Class Today!

Hey Guys! I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be a few minutes late to class today :) see you soon.

Bruner Scheets Ch 11 RR

Bringing It Home 

At the end of project it is important to not just stop, but figure out ways to reflect and expand on your project, leading to another one. As a teacher, it is vital to look back on the project and see what was successful and what might need some more work. You can take those successful parts and use them to lead into the next project and definitely use them for the next year!

With your planning team, you should critique yourself. Look at the evidence of student understanding and how it has taught not only your students, but yourself as well. If the project worked well, share it with others! Find different ways to share with other teachers, parents, and the community. By posting your project on the web you are allowing easy access to all of the data and planning that you did, helping other teachers educate through project based learning.

Finally, it is important to always enjoy the journey. Think about how far you have come as a teacher and where are going to go next. Each project and each class makes you a better teacher. Notice your growth and the impact that you have on the students.

For our project, this is an important step that I think I could forget to do. I would be so focused on making sure the students enjoy the project and are learning, that I would forget to reflect for myself and see the positives and negatives of what I was doing. By doing this at the end of our project, we can see what works and what doesn't and improve as teachers.

Parker- Chapter 11 RR

Reading Reflection #11

1.     Describe what occurs as a result of using the Project-based learning approach.

Projects should leave teachers and students with vivid memories, souvenirs and artifacts teachers have collected along the way, and plenty of ideas for shaping the next learning adventure. Good projects don’t lead to a dead in. Instead, they open new doors and create connections that you can build into future project designs.

2.     Discuss ways to bring your project home.

Critique your work with your planning team and use the opportunity to draw out each other’s best ideas for improvement.  Share your insights, with other teachers, existing networks. Become a resource for tour colleagues. 

Bruner Scheets RR Ch. 10

Celebrating and Reflecting 
When finishing a project, it is important to not just say "well that's it. We're done" but to celebrate the project and reflect on what everyone was taught. By taking time to reflect on the project, students can feel pride in the accomplishments. Reflection also will make the whole project stick and the students will remember it.

When planning your reflection, it is important to take the most meaningful parts of the project and focus on that. If you ask tons of questions on every little detail, students will end up resenting the project, even if they had a blast during it. Focusing on the few things that matter most make the reflection period the most meaningful.

For a project to be successful, it need to be continued and carried on to the next project. Ask your students about what they are wondering about next. What ideas did the project spark in them? With the extension of another project, the whole year will be a meaningful experience, one that the students will remember.

Schools are known for traditions. If you and your school make a tradition of meaningful projects that are involved in the community, people will know and will want their children to go there and be a part of it. Younger students will know your classroom and already be excited for projects that they hear about through students already in your classroom. How exciting to already have ready-to-learn students waiting to enter your classroom!

Finally, be sure to celebrate and show off students' work. Hold a party, put on an event, and display their work to facilitate pride in your students. If they get to show off what they have done, they will feel more powerful in their own education. They will be more involved.

For our project, I think it would be awesome to ask the local news station if our students could have a party with the "weather-person", either at the news station or in our classroom. They could go and see how a news team does the local news and get first hand experience with how the weather is read to bring it to the public.

Cobb Chapter 11 R.R

1. Description of what occurs as a result of using the Project-based learning approach.

Good projects open up new doors and create connections that you can build into future project designs.  Upon completion of a successful project, students and teachers alike should walk away with vivid memories, souvenirs, and artifacts that have been collected along the way, along with plenty of ideas for structuring your next great learning adventure.

2. Discussion on ways to “bring your project home”.

“Bringing the project home” requires the organizer to reflect on the entire project. Think about the planning that you did to make the project successful. Did you use technology? Have you found new ways to organize your classroom or communicate to parents and professionals? Can this project “roll-over” to new projects and ideas? Critique you work, the project you created and implemented. What needs to be changed? What can stay the same?

Always share your insights with others. Sharing your successful project with others will benefit the education community widely. You can do this by blogging, posting on learning networks such as iEARN and Global School net, or creating a project library that you allow others to have access to. This will make you a resource to other teachers. You can also enter your project into a contest to show your good work.

