u06a1 - Visit, Review, Consider

On your blog, explain the critical organization and management steps and tools you would need to employ when implementing a PBL experience for the grade level / subject you teach. Be specific to digital tools you and your students would use and how they would be used.

I think key to the success of any PBL experience is to involve the students in all aspects of the project. The project should be introduced not just as a project but as an integral part of the program that will provide the students with a chance to develop communication skills, collaboration skills, technology skills and research skills as well as learning some subject matter. I do think that this may be easier to do at the high school level. In my classes students frequently ask, when am I going to use this? Is this going to be on the test? With a PBL experience, students should no longer have to ask these questions or even feel like they want to ask them!!

Even before the project is started and groups are formed, all students could be responsible for the creation of an Animoto video or a post to the class wiki or blog that would introduce others to who they are, how they learn, what their strengths are and what they hope to learn about the topic and from the PBL experience. Then groups could be formed based on students’ initial comments and questions. I think it is important to allow the students to ‘gel’ or ‘mesh’ so that they will feel more committed to functioning as members of a cohesive group. I like the idea of creating a group that will be responsible for working on all aspects of the project together although they will have individual responsibilities. This prevents the situation where one student does all of the work.

To start the project off on a positive note, students must be involved in the orientation phase. Students could brainstorm regarding questions that they want to investigate about a particular topic. Brainstorming could easily be done using the Inspiration application which allows students to create an expandable concept map. This could be done locally or globally. If done globally, students could easily work on a common document in Google Docs or share thoughts in Diigo. I like the suggestion from the Buck Institute that students should make use of a KWL (know-want to know-learn) sheet. Keeping this sheet will allow students to visually track their progress.

Many high school students are extremely busy with outside commitments – work, family, sports, volunteering, band, groups, friends, etc., so paramount to the success of the project will be all members of the group staying on task and focusing on the task at hand. A great way to keep organized is showing the students how to use Google Calendar and then how it can be imbedded in their wiki. For those students who need a daily reminder of what tasks need to be done, I really like the application Remember the Milk. It allows students to be the ultimate task master. I think students are much more likely to use a web based diary than they are to make use of their homework diary…much more hip to make use of technology!!

The positive involvement by the teacher is very important to the successful progression of the project milestones. Even though the project should be a student centered learning experience, the teacher still has to keep track of what is happening in each group. Not only to ensure that all things are getting done that need to be done, but also to be aware of any potential problems that may arise and quickly negotiate a solution with group members. A successful PBL experience does require the successful integration of technology and good old-fashioned teacher interaction. There are several ways that the teacher could monitor the group – through observations, by conducting short interviews or reading the bi-weekly student comments on their blogs or wikis. Alternatively, one of the individual roles of a group member could be as a liaison with the teacher who gives details of the daily successes, trials and progress in a short note on their Diigo. All the while, the teacher should be reminding the student of the driving question.

I think that providing adequate time for both the students and yourself to reflect and evaluate the PBL experience is almost as integral to its success as the project steps themselves. The educational research shows that “students who have the opportunity to discuss, analyze, and reflect on their learning experiences are more likely to retain and use their knowledge and skills” (The Buck Institute, n.d.). This would be a good time for the students to go back to their KWL sheet and see if their knowledge base has grown, if they have any unanswered questions and to feel proud of everything that they have learned during the process. The true measure of success for the project may not necessarily be the production of a flashy multimedia production but all the other intangible skills that the students would have worked on developing throughout the project experience. Students could showcase their growth by posting to their blog or Glogster. Students could even produce podcasts for Gcast or create presentations for SlideShare that would give hints for both teachers and students on the skills and knowledge needed to have a successful PBL experience in their classroom.


References

The Buck Institute for Education and Boise State University. (n.d). Plan for Evaluation and Reflection. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from http://pbl-online.org/ManagetheProject/projectexplore/projectexplore5.html

u05a1 - Making good use of the Web 2.0 applications

Create accounts for the services listed in the three topics and explore how to use them. Select at least one application from each topic to review how you would implement it into the classroom. In your review, be sure to address:

• Age / parental consent requirements for users
• Overall function of the application
• Resources available online to help new users learn to navigate the interface
• Specific ways that students could use the application
• Caveats for teachers

I have found playing around and exploring the applications very fun and would not really consider it work at all…if all learning could be this fun and enjoyable!! Well learning should be fun and enjoyable as well as being useful!! I can see how what we are investigating would be similar to the process that our actual students would be involved in while they are working in a PBL group. I can start to appreciate the time and commitment needed to start and implement a PBL experience.

