U01a1-Blog on PBL

U01a1 Blog on PBL

While viewing all three examples that were included in this week’s viewing, I found many similarities between them. In From Worms to Wall Street, Appling Math Skill to a real World Problem, and March of the Monarch’s the circumstances and design of all three projects had one major common theme which was real life skills and application.  I thought this was really important because it seems that to many times in education today, we teach students concepts but do not show them real life application, so the students forget what they learned. The students played an important role in their education during each project.  Project based learning is student centered and made the students excited about learning.  The students showed increased engagement and knowledge by learning real life skills that they will use in everyday life.  Each video showed that project based learning can be used with students of all ages and levels.  During the projects students were required to communicate with their group members, outside community members, or students from around the world.  Students were making decisions over an extended period of time of about six weeks per project with a final assessment at the end.  Technology came into play with all three projects because students were using the computer to design flyers, make blue prints, communicate with others, and to record their final presentations that served as their final assessments. Adding technology increased student engagement during each project.  Throughout each project the students were faced with decisions and teamwork scenarios which forced them to work complications out which is a skill that they will need to succeed in the future.

 In reading Reinventing Project-Based Learning stated “Projects are worth the effort (Boss-Krauss, p.6)” and the three teachers expressed that projects were more work for them but worth it in the end to see their students excited about learning.  Teachers seem to be a facilitator in project based learning and also a student.  It seemed that many times the teachers were learning along with the students.  Teachers also served as a guide to guide the students instead of dictate what the students did while working.  The one thing that all the teachers agreed on was the project based learning covers state standards and took learning across the curriculum including language arts, science, history, social studies, and math. 

It was a good feeling to watch students excited about learning because it seems like students are pushed so hard and not focused on having fun and with projects students are learning and having fun at the same time.      

 

References:

Boss, S., & Krauss, J. (2007). Reinventing project-based learning. (1st ed.). Washington,D.C.: International Society for Technology in Education.

Curtis, D. (0). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/newsome-park-elementary-project-learning-video

Curtis, D. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/march-monarchs

Ellis, K. (0). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/mountlake-terrace-geometry-real-world-video

 

 

Board Builder

I made a Board Builder using Discovery Education on balls that will be used during our Ball study. In my classroom, we have six studies that we use as part of our creative curriculum.  I chose to make my Board Builder on Balls because it is the only study that I have not made something for during my last two classes at Wilkes. Now I will have some type of technology connected to all of the studies that I will do with my students this year.  I connected a song, two videos, four pictures, one digital book, and an assessment from Teaching Strategies GOLD. I used GOLD as the assessment because in my class the students are not graded, they are just observed and rated on the inter-rater reliability tool GOLD provides. Everything I added will enhance the students’ knowledge of balls and will support our discussions and shared writings that we complete every day during large group circle.  The things that I included are connected to my Board supports my students’ interests that way it will want to use my Board. My students will have the opportunity to use this Board Builders during free play in the computers area.  There will be three students allowed to use the Board Builder at a time: one on the computer and two on the HATCH Pads. The students will be able to use the Board for 10 minutes a day for a total of 30 minutes per week.  The students will be able to access the Board during the entire ball study which last for about eight weeks.  I feel this Board Builder will give my students a greater understanding of Balls.  As Gardner states, “Students need to know why they are learning what they are learning and how this knowledge can be put to constructive uses” (Gardner, p. 142). 

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/builders/boards?assetGuid=0ec327a3-e183-f8c8-405a-4f6f125a7f24&review=true
 

Five Minds Video Blog

Blog on Respectful and ethical minds

The first thing that stuck out to me was a quote that said "new teachers grow one day at a time." This is my second year in my position and I do feel that I grow everyday.  I know this year I have done more with my students and I have grown so much as a teacher. The video also said that community can support during projects.  We use community members during all of our studies when we have volunteers come in to share with my children.  The projects or studies that I use in my class are about the same length as  the flat classroom because they last about 10 weeks, and that is about how long my students spend on a study.  Last year we collaborated with the other Pre k classroom to share what we learn during our studies.  My class shared a video of things we built and discovered during our building study. One of the other classes shared a fashion show with us.  We have not got into sharing with other teachers outside of our program, which is an idea that I would like to include in one of my studies.  I know that in our beginning of the year study, we talk about pinatas and it would be great to connect with someone who makes and uses piñata.  My students thought that piñatas were to have candy, but we learned from a Mexican parent last year that they put toys in them.  It would be nice for a Pre k student to tell my students about how they use piñatas at a celebration.  We are trying to use collaboration with our families through a website called teaching strategies GOLD.  We ask parents to add to our lesson plans, send in supplies, look at conference forms, and be involved in their child's education.  Right now, we have one parent who is helping and loves it.  She told us that it makes it nice to be able to communicate with the teacher without having to go into the classroom.  Our program is starting to see that we need to start using technology in our programs.  They are starting with our parents so that we can start letting our students connect with others through the Internet.  As I was watching this video, it made me think about my sister who teaches in North Carolina and I think I might try to set something up with her where her students help to teach my students.  I think that my students would enjoy seeing people from another state since most of them have never left our small town.  I really enjoyed watching this video and it made me think about new ways technology can be used in our classroom and it made me think about what the future holds for teachers in terms of technology in the classroom. 

 

 

A-B-C Summarize

“Work may be good in the sense of being excellent in quality” (Gardner, p. 128).  It is hard for me to say that this week’s project is excellent because of the time restrains that I had.  It was a rough week in my house with my husband being in the hospital. After reading this quote, it made me feel better about this project and that it might not be as bad as I am thinking.  Project 2 was definitely by far the most challenging.  I started by trying to think about a teaching strategy that I use in my classroom and it was hard to find one since we use the creative curriculum.  We only have the children for six hours a day and three hours is play, and two hours are spent at meals, so there is not much time to do group strategies.  The one strategy that I like to use is A-B-C- Summarize because my children need a lot of work on their alphabet. My children do seem to like when we use it.  I like to use this strategy one-on-one or in a small group.    When I use this strategy with my children, it covers a couple of our objectives.  The objectives it covers are using writing and drawing tools, writes to convey meaning, writes name, identify and names letters, and uses letter sound knowledge.  After the children complete their alphabet, I would put it together and make it into a digital book and maybe record the children saying the letters and sounds. This would reinforce the children’s knowledge of letters and letter sounds.  This would be a major project for my children.  I read in our Gardner text, “Children may well benefit from carrying out evocative classroom projects or from pursuing a unit on generative topics like “patterns” or “water” or the cradle of civilization (Gardner, p. 55).    I agree with Gardner that children benefit from projects.  I know my children love to do science projects and any projects with the teachers.  I know that I always enjoyed completing projects and felt like I learned more from doing a project than just learning something.  I think that adding digital media would reinforce this topic and strategy with my students.

https://www.smore.com/v7sg-a-b-c-summarize