Reading Reflection # 2

Suann Dorsett
Reading Reflection 2

From reading this chapter it did give different meaning as to learning from different communities. Having different ideas of how to teach a lesson helps when an educator gets flustered. Being able to teach using technology can have its positive outlook. You can branch out ideas rather than working alone in isolation can distress a teacher. From the way culture is changing so is technology. Being able to teach a project based lesson can include different parts of the world. Some ideas that can help are, 

• Having a mindset of what is being taught
• Share ideas with others
• Work in teams to collaborate on what worked and what needs extra help
• Have the students learn from each other when working together
• Have commitment to improve more along the way

Being able to discuss with others about a lesson a teacher is teaching helps. When I grew up the teacher didn't use technology as often as teacher are letting the students use in this day in age. Teachers can collaborate to change the curriculum, the thing is learning how to do it. 

Reading Reflection #2

I thought after reading Chapter 2, that the focus of Learning Communities was best described on page 30. “A “learning organization,” or professional learning community, as it is often referred to in education, is different from other professional relationships. A learning organization can be any business work team, big or small, that engages in ongoing, collaborative problem solving focused on making the business better. In the process, individuals and the team expand their capacity to create the results they desire. They learn new patterns of thinking, they learn how to capitalize on the wisdom of the group, and, most importantly, they continually learn how to learn together.” 

Throughout the chapter I came across a lot of benefits of the learning communities. I decided that after a long list of benefits to choose the examples and explanations found on page 31. “Creating a professional learning community means making time for new ways of working with colleagues. Traditional professional development activities make up approximately 5% of a teacher’s non-student contact time each year. Programs are often single-shot and mandated rather than selected by the participant, and the content often focuses on adding something new rather than improving what a teacher is already doing. Professional learning can certainly support your shift to project-based instruction, but the fundamental program changes you make will require frequent and intentional collaboration with your colleagues.” This is definitely a good explanation as to what happens in comparison to our traditional professional development with the project-based learning communities. This is some of the instructions that are given for interactions with the other teachers you may work with, also found on page 31. “Find time to watch and reflect on each other’s classroom interactions. Learn to give each other critical feedback. Capitalize on the wisdom of the group. Engage in new patterns of thinking. Learn how to continually learn together.” Also on page 33 is a short list of benefits. “Decreased teacher isolation, increased commitment to the mission, shared responsibility, more powerful learning, and a higher likelihood of fundamental, systemic change.”

I think that doing any of the fore mentioned benefits, you could understand the affects that learning communities have on teachers. By getting teachers talking with one another, hopefully new and fresh ideas can be passed around and the interaction will become more of a friendship instead of co-workers.

Page 32 has some effects on the students with the learning communities. “A project-based learning collaboration among students is a lot like a professional learning community among teachers. For both, the learning is relevant and rigorous, and the “students” learn to learn together. Both groups develop the skills and dispositions necessary in the “real world,” including communication, problem solving, project management, motivation, and persistence. Both build bonds as they share triumphs and disappointments.”

The components for the shared vision in learning communities is best described as a list. As mentioned on page 35, “Members of your community for addressing digital-age projects should share these research-based components:

• ·         Have a clear sense of mission

• ·         Share a vision of the conditions they must create to achieve the mission

• ·         Work together in collaborative teams to determine the best practice to achieve the mission

• ·         Organize into groups headed by teacher-leaders

• ·         Focus on student learning

• ·         Are goal- and results- oriented

• ·         Collaborate with each other

• ·         Hold shared values and beliefs

• ·         Commit themselves to continuous improvement

• ·         See themselves as life-long learners”

I would have to say that the online communities section found on page 33 and 34 would relate to my topic/project. We are using the blog to communicate and the entire class is using eLearning to take this class, so it is “they show how teachers as active learners don’t wait for professional development to come to them; instead, teachers create their own opportunities for shared learning. What’s more, you will gain experience with the social networking tools that many of your students are already using to create and communicate with their own online communities.”

Reading Reflection Chapter 2

           In Chapter 2, we discuss creating a professional learning community. The focus of learning communities are that any business work team, that engages on ongoing collaborative  problem solving will expand their capacity to create the results they desire. The team learns new patterns of thinking, how to capitalize on the wisdom of the group, and how to continually learn together.

           Learning communities have many benefits. Some of the benefits include, less teacher isolation, more commitment to the mission, shared responsibility, more powerful learning, and an increased likelihood of fundamental, systematic change.

