Final Concept Map!!!

New additions added to Predators, Economics, and Supplies!

R&R 11

1. Discussion of what occurs as a result of Project-Based Learning.

As a result of Project-Based Learning, students are getting a deeper understanding of the topic being covered, new skills, ways of reflecting, and collaboration of several subjects that classrooms can cover. One of the best things I find as a pay off from this style of learning is that the students learn new ways of presenting, and using technology. The students can use websites, blogs, presentation programs and sometimes even games to learn new things being covered in their project. Another great tool is project management. Students learn to cooperate effectively with other students to complete a project on time, and in a successful manor. The students also learn to reflect on their work during post-project time as they look back at what they've learned, what they could build off of, and what could be improved upon. A great thing that occurs is a base that leads to further projects, further learning in a subject and several other things.

2. Discuss ways to "bring your project home."

As the book stated the big ways of bringing your project home is to capitalize on your investment, critique your work, share your insights, become a resource for your colleagues, enter a contest, and enjoy the journey. Of those reflected on in the text, my personal favorite was sharing your insights, as a blogger myself, I find new ways of learning, exercising, teaching, and living through the thoughts and blogs of other individuals on the internet. Though the text listed several ways of sharing your project ideas through a library, or an existing teacher type network, my personal favorite is teacherspayteachers.com. This website is a great way for teachers to get a pay off, as well as share their ideas from their project on a website with other teachers.

3. Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your project/topic.

I found that this final chapter related to our project best in the "Capitalize in your investment" section of "Bringing your project home." This relates because we really see progress in students with each activity. Some of the students may not have known how to create correct amounts of change before the activity itself, making our whiteboard project and essential tool in the completion at the market sale of the students goods. Not only does it apply there, but the students worlds changed as they learned about seeds, growth of plants, and taking care of them. Before learning these things the students didn't know as much about this topic, broadening the minds of the students is a great part in looking back at the investment of the teachers time and project planning while looking for growth in students.

RR #11: Bringing it Home

1. What happens when using the PBL approach?
Many things happen when using the PBL approach, it is one of the most effective approaches. Students learn how to work in teams and collaborate while working on projects. Students also use life skills to work through their real world assigned projects that are given to them. Through project based learning, students inquire deep learning and really think and take a step back at what they are doing to really comprehend everything they are learning. The students build a community not only in the classroom but out of the classroom through show and tells to the community and branching out. Students inquire skills like sharing ideas, collaboration, deep learning, technology operations, reflection, expression, project management and more more. Students who get the chance to learn the PBL approach will have the skills they need to succeed in college and in the tuff world we have out here today. They will also have an upper hand in any future project due to all the skills and benefits of PBL.
2. What ways can you " bring a project home"?
Through using the PBL approach your students will be using real world situations to learn from using the life skills they need to go through them. These projects will get the students ready for everyday life.Students and teachers will create meaningful memories and documents that they can use as future educators as well as for the students to look back at them and realize all the hard work they have accomplished. When the project is close to the end its important to remind your students to reflect on everything they have done so that way they can make changes in the next project or accept the challenges they have faced! Reflection is a great way for personal growth.
3. How do these concepts relate to our topic of gardening?
All of these topics relate to our topic of gardening. We are going to be using a PBL approach where students work in groups and collaborate with each other. Our students will gain the knowledge and practice of the skills they need for life that will benefit them in the future. They will get everything out of using the PBL approach and they will even learn how to garden and sell food to the supermarket which is a great life skill to have.

RR#11

Reading Reflection #11

1.     Description of what occurs as a result of using project-based learning approach.

So many things result from Project Based Learning. Students can learn team work and can practice communication efficiently with others. It also allows you to be flexible and develop a better understanding of how things work. During PBL students learn to think in a higher order. This is includes having the children be able to analyze what is happening, and explain it. It also allows students to justify or evaluate what is happening and allows them to create or imagine. Imagining can lead to reflection and also hypotheses. It helps children be responsible for their selves, gives them a sense of independence and also it also creates a sense of community. There are so many positives that come as a result of utilizing PBL.