Finally, enjoy the journey because it will develop you as a better teacher, which will profit students exponentially!

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

The reflection tips are great ways to wrap up a project. I am going to keep this book and use it as a skeleton for future projects that I will do as a teacher.

Cobb Chapter 10 R.R

1. Discussion on the importance of setting aside time for reflection.

Reflection helps students to reveal things they might not otherwise think about. Life is already fast paced. When a child is going through the day they tend to not stop and think and because of this they miss out on important learning opportunities. Through reflection they are able to ponder what they learned and what they enjoyed about learning, their growth as learners, and what and how they want to learn in future projects!

2. Discussion on the reason students need to reflect and elaborate.

Students have to reflect and elaborate in order to gain an enriching experience that causes them to learn fundamental content better. Learners should be asked where they want to go in a project. This allows the student to elaborate on their project in order to show you where they are going and how they will get there. This is an excellent outcome that all teachers should want to see.

3. Discussion on how schools build tradition and identity.

A teacher can build tradition and identity in her school by establishing exemplary project work. Fostering relationships with the community allows others to know what you are doing and word will get out that will encourage others to give you enthusiastic support. Your acts will place your classroom in a new identity, make it good!

4. Discussion on the importance of celebrating a project.

Party time! All people love celebrations regardless of ethnicity or gender. This is something that is naturally multi-cultural! It can be an event where students work is displayed, a party or a blog. However you decide to do it, remember to celebrate learning! Mini celebrations can be done throughout the year to honor the completion of projects but, a major event at the end of the year, a “Year-in-Review,” can be done to show students all of the hard work they accomplished through the year.

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

This chapter encourages me to put more into the projects that I develop as a future teacher. I hope to make a mark in my own school that shows my devotion to excellence in education.  

Parker- Chapter 10 RR

Reading Reflection #10

1.     Discussion on the importance of setting aside time for reflection.

Setting aside time for conscious reflection helps students reveal things they might not otherwise think about. Offer students a chance to reflect on what they learned and how the project became personally meaningful. Ask students to reflect on their skill development. Give student an opportunity to reflect on ways they can overcome obstacles or persisted when the work was hard. But remember, having students answer a lot of questions can cause students to leave the project hating it instead of loving it. So instead focus on the few things that matter most. Focus on the anchors that learning and get kids thinking about themselves as evolving learners.

2.     Discussions on the reason students need to reflect and elaborate.

As students become more accomplished project-doers, teachers will put more and more decisions for subsequent projects in their hands. The projects will open student’s eyes. So ask students to reflect and to also elaborate. Ask students what they want to learn now and how do they want to go about it. Be sure to ask the students where they want to go, since their answers might yield a more ambitious project than you would imagine.

3.     Discussion on how schools build tradition and identity.

Many schools’ identities are tied to their traditions. Some schools are sport powerhouses, while some schools send students to science competitions where they medal year after year. Part of the recipe for establishing traditions is to build awareness in others. When families, the community, and students coming up through the grades know what the teachers are up to, teachers have a foundation for tradition. As community members begin to notice and value students’ accomplishment, they will give enthusiastic support. After a time, they’ll expect to be involved, so teachers should invite them in. Ask the community to participate in a celebration of learning. Share with the challenges and rewards of hard work. Teachers should show how the class accomplishments are the result of students’ commitment to their own learning.

4.     Discussion on the importance celebrating a project.

It is important to show students work and celebrate their learning. This helps build the schools identity as a place where kids get to learn through projects. Classroom displays are a common way to share projects with other students, parents and the community. This gives students a sense of pride in their work.

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

This relates to our project because this is another way to branch out and make connections to the community and to the parents. 

Bruner Scheets RR 9

Making Assessment Meaningful 

In a well-designed project, students should be actively engaged in all parts. Even the assessment. By letting them know what success looks like in the project, they can be more accountable for their progress and the end product. Your assessment should not only be about the end product, but also the teamwork, creativity, and effort that they placed in the project.