         Learning communities affect both teachers and students. Teachers need to find time to watch and reflect on each other's classroom interactions, learn how to give each other critical feedback, capitalize on the wisdom of the group,engage in new patterns of thinking, and learn how to continually learn together and from each other. For both teachers and students the learning is relevant and rigorous,  and the students learn to learn together.  Both develop skills and dispositions necessary outside of the classroom. These skills include: communication, problem solving, project management, motivation, and persistence. Both teachers and students build bonds when they succeed and do not succeed.   

Shared visions have many components. Some of these components are:

• having a clear sense of mission
• share a vision of the conditions they must create to achieve the mission
• work together in collaborative teams to determine the best practice to achieve the mission
• be goal and result orientated
• collaboration
• mutual values and beliefs
• commit to continuous improvement 

I believe that learning communities relate to my project because we all have to collaborate in order to create it. We are all going to be working together toward a common mission. Also if we were actually doing this project in a classroom as teachers we would need to collaborate with other teachers in order to get the project perfect. 

 

 

 

Reading Reflection #2

Michelle Webb

 

          “A professional learning community means making time for new ways of working with colleges.” Pg. 31According to our class book Reinventing Project-Based Learning, learning communities have a great impact on what we get out of what we ate learning. On page 33 of our text the focus of leaning communities is brought up “Professional learning communities focus on three big, student-centered ideas: ensure that students learn, create a culture of collaboration for school improvement, and focus on results (DuFour, 2004).”

          The benefits of learning communities are highlighted as built points on page 33 of our reading,

·         “decreased teacher isolation,

·         increased commitment to the mission,

·         shared responsibility,

·         more powerful learning,

·         a higher likelihood of fundamental, systemic change”.

With the benefit of decreased teacher isolation teachers are given a chance to communicate their new ideas and have questions or concerns brought up that they might have missed on their own. Increased commitment to the mission is just bringing a larger group together so that their voices can be heard more clearly. Shared responsibility makes it easier to take risks and try something new. More powerful learning, because you have a large support group behind you. Higher likelihood of a change because more people are working together to make that happen.

          Learning communities affect teachers and students because teachers “find time to watch and reflect on each other’s classroom interactions. Learn to give each other critical feedback. Capitalize on the wisdom of the group. Engage new patterns of thinking. Learn how to critically learn together.” Pg. 31. Although this specific quote was referring to teachers it is also what students will be doing when they work together. On page 32 our text reads, “For both (teachers and students), the learning is relevant and rigorous, and the “students” learn to learn together. Both groups develop the skills and dispositions necessary in the “real world” including communication, problem solving, project management, motivation, and persistence. Both build bonds as they share triumphs and disappointments.”

          Shared vision in learning is about how the “students” all have the same focus and are all interested in answering the same basic question.  I believe that all of this relates to my group project on gardening because we are all working together to answer the same question. We are able to bounce ideas off of one another, give each other feedback and use the wisdom of the group as a whole.



 

 

Reading Reflection #1



 

Michelle Webb

 

                While reading Chapter 1: Mapping the Journey - Seeing the Big Picture, of  our class book

 Reinventing Project-Based learning, the important things that I found to keep in mind for teachers starting to work with project based learning is on pages 18 and 19. You should know the material of what your students need to know well enough that if they start to take the project a different way than what you anticipated you can either softly redirect them or allow their unexpected idea to continue. The communication within your room should be open and your classroom management style should be clear and easy for the students to follow. The way the classroom is set up should be conducive to a project based type of learning. Assessments and what you as the teacher collect are also important to consider. Finally, the last thing you should keep in mind is the way you communicate with your colleges and parents of the students within your building.

Benefits of PBL overall are that teachers and students invent new ways of learning and work together to make that happen. Students throughout the year become better at working in teams among their group members, completing their work before deadlines, resolve conflicts by themselves in a way that allows the group to continue working together. Most of all the students become much better at investigating and finding the answers to the questions that they created.

            Benefits specifically for students who use PBL are that students improve on their communication and inquiry skills throughout the year. Students are able to learn how to be flexible with the way that they work, get a better understanding of how the world actually works and they are able to achieve the feeling that not just a group but specific people can change something about the world.

            I believe a huge problem that would face teachers who are trying to use PBL is that not enough teachers are given the knowledge to work with new technology. They are many teachers that I know that are not exactly “technology savvy” and this would create s problem for PBL. The teachers need to be better prepared to handle the new technology so that they can better inform their students on what all is out there that they can learn.

                New Technology High is a great example of a New Technology Model.  This is because in order for this type of learning to take place the students need to be supported by their parents and teachers and the teachers need to be supported by the school. PBL would be easiest to take place within a school that is built for such learning.

