Reading Reflection #1

1.Discussion on what you need to keep in mind as you start the journey through Project-Based Learning (PBL).
The main thing we need to remember is that students these days need to learn from real world situations. Projects can be used to bring out those real-world scenerios and students are "up to the challenge" (at least says the book).

2. Discussion on the overall benefits of the PBL approach.
When students start PBL the teacher is no longer the expert. The students start to pursue their own questions. This completely changes the learning invironment, with different kinds of discussions, debates, and ideas. It also teaches students and the teacher different ways to use technology in the ways they do research and teach.

3.Discussion on the benefits to students who participate in PBL.
Projects make students work together to solve real world problems. Also the students get to pick a topic that they enjoy, which gets the students truly excited to work and find meaning in what they are doing.

4.Discussion on what issues need to be considered in PBL approach.
The biggest one I found was getting parents and colleagues on-board with using technology instead of the good-ole-fashioned textbook. Also how you talk and engage with students, it will take some adjusting but it is something that a teacher needs to keep in mind when using PBL as an approach. Lastly, what you use as your artifacts from projects and how you assess the students. Assessment is a big thing in teaching that needs to happen a lot to make sure the students are understanding everything.

5.Discussion on New Technology High as an example of New Technology Model.
It is small and the students and staff know each other on a personal basis. "Everything we do is based on research". Computers are available to every student. "Technology is consistently viewed as a tool rather than as the focus of learning."