Friday, September 20, 2013

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 21st 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.

3 comments:

  1. I think the benefits the students get from PBL is great. Communication with others, flexibility and being able to answer a question in a creative way is important to have in the future. I agree that teachers need to be familiar with PBL in order for their students to learn it. Hopefully by the end I will have a better grasp so I can help my students understand PBL.

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  2. I agree that teachers need to become more confident with new technology. I think the sooner we expose the students to the newest technology that can help them learn new materials the easier it will be for them when they get older and need to find something out.

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  3. Good summary of the chapter. it really gives a clear view of what project based learning is. I agree that collaboration with other teachers is important. And in some ways it may help brige the gap with the teachers knowledge of the technology if they work with others that do understand it.

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