There are several applications that I think would be a wonderful addition to my class while they are working on their PBL projects. While working in our Wilkes group, I have found some of these applications more useful and more user friendly than some others. Most of these listed applications require only a personal computer that is equipped with Internet access, presentation software and word processing software. Other applications require video cameras, still cameras, microphones and podcasting software. I have decided to concentrate my review on three applications which cover a wide variety of uses that when utilized in combination the will result in a successful means of communicating, collaborating and publishing.

Communication Platform – Diigo

“Diigo is two services in one -- it is a research and collaborative research tool on the one hand, and a knowledge-sharing community and social content site on the other” (Diigo Inc., 2009). Diigo is a Web 2.0 application that allows for effective management of the flow of communication between all members of a group. The only requirement that is needed to use Diigo is a personal computer that has access to the Internet and that makes use of one of the common web browsers.

There is also a free upgrade available to K-12 educators, although there is a brief application process that has to be completed to get the free account. Since there are no age requirements for a Diigo account set-up, enrolling in the educator Diigo may be they most secure and reliable way to incorporate this communication tool in your classroom. Privacy settings of student accounts are pre-set so that only teachers and classmates can communicate with them. As well, ads are limited to education-related sponsors. Once you have set up the educator Diigo, student accounts can be created. Teachers can establish groups where students can make group bookmarks and annotations and group forums.

Some key features of Diigo include:

• The ability to search other peoples lists of bookmarks so find suitable resources under a specific topic.
• The ability to create lists that display bookmarks which than can in turn be played as an interactive slideshow.
• Good organizational tools that include a sidebar that helps you find lists and bookmarks that may be useful to you.
• A messaging system that allows you to communicate with friends and allows for the sharing of annotated bookmarks and other resources.
• Diigo can provide sites that you may be interested in which may cut down on time spent researching.

There are plenty of onsite resources that will help new users navigate through Diigo. There are video tutorials, a step-by-step introduction, how-to guides and user produced materials that cover just about every aspect of the application. These guides are easy to follow and would be very suitable for students to use, although the site seems to be quite user friendly and no doubt students would be able to navigate through it with very little help!!

I envision students using Diigo as the main way to share web resources and related ideas and questions. Students can comment on these resources as they analyze and evaluate them as a group. These uses would be central to the success of a global PBL activity. I really see little in terms of possible pitfalls that teachers may experience with this application, especially if teachers get approved for the Diigo Educator version.

Collaboration Platform - Google Docs

The use of Google Docs has been an integral part of the success of the Wilkes PBL group that I am presently involved in. Who knew that an application that I had not heard of a month ago would prove so valuable and so easy to use!! Google Docs is one in a series of applications available from Google. Google Docs allows students to synchronously work on the same file (word doc, spreadsheet, presentation, PDF or html page) by logging on with a password. One downfall that students may run into is that they may not have a Gmail account or other equivalent email account. I could not find the age restrictions to have such an account, although I know that the majority of my high school students already have a hotmail account which would enable them to use Google Docs. Google Docs can be set up in such a way that the student or teacher can control who can see the online files.

Google Docs has a much greater use than just file sharing. Some other benefits of using Google Docs include:

• Students can access their data from any computer anywhere on the globe and sharing of information and ideas can take place instantaneously.
• Presentations can be delivered to remote classrooms and files can be published for only members of a group to see.
• Different file formats can be used and are not just limited to .doc or .ppt.
• Videos can also be easily shared all the while keeping them safe and private. These videos are hosted on Google which means that videos do not have to be streamed. This would keep the tech support people happy as there would be no downloading required for videos and the bandwidth at school could then be used for other purposes.

Google Docs has an extensive support system that will help users get started. There is also a Google Docs Help Forum where members help each other out. I imagine that most kids would soon be able to provide answers to the questions posted in the Help Forum.

I would recommend using Google Docs as the central meeting place or organizational hub for all group members as it is an efficient, effective and safe way to communicate and collaborate whether you are next door or on a different continent. No longer would students have the excuse that “Suzy has our work and since she is home sick today we cannot work on our project.” It would be a suitable application for students of all age levels and since it is a very user friendly application it would be suitable for almost all ability levels.

