Simplify Project Based Learning With Biteslide - guest post

<b id="internal-source-marker_0.12308568879961967" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 32px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Simplify Project Based Learning With Biteslide</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><a href="http://asdf/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Introduction</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><a href="http://asdf/asdfasdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is Project Based Learning?</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><a href="http://asdf/asdfasdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is Biteslide?</span></a><a href="http://asdf/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></a><br /><a href="http://asdf/asdfasdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Planning the project</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Entry Event </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Researching the project</span><br /><a href="http://asdasdff/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Creating the project</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><a href="http://asdasdff/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presenting the project</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><a href="http://asdf/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conclusion</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Introduction</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this article I shall give you a brief introduction to Project Based Learning (PBL) and show you how Biteslide can be used as an </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">end-to-end </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">technology solution for PBL projects.  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a dizzying number of EdTech tools on the market today. Some are good and will give you a significant return on your time investment, others aren’t so good, and will lead to wasted time and frustrated students. Using an end-to-end solution simplifies the integration of technology and keeps the focus where it should be, on the project.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is Project Based Learning?</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Project Based Learning (PBL) is a dynamic approach to teaching where students undertake extensive inquiry in response to real-world problems and challenges.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In response to a driving question, students create authentic products and presentations that are then delivered to a public audience.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PBL projects are designed to address the curriculum and also develop students' 21st century skills - creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’re new to PBL, two of the best resources around are the</span><a href="http://www.bie.org/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #0000e9; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Buck Institute For Education</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="color: #0000e9; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Edutopia</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is Biteslide?</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="margin: 0pt -53pt 0pt -1.5pt;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.12308568879961967" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.biteslide.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biteslide</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a creative presentation tool for school projects.</span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin: 0pt -53pt 0pt -1.5pt;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.12308568879961967" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin: 0pt -53pt 0pt -1.5pt;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.12308568879961967" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teachers use Biteslide to assign, manage, and give feedback on projects.  Students create </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">slidebooks</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - a creative form of self-expression combining images, video, and text. </span></b></div><b id="internal-source-marker_0.12308568879961967" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="margin: 0pt -53pt 0pt -1.5pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biteslide works well across the curriculum and with students of all ages.</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now let’s see how Biteslide can be used used in each phase of a PBL project. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Planning the project</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Good planning is the key to running a successful PBL project. If you've never planned a PBL project before, </span><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/stw-maine-project-based-learning-six-steps-planning"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a good place to get to grips with the basics. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When planning your PBL project it’s a good idea to organise your planning into a series of project documents.  Commonly these are a </span><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/stw/edutopia-stw-manor-pbl-bestpractices-mobley-projectform-blankform.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">project form</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/stw/edutopia-stw-manor-pbl-bestpractices-calendar-blankform.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">project calendar</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and </span><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/stw/edutopia-stw-manor-pbl-bestpractices-rubrics-controllingfactor-blankform.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">project rubric</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.  Thanks goes to Manor New Technology High School for sharing these excellent sample documents.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, how can Biteslide help? Rather than having a static series of PDF documents stored on your school server, you can use Biteslide to create a slidebook of project documents.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This means your documents can be stored right within the project itself. They are accessible online, and can be easily copied into future projects. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once the plans are in place and the project launch date has arrived, it’s time to introduce the project to your students.  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Entry Event</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When introducing the new project to your students the aim is to activate their ‘</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Need To Know’.