Reading Reflection 4

            When integrating Project-Based Learning into teaching strategies, pitfalls are going to be natural. As the book points out, there are several in particular to look out for. The first being a long activity, and short learning outcomes, which in the end is not worth the student’s time and effort, or yours. The amount of effort put into a project should reap similar benefits. One way to look at this in the end is to say, “Where could my students and I go with this idea?” in order to take it to that level. The second pitfall to watch out for is technology layered over traditional practice. “Good projects focus on reaching significant learning outcomes, not merely making use of technology applications.” So when looking to reinvent a pitfall like this, it is important to ask questions like, did it connect students to rich data? Another pitfall potential is called trivial thematic units. Where themes can have no actual connection to learning, like the example of apples where the students paint pictures, use apples in math class, etc. The project theme can be run differently where the students use apples to learn about agriculture and commerce. It all depends on how the theme connects back to what you are trying to get the students to learn. The last potential pitfall discussed was overly scripted with many steps. If a project has very specific steps, there will be very specific results. It is important to have steps to follow loosely, but if there is no wiggle room, there isn’t room to grow.

            There are many features of a good project. Some of which are; designed with the possibility of different learning paths, cause students to construct meaning, center on a driving question structured with inquiry, capture student interest through complex and real-life experiences, realistic, tap rich data, structured so students learn from each other. This last one I think is a really important aspect of Project-Based Learning. Many of these are important features of projects that students could do on their own, but what I have found is that I learn the most under collaboration through others. In a class where we discuss something, there are many brains working together, and that opens me up to certain thinking and learning that I could not have done on my own.

            Good projects are everywhere. They can come from books, student ideas, and good projects can even come out of failed projects by learning what went wrong. Successful projects are a domino effect and often lead to even more good projects.

            In the first activity in the book, it helps lay out how to design your project. The first step recommended is to revisit the framework and make a list of learning objectives, decide what specific skills you want to address, and identify what learning depositions you want to foster. From there you can establish evidence of understanding by imagining what your students would know or be able to do with this information. Then decide what you want your students to create. The last step would be to plan how to get the students attention and build excitement for the project ahead. Once everything is planned out, you can get feedback and opinions from colleagues to make improvements.

            Again this chapter clearly relates back to what we are doing in class because of how we are using collaboration and working in groups to plan projects for our “students”. This chapter can help us see what not to do and how to come back from poorly planned projects while also teaching us good ways to start a project.