While doing PBL I learned a substantial amount of what I was taught to mean "Authentic Assessment and Learning." In terms of Project Based Learning it just means to make it real world compatible. Real life skills in the form of a culminating activity designed to use authentic real world situations. I understand the Beginning with the End in Mind, Craft the Driving Question, and Plan the Assessment components the best. It revealed a process for building a learning module.
The least of the things I've understood was the mapping the project. It seemed like it was just setting all the pieces, but I apparently missed a few things and was docked some points on my grade. The next project I make I will study this section more closely and refine my projects.
I expected to build eSchool modules that I could use for future classes and this class didn't disappoint. It showed me a new system to build these modules and will be something I use in the future to build an effective online schooling environment.
It has been a great experience to go through this course and learn about PBL. I intend to use all that I've learned in creating an effective set of learning materials for future jobs. Hopefully this includes building my own eSchool.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Managing the Process
July 11th, 2011
This week was interesting in terms of managing the process for PBL. In addition to constructing criticisms for the project, I had to come up with a valid defense. I also enjoyed the management of the project as a way to get the students involved. In other words the students were invited to evaluate not only the project, but the teacher.
As it goes with any project, management is a key step. Managing and refining a project becomes a deliberate science to bring a great project out of the wood work. My project is going to involve several checklists for the management process.
The students will use these checklists, a project evaluation and a teacher evaluation for the culminating activity as well as the learning itself. It provides a great opportunity for me as a teacher to understand what I’ve done well and what I could improve on.
This week really put the final pieces together to solidify what PBL is about. Allowing the most input from the students as possible. I had a fellow teacher who said to me once “whoever does the work earns the most from it.”
In project based learning the student gets the most out of the project because of the amount put into it. I’ve enjoyed the way my project is coming together and I am only a few short revisions away from having a solid project and finishing this first semester at BSU.
This week was interesting in terms of managing the process for PBL. In addition to constructing criticisms for the project, I had to come up with a valid defense. I also enjoyed the management of the project as a way to get the students involved. In other words the students were invited to evaluate not only the project, but the teacher.
As it goes with any project, management is a key step. Managing and refining a project becomes a deliberate science to bring a great project out of the wood work. My project is going to involve several checklists for the management process.
The students will use these checklists, a project evaluation and a teacher evaluation for the culminating activity as well as the learning itself. It provides a great opportunity for me as a teacher to understand what I’ve done well and what I could improve on.
This week really put the final pieces together to solidify what PBL is about. Allowing the most input from the students as possible. I had a fellow teacher who said to me once “whoever does the work earns the most from it.”
In project based learning the student gets the most out of the project because of the amount put into it. I’ve enjoyed the way my project is coming together and I am only a few short revisions away from having a solid project and finishing this first semester at BSU.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Week 4 = Epiphany through Teaching Learning Assessment
June 23, 2011 – I came across this while reading the agenda for Week 4:
“Words like "tests" and "examinations" have well established connotations of evaluating a student's possession of knowledge. We need a different process, and a new language, to identify how to assess a student's capability for using and applying knowledge. Education of an individual, understood in terms of developing a capability for using and applying one's knowledge, cannot be adequately assessed by traditional testing. Grading on a curve, which sorts students into groups for administrative purposes, says nothing about how each student is using his or her project solving talents or growing toward their potential.” (Rice, 2009)
I would sum up that the above quote is saying assessments are a gateway to teaching students not a final judgment of their worth in a classroom.
I also had a colleague send me this link to a video about changing the education paradigm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
The combination of these two things lead me to the thought that: it is the instructor’s job, when writing assessments to first determine what is being assessed and how do we measure that success. It is also the instructor’s job to build an effective curriculum to solve the problems in which our students will face.
In other words, here are the three main focal points for a teacher when dealing with assessment:
1. Locate the problem you want the students to solve and build that into authentic situational learning.
2. Use or build an assessment to facilitate the need of the aforementioned problem.
3. Re-evaluate the need to re-teach or continue exercises in a particular area by determining whether or not you we measuring the correct success.
