Reading Reflection #4

It was very interesting to read about the four potential pitfalls of project design and really makes me think back on my past teaching experiences and how I will try to avoid pitfalls in the future. The pitfalls are:

• Long on activity, short on learning outcomes: You don't want to have a project that is long and busy, but reaches a small amount of learning aims.
• Technology layered over traditional practice: You should avoid having students research a topic and then presenting it on a slideshow. It's not a quality project.
• Trivial thematic units: Thematic teaching is not necessarily project-based learning. Try to incorporate more advanced, engaging projects. In the book it states instead of having students count apples and paint apple pictures, rather have the students compare the selection in the store to preferences of the student body and then have them create graphs of their results.
• Overly scripted with many, many steps: Over-prescriptive project plans that have many discrete steps can lead to limited and predictable results.

I enjoyed reading about the features of a good project and think it is very crucial to implement these features into projects for the students and teacher's benefits. One thing that stuck out to me was to have students learn by doing. I think that any student can learn much better by practicing or doing something than just listening to a teacher lecture about a topic. The features of a good project are:

• Loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths
• Generative, causing students to construct meaning
• Center on driving questions or are otherwise structured for inquiry
• Capture student interest through complex and compelling real-life or simulated experiences
• Realistic and therefore cross multiple disciplines
• Reach beyond school to involve others
• Tap rich data or primary sources
• Structured so students learn with and from each other
• Have students working as inquiring experts might
• Get at 21st Century Skills and literacies, including communication, project management, and technology use.
• Get at important learning dispositions, including persistence, risk-taking, confidence, resilience, self-reflection, and cooperation
• Have students learn by doing

Project Ideas come from many different resources! It's amazing to learn where they have come from. Listed below are examples:

• A tried-and-true project with potential fro more meaningful, expressive learning
• Project plans developed by and for other teachers
• News stories
• Contemporary Issues
• Student Questions or interests
• A classroom irritant put to educational use
• A mash-up of a great idea and a new tool!

Using the steps to design a project should be very effective and I'm excited to try them out!

1. Revisit the Framework: You must determine the objectives and subjects the project will cover. As well as, decide on the 21st century skills you will address, and identify learning dispositions.
2. Establish evidence of understanding: Develop a project or plan to determine whether students understand or not
3. Plan the vehicle (Project theme or challenge): Create a project that challenges students and lets them have true-to-life connections
4. Plan the Entree into the project experience: Determine you're opener to get the students excited and engaged for the project!!

This relates to our project because we want to try our best to avoid any pitfalls and want to implement as many or all of the features to develop a good project for our students! Lastly, we should take advantage of using the resources of where project ideas come from and follow the steps to design a project to ensure success!