they want to know, and what they learned.  Almost always, not all of the students will be starting with the same knowledge level.  This is also true for what they may learn by completing the project.  Establishing anchors in a project is very important because you are able to gain a sense of where students are starting and how far they are going as they work to meet learning goals.

There are several ways of grading your students in a way that can really gauge what they have learning.  Multiple choice tests are not one of these options.  Some of the ways to assess students include asking students what they learned, having students create something new, model real-world assessment, or entering a contest or submitting their work for publication.  By have students create something new at the end of the project it requires them to go back and recap what they have learned.  This also helps you find out if the student can take what they have learned and apply it in a new context.

These concepts are all very important in creating our group project.  I think the best method of grading the students working on our project is by having them model real-world assessment.  They will be completing all the tasks it requires to create a living museum, and some of them will even be transforming themselves in to characters other than themselves.

Chapter 9: Making Assessment Meaningful

      Students come from a variety of learning backgrounds, with varying degrees of experiences with learning and being taught. In order to delve into students prior understanding of a subject, the KWL (Asking students what they Know, what they Wonder about, and what they want to Learn) approach is very beneficial. This will establish an idea of where students are at in their learning careers and what they can gain from a project. From this point, anchors can be established based on student needs and potential progress in the project. This gives each student a pace that he or she can be comfortable with and still yield the benefits of project-based learning.
     When assessing a student's work and progress, some tool of measurement needs to be established, whether it's a guide for the whole class or based on an individual student (as in an instance of a student with an IEP). A very simple yet effective assessment is asking students: "what did you learn?" This can be asked in a formative assessment, or on a day-to-day basis in a student journal or whole-group discussion as class winds down for the day.
      When projects cross multiple subjects, multiple assessments and grading scales will inevitably need to be part of the overall rubric of the project. This is why a rubric, discussed with the class, is a great way to both assess students and help them assess themselves. Giving students the rubric at the beginning of a project gives them a tool to gauge their own progress, stay on-task, and help them become self sufficient (for example, finding answers to questions on their own). One detail to consider adding to a rubric is dates for assessments throughout the project; this way students have deadlines for certain portions of their projects, and are prepared to focus on what they're learning, what they have done, and what still remains to be completed.
     This chapter relates to our own project primarily because it reiterates the need for regular assessment, both of ourselves and of one another as peers and as students. Tools like formative assessment are becoming more mainstream that summative forms of assessing students, and it's important to practice these tools now so that we can implement them in our future classrooms, and practice being good models of self-sufficiency.

My Movie

Hey girls, just so you know I've done my movie on When was WMU founded.

Chapter 8: Building Connections and Branching Out

     There are some great ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom. One, connecting with experts, is a great resource and should eventually become second nature when student inquires are made. Expanding the learning circle implies not only including other classrooms or the school in aspects of the project, but crossing city, state, even continental borders in order to expand learning. Communicating project findings in the community can mean a plethora of things and details, but can be as simple as addressing an issue within the students' own community. Letting students lead the project can be a daunting idea, but can yield amazing results in student learning, as well as their feelings of self (self-esteem, self-worth, etc.). Another important branching opportunity is to just let some projects run their course; while some projects might have a very obvious endpoint, others might not answer all the questions posed and may lead on for an extended period of time.         
     The Environmental and Spatial Technologies Initiative (or EAST) has been a great advocate for using technology to solve real-world problems and improve communities. Started in 1996, EAST has now grown to reach over 260 schools and communities and has branched to include all ages and grades. The EAST model is made up of four ideas that have remained original since its inception:
1. Student driven learning
2. Authentic project-based learning
3. Technology as a tool
4. Collaboration
This initiative has grown an expanded since its founding, and has not only helped students and communities, but taught teachers a new way of leading their classrooms and aiding education,
     The first idea in the EAST model, student driven learning, requires that students be responsible for their own learning. There are so many benefits to allowing students to take the reins: increased interest, increased responsibility, heightened level of accomplishment, calls to action, etc. The list of benefits far outweighs the list of drawbacks; once you become comfortable with teaching and know that students can handle the responsibility, the anxiety of a student-lead classroom will ebb.
Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project. This chapter on branching out relates to our project because it gives us two points of view: one as a teacher, and one as a student. As a teacher, it's easy to see how these elements can come together in project-based learning, but some of the major concepts listed can seem daunting (student-driven learning, communicating with experts, etc.). On the other hand, through the eyes of a student, it's easy to see how we might be responsible for our own learning and progress, find channels to branch out and apply our project to the community, and so on. When these two points of view are melded together, a picture of how PBL could work in our future classrooms seems a little more realistic.

Read and Reflect #8

It is very important to expand the learning experience beyond the classroom.  Digital tools and technology help tremendously to branch out of the classroom.  Connecting with experts can also be very helpful for students.  Teachers can play a part with setting up a student with an expert that is willing to give their insight in to the topic.  Blogs are also a great way for students to communicate with people outside of the classroom.

The Environmental and Spatial Technologies Initiative model includes a network of schools that have been demonstrating the benefits of using technology for a real purpose - to solve problems and make improvements in their communities.  The EAST model is built on four essential ideas which include:

1. Students driven learning: Students need to be responsible for their own learning.
2. Authentic project-based learning: Students should be engaged in solving real problems in their communities.
3. Technology as tools: Students need access to the relevant technologies that professionals use to solve real problems.
4. Collaboration: When students collaborate in teams to pursue authentic projects, they accomplish more than any one person can do in isolation.

Once teachers feel more comfortable with the PBL approach to learning, they can realize that students can lead their own projects - starting with generating a project idea they care about.  Students are interested in a lot of things and working on a project that has a topic of interest can really expand their thinking as they have the desire to learn more.

In our project of building a living museum, students are communicating with other students from Kalamazoo's sister city all the way in Japan.  They will also be communicating with experts that work in museums to get some ideas.  Students will also be in charge of how they want to set up the museum and mostly leading each other in that aspect.

Reading Response Chapter 7

1. There are three levels of classroom discussion:

1. Teacher to Teacher: Since you are most likely collaborating with other teachers during the course of your project, whether or not they are within your local learning community, chances are you will be communicating with them at least once during the project. If you are working with a teacher in your local learning community, or even within the same school, it is probably possible to find time to bring the two classes together or find one on one time to converse. If you are working with a teacher from another country, it is a good idea to stay in touch electronically, via e-mail or even video chats. 
2. Student to Student: This obviously goes without saying, since this will be a class wide project. Students will need to collaborate with each other and discuss their own findings and even ask each other questions and get feedback.
3. Teacher to Student: In a traditional classroom, the teacher tends to dominate the teacher-student interactions, with a few students asking questions here and there. With project-based learning, however, the teacher acts more as a springboard for their individual research and the teachers have more time to speak to their students one-on-one.

