Reading Reflection 11

While using Project-Based Learning it is important to reflect on the journey.  During the Project-Based Learning experience you learn a new set of skills that will help you learning.  One of these is technology, as learners now realize that technology is a very effective way to learn new things.  It is also important to realize what did not go well during the project so that you can improve your learning in the future.  Project-Based learning is also an effective way for the teacher to see how engaged students get during certain situations.  This form of learning provides even more ways for students to get involved, if they do not do it may be something educators should address.
One of the major parts of bringing the project home is sharing the projects with others.  Students can do this by sharing their projects with classmates.  Another effective way of sharing their findings is to place what their projects on the internet for others to see.
The topics discussed relate to our experiences because it is important for us to reflect on what we have learned during our projects.  It also relates to our project in the way we are bringing the project home, as it is an assignment of ours to create the website.  The website allows us to share the knowledge we learned by placing what we learned on the internet and sharing the material to our fellow classmates.

Last Reflection!

1. As a result to project based learning the teacher and the students will feel like they have "been somewhere" together. Good project don't lead to a dead end. The end of this project should lead into another project that you can do with your students. Many teachers make sure to end a project with a reflection. This helps teachers to plan future projects. Take this time to find ways you can improve your projects for future students. Make you sure keep things that worked well for you. 2. As well as ending a project with reflection there are others ways you can "bring a project home". You can also talk to your colleagues and critique your work. Colleagues can be a great resource because your able to come together and share ideas. You have to be open to critique and understand that you are helping each other. Another thing you can do is share your insights. Tell other colleagues about things that worked really well for you. This is a great chance for you to create an online resource for your school. Find ways that teachers can see each others lesson plans. Teachers can enter their lesson plans into contest and be able to put there best work forward. 3. This relate to our project because we are bringing our project to an end. We are putting all of our work onto one page. We are bringing everything together. As we finish our project we are looking at things that we did at the beginning of the semester. Its cool to look at everything we have done with this project. I like how we were able to break our project up into three sections. We were each able to become experts in our area.

Reflection #10

1. It is important to set aside time to reflect because this is the last step to completing a project. Students think about why the project was important to them. Students can talk about the different learning behaviors and how they helped them through the project. When students reflect on their work it gives them time to think about different ways they can do things different next time. Students can also talk about different obstacles that they over came. The last thing you want to do is asked the students to reflect on the positive things they did during the project. 2. Students need to reflect and elaborate. Students need to decide what they want to learn about next. As students become better at doing projects, it is important to put more responsibility in their learning. Students should be able to work on something they are passionate about. This can lead a more ambitious project. 3. As a teacher you can create a tradition for a certain project you do every year with your students. Younger students will hear about the project and be excited for their chance. It is important to involve your community as much as possible. This may include your own community of learners as well as their families. Community helps are a great way of getting people involved and in your classroom. 4. It is important to celebrate a project as well. Arrange for some type of celebration for the students, this could include things like a party, putting on an event, and showing off students work. Another way you could celebrate student projects is by hosting a big event at the end of the year. The work would include several projects each student worked on through out the year. Don't forget to include a reflection piece to learn ways to do things different next time. 5. Concepts in this chapter relate to our project because we are at the end of the semester. This is when we are tying everything together and finishing the project. The end of the semester is a celebration for us!

Reading Reflection 9

One of the most common ways of understanding students prior knowledge is KWL charts.  It is important to know where the students are in terms of what they know about the project before it begins.  It is not likely that all students are starting the project having the same knowledge, therefore it is important to establish anchors in the classroom.
Establishing anchors allows the teacher to gain a sense of what the student's knowledge is at the beginning of the project.  The anchors also allow teachers to know how far students are going to meet there learning goals.  In a project-based classroom it is important to use anchors to differentiate instruction and help all learners be successful.
There are three main ways that teachers can ask students what they learn.  The first one is create something new.  In this example the teacher may ask the students to create something that summarizes the main ideas that they learned during their project.  The next example for teachers would be modeling a real-world assessment.  In this example students apply the skills of professionals to their project.  Some examples of professionals the students could use would be historians, journalists, scientists, and engineers.  This way of assessing students will allow teachers to know that the students are getting ready for the world outside of the classroom.  The third example of assessing students are their project is entering a contest or submitting your publication.  In this example students will submit a part of their project that they are proud of.  This form of assessing students can be motivating for students who may be ready for a real-world assessment.
One of the ways that these subjects relates to our project is the creating something new part of assessment.  At the end of the semester we need to create something new.  This may be considered a form of creating something new that the teacher could later use to see what we have learned.  Another way that these topics relate to our project is the since of the teacher trying to figure out how much knowledge we have on something before we learn it.  Our teacher often asks if we have used a certain form of technology before we must do part of our project using it.