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A simple handout just isn't going to cut the mustard. Starting with inspirational and motivational content sets the tone and will energise your students.  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A powerful way to activate your students’ need to know is to have an entry event. Entry events can be videos, discussions, or debates. Any format will work as long as it resonates with your students and makes them eager to learn more.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slidebooks</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> are a great tool to use at the heart of the entry event. During the planning phase of the project, use a slidebook to gather research and develop your entry event presentation. The slidebook format makes it easy for you to create a thought-provoking and interactive presentation as the centerpiece of the entry event. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And when your slidebook is ready, you can present straight from the slidebook to your students. You can do this from any computer or interactive whiteboard. Slidebook presentations save you time repurposing content and also provide an interactive forum for your students after the entry event has finished. They are the perfect catalyst to activate your students’ need to know.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Researching the project</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Typically the initial phase of a PBL project will involve some form research.  It could be desk-based or out in the field. Students begin to develop their knowledge and gather the significant content for their project. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As part of this process, they'll inevitably gather a wide range of assets that they'll need to organise for use in their final presentation. These could be quotes, photos, videos, diagrams, and much more.  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the research phase, a slidebook is a brilliant way to scrapbook together images, videos, and text. Students can use their digital scrapbook to organise and re-organise their thoughts before putting together the final presentation.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students can even collaborate on slidebooks and use them as a shared resource to gather and organise their research. And as Biteslide is entirely web-based, students can do this from anywhere they have an internet connection.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biteslide has several simple, yet powerful, research tools built right into the slidebook. Students can drag and drop images straight from Google and Flickr, and even add videos from Youtube.  And if they want to gather images as they are browsing the web, they can use the </span><a href="http://nibbler/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nibbler bookmarklet</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But to be honest, the best thing about researching a project with Biteslide is that it’s fun.  The drag-and-drop interface and easy-to-use tools take the strain so your students stay energised and can keep their focus where it should be, on the research. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Creating the project</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once students have gathered the resources they need to create their slidebook, it's time to synthesise the research and create the project narrative.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biteslide's easy-to-use design tools mean that students all the way from K-12 can create stunning projects. Eye-catching extras (backgrounds, borders, and stickers) help students to bring their projects to life. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the creative process, a project’s slidebooks are open for teachers and other students in the class to view. This means that teachers and classmates (if you’ve enabled the feature) can give feedback during the project creation phase.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Making projects authentic is fundamental to Project Based Learning. This means involving people from the outside world. Biteslide can be used to invite outside parties into the project to comment and review as the slidebooks progress. This is a great way for students to hone their final presentation with authentic input from the outside world.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presenting the project</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A key milestone in a PBL project is the final presentation.  As well as demonstrating what the students have learned and created, it provides focus and authenticity to the project.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your students have used the slidebook to research, create, and now they can use it to present. A single button-click transforms the slidebook into presentation mode - an engaging showcase for your student’s work. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presenting in person is undoubtedly valuable, but slidebooks can also be shared on the web.  Embedding slidebooks into blogs, websites, and virtual learning environments (e.g. Edmodo or Moodle) is an excellent way to share projects with both inside and outside the school walls. Other teachers and students as well as outside parties such as parents or industry experts can all be invited to view and give feedback on a project. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Conclusion</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are living through a golden age of technology. Incredible new web tools for educators are appearing every day. Having choice is a good thing, but it also comes with two key challenges. Choosing the tools that meet your pedagogical needs and deploying the tools your chosen tools in the best way. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are no clear cut solutions to these challenges. Two good rules of thumb are to choose tools that are easy to use for both teachers and students, and keep the number of tools chosen to a minimum.  As is often the case, keeping it simple is the key to success.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><a href="http://www.biteslide.com/teachers/choosePlan"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sign Up For Your Free Biteslide Account Here</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">About the author</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seb Hardman is a EdTech entrepreneur passionate about making great digital products.  He is a founder of</span><a href="http://www.biteslide.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #0000e9; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biteslide</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - the creative presentation tool for school projects.</span></b><br /><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b>

