EDTECH 542 - Final Project

Project Link

What do you know understand best about Project Based Learning? What do you understand least well?

My strong suit, most of the time, is creativity. Developing project ideas and entry events is a strong suit. I understand how important it is to engage students and bring the students into a project in an authentic way and get them excited. 

What did you expect to learn in this course? What did you actually learn? More, less, and why?

Obviously I expected to learn more about project based learning, what exactly is it, how is it implemented, what does it entail? I think I learned all of those things and more. I was glad to have created a full project that can be utilized in my classroom. One thing that stood out to me was the close connection to 21st century skills and how well this lesson design addresses these skills.

What will you do with what you have learned?

I am very excited to using this project first thing this coming year. I can't think of a better way to build a sense of community in my classroom. So often we get tied up in all the procedures, little things, and getting straight to academics at the beginning of the year. It never seems to work as planned. With this project we will be focusing on more important things as well as building technology skills right from the get go that can be used all year long. While this can be overwhelming and challenging with such young students I think it will be well worth the effort. I also look forward to being able to evaluate how the project works with the students and what will need to be changed or continued in future projects. As the year progresses, I really hope to have the students participate even more in things like rubric elements and design.

Access to PBL Template

https://sites.google.com/a/u.boisestate.edu/sites/system/app/pages/meta/dashboard/create-new-site

Project Rubric

http://edtech.mrooms.org/pluginfile.php/89157/mod_page/content/35/ProjectDesignRubric.doc

EDTECH 542 - Project Evaluation

QUESTION:

The culminating event is over, the project presentations have been presented, groups and peers have been evaluated, reflection journals are in. Is the PBL experience really over? Absolutely not. One of the most powerful forms of assessment and project evaluation is the post project reflection. Use the resources from this week to assist you as you think about how you intend to debrief your PBL experience. Some questions to consider:

• Who will you involve in the process?
• What will your process look like?
• Is it just a one-time assessment?

Answer:

• I think it is very important to have the students be involved in the evaluation process of the whole project. It is important for students to give feedback on what was and wasn't succesful for them and their groups during the project. This feedback can be used if the project is going to be used in the future. It also can be used to adjust any projects that will be taking place with these same students during the year.  It can also be used to add any mini lessons to help direct the students in any areas of academics or collaboration skills. 
• I would also debrief with other teachers that participated in the project or if any other grade level teachers participated in the project with their students.
• Teachers are always observing and thinking about how lessons are going and making constant adjustments. This would also be part of the assessment process.

EDTECH 542 - Managing the Project

Possible Criticisms of Project Based Learning:

• students won't perform well on standardized assessments
• students don't know what they need to know to solve a problem
• students aren't self driven
• students are not being taught
• skills are not being assessed

Response to criticisms/Rationale for incorporating PBL:

• through a PBL approach students often gain a deeper knowledge, there is often a better retention of learning, often ties primary learning with secondary skills
• learning connects to reality
• students make connections between different subjects increasing understanding why they learn
• integration of technology in a meaningful and real life way
• easy to integrate 21st century skills
• all students are assessed with various methods throughout the unit (not just once which commonly happens with standard teaching methods)
• all students are still assessed individually
• there is scaffolding involved to create independence in the process
• lessons and "teaching" are part of the process - better because teaching occurs as needed and on weak areas - not as much teaching of things students already know

One of the greatest challenges for an instructor in a PBL unit is to adapt to the role of facilitator. Reflect on the following:

• Will my role in the teaching/learning process change?
• What are the skills of effective facilitation?
• Will the students develop the competencies and skills needed to be successful?
• What changes will you need to make in order to become an effective facilitator in your PBL unit?

Taking this class has probably made me think more about teaching and how to teach than any other class I've taken so far during this program. It may also be because I had a very challenging class this past year and there were many times when instruction was interrupted and I was unable to continue because I had to deal with severe behavior issues. This just gives me more reason to incorporate PBL in my classroom. Because my role changes from just an instructor to an instructor/facilitator I will be able to address problems and issues whether big or small as they come up and not take away from other students. Other students can continue working. Hopefully students will also be more engaged in what they are doing, and there will be less issues to begin with. I believe that students can develop the competencies and skills needed to be successful. Even though it will take a good deal of modeling, scaffolding, and practice I know that even young students will be successful. I think having more opportunities to work in groups and practice cooperative learning skills will also be beneficial. Practicing how to support and work with each other would have also helped many of the behavior issues I had last year.