Reflection #9

1. There are multiple ways of understanding students prior knowledge. One way is a KWL chart this can be useful for teachers to learn what students already know, they can also use the "want to know" column to adjust their lesson plan to the students interests. You can also take the boring way and give them a pre-quiz. These are useless to me but many people use them. You can figure out what students already know about a subject, these are not graded and students tend to blow them off since they wont be getting graded. Another thing you can do is have a discussion about an upcoming project. A discussion can sometimes get off topic but students enjoy talking. 2. By establishing anchors you gain a sense of where student are starting and how far they are going. In a project based classroom you expat the opportunities to differentiate instruction and help learners become successful. 3. Ways students can be assessed: - Using rubrics helps students stay on task and focused. - A teacher points out that having children lose points for being late is inappropriate. You lose a lot of meaningful data because you marked them down for being late. - Having deep conversations with students lets you know if they know what they are talking about. -Giving tests, this is self explanatory. 4. For our storyboard we have to discuss a way that students can be assessed for this project. This chapter gives us multiple ways that we can assess students. If let us know that we don't have to go to the standardized testing that multiple teachers use. We can think outside the box and come up with unique ways to assess students.

Reflection 8

Building connections and branching out are a very important part of many 21 century projects.  The use of digital tools make it easier for the students to share their work with people outside of the classroom.  This might include family members, peers, local community members, and some of the world outside of that.  Connecting with experts is a very effective way for students to brand out.  An example of this would be students from around the world being able to watch an expert speak via a video.

EAST stands for Environmental and Spatial Technologies Initiative.  This is a network of schools that have been showing the benefits of using technology to make improvements in their communities.  EAST students are allowed to choose the problems that interest them.  An example of a project that EAST students have completed would be the use of GPS, and other forms of technology, to map the trails of Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.

After the students have completed a few projects they may be ready to lead their own projects.  This may be as they are now know what is expected to be completed with this projects.  Students may also be able to lead if they are better at certain ways of learning.  The book used an example of a person with dyslexia.  The person hated to read, but enjoyed blogging as it was easier for him.  Students will also work harder on a project that they are more passionate about.

In this class we are given the privilege to lead our own project. Outside of telling us what types of technology that we need to use, there is not much that we are forced to do.  I feel a great deal of the students in class are having an easier time completing their projects.  Students at EAST are able to complete projects that have a subject that interests them.  We also were given the choice of what topic we wanted to pick.

Reflection #8

1. Digital tools make it easy for students to share their work and exchange ideas with diverse audiences, including family members and peers, and even the community and its leaders. If students know other people will be watching and reading their work it can become a powerful motivator for students to put forth their best work and take time to form ideas. Technology offers students numerous ways to branch outside of the classroom, it connects students to a world they are not used to. 2. EAST stands for Environmental and Spatial Technologies. Their purpose of using technology is to solve problems and make improvements within their own community. The EAST model is built on four essential ideas. Student- driven work, this means students are responsible for their own work. Authentic project- based learning, this means students should be engaged in real problems. Technology as tools, this means students need access to technology that the professionals use. Collaboration, this means students work together to find their solutions. As a teacher in a EAST classroom you have to be able to be very supportive with your students. They need to know that they can trust you to be their supporting them. 3. As teachers get further into their lessons they begin to realize that many students are good at leading their own projects. They become independent in knowing what to expect from their teacher. It is important for students to be interested in what they are doing. It is okay for students to find a reason to do a project and go with it. Sometimes it isn't the material we learn that teaches us best, sometimes its the process we had to go through to get to where we are. 4. This relates to our project because it is important to remember the key ideas in this chapter. Letting students find their interests can be something very valuable to themselves. They need to feel that independence and the confidence. Supporting students in whatever they do is something I strive for. I am every student to feel comfortable coming to me and knowing I value their education. I want them to know I am here for them, and only them. I want to be able to connect with every student that comes through my door, and leave an imprint in their brain about me. The related to our project because we are using technology in many ways that allows us to reach diverse audiences. We are having our students branch out and find resources that they can use in their future studies.

