Notes for the SIGTE Book Discussion Group
The following are my personal notes on the book Reinventing Project-based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real World Projects in the Digital Age by Susie Moss and Jane Krauss.
Notes for the SIGTE Book Discussion Group
Chapter 1: Mapping the Journey -- Seeing the Big Picture
Chapter 2: Creating a Professional Learning Community
Chapter 3 -- Imagining the Possibilities
Chapter 4-Strategies for Discovery
Chapter 1: Mapping the Journey -- Seeing the Big Picture
On page 4 there is a suggestion that regularly presented in the media in the classroom such as clips from National Public Radio shows to inspire students to create their own podcasts.
On page 5 there is an interesting line that suggests that early adopters consider themselves to be pioneers.
On page 6 there are four points suggest a positive efficacy framework: in fact today's students are up to the challenge, that projects are worth the effort, that students live and learn in the real world, and new contexts encourage the project approach.
On page 7 there is an interesting suggestion that readers turned this book into their own project.
On page 10 there is a suggestion that many teachers still have not used blogs in any way.
On page 11 there is a limit to that we are not teaching students to work as a team, to access and analyze information, and to think creatively to solve problems.
On page 12 the authors express a basic understanding that in project-based learning students investigate open ended questions and apply their knowledge to produce authentic products. Technology must be integrated in teachers are now able to collaborate to design and implement projects across geographic boundaries or even jump time zones.
On page 13 is noted that the Ministry of education in Singapore encourages teachers to adopt the project approach. Their motto is “Teach less, learn more.” In Scotland, teachers are reforming professional communities around the idea of extreme learning. In that case teaching and learning are seen as participatory, collaborative, and creative.
On page 14 we are reminded that teachers are learners to, lifelong learners.
On page 15 and he said story is shared about a teacher who felt he was engaged in an uphill battle to run project aced teaching in his school.
On page 16 the hallmarks of the new technologies school model are that it is small with no more than 100 students per grade, the projects are the centerpiece of instruction, technology is everywhere, teachers are incentivized to do such projects, there is a broad a range of online assessment tools, and good ideas are shared.
On page 18 Thursday he and once again that teachers are learners and that they must become comfortable with change.
A side note: I once participated in a 21st century skills workshop for a school district near Tucson, Arizona. What became readily apparent to me was that the administrators of the school district were insufficiently able to identify the hallmarks of a good project-based learning activity and were woefully unprepared to evaluate these sorts of projects. There is a great need to help administrators and state officials to understand that there are more ways of evaluating student success than a paper and pencil tests or even an end product. Sometimes the real learning occurs when mistakes happen. In the midst of failure there is sometimes great learning.
From pages 21 to 24 there is an examination a brief tutorial on social bookmarking.
Chapter 2: Creating a Professional Learning Community
Personal comment: in addition to providing a more enriching learning experience for students, collaboration may be the key to teacher retention. The example of the Canadian middle school teacher who was aboard teaching in a self-contained classroom echoes my own role as a special education teacher. It was only by tearing down the walls of the classroom and having students write and collaborate with students around the world that my energy and excitement for teaching was revitalized.
It is interesting to note that the new National Education Technology Standards reflect a new focus on collaboration.
On page 27 and page 28 there are examples of professional learning communities that occurred in a face-to-face environment in WashingtonState.
On page 29 the authors raise the question of assessing one's readiness for teamwork. The authors attempt to define the school as a learning organization on page 30. From an administrator's perspective, one of the most important challenges is to create time for teachers to work together during the school day.
On page 32 is a discussion about communities of practice with it in communities. Indeed they can make professional life more productive and satisfying at the authors suggest that we should focus on three big ideas: 1) to ensure that students learn, 2) to create a culture of collaboration for school improvement, and 3) to focus on results.
On page 33 I am delighted to see that the authors refer to Ning is a tool for developing collaboration.
On page 36 and 37 there is an interesting spot light using Google Earth embellished with place marks to highlight literary travels.
On pages 38 and 39 there is a collection of nine starting points for teachers interested in collaborative exchanges. These include Flat Stanley, Global SchoolNet , Intercultural E-Mail Classroom Connections, an old standby International Education and Research Network, and others.
Chapter 3 -- Imagining the Possibilities
On page 43 there is a good line, “Good projects get to the heart of the discipline.”
On page 45 there is an interesting project idea by a teacher in Canada. When you students get an article printed in the local newspaper he considers that an authentic assessment. On a personal note: In one of my graduate classes we are going to be creating an article or a series of articles of interest to our colleagues across the state and attempt to publish it in the local ISTE affiliate Journal. I don't feel comfortable giving grade just to the students whose articles published because some of the articles are going to be very similar, but I'm hoping it will both attract interest in ISTE and let them see themselves as facilitators, mentors, and information leaders among their peers and comes to technology.
On page 48 there is a whole section on 21st-century literacies. It takes a whole page before they finally get around to the definition of literacies. There is a lot to be said about the development of key literacies when we are attempting to use new and modes of presentation and communication in our classes.
On page 50 there is an excellent idea for using Facebook and MySpace set up pages for search and Shakespearean characters such as Romeo, Juliet, and Mercutio. One includes photographs, sets up a blog, perhaps even creates a podcast. Why not? It's a great idea.
On page 52 there is an interesting quotation from John Seely Brown in which he suggests replacing the term project with the term passion. Create a passion-based classroom. The authors suggest that projects with passion help connect with the social and emotional sides of the learning experience. That may very well be true.
On page 53 there is a reference to appendix a which looks at essential learning with digital tools, the Internet, and Web 2.0. This can be found on page 165 in the book.
On page 57 there is an excellent list for teachers might well follow when they are planning out a group project. They suggest using a wiki to begin with the answers to eight key questions.