By establishing anchors and grading what matters you make the assessment more valuable and attainable for students. Because all students start at different places in their knowledge of a project, they will most likely end at different places as well. By making anchors or checkpoints, you see how far each student is getting, based on their starting point and their pace of learning. By grading what matters (there is no positivity in taking a B+ project down to a C- because it was late, that's not grading their actual work) you give students a chance to show their best work to you and to the other people you invite in to your classroom.

At the end of the project, ask the students what they learned and to create something new from the project they just completed. By asking them what they learned, this will give you new insight on topics or ideas that you might not have thought of at the beginning of the project planning. Furthering the project even more, the students can decide to create something new to use in context of the project. For example, the students are doing weather monitoring in our project and becoming mini meteorologists. We are having them put on their own news crew station about the weather. Once this is over, our students can take it one step further, doing something fun, and create a song or a rap about all the things they have learned about weather. Or they could try to put on a weather segment in a different language (Australia for example) and use the language that might be seen there to describe the weather. This incorporates science and culture!

Students can also be encouraged to take their best work and enter it into a contest or submit it for publication. As a teacher, we need to be encouraging our students to take their work the extra step and help them see that they are worthwhile and do great work and are learning things that are relevant in the real world.

Parker- Chapter 9 RR

Reading Reflection #9

1.     Describe a method of understanding prior-knowledge of students.

Where did a student begin their learning journey? Not all students were starting at the same place at the start of the project. You can gain an understanding of prior-knowledge of a student just by talking to them and asking what they possible know about the topic. The distance they will travel during a project will not be the same for each student.

2.     Discuss the importance of establishing anchors for a project.

Establishing “anchors”, you gain a sense of where students are starting and how far they are going as they work to meet learning goals. In a project-based classroom, you expand the opportunities to differentiate instruction and help all learners be successful.

3.     Describe several ways to assess what students learned during the project.

When designing the project, develop a rubric to assess progress toward the key learning goals. Listening carefully to student’s conversations, see if they got the essentials.

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

The concepts in this chapter relate to my project because it shows that there are different ways to assess the students on what they learned, instead of using traditional ways. 

Parker- Chapter 8 RR

Reading Reflection #8

1.     Description of some ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom

By using blogs students can grow into more competent and confident writers, knowing that others will be reading and commenting can be a powerful motivator. When projects are designed to incorporate inquiry, asking questions of experts becomes a natural component of the experience. Connecting students with experts requires some effort on the teacher’s part. Teachers who make this a regular part of the learning experience often state by developing a list of willing experts.

2.     Description of the EAST Initiative Model.

Environmental and Spatial Technologies Initiative is a network of schools that have been demonstrating the benefits of using technology for a real purpose.  The purpose is to solve problems and make improvements in their communities. These projects make use of geospatial technologies and multimedia tools that are more commonly found in professional labs or design studios. The students of the EAST model master these sophisticated tools and applications in context while solving community problems that interest them. EAST Initiative started in rural Arkansas in 1996 and has grown to include more than 260 schools in seven states.

3.     Discussion on some reasons to led students “lead” their projects.

Letting students lead their own projects will lead to them generating ideas that they are passionate about. They can generate a project that can tack an issue in their own life and the teachers don’t have to micromanage each project.

4.     Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/projects.

This relates to our topic/project because the students can decide what they want to learn about when it comes to weather monitoring. It also tells use that we don’t always have to be the expert on the topic we can find willing experts to lend the whole class knowledge and in turn the students can also become the experts.

Cobb Chapter 9 R.R

1. Description of a method of understanding prior-knowledge of students.

You can gain an understanding of a students’ prior-knowledge by talking to them, asking them what they know and observing them in conversations with one another

2. Discussion on the importance of establishing anchors for a project.

By establishing anchors you gain a sense of where students’ are starting and how far they are going as they work to meet learning goals.

3. Description of several ways to assess what students learned during the project.

By observing or watching and listening to the students, we are able to see and hear what the students have actually taken in.

Open discussion on a topic can show how well students understand a subject.

Have students write in a daily journal.

Students outcome of project can be assessed. How well did they do?