Reading Reflection 7

There are three levels of classroom discussion.  The first level is teacher to teacher.  Teacher to teacher likely involves procedure.  An example of this would be what the plan tomorrow would be, or asking who would lead an activity.  The second level of classroom discussion is student to student.  Students should be discussing what they are learning during the process of the project.  This should occur between students in their own group, as well as students in other groups.  The third level is teacher to student.  Lecture should not dominate teacher to student interactions in a project based classroom.  However, there are times that it will be important to address all of the students.  This may occur when it is important to teach a skill that is important for the students to use while working on their projects.
There are four different types of questions teachers should ask the students when they are "checking in" on the progress of their project.  One type of question is procedural. Procedural involves asking the students if they are staying on schedule, or if they have the right materials available.  The next type of question would be about teamwork.  The teacher should ask the students if they are getting along with everyone else in their group, or if one student is carrying too much of the load than the rest of group.  Another type of question the teacher should ask is about understanding.  Teachers should make sure students are understanding the information they are learning during the project.  the last type of question is about self assessment.  The teacher should ask what the students are thinking about in terms of their project.  This will provide a form of self assessment for students that are participating in the project.
Teachers should be asking students questions about optimizing the use of technology during their project.  One example of this would be asking the students if technology is helping them reach their learning goals, or is it making them go off track.  Another example of a question the teacher should ask would be if technology is helping students stay organized.  Are the students using tools that will help them stay organized?  The next example would be asking the students if the use of technology is helping them connect to outside experts that have great knowledge of their subject topic.  The last example would be asking the students if they have access to the technologies that they need.
One of the 21st century skills that can make or break a project would be managing conflict.  Managing conflict can be done if a group has teamwork.  It is important to pay attention at the beginning of the project to make sure that the students have good teamwork.  This will help prevent major conflict among the group.  Teamwork is a real life skill that will benefit them for years to come.
A great amount of topics in this chapter relate to our project.  The topic that relates to our group the most is discussion.  Discussion is very important when it comes to our project.  It is very important to know what each group member is working on at all times so that we are all on the same page.  An example of this would be the assignments we have that we are not allowed to do the same topic.  Without discussion it is a great possibility that two of us in our group may end up doing the same topic for that particular assignment.

Reflection #7

1. There are three levels to classroom discussion. The first one is teacher to teacher. Teacher collaboration is very important when creating a project. Teacher may work together to talk about procedural ideas as well as how they can work together to create an assessment tool. The second level of classroom discussion is student to student. Students should be talking about their learning experience as they are learning. Remind students that communicating between each other will help them learn from each other. As a teacher it is important for you to listen in on student conversations. Model for your students the correct way to give effective feedback. The last level of classroom discussion is teacher to student. To me, it is most important to have a strong connection between the teacher and the student. In project based learning you really only once whole classroom discussions when introducing a subject, making an announcement or to wrap up a section of the project. It is more important that you have personal conversations with students to grasp how they feel about a project. 2. It is important to look at 4 areas when checking in with students: procedural, teamwork, understanding, and self assessment. Procedural just means they have all the basic things they need, such as are your students staying on tasks. It is important that students can work together in an effective way to make sure they are learning from each other. This may include asking students to write a reflective piece on working in their specific groups. 3. Students should be using appropriate technology for certain projects. Things to consider when thinking of the correct technology is questions like, is this helping the student learn or are they getting off task? Is the technology helping students stay organized? Are students using the technology to gain knowledge? Do all students have access to the technology they need? 4. The book talked about technology giving students a chance to relate to real life problems. The idea of using technology gives the students a chance to mess up and learn from their mistakes. The book said "In the traditional classroom, there's no room to fail. It's errorless learning". However, I do not agree with this statement. When I was in elementary school we didn't do hardly any activities on computers, or using technology at all. There were many chances that I had to mess up and still be able to learn from my mistakes. 5. The reason this chapter relates to our project is because I am having a hard time adjusting to the fact that technology is used in everything we do. I am a very traditional person and don't plan on using a lot of technology in the classroom. This relates to me personally because of this struggle. I also think this chapter relates to our project because we are three people working together to create a lesson plan.