Publishing Platform – Edublog

Blogging is a fantastic way for students to share their final projects and solicit comments from their peers and classmates. Edublog is ideal for use in the classroom as it is a safe and secure application. The same downfall exists as with Google Docs, students should have a Gmail account so teachers can register them.

Having an Edublog means much more than just the ability to blog. As found in the online article 10 ways to use your Edublog to teach (Edublogs, 2009), such uses include:

• Post materials and resources
• Host online discussions
• Create a class publication
• Get your students blogging
• Share you lesson plans
• Integrate multimedia of all descriptions
• Organise, organise, organise
• Get feedback
• Create a fully functional website

To help both teachers and students in their quest to use Edublogs, there is a help section with video tutorials, FAQs and user forums. But this appears to be a very simple application that is very user friendly.

I can hardly fathom the knowledge I have gained in the past few days will looking at all of the Web 2.0 applications introduced in Unit 5 and I cannot wait to start implementing them in my classroom. Even with the limited technology resources that I have available in my classroom students can take advantage of the Diigo, Google Docs and Edublog applications.


References

Edublogs. (2009). 10 ways to use your Edublog to teach. Retrieved March 28, 2009 from
http://edublogs.org/10-ways-to-use-your-edublog-to-teach/

Diigo Inc. (2009). About Diigo. Retrieved March 28, 2009 from http://www.diigo.com/about

u05a2 - Helping students meet the NETS-S

Explain how student use of communication, collaboration, and publishing Web 2.0 applications can help students to meet the NETS-S.

1. Creativity and Innovation

• Tangler – allows students to create their own network of discussion forums. Imagine that discussions that can develop.
• WiZiQ – allows students to become teachers and create and record online lessons, create tests and reviews through a combination of different formats. One of the best indications that someone has learned something is for them to teach someone else. Creating reviews and tests is another great measure as to whether or not a student has mastered the concepts.
• Wikispace – allows students to create their own environment in which they can express themselves. Wikispaces are like gardens – you plant a few seeds and wonderful complex gardens/ideas develop.
• TeacherTube – allows students to upload their own videos. Students deserve an audience for their videos and TeacherTube provides a safe environment.
• Moonk – allows students to enhance their blogs by letting them create slideshows of their images, videoshows from their videos and a jukebox with their own recordings. Creativity abounds in this application.
• GCast – allows students to publish and syndicate their own podcasts. Students could become innovative newscasters publish weekly news reports or panel discussion on topics of the day.
• SlideShare – allows students to upload and share their PowerPoint presentations. Student presentations deserve an audience.
• Voicethread – allows students to express themselves in a variety of different ways either through the use of voice, text, audio file, video or graphics. Students can choose how they express themselves and let their creativity shine through.
• Glogster – allows students to show off their creative and innovative side. “Glogster is a revolutionary way of expressing your mood, feelings and ideas, and it goes miles beyond text or video!” By glogging, students get points that allow them to be a top glogster so their creativity and innovation can be rewarded.

2. Communication and Collaboration

• Chatterous – allows students to participate in a group chat either through the use of instant messaging, the web, email or a phone. Students from across the globe can cat with each other.
• Diigo – allows to collaboratively researching as a team even though they may not be in the same classroom. Students share their findings and can comment on others contributions.
• Google Docs – allows students to synchronously work on the same file.
• Wikispaces – allows students to keep track of all of their files that they are working on, embed a Google calendar and create discussion forums. A wikispace could act as the main meeting and organization hub for a work group.

3. Research and Information Fluency

• Diigo – allows students access to the ultimate research organizational tool. Students can analyze and evaluate the web resources that they find in the Diigo group. Students can easily share their findings, complete with highlights and sticky notes with other members of their groups. Diigo can be used to gather, evaluate and ethically use resources from the web.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Diigo – allows students to plan and conduct research.
• Wikispace – allows students to organize their data and findings so that they can decide what is relevant and what is not relevant. Rich discussions can take place in the discussion forums. With this asynchronous type of communication, students can take the time to reflect and develop strategies to problems that may arise during the research process.

5. Digital Citizenship

• Slideshare – allows students to share their presentations with the general public. Students can also search other presentations that may be on the same topic as their own presentations. Through viewing others work, students can learn that others with their differences may also be right.
• Blogger – allows students to establish a personal blog. Through an established routine of blogging, students should be encouraged to become lifelong contributors to the knowledge found on the WWW. Some blogs have tremendous followings and can become much more that just a description on what they did today. Blogs are the new way to create a commentary on the state of the world today. Students should know that even though they are one voice, their voice can make a difference.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

• GCast – allows students to publish podcasts. These podcasts could be a series of how-tos associated with the use of technology.
• WiZiQ – allows students to post lessons and participate in online learning virtual classrooms.