2. The questions that need to be asked students when "checking in" with them, need to be high-order, critical thinking questions that do not have an easy to find answer. If the question is easy to answer, the student will most likely just Google the question the next time they have access to a computer and leave it at that. There would've been no curiosity involved, no research done aside from the initial Google search, and no in depth analysis of the question. Some good questions to ask are: What do you mean by that? What did you try next? Why do you think that happened? Tell me more.... These questions require you to listen in depth to what the student has to say, which is a skill that we want to instill in students as well. There are also several questions in different categories that should be asked while checking in with students. These categories are: Procedural, Teamwork, Understanding, and Self-Assessment. Some Procedural questions include:

• Are we staying on task? 
• Do we have the right materials available?
• When's the best time to schedule a field trip, expert visitor, or other activity?

Teamwork questions include:

• How are the team members getting along?
• Is one student carrying too much of the load for the whole team?
• Are the students able to manage conflict themselves, or do they need my help?

Understanding questions include:

• Have you thought about...?
• Have you considered this research?

Self-Assessment questions are questions that encourage the student to think about the project critically. The textbook didn't provide any examples of these questions. 

3. Technology can be our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. Even now as I'm typing this post, a mere 10 minutes before I have to submit it, I find myself dashing back to Facebook and Skype to check if people messaged me, or I'm grabbing my phone to text my boyfriend. However, when technology is optimized, it can make a multitude of things easier for students, and you may be surprised when you find students gaining benefits that you did not imagine at the start of the project. Case and point: I had no idea with what I could do for my lesson plan that was due in our class ("My topic is history! What type of data could I possibly collect?!"), but after some quick research online, I managed to find an idea that I had not even come up with before, and I used it for my lesson plan. 

4. Teamwork, a 21st century skill that is taught through PBL, can make or break a project. Sure, students might get along at first, but that doesn't mean that conflicts won't arise later in the project. It's always important to watch for any subtle changes between team members attitudes towards one another and see if the team dynamic has shifted too far towards one person. It is common for a lot of students to just push all of the work onto the "smart" kid, in the hopes that they will receive a better grade. 

5. This topic talks a great deal about optimizing technology. Since we have a rather unique topic, it is sometimes hard to come up with ideas for what we could do with our project. But using proper online research techniques and optimizing our use of technology, we should be able to come up with a great final project, with very few bumps along the road. 

Chapter 7 - A Guiding Hand

     The levels of classroom discussions include teacher to teacher, student to student, and teacher to student. The first, teacher to teacher, includes the collaborative effort between teachers to create a project, and all of the dialog that might go along with it. Student to student discussions should primarily involve what they are learning and pertain to the project and unfolding information at hand. This involves their thinking, their opinions, and general conversation. Finally, teacher to student discussions include conversations about the project, learning, opinions, etc. This interaction can also involve lecture-based formats, modelling, one-on-one, and whole group discussion.
     In order to "check-in" on students during the project, certain questions should be asked The theme of these questions could regard questions about procedure, teamwork, understanding, and self-assessment. All of these categories are a means to formatively assess student progress and learning withing the context and process of the project.
     When you optimize the use of technology for students, a project becomes more rich in yield of information and learning. When you set goals for students, try to maintain organization, try to connect the project and students to the broader world around them, etc., technology should be considered and implemented in such a way that students use tools as just that - tools. The primary goal of integrating technology into project-based learning is the furthering of information and learning, not just for the sake of using technology.
     Integrating 21st-century skills is an important focus of project-based learning. Things like time management, troubleshooting, self-assessment skills, and teamwork are all important aspects of this desired skill set. When applying this field of thought, it's vital to encourage students that they're up to the task - for some students, verbalizing these skills plainly may make them seem like attributes destined for people beyond their age and skill level. It's worthwhile to remember that these skills can be taught and instigated exactly as they are defined, without the daunting verbage.
     This chapter give insight for our own project in multiple ways. It is a great reminder that we can formatively assess ourselves as we proceed through our project, and in turn this will help us remember to "check in" with our own students and classrooms. It is also a great reminder that technology should not be a crutch and be used 'just because it's there.' Implementing 21st-century skills into our own project (troubleshooting, teamwork, etc.) is good to be reminded of as we work through our project together and collaborate ideas.

Read and Reflect #7

There are several levels of classroom discussion.  These levels include teacher to teacher, student to student, and teacher to student.  Teachers often work with each other while planning a project, and this should be no different while the students are in the process of completing the project.  This interaction can be face to face, or over a blog or wiki if face to face contact isn't possible.  It is important to remind students of the benefits of communicating with their group members while working on a project.  Students can learn from each other and challenge each other the more they communicate with each other.  Whole group discussions will likely lessen while using project based learning as opposed to having a lecture based class.

There are several types of "checking in" questions that can be asked while completing a project.  Procedural questions focus on really keeping students on track.  You can ask students questions such as "are you staying on schedule?" or "do we have the right materials available?".  Teamwork questions are based on just that, teamwork.  These types of questions give teachers an opportunity to assess team dynamics.  It is also important to give students a safe place to express concerns about team members, such as a journal that nobody else will see.  Understanding questions can be used to see student work in progress.  This will help determine if students are going off task or using faulty information.  This also gives teachers an opportunity to encourage students to push themselves when you see students that may be able to go beyond the expectations.  Self-assessment questions are used to find out what students are thinking about the project.  Project journals or blogs can be helpful as they give students a place to describe struggles or frustrations they may have had when completing the project.

There are several benefits to students of optimizing technology when completing a project.  Some of these benefits include helping students reach learning goals, helping students stay organized, and using technology to expand their horizons by connecting to outside experts or a broader community.

Troubleshooting is a 21st-century skill that can make or break a project.  Students will quickly learn that real-world projects come with real-world challenges.  Teamwork is another 21st-century skill that can make or break a project.  It is important that as a teacher you keep an eye on team dynamics.  When you suspect an issue in a team, it is important to help students learn to manage their own team conflicts.

These concepts relate to our project of creating a living museum.  Students will be working together so it will be important to make sure the teams are working well with each other.  I also found the "checking in" questions to be very helpful.  They seem like something that would help students without giving too much away.

