Caryn Hay
1/27/12
EDT 3470
Reading Reflection #
1
When I was a child
I was never really introduced to the concept of Project Based Learning. There
were group assignments but never to the real world level of these projects. As
I got older and began to take classes in college, this was the top method we
were taught to use with our students. Project Based Learning turns the whole
dynamic of the classroom around, instead of the traditional lecturing of the
teacher; the students are working together to find questions and answers
themselves. The teacher then steps back from being the main provider of the
content and encourages students to seek their knowledge elsewhere such as,
books, or the internet, just like they would in the real world. Students who
engage in Project Based Learning develop better communication and inquiry
skills. Students learn to be flexible on working together and on deadlines, as
well as get a better sense of understanding as to how the real world works.
Project Based
Learning does not just have benefits for the students, but it also has benefits
for the teacher. As teachers we all may not be used to this method, which gives
us the opportunity to think outside the box on better projects for the future.
Teachers are always learners, technologies are always changing, and the
teachers need to constantly be doing the same. The new technology high is a
great example as to how things are constantly changing, and this teacher felt
his students would benefit more from teaching from this approach. This is why
he decided to move on to a school where everyone teaches in the same style so
all the students are receiving the same level of education. Overall this
chapter had some great tips and insights on how Project Based Learning is done
and how teachers and students can benefit from this experience.
I agree about not being exposed to this method of teaching until I got to college also. Although, I feel as though, project-based learning was never a teaching tool my teachers used throughout grade school, now that I am in college, the only difference is that we use the internet more for projects. I have never had a class, until now, where we used computers in class, learning the mechanics, and steps in using technology and its components to fully understand something. I do not think that I have gotten the experience of being a student taught using the technology-based method.
ReplyDeleteNow that I am going to be a future teacher, I will definitely take what i learn from this class and apply it in my classroom. Like you mentioned above, not only does it benefit the students but also the teacher. So while I am using the project-based learning method with my students, I will also be able to learn about new technologies and inventions that I will be able to use in the classroom as years come. I never really thought of technology in the classroom until this course, and after reading just the first chapter in the text I know that it is important and effective.
I also agree. I wasnt introduced to this until college but now it seems all of my courses are taught this way in order to teach us to teach this way. I think it is good though to teach the children how to find the material in case they need to in the future when they arent in school. It is obviously useful information that they will use in the real world. I liked how you included the teachers as students because a lot of it is new to us too and we are learning right along with them. This just shows how this world is always changing and things are always improving so we must stay up to date with the new technologies in order to give the best learning experiences for our students.
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