In this unit I am sure that we only touched upon the available Web 2.0 applications, so this represents only a small portion of the possible avenues that students could take while working to meet the NETS-S. By incorporating technology into your lessons and making is a central part of PBL experiences it will allows students to become deeper thinkers, more aware of challenges and differences and more aware of the skills necessary for successful collaboration to take place.

u05 - List of communication tools that you can find me at...

Digital Tools that Support Project-based Learning - Seven Steps to a Flat Classroom

Chatterous - http://chatterous.com/wpbl/

Tangler - http://www.tangler.com/forum/wilkes-pbl

Diigo Group - http://groups.diigo.com/groups/wilkes-edim-pbl-group

Wikispace - http://noteasybeinggreen.wikispaces.com/

****Check out the sidebar to see my video that I have made using Animoto...so simple to use that even I could do it!!

u04a1 - Hamburgers, potato chips and High School Musical...

What are some of the components of global PBL projects that would be a challenge for you to implement? Why? How might you overcome those obstacles?

As I have read through the past few assigned readings I have really come to appreciate the virtues of including PBL experiences in classrooms and have even felt as if I have been a bad teacher for not including more examples of them more frequently. I am presently teaching a Food Science course which is a course for students who are not typically strong in science. I would love to revamp and remodel the entire course so that it is composed of several in-depth PBL experiences that would both cover the curriculum expectations and promote the development of a series of basic skills. However I see this type of class having several hurdles to this type of learning experience several of which were discussed in the Scott and Thomson article – Is PBL Practical:

"(1) Students who struggle with comprehension of the basic skills struggle further with PBL because their foundations are not strong enough to support it. (2) ESOL and special education students struggle further, and despite our best attempts at putting these students in groups with ‘strong’ students to help, they still wind up frustrated. Frustrated students are not successful and they do not leave with more knowledge. Instead they are less motivated and crestfallen" (p. 9).

I do believe that I could develop certain activities that could be implemented early on in the projects that would allow for students to gain expertise and confidence in development of the necessary skills to be successful in a PBL situation. Especially for this type of student, explicit teaching of skills must be addressed. For example what does it mean to read with meaning? In this case guided questions could be provided when students read their textbook or online resources. What does it mean to analyze and choose relevant information from a website? Quite often these students only copy and paste and only rely on sources like Wikipedia or the first image they find in a Google image search. By providing students with a mixture of both reliable and unreliable sources and a series of questions, students could learn how to appreciate that everything that they read may not be true!! A concrete example of this may be having students research such a question as giving sugary foods to children increases their hyperactivity. By providing students with sources that contain opposing viewpoints, they can learn the skill of analyzing and drawing conclusions on their own. This type of skills development lesson plans could also be applied to ESOL students. By allowing students to be successful early on in the project, this could translate them into taking risks and going beyond their comfort levels when they are involved in more rich PBL experiences.

Such richer PBL experiences could involve the development of global PBL projects. As I was reading the Teacher’s Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet several ideas came to mind:

• Wouldn’t it be nice if students could grow up together, almost as a scaffolding experience, where they begin in middle school as ePals and then develop into collaborative learning groups in high school? This would require long term planning amongst a variety of teachers and I can only think of the benefits and long lasting positive relationships that would develop because of such a longitudinal project. This would mean a great deal of commitment and organization by a larger group of teachers but what a great learning experience that would stay with the students together. This type of project would force teachers from all grade levels to work together to develop projects that would meet standards across the grade levels and across different national curriculums.
• North America in the not so distant past was primarily a unilingual area where students may have only heard a foreign language in a movie or from people in airports. Now, I know that in many school systems the study of a second language is necessary for graduation requirements. This experience could be enriched by asking students not only to conjugate verbs but to communicate in real time with their peers in a second language…what a rewarding experience!!
• Global collaborative projects mean much more than just learning technology or environmental science with students from across the globe. Global PBL projects should also be a chance to include both Geography and current events lessons. I know from being a fan of the TV show Amazing Race how inept and ignorant some contestants can be about the different countries and cultures that they travel to. In order to properly and effectively communicate one must be respectful of who you are collaborating with. Learning about a country does not just mean learning its capital and listing its major exports but learning what a typical day would be like, how past history influences present day and what have been the past relationships between the countries. As well, students should be encouraged to keep up with current events because a natural disaster in one country may only be a news headline in another but could be a life and death situation in a different country.
• Students have become more aware of different cultures and countries but quite often they still think that there is only one way to solve a problem – their way. This viewpoint is often encouraged by the mainstream news outlets who often only give the North American perspective of a story. I know that news is covered very different by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) and the Cable News Network (CNN). Key to the success of global PBL projects is having students appreciate that the way they communicate or deal with a problem may not be the only way…the world is much more diverse than hamburgers, potato chips and High School Musical. Students could be shown different news reports for the same story from different global news outlet and then compare and contrast their content.
  