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Reading Reflection Chapter 1

When getting started in the Project-Based Learning journal teachers should keep in mind your learning goals, the way you talk and engage with students, your classroom management style, the physical arrangement of your class, how you think about assessment, what you collect, and how you  communicate with parents and colleagues. Teachers need to be able to adapt to notice change.

The overall benefits of the PBL approach are the projects form the centerpiece of the curriculum, students engage in real-world activities and practice the strategies of authentic disciplines., students work collaboratively to solve the problems, technology is a tool for discovery, collaboration, and communication, and teacher are increasingly collaborating to design and implement projects that cross borders and time zones.

Benefits to students that are participation in PBL are they develop good communication skills and break through cultural misunderstandings, they develop good inquiry skills, they learn to be flexible with their working hours, the develop a fuller understanding of how the world works and that it does not revolve around them, and finally students achieve the feeling that, through communication with and understanding of the other people, individuals can do something about changing the world.

One  issue that needs to be considered when using the PBL approach is teachers need to become familiar with some technology that they may not have already been familiar with. In order for their student to learn as much as possible teachers need to be very confident in what they are teaching them.

New Technology High is an example of the New Technology Model because it is a place that PBL drives the entire curriculum. This is a school for the 21^st century.  Using technology they teach students to think critically, collaborate and use technology as a problem solving tool. It’s a small design so students and staff can know each other better. Teachers are given incentives and time to work together so good ideas are shared.

Reading Reflection #1

Reading Reflection #1

After reading Chapter 1: Mapping the Journey- Seeing the Big Picture, I believe I have a better understanding about project-based learning.  What I think all teachers need to keep in mind when they begin using project-based learning is listed under the heading “Getting Ready.” Listed in order;

• ·         “your learning goals. Be ready to rethink your expectations for what students will know and do.”

• ·         “the way you talk and engage with students. Be ready to step off the stage and interact with your students differently.”

• ·         “your classroom management style. Be ready to help students become better at managing their own progress.”

• ·         “the physical arrangement of your class. Be ready to reconfigure the hardware—desks, computers, and other furnishings—to facilitate teamwork and collaboration.”

• ·         “how you think about assessment. Be ready to reevaluate what you need to pay attention to throughout the learning process.”

• ·         “what you collect. Be ready to reconsider which artifacts of learning are worth keeping.”

• ·         “how you communicate with parents and colleagues. Be ready to explain your reasoning for taking the 21^st-century project approach.”

I find all of these points that the book listed to be very important to what we should consider when taking the step into using project-based learning. If we were to all be prepared for what we want of our students, how to communicate with students, help students with managing themselves, take into account all the new equipment, understand that you will have to pay attention to more areas than others, decide what we want to collect from the lessons, and how to interact with parents and other staff members; we should be able to call ourselves “ready” for the transition.

The book does another great job of listing the overall benefits from using this style of teaching and learning. Using two paragraphs on page 21, you get all the overall benefits. “With practice, engaging in project work helps teachers and students develop new ways of working together and incorporating new ideas. Over time, your students will get better at working as a team, managing deadlines, resolving conflicts, and investigating their own questions. You will become better at facilitating their success. You will all get into a rhythm of working together well.  Finally, remember that you are creating new traditions for your students. Years from now, what do you hope they will remember about the learning experiences they shared with you?” Having that connection with your students is something that I hope all teachers would want to share with their students.

The benefits for the students can be found on page 20. These are what one teacher claims is the “extra learning.”

• ·         “Students develop good communication skills to break through cultural misunderstanding and find consensus.”

• ·         “Students develop good inquiry skills, which foster a sense of wonderment at the differences in the world.”

• ·         “Students learn to be flexible with their working hours because they know other people are relying on them to meet their deadlines.”

• ·         “Students develop a fuller understanding of how the world works and that does not just revolve around them.”

• ·         “Students achieve the feeling that, through communication with and understanding of other people, individuals can do something about changing the world.”

I think that the obvious issue that teachers and students would have to consider using project-based learning would be the availability of technology. Whether it is internet being down or not having enough computers, these cannot always be avoided. However, instead of getting upset because you no longer have a lesson for the day, make sure to have prepared backups to use in these situations. Just remember that anything can happen.

I suppose Paul Curtis is correct in his statement. “Unless the whole school is convinced this is the way to go, you’re fighting this huge uphill battle.” I believe New Technology High is a great example of the New Technology Model. To be able to use the project-based learning the whole school needs to be on board. For a school that is designed to specifically use this type of teaching and learning, would have to be the prime example of the New Technology Model.