Kayla's test map!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rCoqRR-tNrd8jnIPrnNwNegqj-ZdywO_Q1iOT95R23M/edit?usp=sharing

Concept Map

Reflection 1

I learned a lot from this chapter and agreed 100% with what they had to say about this specific type of learning.
The authors mentioned that project-based learning improves students problem solving and higher order thinking skills. This is accurate in so many ways. It helps students think outside of the box and allows them to gain creative control of their own learning. (after all, they do know how they learn best)
The authors gave a list of "hallmarks" of why project based learning works so well. Some of the examples included:
Students work collaboratively. This is an extremely important skill to have in the real world. Regardless of what job you might have in the future, you will always have to work with someone.
Students engage in real-world activities: It is very important to get students excited about the curriculum you are teaching them. Kids NEED to be moving and interacting at ALL times throughout the day and giving them real situations to work with is a great way to do so.
This chapter was filled with reasons why project based learning is a great thing to integrate into teaching and this will be extremely useful in the future.

Reflection 1

1. One thing that I'll need to keep in mind as I begin my journey through Project Based Learning is that simply using technology is not enough to have it be considered "Project Based Learning." For example, Adam Kinory talks about how she began integrating technology in the classroom by having her students use the internet to research topics or writing papers using word processing instead of pencil and paper, "None of that was a leap,' he admits. 'I didn't really change what I was doing in the classroom'" (1). Although he was integrating technology into his lessons it wasn't Project Based Learning because the students were still doing the same tasks but through a different medium. It wasn't until Kinory began incorporating digital media into his lessons so that students could use blogs, create videos, edit videos, etc. to expand their horizons on how and what they learned in his lessons.

2. Overall benefits of the PBL approach (17).:

• Projects form the centerpiece of the curriculum- they are not an add-on or extra at the end of a "real" unit of instruction.
• Students engage in real-world activities and practice the strategies used in authentic disciplines.
• Students work collaboratively-and sometimes globally- to solve problems that atter to them and to real-world audiences. In many cases, students are involve early in the project design, contributing their ideas at the problem-finding stage.
• Technology is integrated as a tool for discovery, collaboration, and communication, taking learners places they couldn't otherwise go and helping teachers achieve essential learning goals in new ways.
• Increasingly, teachers collaborate to design and implement projects that cross geographic boundaries or even jump time zones. They exchange ideas and improve their PBL practice through networking.
• The energy generated by one good project may create a spiraling effect that extends far beyond the original classroom. Projects that "go big" may also attract media attention, helping the public appreciate the value of the project approach.

3. The biggest benefit for students who participate in the Project Based Approach is getting the hands-on and real world experience. Something that we are continuously taught in our classes and that I'm sure we all remember going through is how often a teacher just hands the class a work sheet and considers that to be good enough for a lesson. Not only is the teacher only giving the student busy work but they aren't going to be as concerned with learning the material as they are going to be with completing the worksheet. Project Based Learning will teach and prepare students much more than previous teaching methods.

Reflection 1

    When reading “I’ll Never Go Back” I was able to see how important incorporating technology into your classroom truly is, especially when dealing with project-based learning and the role of multimedia. It talked a lot about how students and teachers must work together and be willing to try new strategies to meet goals and improve their out practices so that everyone will succeed.

    There are many benefits to PBL, the main one being that projects allow for student choice, setting the stage for active learning and teamwork. Using new tools and activities open many windows for broadening student’s thinking, which results in a much more exciting and productive classroom. I noticed a few really important ideas leading to why PBL is so beneficial.

    -Students will work collaboratively to solve problems

    -Students engage in real-world activities and practice strategies

    -Technology is integrated as a tool for discovery

    Students who participate in PBL will not only be more productive in the classroom, but will use the new skills that they’ve learned to become a more confident learner in general. Using this new way of expressing themselves, students will feel that all the work and effort put into their project will have been worth it. They will be able to present and teach material to their classmates in a much more hands-on, efficient and fun way.

    Teachers who invest in PBL will open their minds to not only incorporating new technologies into their classrooms but also something totally different than the traditional idea of learning which they are used to. When teachers facilitate well-designed projects that use digital tools they are not only making it a learning opportunity for their students but also themselves.

    Students who are new to a PBL classroom environment can likely find it unsettling at first, due to the new aspect of it, which might be uncomfortable.  The students are responsible for their own learning and aren’t used to a way of learning where there isn’t a pre-established right answer.

    New Technology High has PBL being used throughout their school as a whole. The book states at textbooks are scarce and that the entire culture of the school supports this approach. In the New Tech model, technology is everywhere although it is not the main focus. Teachers make sure computers are accessible to their students at all times if that is the route they want to take.

Social bookmarking allows you to manage good ideas and pages you find on the web. Associating “tags” or keywords to the content you are dealing with makes things easy and understandable.  Not only does it make certain things much easier to find but connects you to others who are interested in/searching the same topics throughout the internet.

Group Project

Group Project:

·         Gardening

·         Students

o   What they’ll need for the garden

o   Different sections- fruits/veggies

o   Healthy eating

o   Donate food- food kitchen, festival, fair

o   Sell food and donate proceeds

Hi Friends!! 

Hey Bronco babes!!

First post!

Yay!