Project Based Learning, or PBL is reconstructing the way of teaching. Mr. Capps explained, in this video, that using projects is no longer just a means to show understanding, it is also a way to teach. Mr. Capps also taught me that projects are not just busy work; they are assignments that are meant to be designed by a specific set of guidelines. These guidelines include: having an authentic audience, enticing student interest, involving community involvement, and being content driven. The goal of PBL is for students to be comfortable with self correction and reflection. After a few projects, we want students to have the capability to recognize their mistakes and the confidence to correct them.
Project Based Learning Part 2
Never limit your students! From this video, I learned that students have the ability to go far beyond our expectations as long as they are given the opportunity to. PBL allows the students be more involved in their learning and make decisions in the way things are done. It results in the students being proud of their work and more willing to show others what they have done. PBL takes a lot of meticulous planning, but if well put together, the outcome can be miraculous.
iCurio
iCurio is a specifically developed search engine made for students. The purpose of this search engine is to allow the students to search through filtered text, video, etc. and find information based on the state standards. Another important feature of iCurio is its storage unit. It contains a storage unit that allows both the teacher and the student to organize information within the iCurio search engine. This feature shows the students how to maintain their notes in an organized way. Criteria research is another helpful aspect of iCurio. Because students may not know specific details, criteria research allows them to look up what they do know. An example would be searching for a race or gender within a certain time period.
Discovery Education
Discovery Ed is a resource for Science and Social Studies. It is an opportunity to implement pictures and video with the text. As Mr. Capps said, this is a chance to bring the text to life, another way to engage the students and allow them to actively participate in their learning process. Discovery Ed is a way to enhance reading and encourage students to enjoy researching. Discovery Ed allows the students to recognize what is being said in the text by comparing it to what is being seen in the pictures.
The Anthony- Strange List of Tips for Teachers Part 1
This video taught me some great tips to help prepare me for teaching. In order to be a teacher, you must be interested in learning yourself. You can not expect your students to be willing to learn if you are not willing to learn yourself. Another aspect to teaching is that the work is not separate from play. This means that the work is never-ending but it is always rewarding. You can learn a valuable lesson for your classroom at any moment, like at the dinner table, and it is your responsibility to act on what is learned. Teaching is a difficult job because it is never-ending. As an educator, you must be open-minded and flexible with your ideas. There will be many times when things do not go as planned; therefore you must be comfortable with changing the way things are done. A good mindset to have is to start with the end in mind. This allows you to have a goal and be flexible enough to reach it despite the obstacles throughout the year. An important goal, as an educator, is to have full classroom engagement. You want the students to be engaged 100% and actively participate in their learning process. This will result in a much higher success rate with their academics. The final tip, that I learned, is about reflection. You want your students to be able to reflect on their work and self-evaluate themselves. This can be a very helpful characteristic for them, especially as they grow in their academics.
Don't Teach Tech- Use It
Students enjoy using technology to show that they are learning; therefore, never teach technology. There is a difference between teaching the technology and implementing technology in your lessons. Introduce the different types of media throughout your lessons and build on what is used. Do not just throw a media device on your students at once. Also, never expect perfection, but do not be surprised when their results are better than yours. Your students may not be able to make Hollywood style movies, but they will have the ability to manipulate technology quicker and possibly better than you can.
Additional Thought About Lessons
In order for a lesson plan to be successful it must have four layers. The first layer begins by looking at the big picture. It is seeing how the lesson will fit in your full year. The second layer is unit sized. This step is breaking the lessons into a six to eight week process which gives students time to master the lesson. The third layer is devising each week in a way that allows you to get everything done. The final layer is the daily lesson. In this layer, you figure out how to deliver each lesson to your students, what the hook will be and how to you keep them engaged throughout the entire lesson. Mr. Capps believes thinking from the outside in is the best approach to lesson planning.
Thorough. Thoughtful. Thanks.
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