Reading Reflection #4

 1. Potential pitfalls in project design:
There are at least four potential pitfalls when it comes to project design:

• Long on activity, short on learning outcomes. When the work outweighs the results, the effort is hardly worth the time. This applies to any project, whether it be in the classroom or the work field. Projects are intended to engage students, and allow them to learn more than they would from a traditional method. If the projects are too involved, then the learning process can be inhibited with the student feeling overwhelmed with the process.
• Technology layered over traditional practice. In this context, traditional practice could mean assigning something as basic as a report, but requiring the sources to be from the internet. During this "learning process," students are just sitting in front of a computer screen looking for information, rather than engaging in the content or discussing the topic with their classmates, thus eliminating the critical thinking process.
• Trivial thematic units. Projects should avoid having trivial themes that don't encourage further learning in the topic they represent. Having trivial themes prevents students from thinking collaboratively, and can also limit the scope of learning, confining it to the constraints of the theme.
• Overly scripted with many, many steps. Our ultimate goal as teachers is to grow our students' knowledge. If we give them a project with step-by-step instructions, we are essentially discouraging them from thinking on their own, providing them with an exact script of what is expected. We need to develop projects that encourage students to come up with their own ideas and explore their learning from there.

2. Features of a good project:
There are many different features when it comes to creating a good project. Most importantly, a project should be loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths, as well as have a specific learning goal that students are working toward. Project-based learning is all about encouraging children to develop their own learning path, come up with their own thoughts, and take the project in a direction that is interesting to them. In order to encourage this process from students, projects must capture student interest through complex and compelling real-life or simulated experiences.  Another feature of a good project is to have the project structured so students learn with and from each other. Projects encourage collaborative work, and often interdisciplinary work.

3. Where project ideas come from:
Project ideas can come from anywhere. Similar to writers, inspiration could strike at any moment. If you are having trouble gaining inspiration from everyday occurrences, or your current background knowledge, start by looking at project plans developed by, and for, other teachers. During the planning process, or learning process, of one project, you may come up with another idea for another project. It is also critical that we keep our students current on what is going on in their community and the world. News stories and current events are excellent sources for project ideas. Children get the chance to learn about real-life events and work through a collaborative project with their classmates.

4. Steps to design a project:

• Revisit the framework. Your first step should lay out your learning objectives for the project, and how you plan to obtain those objectives. Make sure these objectives align with core standards, and incorporate at least two 21st century skills you will address. In addition to curriculum requirements, contemplate personal skills and learning disposition you want to foster.
• Establish evidence of understanding. As children are working through their project, make sure they have measurable goals. If they don't feel like they are making any progress, they may quickly feel discouraged. In addition, include steps throughout the project where you as a teacher can measure their learning growth.
• Plan the "vehicle." Coming up with a theme can be difficult. A theme is usually the "face" of a project, and it is important that this "face" appeals to everyone. Put yourself in the children's shoes - what would these students be interested in learning more about? Make sure the vehicle can be flexible and manipulated to fit the needs and directions of the project.
• Plan entree into the project experience. Getting students excited and interested in a topic is one of the most important aspects of a project. Plan an entry into the project, something to get the students excited about beginning this learning experience. A game or a story that relates to the vehicle or the topic is an excellent way to capture students' attention.

5. How these concepts relate to our topic/project:
Our project will definitely use all of these concepts. Now that we have a good outline of how to design a project, as well as features that make up a good project, we can much better design our own project to be useful in a real classroom. Our project has many opportunities to incorporate many of these concepts.