I’m very interested in looking through the RSA site (http://www.thersa.org/) which I discovered through the YouTube video above. Just a quick skim allowed me to see a philosophy I whole-heartedly agree with, the philosophy of innovative education. I believe education as a whole alienates kids when they don’t allow them to search for the answer. It is much more important the student makes the journey than they come up with the “grand 1 answer” to any question asked by the teacher.
Just through this study I feel much more comfortable trying new things in my classroom and doing more projects as well. During my first full year of teaching I found I had a lot of unique (my students would say weird) lessons and things they never expected to do in school. For example: we used Microsoft Word to format an original screenplay and award speech for our “(insert name of school here) Academy Awards.”
I guess I am now more accepting of being a “weird teacher” after today.
“Words like "tests" and "examinations" have well established connotations of evaluating a student's possession of knowledge. We need a different process, and a new language, to identify how to assess a student's capability for using and applying knowledge. Education of an individual, understood in terms of developing a capability for using and applying one's knowledge, cannot be adequately assessed by traditional testing. Grading on a curve, which sorts students into groups for administrative purposes, says nothing about how each student is using his or her project solving talents or growing toward their potential.” (Rice, 2009)
I would sum up that the above quote is saying assessments are a gateway to teaching students not a final judgment of their worth in a classroom.
I also had a colleague send me this link to a video about changing the education paradigm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
The combination of these two things lead me to the thought that: it is the instructor’s job, when writing assessments to first determine what is being assessed and how do we measure that success. It is also the instructor’s job to build an effective curriculum to solve the problems in which our students will face.
In other words, here are the three main focal points for a teacher when dealing with assessment:
1. Locate the problem you want the students to solve and build that into authentic situational learning.
2. Use or build an assessment to facilitate the need of the aforementioned problem.
3. Re-evaluate the need to re-teach or continue exercises in a particular area by determining whether or not you we measuring the correct success.
I’m very interested in looking through the RSA site (http://www.thersa.org/) which I discovered through the YouTube video above. Just a quick skim allowed me to see a philosophy I whole-heartedly agree with, the philosophy of innovative education. I believe education as a whole alienates kids when they don’t allow them to search for the answer. It is much more important the student makes the journey than they come up with the “grand 1 answer” to any question asked by the teacher.
Just through this study I feel much more comfortable trying new things in my classroom and doing more projects as well. During my first full year of teaching I found I had a lot of unique (my students would say weird) lessons and things they never expected to do in school. For example: we used Microsoft Word to format an original screenplay and award speech for our “(insert name of school here) Academy Awards.”
I guess I am now more accepting of being a “weird teacher” after today.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Week 3 Crafting the Driving Question
June 16, 2011 – This week I thought I’d just label the criteria for a Driving Question. It goes as follows:
• “Driving Questions are Open-Ended. We must allow students to adequately answer the question given, yet allowing them to take ownership over the project. Be sure as you design your Driving Question that you think carefully about time, resources and student skills.
• Driving Questions are Provocative. The driving question must sustain students’ interest during the entire project and challenge students to go beyond the obvious.
• Driving Questions get at the Heart of a subject area. The driving question can be focused at the heart of an issue, allowing students to investigate.
• Driving Questions are Challenging. Students should be encouraged, through the use of the driving question, to confront different situations.
• Driving Questions need to Interest Students. Create driving questions from real-world situations, igniting an interest for students.
• Driving Questions are consistent with Standards. While driving questions should be challenging, they should also lead students to master the agreed upon content, knowledge and skills that define a course of study. “ (Rice, 2009)
June 16, 2011 - Driving Question for my project: As an Entrepreneur, how do create an effective advertising and marketing campaign on a fixed budget you deem necessary to bring in new customers while keeping your business afloat?