Chapter 6: Project Launch -- Implementation Strategies

    The use of technology in Project-based Learning can help students be reflective and evaluate their own strengths. From the beginning, let students know that you are relying on them to be a gauge of their own progress, their strengths and weaknesses, and what and how their learning. Modeling reflection and self-evaluation for students early and often makes the tasks second-nature in time, and will be an automatic habit for students. Using technology such as blogs (or other online means to create reflection journals) helps students organize and keep track of their thoughts.
     In order to prepare student minds for a project, using a K-W-L activity can direct a mindset and encourage students to really consider what they Know, what they Wonder, and what they want to Learn about a topic or subject. Activities like this get students excited about learning and making inquiries as a teacher introduces an idea, then comes back to it over the course of a few days for just a minute or two. Students become intrigued by the subtle mystery, and soon genuine interest takes root.
    Sometimes, when introducing a new idea or topic to students, it is important to consider what prerequisite skills students might need in order to get the full benefit of learning (as well as avoiding halts in the project). As the project is being structured, it is important to think about what students should already be familiar with in order to grasp the new subject. This ensures that students will jump into the inquiry phase of the project more readily than if they had no prior knowledge of the topic.
     When introducing the technology that you'd like to implement in the project, some prior knowledge is generally important in this area as well (for students and teachers alike). Know what resources are available, what will work most effectively toward the end goal of the project, and what functions the technology will play in the project. If there are students that know more about a particular technology, allow them to help teach others. Again, know what tools students are familiar with, and what might need to be refreshed or introduced before the project begins.
     The goal of any project is that students end the project knowing more than they did previously. Creating a list of primary learning outcomes allows for a checklist of measurable acquired knowledge that guides both students and teachers as it assesses learning. The guiding of students by teachers also helps point students in the right direction. Implementing guiding questions that use what, which, why, should, and how aid students by giving them a place to start when deciphering material.
    This chapter relates to our project because it gives us useful tools for guiding student thinking, as well as our own. Sometimes, even teachers get mentally blocked and don't know what to do next. Once again, this book shows us where to expend energy when it comes to preparing ourselves and our class to tackle a project (i.e., making sure students have the prior knowledge to get the most out of the project).

Read and Reflect #6

Technology can be very helpful for students in many ways.  Blogs offer students a place where they can keep track of and reflect what they are learning over a period of time.  An online survey tool such as ProfilerPRO allows you to identify learning characteristics of individuals and also members of a group.  SurveyMonkey is a website that allows you to set up online surveys.  Students can use these results to track trends and help them see how their self-assessment compares to the larger group.

Some ways to get students' minds ready for a project include getting their attention and giving them time to settle in their imaginations, invite them to open their eyes to the possibilities before digging in, and encouraging students to explore and think about the topic, and to discuss their ideas with friends at at home with family for several days.  It is also important to show students the rubric first, as this will give them an idea of what is expected of them.

As a teacher it is important to think about teaching prerequisite knowledge or skills students need in order to work with a degree of independence.  The point of doing these projects is so that students can take hold of their learning and be in charge, which inevitably will require a bit of prior knowledge on technology and possibly the topic they are doing the project on.

Some important steps in preparing students for technology include:
Set up a technology playground - Think about how you might set up opportunities for students to learn by and among themselves, rather than just giving them direct instructions on how to use a new technology tool.
Tap student expertise - Let students who may be more technically advanced teach other students in the class.
Introduce project-management tools - Project logs or journals can be very helpful for students.  They can use these tools to track what parts of the project they have already completed, and what they have yet to finish.  This can also be a helpful tool for the teacher, because if the student is documenting their progress the teacher can find areas where the student is struggling.
Demonstrate - As a teacher, if you are comfortable with the tools your students will use, then demonstrate their use.
Rely on your technology specialist - If you are not familiar with the tools your students will use, that is why there is a technology specialist, so they can assist.  You can also collaborate with them to match learning objectives with technologies that help students meet them.
One size fits all-or not - A question to ask yourself is "Does everyone need to master this tool or application?"  If the technology will be useful in lifelong learning that answer should be yes.  There are also some tools that not every student needs to master, such as setting up a blog.  There can be designated jobs in running the blog, rather than everyone knowing exactly how to do everything.

There are several ways to promote inquiry and deep learning.  Learning outcomes that all students should understand include:

• There is a relationship between need and opportunity, and between scarcity and abundance
• Money, bartering, and other means of exchange have existed throughout history and across civilizations, and they continue to change
• Modern money has symbolic worth as an exchange medium
• Economics, health, and well-being are related
• Money means different things to different people
• Humans are interdependent

Several of these concepts relate to our project of creating the living museum of Kalamazoo history.  Knowing how to prepare students for technology seems to be extremely important.  Students will continue to use technology throughout their lives, and technology will be changing as they grow up, so it is important to make sure they are prepared.

Podcast

Hey ladies...apparently our podcast was very hard to hear and the music was hardly heard...so we should maybe figure out a time to see if we can edit that.  I will be out of town this weekend but maybe we can work on it a little during class on Monday!

Revised Concept Map

Reading Response-Chapter 5

Before starting a project with your students, or any project really, it's important to know what you need in order for that project to be successful. It is important to know what resources you have already, what resources are available at your school or in your learning community, and what resources are available in your own living community. It is common to go to recycling centers or to find items on sites like Craig's List and find materials needed for the project. It is always important to stay within your budget, teachers are underpaid as it is, no need to spend more money than necessary. Obviously certain aspects that take place during and after the project need to be considered as well, such as assignment due dates, when the project will be finished, and an assessment for the students once the project is over and done with.

Time management is important in any project. A calendar of due dates is both helpful for the students and the teacher, as they know what has been completed, turned in, and what is yet to be done in the project. For projects that are longer, it might be a smart idea to chunk big tasks into smaller and easier to manage tasks. On the calendar it might be a good idea to color code it. For example, mark bigger task due dates in red and smaller task due dates in blue. That way no one gets behind in what needs to be done. Staying organized and on task is a key issue of a project. Some students are better at organizing than others, so it might be a good idea to have at least one of those good organizers in each group, so that way everything will always be accounted for.

Technology can make life so much simpler for everyone involved, when used in the right way. It might be a good idea to put the class due date calendar on Google Calendar, that way it can be accessed when students are at home, and that way the parents know what's going on as well. A blog is another way to keep students and parents up to date on when tasks are due, and parents and students will be able to comment on posts with questions or feedback on certain project aspects.

Our project was something that took great thought because history is not something that is often associated with projects. So, we thought long and hard about what we could teach, how we could teach it, what materials would be needed, and what types of lessons we would teach during the project. We communicate effectively via the blog and e-mail each other if we have questions for one another, which makes our blog more efficient as it is not overrun with personal posts, instead they all have to do with our topic.