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

This chapter made me consider keeping the book for future use! I really enjoyed all of the advice. I plan on doing non-traditional assessment based on student work and this chapter gave me good ideas about how to go about doing so.

Cobb Chapter 8 R.R

1. Description of some ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom.

One way to build connection beyond the classroom is to have your students create a blog that they share with experts where they are able to ask questions and interact with professionals.  The teacher should first create an expert list of people with certain skills and areas of expertise. This list could include parents of your children or parents from previous years. You can also branch out to other cities, states, and countries. This can be done through video chatting through skype or other outlets.

2.    Description of the EAST Initiative Model.

EAST stands for Environmental And Spatial Technology. It is a network of schools that use technology to solve problems and make improvements in the community. Their projects make use of geospatial technologies and multimedia tools that are commonly found in professional laboratories or design studios. They master these tools in context while solving community problems that interest them

3. Discussion on some reasons to let students “lead” their projects.

By letting a student take the “lead” in their project, you are allowing the student to take on their own learning. This gives the student a since of ownership which makes them responsible for it.

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

For our project we will be using different technological tools also, such as a Radiosonde, radar or satellite. We will also use the computer to communicate with meteorologist at the local weather stations.

Bruner Scheets Ch 8 RR

Building Connections and Branching Out

To have a well planned, thought out project for your class, it is important to go beyond the normal classroom, taking unconventional methods for the students to learn. Since almost everyone has access to technology, using it in your projects makes it simple for students to share their work with their parents, community leaders, and other students around the globe. It is important to allow your students to connect with experts to enhance their learning experience. If you are studying government, have them talk to local politicians; if it is about marine biology, find a local biologist or even try to set up one over Skype, so your students have a chance to discuss the topic with people that are doing it everyday. By expanding your students' learning circles to other peers around the world, you are allowing them to see a different perspective and lifestyle that will enhance not only their learning, but their cultural awareness as well. Another amazing opportunity for students is to find something that they don't like or something that is wrong with their community and having a project to raise awareness for this to make the community better. They are able to meet with community council members and speak up for something that they believe in. This will give them confidence to go out and do great things, and their only children at this time!
An important part to project-based learning is that you, as the teacher, create a scaffold or a mold for the students and then you let the students lead. This builds their self-confidence, communication skills, and teamwork abilities, all needed for the real world outside of school. By extending the benefits of these projects (keeping a website up after the project is done for anything new to be added to) is a great way to make the students feel like they are a part of something bigger. This also gives the chance for the community to get involved, even if school is not in session.
For our project, this chapter helps us by telling us that we, the teachers, don't have to be experts on everything. We have experts that we can lean on, while enhancing the education of our students. We could bring in local news workers or even try to arrange for our students to go to them and experience what it is like on a news station. How does the weather man/woman figure out their information? What is it like to be on site of something happening? This could be an amazing experience for our students and by broadening the possibilities, we can make their education memorable.

Cobb Chapter 7 R.R

Classroom discussion takes place on different levels. The following are the Levels of classroom discussions:

1.       Teacher to Teacher-

a.       The teacher continues to get support from fellow teachers and staff around her while implementing the project.  This can be on procedures, daily reflections or any issues that come up during the project. Collaboration can take place face tom face or online in a blog or wiki site.

2.       Student to Student-

a.       Students should be engaging in conversation with each other throughout the project. This allows them to learn from and challenge one another. Especially in group projects.

3.       Teacher to Student-

a.       In a project based classroom the teacher may talk to the students as a whole when giving directions or transitioning from one phase to another in the project, but the majority of the teacher /student interaction is in small groups or individually to give feedback and support when necessary. The teacher works as a guide on the side and not a sage on the stage.

When checking in on students the teacher should know if the student is:

1.        doing the procedure the right way

2.       Working as a team

3.       Understanding the project

4.       Evaluating/assessing themselves.

 To see if the student is following the correct procedure, the teacher may ask if they are keeping track of the deadlines in the checklist or she may monitor the students’ progress. To make sure that the student is working as a team member, the teacher may monitor how the team is getting along through observation and follow the group wiki if used. To make sure that the student has a good understanding of the project the teacher will listen to the students’ conversations and review their work in progress. Project journals and blogs help the student to assess themselves.