  Establishing global PBL projects does mean overcoming many of the same challenges that are faced when implementing a classroom PBL project but I believe that the returns are even more rewarding.
  
  
  References
  
  Scott, K. & Thomson, S. (August, 2007). Is PBL practical? Learning and Leading with Technology. (8-9).

u02a1 - Why PBL?...Justification.

Explain the pedagogical justifications for using project-based learning.

In the last thirty years or so, there has been a shift in the focus of science education. Instead of science classrooms being a place where students memorized the periodic table and did twenty different Mendelian crosses science classrooms of today have students developing and predicting trends in the periodic table properties and investigating the genetics of different ethnic groups and how this relates to global economics. The central idea in this shift of educational thought was that if science was a more hands-on experience then student would be able to make better use of their learning experiences. Students must be active participants in the learning process and they must be encouraged to take an active role in the development of their scientific intellect, students should no longer be thought of as sponges in our classrooms. Instead students construct and reconstruct their views of the world through their own mental activity and as a result of experiences with hands-on learning experiences and through collaborations with others.

At the very heart of project-based learning (PBL) is the educational theory of constructivism. Learning in a constructivist manner means incorporating many of the skills that are in demand in today’s workplace. By allowing students to experience authentic real world problems through PBL, it forces them not only to learn facts and figures but also skills that can be transferable beyond the classroom walls. By focusing on a constructivist approach to learning, students should no longer ask “Why do I have to learn this?” or “How does this help me in real life?” PBL places learning into context so that students are involved in real-world problems and require them to use real-world skills and resources to develop strategies to solve these problems.

“Project-based learning – powered by contemporary technologies – is a strategy certain to turn traditional classrooms upside down. When students learn by engaging in real-world projects, nearly every aspect of their experience changes” (Boss & Kraus, 2008, p. 11). Students are no longer just sitting in desks listening to teachers lecture instead they are involving themselves in authentic learning experiences that are more meaningful and therefore creating long lasting learning opportunities. PBL promotes learning for understanding. “Learning for understanding requires that curriculum and instruction address three different but interrelated academic goals: helping students (1) acquire important information and skills, (2) make meaning of that content, and (3) effectively transfer their learning to new situations both within school and beyond it” (Wiggins & McTighe, 2008, ¶ 6). Learning for understanding through the use of PBL better prepares students for the future as it coaches them how to think critically, how to collaborate and how to use technology as a tool for solving problems.

It is important to remember that PBL learning in science does not just mean students involved in a hands-on activity, it must also be a minds-on activity. A PBL activity must challenge the students to find unique solutions to situations that do not already have a ready answer. PBL activities should promote the acquisition of skills at the higher levels of Bloom’s hierarchy of cognitive domain objectives – application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation (Clark & Starr, 1991). Traditionally these were skills that were only thought to be obtained by the more gifted students. However, PBL with the right supports allow all students to develop and apply these higher order thinking skills to situations both inside and outside of the classroom.
A PBL science curriculum places great emphasis on the social nature of both science and the learning process. As educators we must remind ourselves that there cannot be only one means of educating students, PBL must be used in conjunction with a variety of other instructional methods so that all students can be reached in a classroom and benefit in the learning environment. After all, the process of learning is like completing a puzzle, there are many different ways of proceeding, but a similar goal exists - for all students to attain successful completion and acquisition of knowledge and skills.



References

Boss, S. & Kraus, J. (2008). Reinventing project-based learning: Your field guide to real-world projects in the digital age. Washington, D.C.: International Society for Technology in Education.