Read and Reflect #5

There are several things to consider before starting a project with students.  What materials will be needed for the project?  It is important to look at what you have and what you need, in order to assure you will have all the resources needed to complete the project.  It is important to keep in mind whether or not students will be using technology they are already familiar with or not.  Another thing to keep in mind is if your students will need to access experts to answer questions that may come up while working on a project.  It is also extremely important to plan for assessment so you can monitor students' progress throughout the project.

Teachers' project management needs include:

• tools for communicating with students and others abut the project
• tools for making milestones and events visible and for notifying students when changes occur
• methods for getting resources to students
• systems for managing work products
• structures that support a productive learning environment in which teams and individuals are engaged in a variety of learning tasks at the same time
• assessment tools and strategies

Students' project management needs include:

• systems and tools that help them manage their time and flow of work
• systems that help students manage materials and control work drafts
• collaborative tools
• methods for seeking assistance
• ways to get and use feedback on their work, through self-reflection, team input, and teacher advice
• ways to work iteratively and to see how parts add up to the whole

Some technology-based applications that should be considered for use in a project include a wiki, a blog, Drupal or Textpattern, and personalized web pages.  A wiki is an easily edited Web page.  Students are able to edit and change it from wherever they are.  A wiki is a great tool to use in collaboration and in a team work project.

There are several topics in this chapter that relate to the group project we are doing.  The most important that stood out to me were knowing what resources you have and what you need as well as students' familiarity with technology being used.  It is important to consider how you may acquire resources that you don't already have.  It is also important to consider the technology you will be using as you may need to plan for some extra time spent going over it if the students have never used it before.

Chapter 5: Project Management Strategies for Teachers and Learners

     When starting a project with students, it's important to consider many items that the project will include. All projects will require materials, and knowing what you will need for a project well ahead of time is vital. Decide what you already have that you can use and what resources you can take advantage of in order to get other things (i.e. your community, parents, etc.).  Making a list of resources you will need to utilize is also important. Things such as technology, media specialists, experts in the area of the topic of your project, even places that you might take your class in order to further your project - all of these things should be laid out so that they don't become surprises along the way.
     Technology is a very valuable resource in project-based learning. Knowing how, when, and why you're using it in the context of the project is key. For instance, if you have someone the students might need to talk to in order to answer questions or help fulfill an area of the project, knowing how and when you'll need to communicate with this individual is something better prepared ahead of time. What if this expert lives across the country? Will video chat be appropriate for a Q & A? Keeping a variety of people in mind for these sorts of communications ensures that students will have someone available to answer the questions you cannot.
    Time management is also a main theme to project-based learning. A structure of how you'll help students self-monitor (as well as how you'll monitor the projects' flow through the intended time frame) is important in order to develop to show students the importance of the characteristic and make it a subconscious part of their routine. The organization of the student groups is also part of this overall time management. Knowing when students will work both together and by themselves on tasks should be part of the outline. The flow of the project will be more smooth when students (and teachers) know what is expected of them, and when students are grouped together in such a way that they work well together.
     Assessment is another vital piece of project structure. Assessment allows us to regularly monitor student progress, not only in completion of the project, but how students are understanding the material and what they are taking away from it. Formative assessment allows teachers to assess students' progress throughout the project and therefore fine-tune areas for the whole class and on an individual basis. Allowing both time for assessment, and  using a variety of assessment tools is imperative for allowing accommodations for all students should the need arise.
 
     This chapter really furthers our understanding of project-based learning and applies to our own project because it's sending a message: be prepared; expect the unexpected. When we prepare ourselves for any foreseeable circumstance that might come up in our own projects, we can save ourselves time and headaches when some snafu does cross our path. It seems to be a central part to project planning, but one that could probably be easily overlooked had it not been addressed in this chapter.

Reading Response Chapter 4

1. Common potential project pitfalls are: long on activity, short on learning outcomes, technology layered over traditional practice, trivial thematic units, and overly scripted with many, many steps. Long on activity, short on learning outcomes is where the length of the project exceeds the amount of learning that would be done by the students. Technology layered over traditional practice is just a fancy way of saying "Power Point presentation" and we all know how much students love that phrase. Trivial thematic units involve a common theme in all subjects, like pumpkins or apples in the fall, these are not projects, just lessons with a common theme that don't necessarily provide a new experience to the students. Overly scripted with many, many steps is a difficult pitfall to avoid. As teachers, we want to guide our students, but with project based learning, the reins are handed over to the students when it comes to the learning process. We are here as spring boards and if we provide too many steps, the students will not be able to form their own questions and just follow the steps in order to gain an A on the project.
2. The greatest projects all share common, yet important qualities. These projects:

• are loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths
• are generative, causing students to construct meaning
• center on a driving question or are otherwise structured for inquiry
• capture student interest through complex and compelling real-life or simulated experiences
• are realistic, and therefore cross multiple disciplines
• reach beyond school to involve others
• tap rich data or primary sources
• are structured so students learn with and from each other
• have students working as inquiring experts might
• get at 21st-century skills and literacies, including communication, project management, and technology use
• get at important learning dispositions, including persistence, risk-taking, confidence, resilience, self-reflection, and cooperation
• have students learn by doing 

3. Project ideas are everywhere, and once you find one successful project, that one find can lead you to many other successful projects to implement or even tweak if necessary. A teacher even managed to turn a class disruption into a class inquiry project. As cliche as it sounds, learning opportunities are all around, so it's beneficial if a future teacher keeps their eyes-and minds-open to all possibilities.
4. The steps to designing a project are:

1. Revisit the framework
1. make a final list of learning objectives for core subjects and allied disciplines
2. decide on the specific 21st-century skills you want to address.
3. identify learning dispositions you want to foster, such as persistence and reflection
2. Establish evidence of understanding. Imagine what students would know or be able to do once they have learned. Imagine how they would be different as learners and as people.
3. Plan the "vehicle" (the project theme or challenge). Think: What would students inquire about, do, create? 
4. Plan entree into the project experience.

5. This entire chapter discusses what to avoid with a project. By telling us what pitfalls to avoid, it is easier to know how to create a good final project for our group. It also provides much detail with which we can create a good final project. 

Read and Reflect #4

      Some of the pitfalls that come along with project design may include: long on activity, short on learning outcomes; technology layered over traditional practice; trivial thematic units; overly scripted with many, many steps.  The point of doing these projects is so that kids will get more out of a lesson than they would by reading or during a lecture.  If the student will not learn more by doing the project, it is sort of obsolete.  Having a project with several concrete steps can be less helpful for students, as it can lead them to limited and predictable results.  It is better to have the student try to come up with a plan that will work for them.