When optimizing the use of technology in a project the student benefits by gaining new insights into how to communicate with a culturally diverse audience by communicating with peers as well as online. Technology opens the doors to not just the community but the world.

How a teacher shows the students how to trouble shoots or deal with challenges and how he/she shows the students how to manage the conflicts that arise in group projects will make or break a project. The teacher should prepare herself for problems well before the project starts so that she will be able to address them in the best possible manner.

The majority of the discussions that will take place in our project will be between student and student since the project is research based. I will be only directing the students in the way that they should go, not holding their hand.

I enjoyed reading about “Checking in” on students because it showed me how to assess students through observation more effectively. This will come in handy when monitoring our young weather monitors.

Bruner Scheets RR 7

A Guiding Hand- Keeping a Project Moving

Students must do the work and discover the answers for themselves in projects. Going to the "university of Google" will just not teach them the life lessons and information they need to know. Teachers must support students in their learning, not the looking up of learning already finished.

There are three levels of discussion that should take place in a classroom and in a project:
Teacher to teacher: You have to take advantages of working together. Use the valuable time to come up with new ideas and methods on teaching  the lesson and discussing what the students are learning. Even if you can not talk face-to-face, make sure you are taking time to talk about things over the phone, through a blog, or even send quick e-mails to keep in touch.

Student to student: They should be discussing what they are learning with each other, at the time of the learning. Allow conversation to go on during the project, not just at the end when the project is completed. By allowing them to talk through confusing information, they are learning the value of teamwork and collaboration.

Teacher to student: With project based learning, teaching whole group is not a normal everyday activity. This allows you to talk one on one or with groups to see how they are progressing and what they are learning. You are able to ask more direct questions to individual students and see what and how they are thinking.

Questions for checking in:
There are different types of questions when looking at how your students are progressing in their projects. There is procedural questions which ask "Are we staying on schedule?". There are teamwork questions, making sure that groups are getting along and working well with each other. Understanding questions are about observing groups, listening in to conversations, and asking those probing questions that check the understanding of students. Self-assessment questions encourage reflection on the project. Use journals or blogs to allow students to anomalously ask questions that they might not be comfortable asking out loud.

It is important to optimize technology, help with troubleshooting, and manage conflict when working within project based learning. Use the technology you chose to use during the project to its full ability. Make sure that the technology is helping students learn the information, instead of making it more difficult. Instead of solving problems for the students, help students 'troubleshoot' and try again when problems and set back occur in their project. By helping them become better problem solvers, we are preparing them for the real world. For project based learning to be a success, groups have to work well together. It's our job as the teacher to facilitate arguments that occur and help come to a solution. Students will have to work together in groups sometime, and if they learn now how to be good team players, they will make it far in the real world.

Our project deals a lot with teamwork and decision making. This chapter deals with how we can better solve problems that occur and keep our students on task, because this is quite a large unit and it is important to meet deadlines, so the students learn all the necessary information, in a way that they will actually remember it.   

Parker- Chapter 7 RR

1. Description of the levels of classroom discussions:

Classroom discussions take place on several leaves during project implementations. There is the Teacher to Teacher which is the collegial effort that went into the project planning continues during the implementation phase. Then there is Student to Student where students should be talking about the their learning experiences as the are unfolding, within their teams as well as across other teams. Then finally there is the Teacher to Student which is in a traditional classroom, the lecture format dominates teacher to student interactions. 

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

Based on the type of information you want from your students, asking questions about Procedural: Are we staying on schedule? Do we have the right materials available? You want to track progress toward milestones and deadlines and also remind students of the project calendar. Teamwork: How are team members getting along? Is one student carrying too much of the load for the whole team? You want to circulate and ask question to help assess team dynamics. Understanding: You want to spend time observing teams at work, listening to students conversations, and asking probing questions. Self-assessment: You want to find out what students are thinking about the projects, ask questions that encourage self assessment and reflection. Project journals or blogs offer space for students to talk about their challenges or frustrations.

