Reflection Chapter 2

"If I could do one thing for teachers to make school better for students, I would find a way 

to have teachers have more time to work with each other and to develop collaborative 

projects" -Jeff Whipple

I love the term “learning community”. I've had several practicum experiences, and the happiest environments have been in schools which view the student body as a community of learners, working and growing together. Instead of viewing change as a terrible and scary thing, these schools look at new information as an opportunity for teachers to work together. New technology initiatives provide professional development software (for example) so that teachers can become comfortable with using technology in the classroom, especially in a collaborative way. Teachers who work in this type of community have strong ties to each other. Your co-workers are an un-tapped resource of knowledge! Combining the individual strengths of teachers can bring about some seriously cool projects. Furthermore, collaboration among teachers helps eliminate the isolation that sometimes comes with being in this field. I love the idea of collaboration and co-teaching between general ed and special ed teachers; the combined areas of expertise and the use of multi-media teaching is dynamite in the classroom. Professionals in the learning community gain that team, increase their commitment to the mission, share responsibility, and provide some pretty powerful learning experiences.

"Sometimes, change happens because an individual teacher takes the initiative to try something new. By incorporating digital-age projects into your curriculum, you are already planning for change."

A community needs leaders. In a professional learning community, students must take responsibility for their own learning, and teachers need to be that guide. Change is inevitable, and by learning how to use technology around us to enhance our teaching and challenge our students we can build the strongest possible community. 

As a collaborative teacher, can you give and receive critical feedback? Criticism can be a harsh lady, but ultimately we need to move forward. The ability to help others grow is vital in a teamwork setting, and doing so in a constructive manner. Furthermore, we need a clear sense of our mission, a shared vision, organization into groups by teacher-leaders, a strong focus on student learning, goals, collaboration, a shared system of values and beliefs, and a full commitment to the community and projects.

To put on a musical in high school, getting the type of commitment you need for a successful show is paramount. I can say from personal experience, sometimes sacrifices must be made in order to put in the work and develop the family feeling necessary to perform your best. The cast needs to feel like a little community with roles of equal importance in relation to each other. Setting small goals is quite helpful and can keep the students from feeling overwhelmed with all of the music, lines, and choreography which must be learned in a few months time. Furthermore, the students creating the sets, running the lighting, performing in the pit, and those on stage need to feel connected and share the same vision for the performance. Communication is vital and can help reduce stress and anxiety.

First Map

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Practice Map for Class

Link for Practice Map

Chapter 1 Reflection: "The Big Picture"

All this talk of "Project Based Learning" has got me thinking about my own experiences in middle and high school.  I must agree with the words of Mr. McDowell, who confesses his greatest high school recollection to be slicing open a dead frog.  I too can remember back to that day in middle school...the anticipation had built for weeks, knowing that soon we would be embarking on a new and exciting journey: that journey into the body cavity of a cold blooded creature, born and raised for the sole purpose of being humanely murdered and shipped to a classroom full of eager pre-teens, all adequately armed with scalpels.

In all seriousness, though, it was a great project, and to this day, I guarantee that I could successfully dissect the eyeball of any animal and correctly locate the lens.  These are the things that students remember: the gross projects and thrilling field trips.  Learning through doing, not listening to an educator drone for an hour over a subject that none can truly relate to, because none have ever had the chance to experience it for themselves.

One of the most exciting aspects of project based learning, is the idea of students taking control of their learning, and getting motivated to seek out their own questions and answers regarding the subject at hand.  No longer are teachers hailed as the all-knowing gurus in the classroom and requested at the slightest hint of misunderstanding.  Rather, teachers are there to help guide students in their learning through projects designed specifically to nurture the learning of the class.   The goal of project based learning is not that students be able to memorize and repeat definitions and theories spelled out in a textbook.  If they go away from a lesson remembering exactly how fat an armadillo can get in its lifespan, that's excellent! (120 lbs., by the way)  In the bigger scope, however, it's more important that students know how to find that information should they require it in the future. (http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/armadillo/)

Another aspect of project based learning that I really like, is the fact that students are doing actual investigative work.  How excellent would it be for a class of seventh graders to spend an entire semester drawing water samples from a local swamp to test the levels of mercury found.  All of the subject areas would inevitably be addressed: reading and writing test results, as well as consulting books and research; mapping out locations to perform experiments; communicating with peers while gathering and deciphering data...the list could go on...  This type of learning does not occur when students are stuck behind a desk shoving pencils up their nose.

In short, I think project based learning is a great way to let students experience learning rather than having to endure it.  I especially like the idea of learning being seen as "participatory, collaborative, and creative".  We don't live on the prairie anymore...it's time to start teaching students to take control of their own learning!

High School Musical Thought Bubble

Reflection Ch. 1

Where are you starting your journey? Before my third year at Western, I could work Microsoft programs fairly well. I was familiar with Excel and Word, I could knock out a pretty decent spread sheet, but that was the extent of my technology training. In one of my language arts classes, we were asked to make a digital story and relate it somehow to language. Now I was in over my head. I found Windows Movie Maker on my computer, and found myself sitting there staring at the screen. Eventually I took an online tutorial, and what can I say, I was hooked. I decided to make a connection between my passion: dance, and language acquisition. I learned how to bring in pictures, video, and music. The finished product was by far more lovingly made than any simple presentation I could have done.

This is when I found myself becoming much more tech savvy when it comes to the classroom. The students I serve need differentiated instruction, which technology and computer programming allows me to infuse into my lessons with ease.

The book states that today's students are up to the challenge and these projects will be worth the effort. I can personally attest to the truthfulness of these words. The most successful projects I have conducted in practicum have involved the use of multimedia projects and online research. The students simply get more out of mixing written text and video than me standing there talking at them.

I love the line "projects form the centerpiece of the curriculum, they are not an add-on at the end of a 'real' unit." The school I am currently serving only uses hands-on project-based learning. Some classes are doing projects about NASA. Out in the main hallway there is a "mystery scene" set up for the class studying forensics. As a teacher, I am learning these new methods of teaching as I go. I am learning how to use new technology and project-based learning to make my lessons more meaningful and allow my students real life experiences in the classroom.

Concept Map 1- Putting on a Musical

The First One

Greetings!