Chapter 11 Reflection

Description of what occurs as a result of using the Project-based learning approach.

When a successful project comes to an end, both the teachers and students will feel as if they have been somewhere together. They will both be left with vivid memories, souvenirs, and artifacts they have collected along the way. They will also have plenty of ideas for the next learning adventure. Good projects should not just end, they should open new doors and create connections that can help both teachers and students build future project designs. Having students reflect at the end of a project will benefit both the teacher and student. If students identify what could have been done better or what additional steps should be added to the project, the teacher can use that in future planning. Teachers should also reflect together in order to improve their future projects.  Project-based learning can also lead to using new tools in the classroom. For example, teachers who used wikis in a project may decide to continue using wikis once the project is over as a new tool for communication and publication.

Discussion on ways to “bring your project home”.

As mentioned above, teachers can capitalize on their investment by reflecting on the project they have just completed. Reflecting on all aspects of the project, especially student work and outcomes, will allow the teachers to measure the project’s success. It will also allow them to make changes and make the next project even more successful. Teachers can also critique their project with their colleagues. Debriefing the project with other teachers allows everyone to draw out each other’s’ best ideas for improvement. It is also a great time for teachers to review students work together to check for understanding. Teachers can share their projects with other teachers and also modify other teachers project plans to meet their students learning goals. Finally, teachers can put their best work forward and enter their project in a contest. This gives exposure to your project, and to your students, which can help raise the profile of what you are doing in your classroom. It will also give you critical feedback from colleagues who share the same passion for authentic projects.

Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

I have really liked using the project-based learning approach in this class. Connecting all of our assignments to one overall theme has really helped me see how helpful technology can be during a project based unit. Even though we had to make up and pretend to do all the elements of our project, it helped me better understand the process of planning and implementing a project-based unit. I will definitely remember all of the things I learned in this class because it was presented to me in the context of one large project. I can see how project-based learning would leave vivid memories for young children, especially since they actually get to complete a project instead of just making one up. Finally, creating this project has given me many ideas for other projects and assignments. All the technology we learned about could be used in many different ways and I look forward to using it in my future classroom!