Reading Reflection #4

Sarah Betzold

EDT 3470

Chapter 4 Reading Reflection:

Strategies for Discovery

            When designing lessons, there may be potential pitfalls that a teacher has to rethink. It is important that teachers always focus on learning outcomes. Projects should be done to accomplish something. If technology is used, it should have a purpose as well. Students should not simply research something just because. It should be meaningful to the students and connect the students to what they are learning. Also, when picking themes for projects, the themes should be relevant to the students. Teachers need to remember that they should design projects that students can make connections to. It’s also important to not over script project plans. Teachers should give students room to use their critical thinking skills, problem solving skills and creativity. If students are told step by step exactly what to do, every student will come up with a very similar product and not be able to put their skills to use.

            There are several features that make a great project. Projects should be aimed to answer a question or structured for inquiry. Students should have a reason for researching and feel interested and connected to it. Projects should give students an opportunity to be creative, confident,  take risks, share ideas, self-reflect, cooperate, and allow students to bounce ideas off of each other. The main goal is for students to learn by doing and learn from any mistakes that may come up.

            Great project ideas can come from anywhere. Some of the best project ideas that I have seen have came from students themselves. If students are interested in something it can be turned into a great learning opportunity. Project ideas can also come from other teachers, current events or issues, stories, etc. Those may be good ideas but it is always important to keep in mind the potential pitfalls that I discussed earlier.

            There are quite a few steps that go into designing a project. First, it is important to look at what you want the students to learn. Teachers should make a list of their learning objectives and go from there. The next step is to imagine what you want the students to learn and understand before the project and during. Next it’s important to think about true life connections and if the project will provide meaning to the students. The theme of the project should be in some way interesting to the students. The last step is to plan out the project and make sure that the learning objectives are being met. It’s also important to figure out a way to get students interested and excited about the project.

            The concepts in this chapter relate to my project because I want to make sure I am designing my projects in the best way I can. These concepts help us structure our projects and know if we are missing something. For instance, after reading this chapter, I realized my project might not be very exciting for students. I think I need to find a way to get students excited about staying healthy. Our goal is to make a great project and this chapter gave us many great ideas on how to do so.