Reading Reflection #6

One way technology can help students be reflective and evaluate their own strengths is how well they have done with forms of technology in the past.  Students may then realize they need to improve more in some areas than in others.  Teachers could also have students who are good with technology use certain forms of technology that will allow them to help their classmates.  It is possible that there could be stations where a student who is good at that form of technology would be located to help other students.
When getting students ready for a project it is important to introduce project-management tools.  An example of this would a project log or journal.  These examples allow students to track their progress toward their goals.  Many teachers use KWL charts to get students minds ready for a project.  The KWL charts ask the students what they know about the subject, what they want to know about the subject, and later they will reflected on what they learned during the project.
It is important for you as a teacher to know what prerequisite knowledge or skills should know before they start they project.  If the students do not know these skills it is important for the teacher to address that issue.  If the teacher does not do this, it is very likely that the students will become overwhelmed shortly into the project.
The first step in preparing students for using technology in projects is set up a technology playground.  While doing this it is important to allow students to explore.  This will encourage students to teach each other.  The next step is tap student experience.  Teachers may do this by setting up stations where technically able students teacher other students.  The third step is introduce project management skills.  This includes having the students create a project log or journal to allow students to track their progress toward their goals.  The last step is demonstrating.  The teacher should demonstrate the form of technology that the students will be using during the project.
When promoting inquiry and deep learning it is important to guide students when they are starting to put their plan into action.  A teacher could do that by after creating the topic of the project, also provide primary learning outcomes that all of the students should understand.
There are a couple of ways that the topics in this chapter relate to our project.  One example of the introduction of new technology to me during the project.  When introducing a new form of technology, our professor demonstrates how to use the form of technology.  Then after that there are usually a few students that help the other students when it is time for them to also use the technology.  

Reflection #6

1. Ways that technology can be reflective and evaluate students own strengths is by using blogs. Blogs offer space for students where they can reflect. They could reflect on their learning, their strengths, or things they are struggling with. Another tool that can be used is survey programs. These programs can help students to compare their own self- assessments to the larger group. You can use other tools to identify students interest. 2. Many teachers introduce projects with a K-W-L chart. Its important to remember that you made your project and you should be excited for that project, instill that excitement into your students. Discrepant events and role- playing predictions are two ways to create curiosity. Another thing you can do is bring a project up a couple times before actually introducing the project. This brings anticipation to the students and can get them to begin brainstorm what they want to work on when the project does begin to surface. 3. It is important for students to know what they are doing. This means they need to know the basics first. As a teacher you have to look at your project and make sure every student will understand all aspects. If you notice their is something they need to know before doing a project, it is a good idea to do mini lessons. This will cover your grounds in making sure they are prepared for the project. Make sure you give students the rubric for the project, this creates success. 4. Ways to prepare students for technology: Set up a technology playground Tap student expertise introduce project- management tools demonstrate rely on your technology specialist one size fits all- or not 5. The following are primary learning outcomes that all students should understand: - 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. 6. I feel like this chapter has a lot to do with strategies for teaching in general. I don't know that I have taken much time to reflect on the "before" the project part. I did not even think to elaborate on the before of the project. I think that going forward I will make sure to incorporate the lesson planning part of the project.