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

When optimum use of technology, you may find students gaining benefits you didn't think of. Students gain new insights into how to communicate with a culturally diverse audience. 

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

Troubleshooting is a 21st century skill that distinguishes effective project mangers. Help students learn from setbacks and fine-tune their strategies for getting a project back on track. Teamwork is another 21st century skill that can make or break a project. During project implementation, pay close attention to team dynamics. If there is trouble detected, help students learn to manage their own team conflicts. This is a real life skill that will seve them well for years. 

Concept Map B

WEB EVALUATIONS?

Were we supposed to turn in the Web Evaluations?

Bruner Ch 6 RR

Project Launch-Implementation Strategies 

During projects, students are going to be involved in many different levels and areas of cognitive developments. By giving them a self-evaluation before the project, students are able to see and become prepared for what is expected of them during the project; it shows them what they are going to learn. By giving one after the project is over, it allows them to reflect on what they did learn and allows you to make adjustments for the next time for any pitfalls. This also encourages them to be confident on the next project that is introduced to them. Technology also gives students a chance to give feedback and self-evaluation. For example, blogs allow them to reflect on what they are learning, ProfilerPRO is a survey site that can be used to identify strengths, weaknesses, and interests, and tools like SurveyMonkey and Zoomerang let you set up online surveys to see where the students are in the progress of their project.

A good project first taps into students' prior knowledge, taking what they already know and building on it. The project has to be transferred to the students and they have to be interested in it for it to be successful. For a week before a project, have students looking for things that will be brought up during the project and talking to people they know about it. Then, take a few minutes out of each day to talk about in class and find out what students are understanding or discovering.

It is important to teach the fundamentals first in a project. Students all have to have a common baseline of knowledge about the topic of the project before they can get started. This also helps in setting the stage for independent work and group work, without you being the center of attention. Have students do a KWL (know, wonder, learn) chart. What do they know about the topic? What do they wonder about the project? What do they want to learn, or what have they learned (as a evaluation tool at the end)?

Technology is how the project gets done, not the project in itself. Students have to know how to use the technology before they can complete the project. By setting up a technology playground for students, it gives them a chance to explore the tools they will be using.

This chapter is good for our project on weather, because some students might not know some fundamentals on weather. It is important for each student to understand basics before starting, so everyone is on the same page.

Cobb Ch.6 R.R

Technology tools can encourage students to be reflective and evaluate their own strengths. For example, when writing a blog students create their own space where they can reflect over time about what they are learning. Also, ProfilerPRO, which is a online survey tool that a teacher can use to identify the characteristics of an individual and those among members of a group. Other survey tools are Survey Monkey and Zoomerang.

The technology tools help students but you have to get the students minds ready. There are several ways to do this. One way to start is to present a K-W-L, (Know-Wonder-Learn) chart to the students to tap into their prior knowledge. It is your job to instill passion and transfer the project into the students hands. Encourage students to explore and think about the project through discussions with their family and friends for several days. Build the excitement of the students by having discussions about the project a few days or weeks before introduction. For instance, you can bring in posters of earths interior and discuss it with the children, as well as have the students visit a museum exhibit. The kick off of the project can be a show and tell of rocks and other earth samples.

Think about the skills that a student needs to work independently in their investigation. By preparing children with the fundamentals, you point them in the right direction for the project. The teacher has to set the stage for independent inquiry, this can be done by using the K-W-L chart. The K-W-L chart puts students in touch with their prior knowledge and helps them to imagine where they could go in their learning. A teacher should also share the assessment rubric with the student so that they know what it is that you expect.

Technology is not the project, but rather how the project gets done so students need to be prepared for using technology. The teacher should set up a technology playground by encouraging students to help each other as well as get their parents involved.  It is essential to have the technology at hand such as a computer and other tools that will be used in the project. These tools can be anything from hand held sonar devices to special calculators. Let those students who know the technology teach other students and give them all project management tools such as a journal to keep track of their progress to goals and reflect on their learning. It is also important that the teacher demonstrates to the best of their ability how to use the technology or have an expert come in and demonstrate how they will use the tools in the project.