I believe the biggest skills needed for effective facilitation is questioning and letting students think and make decisions about their own learning for themselves even if this leads to mistakes on occasion, as long as students realize, discover, or are told about any mistakes or misconceptions at some point.

EDTECH 542: Designing Integrated Curriculum

Benefits of Interdisciplinary Projects
There can be many benefits of interdisciplinary projects if implemented correctly. While all benefits eventually help the students, some begin with the teachers. When a team of grade level core teachers all meet to integrate there are immediate benefits.  Standards and expectations need to be examined carefully in order to integrate them with meaning and purpose. Also, bringing academic minds together to share thoughts and concepts often initiates the spark of new ideas. The saying of "two heads are better than one" usually holds true. It can bring together many separate entities into one comprehensive meaningful purpose.

Not only does it provide meaning and coordination to teachers, it does the same for students.  Students can be far more motivated realizing that what they learn in algebra or any other subject really is pertinent to real life because they are using it in a real life situation. They learn that algebra is just not formulas and problems, but learning where the problems come from in the first play and how to apply what they have learned.  It also focuses their learning throughout the day. Instead of moving from one topic to another in one day, there is a strand of commonality between everything that continues their focus throughout the day. Students are able to apply, integrate, and transfer knowledge from one subject area to another.

Interdisciplinary projects are generally based on real life situations and problems which brings more meaning to students.  When this occurs learning tends to be more in-depth.

Interdisciplinary projects are a little different in the elementary and higher education fields.  Coordination is still imperative, but in the lower grades it may only involve one teacher connecting subjects in one classroom which can make it easier. It would be ideal if the project could utilize the specials teachers as well which would take more coordination.

Challenges of Implementation
Most of the challenges stem from the benefits. It can be difficult to find the time to plan the project and coordinate all the subjects well. I think it is generally easier for elementary teachers to do so. In the upper grades students may not be taking all the same subjects as each other which could provide some difficulties. It is always imperative to make sure that all standards in all subject areas are being met.

EDTECH 542: Assessment

Assessments
One of the main goals of assessments with PBL is to drive future learning.  Of course it is also to assess understanding of content as well as being able to apply knowledge of content in a practical, real life, and/or active way.

Assessment should really include formative and summative assessments.  They should also vary in format. When using formative assessments the use of self and peer assessment can be very effective.  It can also be effective to have students participate in the creation of assessment.

There are several essential criteria for successful assessment in PBL.  The first in my mind is to pair the word assessment with feedback.  A deal portion of the assessment should be giving direct feedback to the student in order to improve work as needed. Not only should there be summative assessment but there should be formative assessments during the process. The assessments should:

• provide the opportunities for student reflection on learning
• provide feedback from other people besides the teacher - students, other teachers, community members, and/or administration
• occur throughout the project
• provide clear criteria for the project before work begins
• provide the opportunity for revision and improvement of work
• use a variety of formats, methods, or tools for assessment
• must test standards

My Project

My assessments meet the criteria in several different ways.  I included both formative and summative assessments.  They are all different formats.  They range from writing on a worksheet, making a graph, creating 2 different posters, role play, discussion, and checklists or rubrics on behavior.  There is also some self reflection on group work. These assessments are occurring at different times throughout the project. Some of them are to determine what needs to be done next and some are to determine if a standard has been met.  The students have the opportunity to revise and improve their work, especially before the final project.  I also hope to have the principal participate in the summative assessment.

My teaching will change mostly in the sense that I will be more of a facilitator.  This will enable me to really assess more informally on a daily bases. If students are having questions or problems we can then stop and have some direct instruction if needed.  I can focus teaching what is needed and not just what I assume is needed.  I also hope that in other projects students could  have input on evaluations as well.  This being a project being completed at the beginning of the year, I think that is too much to take on.

Good Sites on General Ideas about PBL:

http://www.academia.edu/1215059/THE_SEVEN_STEPS_OF_PBL_IMPLEMENTATION_TUTORS_MANUAL

http://naf.org/files/PBL_Guide.pdf

A Graphic I Liked Describing How Outcomes were Nested together in PBL

taken from: http://naf.org/files/PBL_Guide.pdf