A driving question, I learned, is a question that will open up the entire unit for the class. Students use these questions to formulate sub-questions that allow them understand the complexity of an authentic real-world problem.
This week was a little more difficult for me than usual. Perhaps I am starting to slow down, but I think I just have a hard time developing complex questions.
Source:
Rice, K. (2009). Edtech 542 week 3: part i & ii - craft the driving question. Retrieved from http://edtech.mrooms.org/mod/resource/view.php?inpopup=true&id=19786
• “Driving Questions are Open-Ended. We must allow students to adequately answer the question given, yet allowing them to take ownership over the project. Be sure as you design your Driving Question that you think carefully about time, resources and student skills.
• Driving Questions are Provocative. The driving question must sustain students’ interest during the entire project and challenge students to go beyond the obvious.
• Driving Questions get at the Heart of a subject area. The driving question can be focused at the heart of an issue, allowing students to investigate.
• Driving Questions are Challenging. Students should be encouraged, through the use of the driving question, to confront different situations.
• Driving Questions need to Interest Students. Create driving questions from real-world situations, igniting an interest for students.
• Driving Questions are consistent with Standards. While driving questions should be challenging, they should also lead students to master the agreed upon content, knowledge and skills that define a course of study. “ (Rice, 2009)
June 16, 2011 - Driving Question for my project: As an Entrepreneur, how do create an effective advertising and marketing campaign on a fixed budget you deem necessary to bring in new customers while keeping your business afloat?
A driving question, I learned, is a question that will open up the entire unit for the class. Students use these questions to formulate sub-questions that allow them understand the complexity of an authentic real-world problem.
This week was a little more difficult for me than usual. Perhaps I am starting to slow down, but I think I just have a hard time developing complex questions.
Source:
Rice, K. (2009). Edtech 542 week 3: part i & ii - craft the driving question. Retrieved from http://edtech.mrooms.org/mod/resource/view.php?inpopup=true&id=19786
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Journal #2
June 13, 2011 – In looking at the www.bie.org website, I confirmed with the handbook reading that each project has a driving question, a summary, a scope, and a sequence to drive the project and give it clarity.
http://pbl-online.org/driving_question/dqtest/dqtest.html has a short quiz on what a driving question should contain. The characteristics are:
1. The question serves as a lighthouse for the project.
2. It incorporates a big idea or theme
3. Specific content or skills are included
4. It utilizes authenticity
Perhaps I shouldn’t jump ahead, but starting with the end in mind means having an idea of what you would like the students to learn. As a computers in business teacher I would like my students to learn how to incorporate business skills into leading successful lives whether or not the student would like to start their own business.
It was pretty easy to find a project for my curriculum because it is already one of the standards (Standard 6) link: http://www.uen.org/ctecore/core.do?courseNum=520111
June 13, 2011 – Over the last couple days looking over the definitions and characteristics of project-based learning I’ve found that I already do a lot of PBL in my classroom. For example, when we learn Microsoft Word I have the students write a script or screenplay with various color coordination of each characters and using a screenplay layout to show how well they can operate Microsoft Word.
I also collaborate with other teachers to provide real-world experience not found in a single class. I believe it is an illusion that the curricula are separate. They should be integrated together and the projects become more real world.
My idea for my project in this class is to create an online set of instructions (possibly a WebQuest) to have a team of students create a simulated business utilizing computers to create their own webpage, web content, advertisements, stock market and data sheets, and an overall business plan.
Culminating Project Purpose:
Students will create a simulated business by building a business plan, advertisements (electronic and print), create a web page, and develop an overall understanding of how businesses work and the various types of businesses. By creating this simulated business the students will experience a project-based activity to simulate a realistic scenario of owning and operating a business using computers.
