Reading Reflection 7

1.All three of the levels of discussion are very important to the learning process. During teacher to teacher you may gain new ideas and get an outside perspective on the project/class/ideas. This can lead to altering the project and making it a more beneficial time for the students. With student to student discussion students gain information from their peers. They have the same sort of experience that the teacher to teacher would give, but on the student level. It may give a student a different perspective from their peers, also helping lead students in directions that they might not have thought of themselves. For teacher to student discussions majority of the discussion should be conducted with small groups of students in order to connect with the students and see how much they are understanding. Alternatively this discussion method may be used for the whole class in order to model a new skill or introduce the next level of the project.

2. There are four different types of questions to ask when checking in with students. The first level is the basic level of making sure students are procedurally doing okay. This includes asking to make sure that students are following the timeline properly or have the correct material. This can be checked by monitoring students checklists and calendars. Next is making sure that work is being properly distributed among students. This includes asking if everyone is getting along in a team, or if the students are able to handle any conflict that may arise amongst themselves. This could be checked in by administering a poll everyday asking if everyone is doing their fair share of the work. Most importantly a safe place should be created for students with issues to voice their concerns. The next questions used for checking in are the understanding questions. These questions are designed to be probing questions after observing and listening to the groups at work. Including Have you thought about...? or pushing students to think a bit further than they already have. Lastly one must check in with self assessment in order to see what exactly the students are thinking about. These should be questions the student asks themselves to reflect on the experience, this could be done through a journal or blog.

3. When students optimize the use of technology they gain skills such as how to use the technology and be comfortable with it when it may come to presenting. Also it teaches students how to find usable up to date information, stay organized in many different ways, and reach out to others maybe even across the globe to encourage learning.

4. Twenty-first century skill that could make or break a project would be the collaboration between students and student and teacher. If the students aren't working well together the project will never be as good as it may be because every student has something special to bring to the project. Also if students and teachers don't communicate and collaborate correctly teachers won't be able to help students in the way that they need help therefore making it difficult for students to succeed.

5. This relates to our project because in order to be successful we must be able to check in with our students at every stage of the game. This is important because we'll know how to move on in the project in a way that will work best for our students and what they understand/don't understand. We also must be able to lead those discussions and know how to facilitate discussions between students in order to keep everyone on the same page. This will make it easier to set up those checking in questions because we will be able to navigate conversation between and with students.

Reflection chapter 7

1. There are many different levels of classroom discussions. I think that the most beneficial type that the book talked about is the peer-to-peer discussion. I think that it is the most beneficial because you can use it in many different ways, such as a think-pair-share, but this helps students to co-construct knowledge. There also student and teacher discussions. I think this can help to build a powerful relationship between teachers and students. The more a student likes a teacher the better it will be. This can be lead in many different ways teacher to one student, or teacher to a group of students.

2. We need to use questions to better our understanding of how our students are doing. We can't have them be too in depth to the point of where we are guiding the process. This is important especially in inquiry. You can get more in depth when asking students about the content in their project. This can help to gain a level of student understanding. You can also ask questions to measure student progress on their projects. This can help you to step back and give the students more freedom on a project because you can use questions to see how they are doing.

3. A great thing that technology can give students that books might not be able to is give students the most current and up to date data for their project. Technology can also help to ease the pressure of presenting in front of your peers. You will have more fun and interactive ways to present the material. This can help to ease the nerves of the students. As I mentioned in my blog post from last week technology can be used to help students check their spelling, such as microsoft word.

4. A huge 21st century skill that can make or break a student is literacy in technology. If students don't learn how to use technology then they will not be able to succeed in the classroom but in life as well. They need to have the skills for in the classroom to find their data and create presentations. Students also need the skills to get a job or work in their job.

5.  This chapter is important to my project because my teaching my students will need to feel comfortable to have discussions with me as a teacher. I need to make sure that I also can talk to my students about where they are in their project. Also my students should be able to talk with each other because they will be working in groups. I need to be able to ask my students questions but not give away too much of the answer. My students also need to be able to work the technology that is available and know how to read it.

