Real-World Issues Motivate Students

The article contends that project-learning is the ideal for classrooms. Students should start with engaging, real-live, concrete, hands-on, in-depth investigations into topics worthy of a child’s attention and effort. This should be the beginning point. Math and science learning come from it instead of the other way around. Using technology within project-learning allows students to call up knowledge of the world’s best thinkers quickly.
Sylvia Chard advocates a three-phased approach: Phase 1 involves an initial discussion of a project topic, including children's firsthand experiences related to the topic. Phase 2 involves fieldwork, sessions with experts, and various aspects of gathering information, reading, writing, drawing, and computing. Phase 3 is the presentation of the project to an audience.
Through this type of learning, it mimics what scientists do which can be more exciting and fun for kids. Students learn to ask questions and link what is known to what’s relevant to the topic to say something about it. Students who are excited about what they are learning tend to dig deeper and expand their interest in learning to wide array of subjects. They retain it more, make connections and apply their learning to other problems. Social and collaboration skills improve, while students attend school more, have better test scores, and behave better in school.

Application within my classroom: This method is the ideal. Orchestrating every topic and covering every standard is the challenge. I teach gifted students in four grade levels reading and math. It is such a challenge getting all standards in all grades mastered. Beginning with science, social studies, and real-life topics makes so much sense. My challenge will be to make it all work.

From Brain-Based Research to Powerful Learning: Innovative Teaching Techniques in the Classroom

The school should fit the school instead of the other way around. A school in Florida is using the latest technologies to support this ideal. They are using technology to help students visualize concepts allowing for students to activate prior knowledge, get active in learning, and have better, longer transfer of the information. They believe that using these new technologies allows for learning by doing, getting feedback and allowing for refinement of understanding to add new knowledge.
The article stated that it’s better to broadly educate someone than to teach them how to perform isolated tasks. Students communicate with other schools, other ages, and experts in the fields they are studying using technology. They are also sharing what they learn in different ways using technology.
We need to remember to think of the students' learning needs first and adapt our classroom environments around these needs.

Geometry Students Angle into Architecture Through Project Learning

In the article students were involved in project-based learning using geometry to construct buildings. The teacher mentioned that students need many opportunities to work with complex, high-stakes content, similar to what they would encounter in their communities and workplace. Students used rubrics to guide their work, scoring included quality, accuracy, clarity, presentation, and teamwork. Reflection was a valuable part of the project, providing students with a deeper understanding and retention. Students later presented their work to architects who evaluated their work provided feedback to students.

After doing a similar building design with my students, they noticed that their research played an important role in the quality of their project and it was for a solution that could be considered in desert regions. They became highly engaged, and viewed their efforts as practice toward becoming more creative problem solvers. This article confirmed what I have noticed over the years with my students with a variety of assessments, especially reflection. Reflection helps improve retention and the quality of projects, while refining and extending their thinking. After reading this, I also saw the value in providing evaluators from the community, who can provide specific feedback.

Kids Master Mathematics When They're Challenged But Supported

In the article, New Jersey teachers found that when underachieving students were allowed to struggle with challenging math problems, they improved dramatically on test scores, confidence, and interest in math. They said the key is to do it in a nurturing environment. Kids begin to view frustration as an opportunity for success instead of an indication of failure. Students built confidence by being allowed to use their own and explain their own strategies. Students reported feeling frustrated, satisfied, proud, and willing to work harder next time.

I’ve found motivation a struggle with a few of my students. I will continue to find problems that are interesting and challenging to them specifically. I’ve noticed that many times, when sharing their own strategies, these students get excited that they find patterns, complex solutions, or novel ways of looking at problems that others did not consider or were not able to do.

The Sky's the Limit: Kids' Top Tools for the Classroom

The article’s author asked teachers to ask their students a few simple questions: "What technology do you use outside of school that would be good for the classroom? Why? How would that work?"
Here's what the students came up with
1. laptops
2. Bluetooth-exchanging information between electronic devices
3. cell pone-“Mobile Prep” use electronic flash cards, generate questions based on student proficiency. Students can share and sell decks they generate.
4. digital camera-take a picture of the whiteboard to cut down on notetaking time
5. graphing calculator-new applications on website for company, create own programs to solve equations in physics; it can manipulate data quickly and has many applications.
6. Nintendo DS-Brain Age
7. Video Camera-tape the class to study later; or post it to school’s website for other students to download
8. FlashDrive-carrying a great deal of information without the weight of books
9. Public-Address System-music could play during class transition times in middle and high schools.
10. Universal Remotes, controlling all equipment in classroom
11. webcam-students can talk to kids across the world
12. iPod-allows students to listen to music while studying, blocking out distractions, listen to books, catching up on the world of podcasts.
13. Sims-artificial environments-allows social interaction and group learning.

I know I need to be more open-minded about recording things. I’m not comfortable recording and posting my teaching on the web. I do like the music for transition times, maybe I can use that between activities. I did use Skype for the very first time on Monday. I can’t wait to connect to other classrooms soon.

Ten Steps to Better Student Engagement

The author travels the country teaching teachers strategies for creating and managing high-quality project-learning environments. He gave ten strategies teachers should use to keep students engaged. The classroom should be emotionally safe. There should be varied rich, complex tasks where every student has a chance to excel. Teachers keep students engaged and try to keep a high level of engagement where projects are challenging with appropriate support. Students should reflect often, and have flexibility in approach to solving problems. Students should use the design process to revise work to raise the level of quality. Students should develop a list of big ideas to help them make connections between assignments and real life.

This article reiterated what I know to be true about engagement. I liked the idea of revising work in a variety of subjects/activities, so students produce work of a better quality. The reflection time gets limited or not included many times in my week.

What's Not on the Test: How to Turn Assessment into Learning

Rob Riordan is a veteran teacher who’s message is rigor within work that has lasting value. He says that assessment includes making sure our kids graduate from schools qualified and ready to enter college; reading, writing, and computing well. The other part of assessment he is most passionate about is having students produce work of lasting value. His claim is that we need to have students do frequent presentations of learning and classroom critiques, where kids reflect on the work they’ve done. Students should be engaged in work where they are pursuing their interest and passions. Students should be telling teachers what they are learning, what they think while learning, and what they still don’t understand. Assessment should be part of instruction where kids are presenting their work all the time.

I agree with his approach. There must be a balance in our approach to assessment if we are to prepare students for the 21st century who are thoughtful problem solvers passionate about learning. Not only should they be producing and presenting work they can be proud of, they need to become fluent in skills and processes needed to perform well on any standardized test. Other research about the brain, shows that by having students go through the act of teaching/explaining their thinking, they learn and remember more. Their responses also provide a great checking point to see where students are in their understanding.