Scope:
1. Utilize technology in a business setting.
2. Interpersonal collaboration with peers to develop essential business social skills.
3. Standard 6 - Students will incorporate concepts learned to create, present and evaluate a business plan those skills include:
a. Create web pages, business documents, and advertisements to enhance a business by utilizing web 2.0 and 3.0 technology.
b. Building effective advertisements and understand the terms associated with this field.
c. Students will have the option to apply a variety of software towards their business venture including Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite Web Premium 5.5, Garageband, Firefox, Explorer, Mobile Apps, iMovie, Photobooth, and many others.
d. Students will enhance their keyboarding skills and develop web content using HTML and CSS programming languages.
http://pbl-online.org/driving_question/dqtest/dqtest.html has a short quiz on what a driving question should contain. The characteristics are:
1. The question serves as a lighthouse for the project.
2. It incorporates a big idea or theme
3. Specific content or skills are included
4. It utilizes authenticity
Perhaps I shouldn’t jump ahead, but starting with the end in mind means having an idea of what you would like the students to learn. As a computers in business teacher I would like my students to learn how to incorporate business skills into leading successful lives whether or not the student would like to start their own business.
It was pretty easy to find a project for my curriculum because it is already one of the standards (Standard 6) link: http://www.uen.org/ctecore/core.do?courseNum=520111
June 13, 2011 – Over the last couple days looking over the definitions and characteristics of project-based learning I’ve found that I already do a lot of PBL in my classroom. For example, when we learn Microsoft Word I have the students write a script or screenplay with various color coordination of each characters and using a screenplay layout to show how well they can operate Microsoft Word.
I also collaborate with other teachers to provide real-world experience not found in a single class. I believe it is an illusion that the curricula are separate. They should be integrated together and the projects become more real world.
My idea for my project in this class is to create an online set of instructions (possibly a WebQuest) to have a team of students create a simulated business utilizing computers to create their own webpage, web content, advertisements, stock market and data sheets, and an overall business plan.
Culminating Project Purpose:
Students will create a simulated business by building a business plan, advertisements (electronic and print), create a web page, and develop an overall understanding of how businesses work and the various types of businesses. By creating this simulated business the students will experience a project-based activity to simulate a realistic scenario of owning and operating a business using computers.
Scope:
1. Utilize technology in a business setting.
2. Interpersonal collaboration with peers to develop essential business social skills.
3. Standard 6 - Students will incorporate concepts learned to create, present and evaluate a business plan those skills include:
a. Create web pages, business documents, and advertisements to enhance a business by utilizing web 2.0 and 3.0 technology.
b. Building effective advertisements and understand the terms associated with this field.
c. Students will have the option to apply a variety of software towards their business venture including Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite Web Premium 5.5, Garageband, Firefox, Explorer, Mobile Apps, iMovie, Photobooth, and many others.
d. Students will enhance their keyboarding skills and develop web content using HTML and CSS programming languages.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Journal #1
Reflective Journal
Quotes from Reading and Class/Tasks and Activities | Thoughts/Learning/Questions |
June 8th 2011 – “Real-world relevance: Activities match as nearly as possible the real-world tasks of professionals in practice rather than decontextualized or classroom-based tasks… Value laden: Provide the opportunity to reflect and involve students’ beliefs and values.” (Characteristics of Authentic Learning Activities) | June 8th 2011 – I hear my colleagues complain about this question all the time when they get it from their students: “When am I ever going to use this?” Honestly, I believe teachers should be able to answer that question with real authority. It’s important for a student to see value in their education. What they are looking for is a way to justify the reason they are even attempting to accomplish the, at times, grueling tasks set forth by the teacher. If it carries no real weight or no real personal motivation it pulls the metaphorical leg out from under them. I would much rather hear my colleagues rejoice that they had an answer ready and that the student took to the project better than they ever have before. That is education at its best: a motivated student creating something with the guidance of a teacher, who has to guide progressively less and less. Thomas Carruthers said “a teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary,” and I would have to agree with him. |
Bibliography:
- Characteristics of Authentic Learning Activities. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://pbl-online.org/About/characteristics.htm
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