Reading reflection 6

1. Technological tools can help students to see both strengths and weaknesses. They can see spelling errors, which I know is one of my own weaknesses. It can also help students with their grammar and help to make sure they are moving forward with it. Technology is also a special gift because it can allow students to use pictures.

2. I think you can get students thinking in many different ways. You can have groups brainstorm ideas or do either as a group or individually make outlines of their projects. They can summarize their ideas in paragraphs to help them clarify their thinking.

3. The elements of teaching fundamentals are showing the students what the fundamentals are, if we don't tell them or show them, we can't hold students to them. We also have to set the stage for inquiry with students, if we don't encourage it then they will not be able to think for themselves.

4. To set up a project we need to remind the students that although the technology is fun it is a tool not a toy while in the classroom. Keeping this in mind we do need to set up time for students to play around with the tools and set the ground rules for their usage.

5. There are many ways to promote inquiry, one would be brainstorming to create many ways to cross disciplines. Such as mix science and social studies or math and language arts. Get the students to start asking questions their peers can't answer so they  can use technology or a book to answer the question.

6. This chapter relates a lot to our project, mainly the concept map. This is our original brainstorm and it is ever changing and adapting to new challenges or questions.

RR #6

   1)   Technology tools are a very effective way for students to reflect on their own strengths. These reflections are beneficial in the form self-evaluations. These can be done before or after a project, or both. These are beneficial for several reasons:

a.      Get students to think about their own capabilities

b.     Get students to direct their own learning

c.      Get students to articulate their metacognitive strategies

d.     Identify experiences that have helped them grow

e.     Blogs allows students to keep track of their endeavors

   2)   Ways to get students minds ready for a project

a.     KWL activities that tap into a students prior knowledge

b.     Get their attention with an attention getter before starting the project

c.      Invite them to discuss the topic with friends and family over a course of several days

   3)   The elements of teaching the fundamentals first

a.     Let the children know the starting point

                                               i.     The KWL project helps aid this

b.     As students brainstorm about the project, encourage them to question deeper

c.      Sharing the assessment rubric

                                               i.     This is important because it lets the children now what is expected of them throughout the project

   4)   There are several important steps when preparing the students for technology use in a project.

a.     The technology playground

                                               i.     Allow the students to learn by doing when it comes to a new technology

                                              ii.     This also allows for other students to help each other explore a new technology

b.     Tap student expertise

                                               i.     Let the students that are familiar with technology teach the others

c.      Introduce project management tools

                                               i.     Encourages students to use a project log or journal

                                              ii.     This allows students a place to reflect and helps them keep site on their goals for the project

d.     Demonstrate

                                               i.     Demonstrate the use of a new tech tool for the kids

                                              ii.     This can be done by the teacher themselves or even a media specialist

   5)   Ways to promote deep learning and inquiry

a.     You can promote deep learning for the students by asking them several questions when starting and inquiry project:

                                               i.     “Which one” questions help collect information and make decisions in their inquiry

                                              ii.     “How questions” as the students to think critically when asked a question. This involves them to understand problems, weigh options from different views, and propose a solution to a problem.

                                            iii.     “What if” questions are hypothetical questions that further a students thinking and challenge them

                                            iv.     “Should” questions ask students to make decisions on moral or practical questions, and having evidence to back up their claims

                                              v.     “Why” questions ask a student to understand cause and effect in a situation. If this happens, then what will happen in return?

   6)   This chapter relates directly to our groups project within the class. When starting our cookbook project, the technology playground could be helpful because students may have never used the Internet to research a culture before. This would allow them to be exposed to a new technology. Another thing that would be helpful within my project would be the ways to promote deeper inquiry. These questions would help keep the inquiry process on track.