      Features of a good project include:
1. Loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths
2. Generative, causing students to construct meaning
3. Center on a driving question or are otherwise structured for inquiry.
4. Capture student interest through complex and compelling real-life or simulated experiences.
5. Are realistic, and therefore cross multiple disciplines.
6. Reach beyond school to involve others.
7. Tap rich data or primary sources.
8. Are structured so students learn with and from each other.
9. Have students working as inquiring experts might.
10. Get at 21st-century skills and literacies, including communication, project management, and technology use.
11. Get at important learning dispositions, including persistence, risk-taking, confidence, resilience, self-reflrection, and cooperation.
12. Have students learn by doing.

      Project ideas can come from many different places.  Some of these include: a tried-and-true project with potential for more meaningful, expressive learning; project plans developed by and for other teachers; news stories; contemporary issues; student questions or interests; a classroom irritant put to educational use; a "mashup" of a great idea and a new tool.

The steps to designing a project include:
1. Revisit the framework.
      -Make a final list of learning objectives for core subjects and allied disciplines.
      -Decide on the specific 21st-century skills you want to address.
      -Identify learning dispositions you want to foster.
2. Establish evidence of understanding.  Imagine what students would know or be able to do once they have learned.
3. Plan the project theme or challenge.  Think about what students would inquire about.
4. Plan entree into the project experience.  What are the first things you might say to get students' attention and build excitement for the learning ahead?

Topics in this chapter relate directly to our project.  We need to know all of these steps included in creating a project, what may go wrong, where we can get ideas, etc.  Essentially we are creating a project for our class that will help them learn in an effective and fun way that they can enjoy.  Knowing the different aspects of creating and designing a project will be very helpful for us as we continue to create our own project.
   

Chapter 4, Strategies for Discovery

     There are many potential pitfalls in project design. The first includes an activity that is very tedious and involved but contains little in the way of learning outcomes. In order to avoid such a situation, simply look at the size of the involvement of the project and what the learning outcome is. The next pitfall is layering technology onto a traditional approach. This means that although technology is implemented, it is not used in such a way that the overall learning experience is not amplified. Simply assigning students to create a Power Point is not implementing project-based learning. Another potential pitfall is not making the most of thematic units. The book provides the example of using apples as a theme in the fall season; the apples could be used in counting, drawing, etc., but this falls short of really becoming cross-disciplinary or giving students real-world examples. Making apples a rich thematic unit might be to have students learn the process of how apples go from the orchard to their tables. One last pitfall would be to over-script a project with too many steps. One of the many points of project-based learning is to get students to be self-starters, think for themselves about what the next step should be, and get curious about the world around them. Giving students too many preemptive steps hinders that curiosity.
     There are many elements that make a project a good one. Some of the features of a good project include:

• the openness for more than one learning path
• generative
• drive students to ask questions
• create curiosity and involve many details to interest students about their world
• contain realistic elements that cross many disciplines
• involve persons outside of school
• rely on rich resources
•  imply work with others to gain results
• students use methodology similar to professionals
• teach 21st century skills
• build important character traits (confidence, risk-taking, cooperation, etc.)
• give students the opportunity to learn by doing.

     Ideas for projects can come from just about any day-to-day experience. This chapter discusses a few directions to look. These include books, blogs and websites, news stories, contemporary issues, student interests or inquiries, common classroom issues and annoyances, or even a jumble of ideas mixed with new technology or tools. Even if the initial inquiry or question is answered by this project, students will more than likely begin to accumulate more questions, giving way to more and more projects.
     The steps to designing a project are as follows:
1. Make sure you've outlined learning objectives, core subjects, and any other disciplines that will be part of the project. This includes the 21st century skills that will be involved, as well as character traits.
2. Create an assessment or means by which you can evaluate how students are learning and if they're taking away the things you wanted them to learn from the project.
3. Think like a student, and try to visualize what that student (or students) might be interested in, want to learn about, or want to ask about a topic. Make sure that you've created enough of the foundation for the project but are still allowing for flexibility should the focus shift slightly.
4. Make a plan for how you'll introduce the idea to students, and how you'll get them excited about it. An introduction to a project that you've worked hard to plan could make or break it - it all comes down to how you can get your students interested.

     I think the main focus of this chapter relates to our class project because it really helped to give me some tips regarding how to plan lessons and projects for our hypothetical classroom. Sometimes it's difficult to really know how to start planning a project rather than just a lesson with some technology thrown into the mix. Recognizing the potential pitfalls before jumping in with both feet help to maintain caution and avoid some serious errors when creating a project.

PenPals Map - Kalamazoo, MI, United States and Sister City Namazu, Japan

View Virtual Penpals in a larger map

This map will be used to track similar weather patterns between Kalamazoo, MI and Numazu, Japan, which is Kalamazoo's sister city. Furthermore we will use this map to compare historical locations of Kalamazoo and Numazu, such as buildings, sites, etc. 

Chapter 3 Reading Response

The "Big Idea" is the core of the project and determining what the "Big Idea" is the first step in a successful project. When making a project, it is important to look at the curriculum standards for the grade you teach and then asking yourself, "What do these add up to?" If you can figure out a common theme or a way to intertwine each of the curriculum objectives, you will be able to come up with a cumulative project, as opposed to projects for each subject on its own. 

A successful project will allow the students to begin to develop 21st-century skills. The projects are there to get them thinking critically, collaborate, and share ideas with their peers. One of the best ways to ensure rigor in a project is to incorporate actions associated with the higher-order categories of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.The higher-order actions are analyze, evaluate, and create. Analyzing would be when the child starts asking questions they personally want to find out, evaluating would be when the child begins to assess their own and each other's work, and create would be when they collaborate to create their final product. 

21st-century literacies go beyond the ability to read and write. Instructional standards, such as the NETS-S, are starting to focus on the behaviors that need to be developed in order to be an accomplished person in 21st-century society. Some 21st-century literacies include Digital-Age Literacy, Inventive Thinking, Effective Communication, and High Productivity. The most basic definition is the ability to understand. Meaning, a successful person in the 21st-century is able to understand all aspects that come with living in the 21st-century. 

