reflection 1

Catherine Hinckley

January 30, 2015

     Everyday our world is becoming more advanced, especially when it comes to technology.  It's important to incorporate technology into everyday teaching and Project-based learning does just that.  Teachers need to understand that today's students are up for the challenge that the digital world brings.  Now a days you see four year old children taking pictures and young teenagers posting videos on the internet.  Project-based learning is all about the students and how can you as a teacher improve their learning experience plus your teaching experience.  Also be aware that it will be a big change in the way you teach and you will be in a way learning alone with your students.  The more you practice this teaching style the easier you will be able to incorporate Project-based learning into everyday teaching and it will be worth it.
     Through project based learning students have the opportunity to control they're own learning rather than just reading out of a textbook everyday.  Students would also be more prepared for the work force especially since many of the jobs that are in high demand have something to do with technology.  When students engage in real world projects their experiences totally change.  Projects become the center point of the curriculum rather than just something extra or something to do when the teacher has run our of things to teach.
     PBL provides students questions to where there isn't one exact right answer, there may be more than one answer and this leaves it open for discussion and students can apply they're knowledge for more authentic solutions.  Students are more prepared for the future which is always changing.  Because PBL is newer it is not fully understood by everyone such as parents.  As a teacher you have to understand that parents may not know why they're student is always doing products instead of learning the way they used to.  They may only see their children on computers and not want them to be, in this case PBL would need to be explained and showed how it actually improves learning.
     New Technology High  was designed to meet the needs of 21st Century learners.  The school had to find a better, more productive way to prepare students for working together like they would have to in the work force.  Also the online assessment tools allow teachers to provide students with feedback that goes beyond just a single grade.  New Technology High is definitely a forward thinking school.

1. Discussion on what you need to keep in mind as you start the journey through Project-Based Learning (PBL).
2. Discussion on the overall benefits of the PBL approach.
3. Discussion on the benefits to students who participate in PBL.
4. Discussion on what issues need to be considered in PBL approach.
5. Discussion on New Technology High as an example of New Technology Model.

Through the journey of project based learning it's important to keep in mind that the technology world is part of every students life and by incorporating project based learning, students will be able to utilize their technology to think critically and problem solve. Project based learning also helps to bring the real world into the classroom. A lot of times students ask, "When will I ever use this in real life?" by incorporating project  based learning students will be able to have a more authentic approach to their learning. Some of the benefits of project based learning are that as I've stated previously is that it promotes critical thinking and problem solving in the students. In addition this learning style allows a shared responsibility in the classroom between students and teacher. Since the teacher is learning with the students it helps to make students feel a sense of responsibility and leadership in their classroom. It also makes their learning more personal and meaningful to them. The issues with PBL is that many school districts are not on board with PBL. 

Reflection #1

Ricki Feuereisen

January 30, 2015

When it comes to this newer way to teach to most teachers, Project-based learning is very different from teaching out of a textbook. When using Project-based learning in your classroom, it incorporates using technology. Starting to use this new strategy and thinking about what you need to do, you need to remember what it is like from a student’s perspective, how can you get them interested? As a teacher you need to get students to interact and communicate with one another. When starting to utilize Project-based learning in your classroom, you will be learning along with your student’s, it won’t be perfect the first time and the more you utilize PBL the easier it will be to explain. When using PBL, you also need to keep in mind why you are changing the way you teach, think about the pros and cons that you maybe faced with. Using PBL, allows for teachers to think about the way they teach their students.

            Students get the opportunity to make choices and guide their own learning when using PBL. Students who participate in using PBL are prepared to thrive in what they do. They also learn how to work as a team and how to solve a problem that may occur. Students also have the ability to deal and adapt with changes that may happen.  Along with all of that, students also learn how to become flexible and have more control of what they research from a topic that is given to them.

            Teachers, who use PBL in their classroom, provide students to ask open-ended questions and really activate learning. While using this strategy students become motivated to learn. If a teacher is just starting off with this strategy, they need to know that they aren’t in this alone, many teachers are just starting off by using this and there are experts that are willing to provide advice. There are some issues that may come up, for example, you need to explain to families why you are using PBL and what the difference is, you also need to take in consideration, what is a family doesn’t want their child using technology, you need to explain the pros of using technology. As a teacher, you want students to pay attention and enjoy coming to class. From the reading it seems like using project-based learning will allow for students to remember what they did in class. Using PBL it provides students with goals, and it changes how you interact with your students along with how to arrange classroom.

            New Technology High was founded in California, in 1996 after there was some worry uttered about meeting the needs of the workforce. School districts were challenged to find a better way preparing students for there potential by having them learn to work together as a team along with thinking crucially. With the new tech model, it’s a little remodeled building with no more than 100 students per grade. Students and staff really have the chance to get to know one another and teachers are given time and motivation to work together. Students are provided with real world scenarios. 

Yay, my first post!!!

Hello, my name is Ricki Feuereisen. I am very excited to work with you guys!

Hello from Kaylee.