Project Based Learning
The goal of project based learning should be for students to learn during the process of the project, rather than just demonstrating what a student already knows. Projects should be exciting for students and should pull at student's interets for full engagement. Students like "owning" their own projects. Authentic audiences help drive PBL, along with community invovlvement. Projects should also be driven by the required content assigned for teachers. I really liked the project that Anthony mentions in the video where he got his students to write letters to a congressman. The students wrote letters about their opinions of women fighting in open combat. Students also did research on women who overcame minority situations. Students then chose which letters to send off. By allowing students to select which peers letter was the best also increases student engagement. I also learned that you should never limit your students when assigning a project. PBL can require intensive planning, but the reward from your students learning can outweigh all obstacles.
iCurio/Discovery Ed
These two tools are new to my knowledge. I agree that these two tools could be useful in a classroom setting for students. iCurio has two great features that I really favor. First, iCurio requires students to log in and secures what content students can view. The content is already filtered by individuals, therefore making viewing for students safe. The second feature about iCurio is the strorage unit. Students can store and save content as they wish. The storage unit makes virtual organization come to life. Discovery Ed brings specific resources into the classroom. Students can bring experts into the classroom on specific topics.
Tips for Teachers
Anthony Capps and Professor Strange offered some great tips for teachers. Below I am going to list the tips that were metioned:
1. Teachers should be interested in learning just as much as teaching.
2. Work is not seperate from play- find what is fun for you and let work become a fun experience for you.
3. Be flexible-be able to respond to unplanned events occuring.
4. Strive for 100% engagement- create content that is motivating and content that students can relate to.
5. Reflect- how can I make something better for the next time?
Use Tech Don't Teach it
I found this video to be particularly informing. I have wondered how I would manage to teach students how to properly use technology if I incorporated technology into my classroom. Anthony Capps explained technology use well. Teachers should not teach students how to use technology, but teachers should allow students to use it. Anthony mentios "scaffolding". Where students are introduced and required to use technology step-by-step. Eventually students will build up their knowledge about technology and will be able to use technology efficeintly.
Additional Thoughts
Anthony Capps shares a few extra thoughts, particularly about lesson plans. Capps states that lessons should be four layers thick. The layers include: Year, Units, Week, and Daily. Content viewed from a year standpoint should cover all required content. Units stretch the content out. Planning weekly makes it easier to cover units. Finally, the daily layer is the manner in which a teacher delivers the content to students every day. Capps also notes that it is important to keep students engaged and to measure what knowledge students have gained.
"Anthony mentios "scaffolding". " mentions, not mentios
ReplyDelete"Where students are introduced and required to use technology step-by-step. " Not a complete sentence.
"Eventually students will build up their knowledge about technology…" It won't take long. Much, much less than it takes EDM310 students!
Thoughtful. Interesting.
I really enjoyed reading your blog post. It was very thought out and interesting to see what you got from each video. The only thing i would say is to watch your spelling but other than that good job.
ReplyDelete