Clark, L. H. & Starr, I. S. (1991). Secondary and middle school teaching method. New York: MacMillan Publishing.

Edutopia Staff (2001, January 11). PBL research summary: Studies validate project-based learning. Retrieved March 14, 2009 from http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-research

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2008). Put understanding first. Educational Leadership, 65(8), 36- 41. Retrieved March 14, 2009 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/may08/vol65/num08/Put_Understanding_First.aspx

u01a1 - Introduction to PBL

This week’s task was to examine three very different exemplars of project-based learning (PBL) in action. The examples included “More Fun Than a Barrel of . . . Worms?!” that took a look at how one Virginian elementary school is incorporating PBL across the grade levels and throughout the school. For a different perspective PBL in one class at a Washington high school is discussed in the article “Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning”. The third example of PBL in action was an examination of a pre-organized PBL experience through the use of the Journey North website. In this example, elementary students mimic the skills used by real scientists and their story is shared in the report entitled “March of the Monarchs: Students Follow the Butterflies' Migration”.

Today’s students are soon bored with just textbook reading and completing worksheets they instead yearn for and deserve more authentic learning experiences. PBL is one example of how students can be challenged not only to learn the curriculum but to develop the skills necessary to be competitive in the 21st Century. Boss & Kraus (2008) state that “[t]raditional PBL has been shown to be effective in increasing student motivation and improving student’s problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills….[as well as promoting] active learning and teamwork” (p. 12). All three examples showed students at the centre of the learning process in a constructivist environment. By allowing students to be an integral part in the determination of the direction that their learning should take should mean that the students will be more engaged as they are more invested in the topic. Varying degrees of freedom of student choice was seen in the three examples – the Virginian elementary students were allowed to choose their own topic as was evident by the wide variety of topics that were investigated. Whereas there was some measure of freedom in the algebra class as students had liberty as to the final design of their 2050 school design.

This ‘loss of control’ may be hard for some teachers to handle as many teachers do not wish to relinquish their time in front of the classroom. However, all three examples show the importance of student contribution during the process. In order for PBL to be successful teachers must be more flexible than they have ever been. Although to a classroom observer it may appear that teachers only have a facilitator role during PBL in actual fact PBL appears to be more work for the teacher. This appears to be especially true at the front end of PBL when teachers have to organize, make community contacts, arrange for technology and create rubrics that allow students to be accountable not only for the final product but also for their collaboration during the process. The high school example also mentioned the benefits of students creating their own teamwork rubric so that each member is accountable for their contributions. Rubrics are only one facet through which assessment takes place. In addition to the teamwork rubrics, students should also be assessed on the final product (possibly by classroom outsiders), final presentation, post-project reflection as well ongoing formative assessment. This process of assessment should focus on assessment for learning rather than assessment of learning.

Another commonality to all three examples was the use of technology. Technology should not be the focus of the PBL; instead “technology is integrated as a tool for discovery, collaboration and communicating, taking learners places they couldn’t otherwise go and helping teachers achieve essential learning goals in new ways” (Boss & Kraus, 2007, p. 12). PBL could be carried out in an environment where technology is scarce, however technology works to enhance the learning experience by providing access to a vast information source, connecting students with both their peers and experts around the globe and allowing students to produce professionally looking products.

Key to the success seen in these PBL examples is providing support to the teachers in the form of scheduled meeting times for curriculum or grade level teams, teacher looping, teacher professional development, access to technology and release time for sufficient preparation. Teachers still cover the required state standards and national benchmarks, but they do so in such a way that students may not realize that they are learning them! The final products showed not only how much information students learned but also displayed how many other important skills the students had mastered throughout learning activity – time management, collaboration, public speaking, interviewing and tenacity. It was evident from the videos how proud and well spoken each of the students was and this experience will definitely be something that will stay with throughout their lives.

I hear and I forget
I listen and I understand
I do and I remember
Chinese proverb

It was no wonder that these schools saw an increase in their test scores and attendance rates and a decrease in their discipline problems and racial problems.

Some weaknesses of the three examples include the fact that they were all older than six years…I can only imagine how more recent technology could have further enhanced the learning experiences. Additionally, I would have liked to have heard some contributions from the not so strong students or heard from teachers in regards to some of the drawbacks associated with this type of learning.

References

Boss, S. & Kraus, J. (2008). Reinventing project-based learning: Your field guide to real-world projects in the digital age. Washington, D.C.: International Society for Technology in Education.