Reading Reflection 5

There are four things that should be considered before starting a project with students.  The first thing you should consider is gathering resources.  This means what supplies will the students need to complete the project.  The second thing that needs to be considered is what milestones and deadlines the students will have to meet. With effective deadlines, students will have a greater likelihood of completing the entire project on time.  The next thing to consider is team planning.  Team planning will allow students to figure out how they are going to go about completing the project.  The last thing to consider is plan for assessment.  This pertains to how will you as a teacher grade the students project.
Teachers and students need many different management skills.  One of these skills would be time management.  Without time management students may not finish their project on time.  It is important for students to continually work on their project throughout their time given for the assignment.  Students and teachers also need organization skills.  If the teacher is able to organize things the students will have a better understanding of what needs to be done during the project.  Students need to be able to organize so that they will be able to keep track of the supplies that are needed for the completion of the project.
Technology use can be very useful during the project.  However, it is important to to start with simple forms of technology for the students to start the project with.  Later, the students will be able to use harder forms of technology at the end of the project some uses of technology applications that the students could use are Wiki projects, Drupal, and Textpattern.  Students could also uses iGoogle, Webmail, or My Yahoo.
One of the biggest topics that relates to our project is the use of technology.  We have used many different forms of technology while doing this project.  I also feel that we started with simpler forms of technology use at the beginning of the semester than we have recently.  Another topic that relates to our project is the things that we need to consider before starting the project.  Before we started the project, we discussed what supplies would be needed to complete the project.  An example of this would be the flashdrive that was required, so that we could save documents and work on them in different locations.

Revised Concept Map

Reflection #5

1. Items to think about before starting a project:

• Gathering resources (what will you need?)
• Milestones and deadlines
• Team planning
• Plan for assessment

You need to consider these four things before completing your project. Teachers need to be prepared before class. They need to know who will be in their classroom and any materials they may need. Many times this includes a example of what the students will be doing.

2. Students need management skills in order to grapple with the structure of projects. They need to learn how to manage time, space, and materials. Having structure in the classroom helps students to move through their day. Teachers need management skills to make their work and communication more manageable. Teachers need organization. Teachers need to also manage their time, space, and materials. This shows people the teacher is prepared and professional.

3. Technology applications to be considered:

• web- based applications

                     -Wiki pages
                     -Drupal
                     -Textpattern

• personalized web pages

                   -Web mail
                   -Calendars
                   -Notepads
                   -iGoogle
                   -My Yahoo!

4. Items in this chapter relate to my topic because the entire project is based on time management. Every single week something is due, I have to make sure I do my part in the project. I need to make sure I have enough time to get everything done and on time. I need to make sure I gather all materials needed, I need to reach milestones and deadlines, I need to work with my team to plan a project, and plan for any assessments that will take place.

Reflection #4

1.There are a couple pitfalls to watch out for when discussing project design.  The first would be long on activity, short on learning outcomes.  This pitfall basically means that if the project is long, it should have a high order of learning aims.  If it has a lower-order of learning aims, you may be wasting the students time.  Another pitfall would be the project being technology layered over traditional practice.  Good projects focus on reaching significant learning outcomes, not merely making use of technology applications.  The next pitfall that could happen is relevant to trivial thematic units.  Just because the project keeps the students busy, does not mean it is an effective project.  The last potential pitfall would be the project is overly scripted with many, many steps.  The best projects have students making critical decisions about their learning path.  With the project being too scripted by the teacher, the students do not have the freedom to make many decisions.

The best projects share important features.  The best 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

Good project ideas can be found in many locations.  Some locations to find project ideas are found in -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 education use
- a "mashup" of a great idea and a new tool

Designing a project usually comes in four steps.  First it is important to revisit the framework.  One way to do this is make a final list of learning objectives for core subjects and allied disciplines.  The next step is to establish evidence of understanding.  When doing this the teacher may imagine what the student may be able to do after completing the project.  After that, the teacher should plan the "vehicle".  The vehicle refers to the project theme or challenge.  The final step would be planning entrée into the project experience.  The teacher should think about the first things they will say to get students' attention and build excitement for the learning ahead?

The topics in this chapter relate to our group project.  The topics in this chapter give us ideas on how to create the project and what could go wrong when going through the project.  It is important for us to be aware of what we could do wrong while participating in the project and know ways to make our project even better than we originally strived for.

Reflection #4

1. Long on activity, short on learning outcomes: this means that activities need to be time appropriate and teach the students what they need to be taught. Adding time to a project just to add busy work, doesn't accomplish anything.
Technology layered over traditional practice: Doing the traditional set up to technology doesn't accomplish goals. Students have done multiple slide shows and need to be able to step out of the box.
Trivial thematic units: Work needs to be interdisciplinary.
Overly scripted with many, many steps: Students need a chance to do what they want with a project. Giving them a step by step all the time doesn't give the students creativity.

