Final Concept Map

Ch 12 Reflection

I think that it's very important to "Reconsider when and how students learn" (228). The traditional classroom setting (25 students sitting in a classroom) is becoming less common with the spreading of flipped classrooms and online classes. Having different options for student learning is incredibly important because it allows students to choose the way that they would like to learn that will make them the most successful. Also, connecting with professionals during projects is incredibly important. One thing that I learned from my education classes this semester is the importance of letting your students know why what they're learning is important. Connecting them to professionals will show how what they are learning during their project is applicable to life. It can also encourage students to come up with questions that will further their learning to help them better understand the subject.

Chapter 11 Reflection

"By the time a successful project comes to an end, you and your students will feel as if you have 'been somewhere' together. Like all good journeys, your project should leave you with vivid memories, souvenirs, and artifacts you have collected along the way, and plenty of ideas for shaping your next learning adventure" (215). I think that making sure you leave your students with vivid memories, souvenirs, and artifacts is very important. As discussed in chapter 10, it's important to show that you value your students' work. For example, displaying students' work to show that you value the time and effort that they put into completing the visuals for their project. Something as simple as seeing their work displayed in the hallway and watching their peers check it out is enough to create positive memories about their experience and get them excited about future projects.

Ch 10 Reflection

Reflecting on a project is really important. It provides an opportunity to further learning for both the teacher and the students. For the students, they can reflect on what parts of the project they did well and what they could improve on. This would be a great opportunity for group projects because group projects are something that students will encounter throughout their career in school. They can look at different aspects such as communication, participation, and how well they divided up the work load. For teachers, they can look at how well the students interacted with the project. Aspects that teachers can look at include- how well were the students able to follow directions? Were the deadlines set in a way that gave them enough time to complete quality work? Was the information presented in a way that the students were able to understand? Or was there a disconnect where most students missed a part of the information, or did not complete the project as you meant for them to. I also think that celebrating and showing student work is important. My favorite teachers and projects were ones that they went above "We're going to do a two minute presentation then throw them in the trash." When teachers take the time to display projects in the classroom or in the hallways it shows that they're proud of the work that their students accomplished. Also, during presentations, taking the time to comment on what the student did well and even allowing group discussion so that you're not just pushing through the presentations. These things show that you value the students' work and will get them more excited about doing projects in the future.

Chapter 12 Reflection

It is important for us as educators to teach our students to go beyond filtered information and help them to find and make sense of “raw” information on the Web. Primary sources and databases full of lots of useful information are becoming more accessible for them every day. Higher-order thinking is engaged when student have to navigate and sort, organize, analyze and make visual representations in order to learn and express their learning. Imagine the parallels school and ways students can use the Web to express their ideas and build society around shared interests. Connect your class to the world using a Website, blog, or virtual world and have students “tag” content and share with others.

Chapter 11 Reflection

Good projects don’t just end abruptly and come to a dead end. Instead, they open new doors and create connections that you can build into future project designs. Like all good journeys, your project should leave you with vivid memories you have collected along the way and plenty of ideas for helping shape your next learning adventure. Thinking about the concrete plans that helped make your project successful is extremely important and will help in the long run. It helps to think back on your project and recall the most engaging learning activities, especially ones that seemed to really grab the student’s attention. The project design process may have given you an incentive to begin collaborating with colleagues on future projects too. Just because one came to an end doesn’t mean the connection with other teachers needs to too!