Inquiry and deep learning can be promoted by guiding students as they choose questions, plan investigations, and put their plan into action.  A teacher can transform questions that students pose. For example, a student may ask, “do people use gold anymore? This question can be transformed into, “is any coin worth it’s value?” or “Is a paper dollar worth a dollar?”

In the Monsoons group we plan on using journals to keep track of weather and also bringing in a specialist such as a meteorologist, to show us how they use technology to track the weather.

Parker- Chapter 6 RR

Discuss how technology tools can encourage students to be reflective and evaluate their own strengths.

Using a blog can offer students space where they can reflect over time about what hey are learning. Tools like SurveyMonkey call allow students to set up online surveys. The results can be tracked by the students and help them compare their self-assessments to larger groups.

Describe several ways in which you can get students’ minds ready for a project.

Good projects start by tapping students’ prior knowledge. Introducing the project K-W-L.

Discuss the elements of teaching fundamentals first.

Teaching the fundamentals will get the point across and get the project going in the right direction. It is important to help students build their skill gradually before taking on a complicated project that use cutting edge technologies. When students are aware of what they know and what they don’t, they can establish a pint of departure and a sense of purpose. Using the K-W-L activity puts students in touch with their prior knowledge and helps them imagine where their learning can go.

Describe the important steps in preparing students for using technology in project.

Technology isn’t the project; it is how the project gets done. Plan efficient ways to get students ready to use technology for learning. Identify the learning functions that are important for the project. Ask what tools are best for the job, What do students already know how do, What will they need to know, etc. Consider how to set up opportunities for students for learn by and among themselves. Learning to use a technology or an application for a project can e a rich problem-solving experience, certainly of the 21^st-century skill variety. Set up a technology playground where student can explore and encourage students to teach and help each other.

Discuss ways to promote inquiry and deep learning.

Brainstorm ways to combine social studies with science, math, literature, and art in the learning ahead. The project is complex and engaging, it goes in many directions, and while they learn many things together students are challenged to explore their own interests. 

Cobb Chapter 5 R.R

Managing your Project!

This Chapter focused on helping teachers to invest their time wisely on the front part of the project before they engage the students in the actual project work. The first part of the chapter pushes you to consider the resources you will need and prompts you to plan strategies to support effective time management, teaming, and assessment. Previously the book talked about creating an asset map. In this chapter the teacher is prompted to take a look at the map and consider how specific resources can support their project.

The asset map or inventory map will also show you what materials you will need. If the teacher will be using technology that is new to the student it is essential that the teacher plan for instruction. Some projects require the assistance of an expert, such as a doctor or a veterinarian. When experts aren’t available, technology is always there to bring them closer. This can be done through emails, video conferencing, or virtual field trips. It is also key to look up technology experts in your district to help in some areas such as a web specialist. Teachers should remember that when they are collaborating with a team, they should divide the responsibilities between them. Setting up a Wiki or blog between collaborators helps the project run more smoothly.

Create a project calendar for yourself and the students that show deadlines and milestones along the way. The will increase your students attention to time management. The teacher should take the big task and divide them into smaller tasks that are more manageable; and explain the smaller deadlines to the students that they will have to meet along the way. Send a planning calendar home to the Parents to help them help you!

Team planning is important when working on a project because children are different. They all have different skill sets and placing the right students together will create good chemistry. A teacher may consider how the team will work better; should it be based on a childs proficiency or should it be on how well they complement each other.

The second part of the chapter focuses on how teachers and students can use technology to manage projects and increase learning potential.

The more complex a project is, the more assessment methods a teacher will need. These assessments can range from formal to informal evaluations. Author Lois Bridges gives five categories of assessments based on teacher behavior:

·         Monitoring

·         Observing

·         Interacting

·         Analyzing

·         Reporting

 Technology can help with these assessments.  Some examples are online surveys and online rubric generators.  A teacher should look at their project management needs as well as the students’ project management needs. As stated above, setting up a Wiki or blog between collaborators helps the project run more smoothly.  This works with students also. They can use Web based applications to work with their team mates and to edit their project before they present!  This also shows the teacher who has done what in the project. Personalized web pages are a great way to start the project off. The students will be able to keep track of mail, calendars, notepads, news and blog feeds just to mention a few. iGoogle and My Yahoo are just two of the  virtual office providers.