2. Good projects have the following qualities:

• are loosely designed
• are genitive
• centered on a driving question
• captures students interest
• realistic
• involves others
• taps rich data
• structured so students learn from each other
• get 21st skills and literacies
• get an important learning disposition
• have students learn by doing

Basically what it means to have a good project, its well rounded. Students are able to gain an understanding on many different levels. They are able to make connections to other people, places, or things. They are able to go above and beyond what is expected of them, and they enjoy doing it.

3. Project ideas come from:

• Expressive learning
• Project plans developed by other teachers
• news stories
• contemporary issues
• students questions and interest

There are a couple more that I did not include. Project ideas can stem from anywhere. Once you find an idea you then have to apply the steps from question #2. Does this project meet these standards. Can you explain this project to someone and convince them that it meets these standards.

4. When designing your project you need to revisit your framework over, and over again. Go over it and make sure there are no mistakes. You need to keep in mind to establish evidence from understanding. This means you need to be able to convince someone the project is worth a students time and understanding. You need to plan your project, put some thought into what you are doing. Make sure your meeting the requirements. The last thing you need to do is make sure the students are excited. Make sure this is something they are interested in doing.

5. This chapter relates to our topic because I want to make sure my lesson plans are exactly what they need to be. I want to make sure the students will enjoy themselves. I want to make sure they gain knowledge that will stick with them. I should feel confident in pointing out the standard I am covering and making sure I have evidence to back it up. Knowledge is power, and this article is knowledge for writing lesson plans and coming up with projects. The things this chapter taught me is making sure my materials have a purpose. If they don't want to be that teacher that assigns busy work. I want students to want to listen to me, and want to come to my class. I want my classroom to be an experience they have never had before. In order to accomplish this my projects have to have purpose.

Reflection 3

The big ideas are the main points of the project.  In the text it discusses it in terms of the curriculum.  In relevance to our project, it is also the main points.  When it comes to our project, the main points or big idea would be promoting healthy eating, active lifestyle, and our celebration.  The celebration will be our 5k run.

21st century skills are skills that go beyond subject mastery.  They are related to important skills, attitudes, and habits.  It is also important to imagine how your project plan can involve these skills.  Some of the skills are analyzing, evaluating, and creating.  Some examples of analyzing would be examining, explaining, and investigating.  Some examples of evaluating are judging, selecting, and justifying.  Finally, some examples of creating are adapting, anticipating, and combining.

When discussing any type of 21st century learning it is important to question whether we are preparing the students for the world beyond school.  21st century literacy goes beyond just being able to read and write.  The main points of 21st century literacy are digital-age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity.

The main idea of learning inside and outside the classroom is effectively finding ways to have students learn outside of the classroom.  With new items of technology such as mobile phones and mp3 players have increased the probability of students doing this.  Students now have plenty of new opportunities for deep learning with things such as websites.  Students tend to learn better when things are visible and discussable.  One way to make things more visible and discussable are things such as mind maps.  Mind maps and objects that are similar are more popular with things such as Google Earth and Visual Thesaurus as representation tools.  Students expressing themselves has become more popular than it has ever been.  Now that the internet is at our fingertips it is very simple for students to share ideas on sites such as myspace or facebook.  Collaboration among students can become more prevalent when group projects are implemented.  Research is now also very simple for students to access.  The web makes it very simple for students to do quick research about anything imaginable.  Project management really allows students to develop time management, work, finding sources, and hear feedback from others.  Reflection can be highlighted by reconsidering or thinking of ideas to make acceptable work , masterful work.

The students in my group should be using all of the essential learning functions during our project.  The essential learning functions will allow us to become better learners and teachers, but also allow us to finish our project successfully.  It is also important to use 21st century learning while doing our project.  Doing so will allow us to develop skills that are useful beyond the classroom.

Reflection #3

1. The big idea for our project is how healthy our students keep their bodies. Showing them real life exercises they can do, showing them snacks they can make by themselves, showing them things that make their body unhealthy, these are all ways we show our students the big idea. Working with their personal body as the canvas helps the students to connect and understand what it is were talking about.