This chapter explains much on how to find the key concepts in order to formulate a project. It also focuses on how to make sure that the project you're doing with your students help them develop the 21st-century skills. Since our students will be looking up facts on the Internet, they will already need to be somewhat literate with the technology, the final project will need to be creative so they need to think inventively, not to mention the aspects of the project need to be communicated effectively with one another. Finally, since this is a large project, students won't be able to just sit around. They will actually need to maximize their time in order to create the best final outcome for the project.

Chapter 3, Imagining the Possibilities

     What should be considered the "Big Idea" For a project? Many thoughts come into play. First, what should students learn especially from being in your class? We as teachers have to think about the main foci of what we're teaching and what we want our students to leave our class knowing at the end of the day and the end of the school year. Overarching concepts need to be considered and decided upon, whether it's what will be able to be applied in the real world, how many subjects will be integrated, or whether or not students will really become interested in the topic(s). There are multiple ways to cover these thoughts and ideas, like doing research or collaborating with other teachers.
     Twenty-first century skills are growing exponentially in importance. Looking at a big idea also means looking at the big picture: where will my students be as adults? Will what they learn now benefit them in their future careers? Creating a full-formed and full-bodied project for students involves using Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The objectives range from more traditional instruction all the way to personalized and thoughtful projects:

•  Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create

     By official definitions, "literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts" (UNESCO 2004). In other words, literacy is a full understanding of a subject or an idea. For students, this can be a struggle with traditional teaching methods. Textbooks supply a pre-chosen amount of information, and usually one means to teach it. Using project-based learning gives more students a chance to make learning their own, become self-sufficient and self-starting - all of which are important characteristics for their futures.
     There are eight learning functions essential to project-based learning. The first, ubiquity, utilizes today's technology that students love to get their hands on in such a way that they can learn about anything, anywhere. When learning and gadgets such as Ipads and cell phones are integrated, students no longer see education as something that must be fulfilled.
     The second essential learning function is deep learning. This means going beyond the minimum, the bare bones, the first website they stumble across that gives them a definition; deep learning means creating one's own definition, and understanding what it all means.
     Making things visible and discussable is the next essential learning function. While some students will do well with taking notes and reading, other students need to see a concept, or see it in action, in order to make sense of it. Simply using pictures in a power point or using physical examples to explain a concept can make all the difference.
     Expressing ourselves, sharing ideas, and building community are all vital to becoming united - both online, and in day-to-day interactions. Tools like blogs, video chat, and social media are all ways to connect via technology.
     Collaborating (teaching and learning with others) is an important learning function to model and encourage in students. From the start in integrating projects, a sense of collaboration ensues, and students (and teachers) need to learn to work together. Using video chat and wikis are great ways of collaborating.
     Research is at the heart of all projects. With the Web, knowing what's truth and what's made up can be difficult. Search engines that provide filtering, online libraries, and citation engines are all ways to clarify and weed out all the excess and the falsehoods.
     Project management, including planning and organization, are number seven on the essential learning functions list. Especially when beginning project-styled learning, students need help defining and refining time management, their group (and individual) work, how to sort through sources for facts, drafting their writing, even managing feedback from their peers and teachers. Sites like Desire2Learn and Moodle are great resources for organization for students.
    Lastly, reflection and iteration are the wrap-up. This gives students a chance to deepen their learning, looking at their final products from all sides and reflecting on what they learned. Tools such as blogs or journals can help outline struggles and learning experiences throughout the project and give the student a chance to see what hurdles they faced, what they enjoyed, and what they can put into their next project.
     This chapter really put into focus the kind of mindset needed for our own group and our projects. The essential learning functions are a great tool to have to make sure we're getting the most out of our work. The focus on our 'big idea' also made me think about what we want to learn as we lengthen this blog, what we can take from this course into our future classrooms, and what questions to ask ourselves as we get stuck or start to veer in the wrong directions.

Penpals map

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DYkmMkLHKmBGj0UqMwF7CUna3D5s_tTEziN8tTL3ihQ/editThe map will be used to track similar weather patterns between Kalamazoo, MI and Numazu, Japan, which is Kalamazoo's sister city. Furthermore we will use this map to compare historical locations of Kalamazoo and Numazu.

Virtual Penpals document

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DYkmMkLHKmBGj0UqMwF7CUna3D5s_tTEziN8tTL3ihQ/edit

Web Evals

These are the sights I used in my web evals.

http://www.kpl.gov/local-history/general/native-americans.aspx
http://www.kalamazoomi.com/hisf.htm 

http://www.michigan.org/blog/region/how-did-michigan-cities-get-their-names-part-3/ 

Web Eval

Just to let you girls know these are the websites I used for my Web Eval:

http://www.kalamazoomuseum.org/

http://www.swmidirectory.org/History_of_Kalamazoo_County.html

http://www.migenweb.org/kalamazoo/history.htm

Reading Reflection #3

      When thinking of a big idea for a project we as teachers need to consider what it is that we want our students to walk away with from completing a project.  It is important to understand why certain concepts are relevant and important for students to learn.  It is also important to keep in mind how the big idea can be related to real life situations.  Having a big ideas can provide an opportunity to collaborate with fellow teachers and also for teachers themselves to learn some new skills and information.

      There are three categories of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives that are very relevant to project-based learning.  These three categories are Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.  These three categories are considered to be higher-order thinking skills, which give students more of a challenge when trying to achieve through a project.  These words can be used in instruction to students on what they should be doing as a part of their project.

      21st-Century literacies are crucial for students to have in order to be living in a 21st-Century world. Essentially, the literacies come down to learning to be independent, aware, and productive citizens.  This is where PBL projects become helpful for students, as they provide real world experiences which in turn help students develop these 21st-Century literacies.  Teachers should collaborate with specialists in their school when planning lessons and projects that direct students toward developing 21st-Century literacies.  

      There are eight essential learning functions including 1. Ubiquity: Learning inside and outside the classroom, and all the time, 2. Deep learning, 3. Making things visible and discussable, 4. Expressing ourselves, sharing ideas, building community, 5. Collaboration - teaching and learning with others, 6. Research, 7. Project management: Planning and organization, 8. Reflection and iteration.  Ubiquity essentially addresses students abilities to learn anywhere and everywhere.  Teachers can provide students with mobile learning tools in order to help them achieve this.  Deep learning addresses the issue of trying to steer students away from "filtered" information on the Internet, and more towards information that they have to go through and decipher on their own, such as historical documents.  Making things visible and discussable can be helpful for students.  Many times if a student can visualize something it will help them to better understand it, and visible objects such as photos serve as a means of conversation starting.  The fourth learning function talks about how students can use the Internet  as a way to express their ideas.  One way of accomplishing this would be an interactive blog.  Collaboration involves working with other people, whether it be in person, over the phone or over the Internet.  Research is very important.  Students can get caught up in a lot of useless information while researching.  It is important that they find a way to filter through and find relevant information.  Project management is really a great tool to have throughout life.  Project management includes being able to manage time, sources, and parts of projects for the final product.  Reflection and iteration is important for students.  For students to be able to reflect on their work is essential because it gives them an opportunity to see where improvements could be made in the future.

