Reading Reflection #7

Sarah Betzold

EDT 3470

Chapter 7:

A Guiding Hand- Keeping a Project Moving

            Levels of classroom discussions take place while implanting a project. Teacher to teacher is one of the levels and is important because teachers can share ideas, plan together, talk about what is taking place in the classroom and if students are understanding what they are supposed to be learning. Working with other teachers is helpful and a great resource. If talking face to face is not a option, other tools can be used such as blogs, wiki and others collaboration tools. The next level of classroom discussion is student to student.  Students to be discussing things together as they work through their projects. This includes explaining things to classmates, asking questions, giving feedback, etc. Modeling for students how they should be working together will help students effectively collaborate with each other and they will continue to  learn how to work as a team. The next level of classroom discussion is teacher to student. This is important during projects when a teacher needs to make an announcements, check for understanding, introduce a new concept, etc. However, most of the time teachers will not be having a whole class discussion because students will be working out their projects.

            Checking in on students during a project is important so that a teacher can know where students are at in their project. Checking in with students also allows the teacher ask herself or himself certain questions along the way to make sure the project is running smoothly and effectively.  For instance, when think about procedures, the teacher may ask herself or himself, “Are we staying on schedule? Do we have the right materials available? When’s the best time to schedule a field trip, expert visitor or other activity?” (Boss & Krauss, 2007).  When thinking about teamwork a teacher might think about if students a working well together and allowing students a safe place to raise concerns about their team. An online survey tool such as wiki, might be a good way to do that. When teachers are thinking about students’ understanding, the teacher may want to plan questions that might probe students to think further and encourage students to go beyond the expectations. Students can learn a lot from a teacher asking students questions throughout their projects to make them think further. As an assessment a teacher might also want to check in on students to determine what they are thinking and learning. Asking questions that allow students to reflect and think back on what they have done is a great way to assess.

            There are many benefits of optimizing the use of technology in a classroom. Technology can help students reach their learning goals. Many students enjoy working with technology and it gets them interested in what they are learning.  Sometimes it’s even a good idea to even let students pick the technologies they want to use. The students can think about which technology tools with help students reach their learning goals. Students benefit and get to new ways to communicate and learn by using technology.

            It’s important to think about things that can make or break a project. A 21^st –century skill is troubleshooting. If students are struggling or there are setbacks, it’s important to help students get back on track or brainstorm ideas to help students feel better about their assignment. Sometimes students can be intimidated when using technology or communicating with others. Teachers should keep these things in mind and set up ways to make students feel more comfortable.  Troubleshooting should be a skill that teachers need to have otherwise a project may not meet its learning goals. Teamwork is another 21^st century skill that needs to be seen in a classroom. It’s important to take notice of who gets along with each other, who slacks and how groups works together. Teachers can have teamwork-scoring rubrics that students can fill out for students in their groups. I also like the idea of students keeping a journal about their teamwork. Teachers will then also get a good idea if the team is working well together. If teams do not work well together it can be an issue in terms of the students meeting their learning goals.

            This chapter relates to our projects because we want our projects to run smoothly. These topics are especially important to consider when we one day have our own classrooms. Since we are not actually doing our projects with students it’s important to keep in mind obstacles that we may be faced with and how certain tools can be of used to benefit our projects.