Reading Reflection 6

1. Project Based Learning can encourage students to evaluate their own strengths because they are forced to refine their own work. They also may have to work with other students, giving and receiving constructive criticism. Also by working in groups students will be asking questions about each other's thoughts and will also have to overcome obstacles.  Students can use technology to aide this process by using tools to promote reflections. They may use programs like, blogs to document thoughts and learnings throughout the process, online survey tools to identify the learning characteristics of the student. 
2. In order for the students to get the full experience of the project you must prepare the students mentally for the project. One way to do this is before even starting the project see what the students already know about the subject matter, this could be done with a KWL chart activity. Encourage students to explore the topic and become interested in what they will be learning about. 
3. In order to have  a successful project students must be knowledgeable about the background of the project. In order to know where to go in their project students must know what they do and do not know about the topic. Also by giving the students the rubrics for the end of the project when they start they can use this as a roadmap to get to the end of the project 
4.  Not only must you prepare the student for the information of the topic but they also must be prepared for the technology portion of the project. In order to do this properly you must make sure to utilize all the resources available to you to teach students the basic portions that are needed to create the project. Also, allow students to teach each other within their groups, allow students to just play around with the technology to become familiar with what they are working with. Make sure to include project management tools in this introduction as well so that students may keep themselves on track from the very beginning of the project. 
5. Ways to create inquiry and deeper learning within the classroom would be to demonstrate how to inquire further within a topic. Show students for example instead of just asking "what is the oldest money ever found" students should be asking "what is money? Why did money come about? What would we do without money?". Teach students how to create a more specific topic while still keeping it broad enough that they may think about what they are really asking and what they want to know from the research. 
6. As for connecting this to our project I know that it is important that we must get our students excited to learn about the topic, not every aspect of the project may be the most exciting to students but we must teach students to find something exciting in every section of the project.  It is important that we find out the background of each student when it comes to cooking including their culture, safety and how to be healthy in the kitchen. 

Reading Reflection 5

1. Before starting a project with students one should consider what we have for the lesson. If the school provides the needed resources, what as a teacher we'll need to buy, if any outside help is needed for the project including extra technology. Also making sure that every portion of the project is reading for students including guidelines. 
2. Both students and teachers need to equally utilize time management skills. Teachers need to make sure that everything is graded properly for the students on time, and students need to have their work in on time in order to get it graded. By using a project schedule or calendar for the class can help keep everyone involved on the same page and on task. 
3. There are many different levels of technology available to students. Some are very simple which would be the ones that we would be starting with and working our way towards the more complex programs. Some of the programs that I would encourage my students to use would be ones that I am familiar with at first so I could help them then we could together as a class learn to use different applications. 
4. Our project relates in many ways to this chapter. When starting we had to evaluate what we needed for the lesson, what resources would be used, what extra help we would need with our sections that we were working on. Time management is a huge one because we must keep everything on track, for ourselves and for our "students". Also we've been using and will be using different programs, some of which I am familiar with some my partners are and some we must learn to use together. 

RR #5

   1)   One of the big things to consider before starting a project with students is that you need to asses your inventory of resources. You must first see what your school can offer you, then figure out what you may need to borrow or purchase outside of what your school can provide. Next you must figure out what types of technology your project will include, and if an expert in the field is needed for support that you or your children might need. Using an expert or other volunteers as a resource can prove to be very valuable when doing a project.

    2)   The biggest management skill that both teachers and students need is time management. This is a key factor in any project, big or small. The use of a project calendar is big tool that both teachers and students can use in order to keep themselves organized and on track during a project.

    3)   The use of technology can really ease the stress of a project for both students and teacher. When starting a project with technology, start off small and work your way up to more advanced technology applications. One of the simplest ways to integrate technology into a project is by using a project wiki. This wiki can include directions for the project, the project calendar, and various links to help the children succeed in their projects. Eventually you can move into more complex technological applications for the students such as creation of their own websites.

   4)   This chapter relates in several ways to my own topic and project for the class. During my own project I will be engaging in the use of time management skills in order to create a successful project. Also I will be using several forms of technology in order to make my project better. Also when we started our project, our group needed to asses our resources and figure out what we might need.

