Reflection #4

Michelle Webb

The potential pitfalls are long on activity, short on learning, technology layered over traditional practice, trivial thematic units and overly scripted with many, many steps. A project should be “right sized” there should be a good amount of learning in a short amount of time that are given. The Technology shouldn’t be used as an interactive poster, it should be used to deepen the knowledge. One project can give the students different interaction around one topic, instead of just the same thing over and over again. The project should not have too many steps, it should be basic enough so that thy students are able to be successful with their work.

Good projects al have a few things in common, they are listed on page 65.

·         “Are loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths

·         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

·         Have students learn by doing”

Ideas for projects can come from anything. Let your students help you, if they feel like they are coming up with the project themselves then they will be even more invested in the outcome. Steps for designing a project are to pull your ideas together, and figure out how they will flow, then create a project sketch. Once the project sketch is created and shared with your peers you will be able to make adjustments before presenting the idea to your students.

These ideas will all help with my groups gardening project because the way to make successful projects is easier to understand with the steps laid out.