Our project will take careful consideration regarding time management! weather monitoring has so many different avenues that it could take therefore, it is up to us to manage it wisely so that the students will get the most out of the project. We will be using a vast amount of technology in our project so it was helpful to get some ideas about wiki and blogging. These online tools will help Amber, myself and lindsey to communicate better and this will strengthen our collaboration. 

Bruner: Ch 5 RR

Project Management Strategies for Teachers and Learners

As teachers, we are project managers. When someone is a project manager in a business they must be a masterful communicator, an efficient time manager, and a careful budget-er. Students learn from example so we must show them what it looks like to manage time well and be efficient and organized in our work time. We must think in advance before we present the project to our students. We must consider the resources we will need and the strategies we will need to support time management, teaming, and assessment.
Gathering resources: what (and who) will you need? 
Before presenting a project, you have to know what resources will be needed for the project to be a success. If you find that you do not have all the material resources you need, use your "human resources" and get the word out there. Use a class website or newsletter, talk to parents or your principal. Another good resource that most do not tap into is the local recycling center, which probably has tons of useful supplies. Don't ever to forget to use your experts as well. For example, if you are studying the farming community, have a personal farmer come into your classroom, or better yet-take a field trip so he or she is able to show the students how special machines are used.
Milestones and deadlines: It's about time
Projects that support students in their development of time management is crucial when preparing them for high school and the real word after. Plan a project that has milestones and benchmarks that they must reach in order to finish the project on time.
Team Planning
Team planning is essential to the dynamics of a project. If the students are working in groups, how will the groups be made? A good team needs a mix of skills, not just students who are best friends with each other. During projects, students will be doing different things and it is important to have students who compliment each other and who can teach each other in the same groups.
Plan for Assessment 
Take assessments throughout the project, not just at the end. This will aid in your knowledge of what is working and what isn't, even before the project is completed. This way, you can make any necessary changes before the students are done. There should be both formal and informal assessments along the way.
Web Resources
Never forget to use your technology resources in guiding your project. Use web pages and ways that students can interact with each other, even outside of school. Web pages also help students organize their thoughts and project due dates with the uses of calendars, notepads, news, and blog feeds. They can stay in contact and relieve pressure off of you to make sure they are getting everything done on time!

This chapter is essential to our project. As the teachers, we must think about our project in advance and plan from there. If we don't have a clue on what kind of outcome we want the students to have, we can not possibly plan a successful project for them. By looking at all the aspects of our project, we can plan accordingly, making it a worthwhile and memorable experience for all.   

Parker- Chapter 5 RR

1. Discussion on the items that should be considered before starting a project with

students.

Before starting a project with students, you should consider the type of resources you will need and how they will support your project. You should also consider what type of materials you will need. See what materials are available at school or offered by parents and other class supporters. Consider what type of technologies your project involves and if they are new to either your students or both you and your students.  Will your students need access to your experts to answer questions? Also consider ways to engage with experts in person and from a distance. Consider who else is able to help you in the project; media specialist, technology coordinator, etc.  

2. Discussion on teachers’ and students’ management needs.

Effective management skills are essentials to students, it will support them throughout

their education and beyond. Teaching your students to become effective managers of

their own time will be an overarching goal of any projects. IF the project is going to last 

a couple of weeks, chunk big tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. Learning a 

management system can offer students and teachers ways to organize all the

components of the project. 

3. Discuss some of the technology applications that should be considered for use

in a project. 

Technology applications that can be considered for your project is an assortment of web-based applications and services to suit the needs of your project. There is the option of linking a set of tools together in a wiki, and associate them with a blog. A blog is a web page that is easily edited. 

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

Technology applications, like a blog, can relate to my project. It is an easy way to communicate ideas and progress with both students, parents, other teachers, and the community.