      Many of these topics pertain to our semester long project.  We are essentially created a project based off of a big idea that will have several components to it.  When creating our lesson for the students we need to keep all the essential learning functions in mind, and not only for the lesson we are planning but for us as a group.  One of the learning functions that really pertains to our group is project management.  There are many aspects of this project which means it needs to be organized and taken care of.

Chapter 2 Reading Reflection

     Learning communities focus mainly on the idea of colleague collaboration. The beauty of learning communities is that they do not have to take place in the school where one teaches. Members of any given learning community can be from all corners of the globe. 

     Learning communities are a way to get project ideas out in the open and to get feedback on them, from a wider variety of people. Teachers are removed from their comfort zone (i.e. their classroom) and are able to obtain this vast knowledge from other teachers that they are collaborating with. Through this collaboration they can share teaching techniques, project ideas, and even critique a colleague's project and offer advice on how it could be improved. It breaks away from the normal isolation that comes with the profession and allows teachers to socialize with others with similar interests and ideas in regards to teaching students. It can make teaching more rewarding by knowing there are others with the same goals, interests, and ideas as you. 

    Learning communities take time and effort. It's not something that just happens overnight, and those involved have to be one hundred percent committed. The main focus of a learning community is to learn, which completely flips the role of a teacher, which is to teach. If a person is not willing to learn and be open to new ideas, chances are, that particular learning community will not be as successful and will not be able to gain much out of the experience. The willingness of learning from the teachers can greatly impact their students. If their teacher doesn't want to do it, why should they? It's all a form of mentality. Every member, teacher and student, of the learning community must be willing to give it a chance. 

     Shared vision is the concept of people being attracted to those with similar view points and ideas. People are more willing to work together when they know that their ideas won't be questioned harshly or be shot down outright. The members of the learning community must be able to agree on a single idea in order for it to be a success for all involved. 

     Our topic (local history) is affected greatly by the concept of the learning community. The three of us have to learn to collaborate and be open to every idea, and while they might not all be used, we have to at least be open to the possibility or be able to see the merit of the idea. As long as we communicate thoroughly with one another, our ideas will get across, and no one should feel as though they did not get a chance to be heard. 

     

Chapter 2 - Creating a Professional Learning Community

     The focus of learning communities lies primarily in collaboration amongst teachers in order to create a new and positive learning experience for students and teachers alike. Learning communities lean away from a traditional teaching environment in which a teacher is isolated to his or her classroom, and encourage teachers to work together, provide feedback, and develop new and more effective ways of teaching. The overall goal is to help students learn in the best ways possible.
     The benefits of learning communities are vast. Not only are teachers pulled from the isolation of a classroom (as in a traditional setting), but teachers can socialize and brainstorm ideas with one another. Students benefit from more specialized and revised lesson planning when teachers can use experience, opinion, and insight to fuel their lesson planning. A sense of shared responsibility amongst faculty can ignite a new or rekindled passion for teaching and seeing students succeed. From just a few initial benefits of this sense of community, positive outcomes can accumulate for both students and teachers.
     There are some potential bumps in the road for learning communities. When teachers collaborate and use the same ideas, the assignments for students are similar; if students across grades and classrooms are working on the same material, cheating and copying can occur. It's important to pay close attention to student assignments and look for these patterns to avoid these kind of habits. The most important outcome of learning communities for students is that they receive the best instruction with the best absorption of knowledge. 
       In order for shared vision to be a part of learning communities, some amount of agreement must be in place amongst peer teachers. A project will flow best when all teachers have a shared interest in it, and all criteria are being met for the students (Standards, curriculum guidelines, etc.). It's best to maintain as much objectivity as possible and make sure that feedback is well meant and well accepted in order for learning communities to maintain focus and positive energy.
     This chapter related to our topic (local history) primarily because we are working as a group to create a project. In order to work together, we must provide each other feedback and accept each others' opinions. As a overall focus, we need to maintain our goal of creating a project that will inspire us to use the tools we are learning now to do the same for our future students.

Reading Reflection #2

The focus of Learning Communities is very important and beneficial for students and teachers both.  Learning communities offer teachers an opportunity to collaborate and brainstorm with their colleagues.  This, in turn, benefits the students.  It is important to give students the most effective learning experience they can have, and learning communities really make this happen.

There are numerous benefits to learning communities.  When teachers have the opportunity to work together, it is possible that they can create higher quality lesson plans which will create better learning for the students.  Two brains are always better than one, and it is possible that one teacher could have a productive suggestion or creative twist to add on to a lesson plan.  A few other benefits are decreased teacher isolation, shared responsibility, and more powerful learning.

Learning communities can have an affect on teachers in several ways.  Teachers need to become less isolated and be ok to taking constructive criticism.  It is very important in a learning community that teachers actively participate in team work in a positive way.  Communication between teachers is extremely important in a learning community.  If there is no effective communication then the community will not be successful.  Teachers also need to be organized as they will be collaboration with other teachers and not just working with themselves.

Successful learning communities can have a huge impact on students.  Because teachers are working together to create better lesson plans, students receive a better quality education.  One of the main, and largest focuses of learning communities is student learning.  The biggest goal is to make sure students are learning in the most effective way possible.

It is important to have a shared vision with the fellow teachers that you are working with.  If that is not there, most likely there will be clashes of idea and thoughts which will lead to unproductive collaboration.  It is important that members of the learning community focus on student learning, are goal and results oriented, collaborate with each other, and commit themselves to continuous improvement.  Without these components it is likely that the learning community will not be successful.

Being in this class is essentially being in a learning community.  Having group work throughout the whole semester acts as our community.  Taking all of the aspects talked about into mind is very important in order to be successful in our group work.  Collaboration and having an open mind to other peoples’ suggestions and ideas is extremely important.

Concept Map of Local History Project

Reading Reflection #1

Project Based Learning(PBL) is a style of teaching that is starting to appear more and more.  PBL is a much different style of teaching and learning than what takes place in the traditional classroom.  One thing to keep in mind while starting PBL is that students are up for the challenge.  Students are capable of much more than anyone can expect as long as they are given the tools and resources needed.  Another thing to keep in mind is that PBL will require more planning and work on the teachers’ behalf.  Despite this, it is worth the effort by the teacher because of how much the students get out of it.

