Reading Reflection Chapter 4

                When deciding to do project based learning teachers need to make sure they are choosing the appropriate project for their classroom. Teachers want to avoid common pitfalls in project design. Some common pitfalls are projects that have long activity and short learning outcomes, projects that have technology layered over traditional practice, projects that have trivial thematic units, and projects that are overly scripted with many, many steps.  Teachers want to avoid these problems so they can have the best learning activities for their students.
             Teachers want make sure their projects have good features. The features of a good project are, as listed on page 65, “ loosely designed with the possibility of different learning path,are generative, causing students to construct meaning,center on a driving question or are otherwise structured for inquiry,capture student interest through complex and compelling real-life or simulated experiences,are realistic, and therefore cross multiple disciplines,reach beyond school to involve others,tap rich data or primary sources,are structured so students learn with and from each other,have students working as inquiring experts might,get 21^st century skills and literacies, including communication, project management, and technology use,get an important learning dispositions, including persistence, risk-taking, confidence, resilience, self-reflection, and cooperation, and have students learn by doing."
                        Project ideas come from many places. Some projects ideas come from, and listed on page 65-66:

• a tried and true project with potential for more meaning, expressive leaning
• project plans developed by and for other teachers
• news stories
• contemporary issues
• student questions or interests
• a classroom irritant put to educational use
• a "mashup" of a great idea and a new idea

Teachers will often design their own projects to use in their classrooms.  In order to make a successful project teachers need to follow these steps, as listed on page 67-68

1.Revisit the framework.

• make a list of learning objectives for core subjects
• decide the specific 21st century skill you want to address
• identify learning dispositions you want to foster

2. Establish evidence of understanding. Imagine what students would know or be able to do once they have learned. 

3. Plan the "vehicle", project theme or project. What would students inquire about,do,create?  

4. Plan entree into the project experience. What are the first things you might say to get students attention and build excitement?

These topics relate to our project because we need to design good projects for out students. We need to make sure it is a good project and we avoid the common pitfalls.