2. The 3 steps to the 21st century skills are analyze this is the beginning stage. Evaluate is where you elaborate on the ideas and continue to do research. Create is to put your knowledge of the subject and create your own idea from it. Children need to know how to do this. We should be talking about exercise so much that the students know what it is and could teach it to someone else. The idea is for the kids to keep this knowledge past a couple of weeks.

3. 21st century literacies highlights the digital literacy. This passage talks about how literacy boils down to being independent. Our lesson is a great example of teaching children to be independent. Children can spend their time doing things like making their own treats or creating a dance routine that independently shows how they see exercise. Kids need to be independent that is without a doubt. Teaching children to be independent is something that needs to start when they are young and continue through out their life.

4. There are 8 learning functions. The first one is Ubiquity this means students are learning inside and outside the classroom. This includes the involvement of parents. Asking children multiple questions that can expand their thinking. The next one is Deep learning. This helps students make sense of raw information. This function includes organizing, sorting, and analyzing information. The third function is making things visible. It is important to reach every child in your classroom. In order to do this you have to be able to represent information in many ways, many students are hands on learners and need to see things. The fourth is Expressing ourselves. This simply means helping students to find ways to use the internet to express themselves. number five, collaboration. This is very important as chapter two showed us. Collaborating with other teachers and parents is the key to success. number six, research. Research is still important in todays world. You have to continue to teach children how to research things as the internet evolves. Number seven, project management. Project management teaches children time management, work, sources, and feedback from others. Lastly, number eight, reflection. Students need to be able to reflect on their own work and the work of others.

5. All of the concepts above are important because students need to be able to do all eight functions. Students will succeed in school if they are taught these lessons at a young age. Teaching students how to work technology will be of importance as children are being born into technology savvy worlds. Being able to identify the big idea of something is also helpful for students. The children are able to focus on what they need to do and check themselves if they get off tasks.

Reading Response 2

• The focus of learning communities is for students to learn about a specific topic by working within a group of students.  In learning communities students also develop the skills and dispositions necessary in the world outside of the classroom.  The students learn communication, problem solving, project management, motivation, and persistence.
• There are more benefits to learning communities than the skills the students learn.  Other benefits include decreased teacher isolation, increased commitment to the mission, shared responsibility, more powerful learning, and a higher likelihood of fundamental, systemic change.  These benefits are very effective as it also teaches the students things they will have to do as adults in the future.  The learning communities teach students commitment and responsibility, which are key once they start going into their careers.  The concept of learning communities was revolutionary when it hit the business community, therefore this type of learning will help students prepare for those types of jobs.
• Learning communities affect teachers by maybe making them change what they do in the classroom.  To have learning communities be effective, the teacher may have to use different strategies that they have not used in the past.  Teachers should restructure their interactions with fellow teachers.  The teachers do this by watching and reflecting on each other's classroom interactions, learning to give each other critical feedback, capitalizing on the wisdom of the group, and engaging in new patterns of thinking.  
• Learning communities will affect students in many positive ways.  the way of learning will give students abilities to work well with others.  As stated earlier, the students will perform tasks that will help them when going into numerous different types of careers.  If students do not work well with others the communities may cause behavior problems with those students. 
• The components for shared vision in learning communities are have a clear sense of mission, share a vision of the conditions they must create to achieve the mission, work together in collaborative teams to determine the best practice to achieve the mission, organize into groups headed by teacher-leaders, focus on student learning, are goal- and results-oriented, collaborate with each other, hold shared values and beliefs, commit themselves to continuous improvement, and see themselves as life-long learners.  These components mean that it is important for everyone within the community is on the same page.  It also discusses the importance of the focus on the student and what they are trying to accomplish.  
• The thing that relates the chapter to our project is the fact that we are working in groups.  As stated earlier, it is important for everyone in our group project is on the same page and have a clear sense of the mission.    

Reflection #2

1. The focus of learning communities is to bring the teachers together to bring out each others strengths. It teaches teachers to work together for the benefit of the students. Teachers can brainstorm different ways to do activities and work together for certain lessons.

