Blog Post #11

     In Brian Crosby's video Back to the Future, he began by explaining the dynamics of the types of students usually in his class. He showed survey results that revealed to him that his students were disconnected due their lack of authentic experiences. So he created those authentic experiences for them in his classroom. He told of several projects that the class had done and how excited the students were about the work they were doing. He made a list to show how his projects were language intense because the students had to read, write, and articulate orally as part of these projects. He says that this type of learning does not just teach students how to be taught. The collaborating, connecting, empowering, and motivating aspects of PBL make the possibilities for students learning practically endless. He quotes David Cohen saying that all students deserve the opportunity to be taught with meaningful and motivational context which leads to deeper knowledge and enrichment of skills throughout the learning instead of saving that type of learning until after the basics are taught.

      In Blended Learning Cycle, Paul Andersen explains blended learning which is comprised of online, mobile, and classroom learning. He then explains the learning cycle which includes the five E's, engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate. He put these two together to produce the blended learning cycle. He uses the acronym QUIVERS, which stands for question, investigation/inquiry, video, elaboration, review, and summary quiz, in his class. He describes each component in detail and how he uses it in his class. Paul says that the review part of QUIVERS is the most important to him because he asks the students probing questions, and this gives the students opportunity to explain what they have learned which shows true comprehension of knowledge.

   
 Mark Church demonstrates how to use the "headline" routine in the video Making Thinking Visible. Students are asked to discuss with their small groups and come up with a headline that describes what they will be learning.  He will use those headlines on a display or bulletin board. Then at the end of the unit, they will make a new headline and compare how their thinking has changed.

     In the video Sam Pane 4th Grade, Sam Pane lead a lesson about internet safety. They discussed safety, responsibility, and respectfully. The students then designed a super digital citizen and used that and pictures of themselves to create a comic. In their comic, their digital superhero used their powers to save the day when someone was found not being responsible, safe, or respectful on the internet. This project involved writing and language arts skills as they learned about internet safety. The class did a gallery walk where students had the opportunity to read the comics created by their classmates. This project was a great way to apply real world experience to the students' learning in the classroom.

      The video Project Based Learning is about a Canadian school that no longer teaches English, History, and Information Processing as segregated subjects. They use project based learning to engage students and provide a way for deeper understanding. They began by doing projects individually with their own classes. The teachers knew that it was good, but it could be better.  They had it approved to combine these three classes and restructure their class time.  This allowed for more in depth study as the classes were not limited to one hour with the restructure. The students now have time to go further in their learning.

 Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program is a video that explains in depth what in involved in project based learning. PBL is in depth learning, uses integrated thematic instruction, is based on a real world problem, is research based, and produces projects and presentations. Teachers get students used to public speaking at an early age by presenting their projects. Students also learn how to work together, which is skill that adults use daily in the workplace. PBL allows for student choice, so students have a sense of ownership of their work. Because students learn in different ways, PBL is a excellent means to incorporate differentiation in the classroom. It is beneficial for multiple intelligences and learning styles. Students are engaged by PBL and have an opportunity to question the world around them.