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.