Chapter reflection - Ch. 5

1. Before you start a project with your students you need to make sure you have all the materials that you will need. As a teach you also need to make sure that if there are guidelines or rubrics that those are set in stone. Something that we do not usually think about is that we should check the websites our students could be using and making sure that they are age appropriate. If there is a field trip for the topic then you will obviously want to make sure your trip is planned and safe for your students.

2.Both students and teachers need to work on time management when there is a project going on. We need to make sure as teachers we are staying on time with our grading if our project has more that one part.

3. There are many different forms of technology. They can range from something as simple as Microsoft Word and typing a paper to Prezi with all the intricate details. Most projects that I have experiences have had me do some sort of presentation. If my students will be doing that then they will use powerpoint or prezi.

4. I would have to say time management is most important for my project because my students will have different things going on around them. I think is students can stay on top of deadlines then they will be able to make a successful cook book.

Revised concept map

Reading Reflection #4

1. There are many potential pitfalls when designing a project including, having a long and intense project, but not having the students taking away any information. Also having unneeded technology involved students aren't taking away any new information, just reproducing information in electronic. Furthermore, using the same themes over and over without deeper meanings can have the same results, students not participating in project based learning, also having a large amount of steps can create cookie-cutter project results. 
2. In order to have a good project they must follow the same steps; 
• designed with the possibility of different learning paths
• cause students to construct meaning
• center on a driving question or are otherwise structured for inquiry 
• capture student interest through real life or simulated experiences
• cross multiple disciplines
• reach beyond school
• use primary resources
• structured so students learn from each other
• having students working as inquiring experts might 
• using 21st-century skills/literacies
• get at important learning dispositions
• students learn by doing this
3. Project ideas come from everywhere, they can come from other teachers, the news, contemporary issues, student's questions and interests, a collaboration of a new idea or tool or even from something going on within the classroom. 
4. There are four main steps to designing a project 
1. Revisiting the framework - this means listing the learning objectives for the core subjects, deciding on which 21st-century skills that will be addressed, identify which dispositions which will be taught. 
2. Establish evidence of understanding - what will students know/be able to do once they have completed the project. How will the students be different after the project
3. Plan the "vehicle" - what would students inquire about, do or create during the project, creating true - to - life connections. 
4. Plan entree into the project experience - how will you get the students excited for the project and interested in the project. 
5. This relates to our project in class because we have to follow the same steps. We must be cautious of the pitfalls of the projects in order to create a project that will be a success. We must also keep the steps in mind in order to create a project that won't fail the second that we implement it. The biggest part that connects to our project I feel like is the main steps to design the projects. We have to follow all of those steps through ourselves or our own projects have no hope of teaching students the way we hoped.  

RR #4

        1)   There are several pitfalls when it comes to creating a project for your students. The first pitfall of a project is wordiness. If the project is to many directions and words to it, the children may be come confused. Another project pitfall is layering technology over traditional projects, for example researching and presenting a PowerPoint of the research. This project really isn’t making any change from a traditional project that it started as. The final pitfall is that the activity is long, but is short on the project outcomes.

     2)   There are many features of a good project when it comes to project design. A good project is loosely designed and lets the children dictate the path of learning. This project is also structured to promote inquiry, and has a driving question behind it. A good project allows the students to tap into primary sources that provide the student with quality information.

    3)   There are several places that project ideas can come from. One of the big places that teachers get project ideas from is their fellow teacher. This allows the teacher to get a new idea, and also possibly change the project in a way to fit their class. Another very important place that project ideas come from is directly from the students. Student led inquiry projects become powerful tools for learning.

   4)   There are several steps that go into the project sketch, or the beginning of the project. First you must visit the framework for the project. This involves making a list of final learning objectives that the project will entail. Next you must decide on the 21^st century skills that your project will help teach the children.  Next you must establish evidence of understanding, which is showing that your students actually understand what you want them to learn. Next you must also plan the theme of the project or the students.  Finally you must plan on how you will introduce the project to the students once the project starts.

    5)   This chapter is a direct relation to the project that we are planning in this class. This same process that the chapter discusses is the same process that we as a group are going through in the planning of our own project. When it comes to our project, the book is also a good resource to use if we become confused.