Morse RR Chapter 7

Covers Chapter 7, A Guiding Hand -- Keeping a Project Moving, of Reinventing Project-Based Learning, p. 113 to 124.

Your reflection should include:

1.      Description of the levels of classroom discussions.

There are three levels of classroom discussion:

Teacher to teacher: These discussions include procedural to formative assessment and any other conversations that might consist of collaboration with one another. Teachers can also talk about any problems and confusion with the students and problem solving solutions as well. There are several ways teachers can communicate including the following: face-to-face, blog, wiki, or other collaboration tool.

Student to student: Students can discuss ideas and concerns to build learning experiences throughout the activities. Communication is essential for successful team work for increased learning as well as organization and staying on-task. Modeling for students how effective communication is essential for students to understand how to do this task well.

Teacher to student: Both one-on-one student to teacher and whole class to teacher communication. If communication tools are used, less communication can be on housekeeping items. These items can be placed on blogs, calendars or other online work spaces. Other communication can result by observing and letting the students know what you're seeing, working out other confusions, or talking with smaller groups of students.

2.      Discussion on the questions for “checking in” on students during a project.

Checking in on student progress is essential when using project-based learning. Asking questions to students to provide essential feedback is imperative for classroom management procedures. Types of questions that can be asked include procedural, teamwork, understanding, and self-assessment. Some examples of questions include the following: Are we staying on schedule?, Is one student carrying too much of the load for the whole team?, and Have you thought about…?

3.      Discussion on the benefits to students when optimizing the use of technology.

Educators need to make sure that technology is not used as a distraction, but instead for learning purposes and to enhance the thinking and ideas of the students. These students also need to be given the choice a few times as to which type of technology they would use. It is important that students are able to adapt their technological experiences to their learning and skill needs throughout different parts of the project. Teachers can use questioning to help make sure that their students are maximizing their technological experiences. Asking questions to make sure that the technology use is helping students reach learning goals rather than being a hindrance on these experiences.

4.      Discussion on the 21st-century skills that can make or break a project.

Teachers need to keep a few things in mind in order to make the project successful. Paying close attention to team dynamics in terms of team conflicts is important. Teachers can do this by creating a formal assessment so that students are well aware that they are being graded on their participation within their group. Guidelines and procedures

5.      Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

Communication between both my students and myself is the most essential and critical component to creating a successful project and classroom.  Collaboration will be used amongst not only different classrooms within the same district but also with the teachers from the classrooms we will be talking with across the world. Classroom management, procedures and routines will help the conflict amongst the different groups and these will all be set in place before the project so that these minor conflicts will hopefully not have to be handled.