Through the use of PBL, teachers and students benefit greatly.  While the teacher does have a lot to do with the planning of the lesson, they are also learning as well.  Rather than the teacher standing in the front of the classroom reciting information to students, it is the students that gather information in order to learn.  Many activities will involve real life situations that students can use and apply to their lives outside of the classroom.  Another benefit is that teachers often collaborate with other teachers from across the globe giving students and opportunity to interact with other students in different cultures.

Students who participate in PBL are really gaining a plethora of skills that they can use for the rest of their lives.  Students will be actively working within groups during PBL which will give them teamwork skills.  Technology is also often incorporated in PBL, which gives students exposure on how to use technology and the internet as an efficient  resource.  While working in groups students also learn the importance of meeting a deadline because other students in their group will be counting on them.

Many people are apprehensive of change and may question whether or no what you are doing is worth all the time and trouble.  It is important to prove to these skeptics why it is important and how it will greatly benefit the students.  It is very likely that some lessons may also take some time and tweaking in order to be successful.  It is important not to get discouraged and keep putting in the effort, because it will be worth it.

New Technology High is a school that was built specifically for the use of the PBL curriculum style.  In this school, text books are few and far between.  Rather, students rely on technology.  New Technology High is a small school, with no more than 100 students per grade.  This is extremely helpful as teachers really have a great opportunity to get to know their students.  Teacher collaboration is also a large part of New Technology High.  It is important to have plans and lessons looked over by colleagues because they can provide feedback to help improve what you already have.

Overall, PBL is a great way of learning for students that hopefully will start showing up more and more in schools.

Reading Response 1: Introduction; Chapter 1

     Project-based learning (PBL) is a relatively new concept that is still not incorporated in every school. It is a very collaborative process and is very difficult to manage on ones own; many times teachers need input from their colleagues in regards to a project that they want their class to partake in. Throughout the majority of the process, the teacher is often the spring-board for more questions regarding specific projects the students are putting together, as opposed to a teacher standing at the front of the class and dishing out facts to be memorized for a text only to be forgotten within two or three days.
     PBL incorporates new technologies in schools and educates people in how to use these new technologies with efficiency. While technology is not the key point of PBL, the two are carefully intertwined with one another, as the use of technology does make the use of PBL as a teaching method much easier to navigate.
     PBL allows students to work in the real world. They are encouraged to work cooperatively in teams, research concepts and new ideas that will assist with their projects, think critically, and use new technology as a tool to aid in that research. This is how it is set up in the "adult world" in which we all live. We all must learn to work collaboratively and use technology as effectively and efficiently as possible in order to just get through every day life. PBL starts this key aspect of the real world early when used as a teaching method in elementary schools.
     PBL is not a perfect method, and it takes time to work out the kinks. A teacher must always consider if the project they have in mind is too difficult for the class, or even too easy. If the project is too difficult, it runs the risk of frustrating the students, which could end up in them disliking the use of PBL as a teaching method, or of school in general. If a project is too easy, the students might end up getting bored with the project, which may make them think the teacher is just slacking off and giving them projects to keep them occupied during class. The planning of the project takes a great deal of time and collaboration, with colleagues in the school the teacher works in, and even teachers from other countries (depending on the type of project). Even by the end of it, the teacher often asks input on his or her plan, and in the end, it still might have some major flaws that need to be worked out before it can be presented to the students for them to work on.
     The New Technology model works best when implemented in a school with smaller class sizes, generally roughly 100 students per grade. This minimizes class sizes which means more one-on-one with the teacher for discussions regarding the project, which maximizes the students' opportunities to learn. It emphasizes on the fact that technology is everywhere, even in places we do not really think about anymore, because those objects have become so mundane to us, and teaches students how to use the technology efficiently. Often times the finished projects are put onto a website for the entire world to see. Which means that the project could be used again by a teacher in Singapore or Australia. And since a large majority of this is done via Internet, the teacher can easily track their students' progress and even provide feedback on the project at different points in the process.

Introduction, Chapter 1 : "Mapping the Jouney - Seeing the Big Picture"

  As we begin the journey toward implementing Project Based Learning (PBL), some things to keep in mind vary from being patient with the process to acknowledging that feelings may be mixed toward the approach to learning. PBL begins as a learning experience and trial and error, and continues throughout the implementation. Despite being the educator to develop the project, effort may be required on our part to let go of the reins and trust students to know how to guide themselves through the learning process and become self-sufficient with the technology. It is also important to remember that technology is not the focus of PBL, but rather the tool in the memorable learning experience for both students and educators alike. Lastly, it is important for us to remember that although technology plays a very large role in society, not all minds will be open to joining it with the educational experience.
     Some benefits of PBL to be considered primarily consist of the wealth of knowledge and understanding it gives to students and teachers alike. As it prepares students for futures and careers that could potentially include any combinations of technology, teachers can also benefit and learn from PBL by simply adding it to their curriculum and dissecting what it means to teach in a project-based manner. By using this method, teachers become guides rather than the end-all be-all font of information for students. Students that struggle in a more traditional classroom setting may see improved grades and grasp of concepts with this more hands-on approach. Both students and faculty gain better social skills with their peers and in group settings as they work through the project, or even developing and fine-tuning the project (for teachers). The benefits of PBL are not only for students, but for the endless learning process we will encounter as instructors as well.
     Some issues may need to be considered with this learning approach. One concern is the adverse reactions that might come from parents or faculty peers, who might see this new method of learning as inappropriate for students and classrooms. The extensive work that needs to be put into creating a technology-fueled project might be off-putting to some teachers, while parents might only see the negatives of such resources as the internet (think video games and Facebook). Although technology is a big part of our lives, another worry is that the myriad tools we might think to employ might not necessarily be available to every student at all times.
     The New Technology High School in California is a great example of how PBL works for students. Meeting concern of local businesses about the requirements on the 21st century workforce, New Technology High began using a critical thinking, collaborative curriculum that included technology as a tool for problem solving and meeting those expectations. A lottery-chosen, small enrollment environment allows for more personalization amongst both students and teachers and more time for learning. Projects become the greatest focus of the curriculum, and mimic real-world situations and potential demands on students in their future careers. While technology is a cornerstone of the new technology method, it is merely a tool and not a focus of the projects. Teachers work together (and are given the time and resources to do so) to develop and fine-tune projects and curricula. Overall, learning is vital, and camaraderie is a positive outcome of this project based learning process for both teachers and students alike.