2.     Discussion on ways to “Bring your project home”.

Ways to “Bring your project home,” include capitalizing on your investment, critiquing your own work, sharing your insights, becoming an available resource for your colleagues and entering a contest. But whatever you chose to do, make sure you enjoy the journey. Entering a contest gives a great twist to the project because it gives you an opportunity to showcase your best pieces. This also makes it more fun and real since it’s a contest. The students will for surely get excited about the concept of winning a prize or winning a place. Being a resource for your colleagues is great because if you know it why not help them out? Critiquing your own work is very important because this can help in the final product.

3.     Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

This relates to our topic because our final project ties everything that we have done during the semester and puts it all together into a web-page. We also created a blog, that shares our insights and it allows us to critique and reflect others work. We have discussed the benefits that this webpage will have, like creating a working community. We also all collaboratively worked together to create the webpage and blog. We had to be flexible and cooperate and work as a team. 

Reading Reflection #11

1.      Description of what occurs as a result of using the Project-Based Learning Approach.

There are several positives about using the Project-Based Learning Approach when teaching and doing projects in the classroom. Several of these include: ubiquity, deep learning, making things visible and discussable, expressing ourselves, sharing ideas, building a classroom community, collaboration – teaching and learning with others, research and information fluency, project management, reflection and iteration, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, digital citizenship, and technology operations and concepts. Students are able to accumulate so many different types of skills that are required for success in life and for the 21^st century and the future job market. Students that participate in PBL are better prepared for college and are more likely to succeed in academics than students who aren’t exposed to the Project-Based Learning Approach.

When it comes to ubiquity students are able to be in any situation and learn from it. They are able to recognize when they are immersed into a learning experience and how to go about taking useful information from it. Seeing as students are continuously researching, reflecting and discussing their project ideas they have become fluent in doing so, which gives them the upper hand when it comes time to do projects for any class in the future.

2.      Discussion on ways to “bring your project home”.

By using PBL in your classroom you are able to create real-world experiences with your students that they will remember for a life time. Each aspect covered in this learning approach helps students and teachers build vivid memories, create documents and artifacts that they are able to look back at and use for future learning purposes and provide them with skills that they are able to use in the future to help them further succeed in their lives.

Now that the project is coming to an end you are able to reflect on the things that were challenging and the things that went smoothly to help aide in the creation of the next project. Reflecting on what you’ve learned through this experience also gives you the opportunity to share your insights with other colleagues, parents and students alike.  

3.      Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

All of the concepts from chapter 11 relate to our project that we’ve been working on throughout this semester. Our “students” will be receiving all of the skills that I mentioned in the first question including: project management, ubiquity, research and information fluency and etc. Being in this class we are also being exposed to all of the positive concepts that come with the Project-Based Learning Approach.

Being able to “bring our project home” is a great skill to have because we now know how to make our own websites, blogs, digital stories, podcasts and etc. This class has given us the chance to learn a great deal in a short time and I know that I’ll remember each of these skills and be able to use them in the future.

Reading Reflection #10

1.      Discussion on the importance of setting aside time for reflection.

Reflection is a very important thing, we always as teachers need to remember to include ways and opportunities for the students to get to reflect. The book does a great job discussing how important reflection is. “Taking time to reflect helps students feel good about their accomplishments, but more importantly, reflection can be the thing that makes learning really stick.” (Pg. 147)  Reflection is essential in the learning process. When you can reflect as a whole group it somehow ties everything together, and it gets children to think about things they would have never done before. So much can be missed, if you cannot come together and reflect on.

2.      Discussion on the reason students need to reflect and elaborate.

Children need to reflect because they will learn things from peers that they might not learn if they don’t reflect. Reflections bring up questions and predictions. It helps children tie everything together and is essential for learning. Reflection allows students to use their imagination and think for their selves.