2. The benefits is that it creates new opportunities for teachers to work together and overcome the traditional isolation of the profession. They can build off of each others experience and help the newer teacher become aware. Sitting down with a group of teachers can benefit. Working in numbers is power.

3. The affects for teachers is giving teachers chances to evaluate and reflect on each others work. I am a firm believer in knowing your strengths and using them to your advantage. I personally hope to find a teacher that will work with me hand in hand, I can teach my strong subjects and she can teach hers. This gives the students a chance to see new faces.

4. The affects this strategy has on students is enormous. The students are given the best education they can get. They are receiving the strengths of multiple teachers. This helps for students to become more successful as they continue on in their education. It helps broaden their understanding of certain subjects. Rotating students between two or more classrooms can also help students with behavioral issues. They may also feel as though they are receiving the attention they need from multiple teachers. It helps to give the students a new view when learning difficult subjects.

5. The benefits of shared learning in communities is even more broad then sharing a classroom with one teacher. The more teachers that come together the more knowledge each teacher has. Communities that can come together for the better of the children have exposure to many different teaching styles. Teachers learn to take what they want and leave what they don't want. This also helps to ensure that children in one school are learning the same thing as a student in another school.

6. Concepts in this chapter relate to our topic because for one I am not doing this project alone, I have two other people working with me to ensure that we use each other and put the best work forward. We are able to bring different ideas and lessons to the table. Another way this connects to my topic is the whole idea of children coming first, I always think of the children first. You have to actually put some thought into what your doing before you present it to children. My teammates and I plan on putting lots of thought into our project and making sure its the best!

Reflection #1

1. Something to keep in mind when starting the journey of project based learning is remembering to keep an open mind. The students play a big role in their own education and they are able to use some skills that they may not be used to. It is best to be a guide to the children, help them stay focused and grasp ideas from themselves. Project based learning can be very hands-on, the students need a chance to work together cooperatively. Something I would personally have to keep in mind is being patient with the technology.

2. One of the benefits of project based learning is giving the teacher a chance to step back and observe the children, watch what they are capable of. Teacher have more meaningful conversations with the children and it creates an atmosphere where the children are comfortable with each other. The teacher has more time to prepare for future lessons including meaningful projects, instead of grading homework.


3. Children get a chance to bounce off of each other and shine on each others strengths, students are able to learn from each other instead of everything coming from the teacher. The students create a different type of bond with their classmates because they spend more time together bonding.

4. Things that still need to be considered is making sure teachers are still stepping in where they need to redirect students. Making sure students stay engaged in important and making sure that they understand the concept of the project. For the teacher they still may need to do a little bit of lecture type teaching to get the basics understood.

5. Curtis started at a school that had no knowledge of project based learning. Curtis was the minority and wasn't getting any support with the idea of project based learning. He then switched schools where everyone was doing project based learning. He finally felt comfortable in working with his ideas.

Reflection 1

When starting the journey through Project-Based Learning  there are many things that need to be considered.  First the students need to pursue their own question to create their own meaning.  Projects being completed while using Project-based learning are based on student choice, this usually means that there will be further active learning and teamwork.  

There are many benefits when it comes to project-based learning.  When of these would be further student involvement.  Since the students usually pick their own topic, they will more than likely decide to put further effort into their work.  The projects are also commonly large products, therefore the students will have to work very hard to complete them.  Another benefit would be working in groups if the project is a group project.  Being in a group will promote teamwork among the students.  The projects are also very similar to projects that we tackle in other areas of life, such hosting a dinner party or planning a vacation.  These projects may be able to be an experience in which the student learns new information by using to new tools to achieve our goals.

One issue that needs to be considered when it comes to the project-based learning approach would be making sure the project has the ability to make the students learn what needs to be taught in the classroom.  

At New Technology High the teachers embrace technology use.  An example of this would be that textbooks are scarce there, as they represent another way of learning.  Students have computers near them at all times and most of their work is kept on servers.  This allows students to access their work not only at school, but at home as well.  It is also a great example of the New Technology Model because it was founded because of a concern about students not being ready for the workforce now that technology is so common in society. Technology is also everywhere at the New Technology High.  

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