3.      Discussion on how schools build tradition and identity.

Schools build tradition and identity by allowing the children to experience special or exciting things. A tradition is something that the school may be known for. For example, if your schools tradition is having a science fair that creates the identity. Another example can be the school’s sports teams.

4.      Discussion on the importance celebrating a project.

This is very important because the more excited you get over a project, the more excited the students will be. If you are not excited about something, your students won’t be.  Celebrating a project gives you and the students something to celebrate and get happy about. When doing this, you must not be scared to reach out for help. You can utilize the school community and invite parents.

5.      Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

We have been reflecting a lot during the semester. We have been reflection personally, and as a group. We are constantly having reading reflections and we are also constantly reflection to other people’s responses. This helps us think outside the box and look at things from a different point of view. In this class, it’s a tradition to create a webpages by using PBL. This ties into this project because we are discussing what it means to build traditions and the identity of this class is a technology class.

R&R #10

1. Discussion on the importance of setting aside time for reflection.

There are many advantages to reflecting on a project after completion as well as assignments. Reflection can get the students to truly remember the material they were studying, realize all of the accomplishments and learning they have done along the way of completing the project. Another great tool that students gain from reflection is learning techniques that are specialized for them. The chapter mildly skimmed this, but I see it as very crucial in the future education for students. They learn what helped them grasp new concepts, and especially ways that they personally learned best! Another great importance is seeing as a teacher how the students felt, learned, and experienced during the project. 

2. Discussion on the reason students need to reflect and elaborate.

Of the many reasons that students need to reflect and elaborate at the completion of a project there is the importance of the project to the students, learning behaviors that they exhibited (causing the learning of how they as a student learn and comprehend best personally), the gaining of new skills in technology and many other skills that contributed, as well as how they enjoyed the project and what they may remember in the future. The best thing I believe that students need to reflect and is elaborate is for growth. As the math teacher found from the reading, the students found ways using they're project, and reflection to give back to their classroom as well as future students. Students can find ways that a project can be improved, as well as expanding on the project more than even an educator could have thought of. The possibilities from project-based learning are endless. 

3. Discussion on how schools build tradition and identity.

As the chapter had stated, a school could have many traditions. These may be from school trips that students earn from grades and assignments, sports or from project-based learning.  If a teacher can instill a project that is annually completed by students, completely enjoyed by students, and influential on the school or community, a tradition can be made. The students that complete the project will discuss it with siblings, friends, family, and schoolmates that make younger students eager to participate in the same project and can be influential if you instill school or community influence during the project. 

4. Discussion on the importance celebrating a project.

I absolutely adore the idea of celebrating and displaying student work at the completion of a project. This is an important concept because the students can be proud of their work as it is on display, showing other educators, parents, and classmates. This can be done through an event, blog, party, or decoration in classrooms or halls. A great example of this is when I was in 4th grade. My social studies instructor had us put together a collection that was historical to us as a project. It had multiple items in the "time box" with a time-line, items that were in relation to each other (mine were dance recital costumes from the 7 years of dancing I had done) that had to include drawings, written explanation on the importance of the item. At the end, we all went to the Michigan Historical Museum for a whole week, and on the last day, we presented "our history time box" to the historians that worked at the museum and to our classmates, as well as a "history night" at school that our families attended with all of our time-boxes on display. This celebrated our accomplishment of the project, and led us into becoming historians of our own, learning Michigan history, and investment into our own history! I believe this is important because this made me really enjoy history, as I am a social studies minor, and love Michigan history still, leaving a life-long impact on my life. 

1. Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

A major concept from this chapter that relates to our project is the importance of celebrating and reflection. In our project  the students learn life lessons about science (growing vegetables), math (counting money and making change), and writing skills (journals documenting growth and progress). The students will reflect on all of these and look back on the accomplishments that they made, remember what they did for future use in the real-world and as students in future math, english, and science classes. The celebration will be selling their goods at a market. The students learn how exciting it is when people truly want to buy your vegetables and that you can make a difference in the world accomplishing strides of your own at the same time.