Simplify Project Based Learning With Biteslide - guest post

Simplify Project Based Learning With Biteslide Introduction What is Project Based Learning? What is Biteslide? Planning the project The Entr...

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Homework and project ideas I'm using in my classes that are authentic

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="224" data-width="225" height="224" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTenwEtKasMCrQSRUo6wATwWHyOdeOt1KuNKICpot8KW6ggeGxT" style="height: 224px; width: 225px;" width="225" /></div><br />I'm changing some things about my physics class now (even with only a few weeks left) and applying next year. I already do a large number of projects with the class, but I want to add these.<br /><br />I'm changing the type of homework students will be getting. While they will still be getting some project work and physics problems for homework, they will also be getting a new type of homework that I think is much better and relates to them more. Their assignment each week will be to find something at home or something that they are interested in and see what physics concepts apply to it and how. They will then share it with the rest of the class. I think this will help them see why physics is important and make the class more relevant to them.<br /><br />I'm also bringing back a project that I haven't done in a while: "How Does it Work". Students will pick a technology, product, sport, etc. and do a project explaining how it works and what the physics and science behind it are. They can present it as a PowerPoint, Prezi, web page, video, animation, poster, etc. It was very popular and the students learned a lot from it and I'm really not sure why I haven't used it lately.<br /><br />These projects allow students to investigate things that are important or relevant to them, as well as providing different ways for them to show their understanding.<br /><br />I'm always evaluating my class and the learning activities that are going on and reflected on what works and what doesn't. I think these two things will help make the class more interesting and relevant to the students and help them learn the concepts even better.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Related:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/making-school-relevant-for-students.html">Making School Relevant for Students</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-important-skills-students-need-for.html">10 Important Skills Students Need for the Future</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.scienceofeverydaylife.com/">Science of Everyday Life</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/create-personal-learning-network.html">Create a Personal Learning Network</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/01/should-we-force-students-to-learn.html">Should we force students to learn? or How can we change schools to engage students?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/11/differentiating-with-web-20.html">Differentiating with Web 2.0 Technologies</a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Homework and project ideas I'm using in my classes that are authentic

I'm changing some things about my physics class now (even with only a few weeks left) and applying next year. I already do a large numbe...

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Building Big - great STEM projects and labs from PBS

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4frfYhHFzu9puwDB9girtzo2lvnATK75UhiFioTRInEOROo23jXExt_q6ULTfr3SEylbKT0oDPonE9sGlVAOfaUhDPWoXIozcnyMjYzw_A1N49cpfoDW5N9nvjZ17nX3R4pgaKkUhGb0X/s1600/BUILDING+BIG++Home+Page-095049.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4frfYhHFzu9puwDB9girtzo2lvnATK75UhiFioTRInEOROo23jXExt_q6ULTfr3SEylbKT0oDPonE9sGlVAOfaUhDPWoXIozcnyMjYzw_A1N49cpfoDW5N9nvjZ17nX3R4pgaKkUhGb0X/s400/BUILDING+BIG++Home+Page-095049.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Building Big is a great site from PBS that has lesson plans, projects, labs, and activities for teachers to use in their classrooms. The topics are on buildings and structures, including Bridges, Domes, Skyscrapers, Dams and Tunnels. It's based on the PBS television series Building Big.<br /><br />There are interactive labs, educator's guides, challenges, data on the world's structures, and information about engineering and engineers.<br /><br />The labs are flash-based interactive activities that let students explore forces, materials, loads, and shapes and get information about each topic.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcsZIlwAJ4io-nrQmqJwfriEhcU8vV6tUdD3X0FdS-89pJsDwrn-FZy_wS7CwpRbdrRLe-eu8gJlIgMZwfNVeEXXeOusTd2tbfHKvPkNqTbud8unh6AEWX-_8f5qY5ex8z4uF3nTQPFGl/s1600/BUILDING+BIG++About+the+Labs-095747.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcsZIlwAJ4io-nrQmqJwfriEhcU8vV6tUdD3X0FdS-89pJsDwrn-FZy_wS7CwpRbdrRLe-eu8gJlIgMZwfNVeEXXeOusTd2tbfHKvPkNqTbud8unh6AEWX-_8f5qY5ex8z4uF3nTQPFGl/s320/BUILDING+BIG++About+the+Labs-095747.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The activities are fun and educational and the resources can be scaffolded for any level.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Related:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/stem-science-tech-engineering-math.html">STEM Resources for Educators</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning resources for Educators</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Building Big - great STEM projects and labs from PBS

Building Big is a great site from PBS that has lesson plans, projects, labs, and activities for teachers to use in their classrooms. The top...

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Free Project Based Learning resource available

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="File 395" height="200" src="http://www.innovationunit.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/150x150/2012-02-05_1524.png" width="200" /> </div><br /><br />I just found a new publication on <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">project based learning</a>, <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.innovationunit.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2FTeacher%2527s%2520Guide%2520to%2520Project-based%2520Learning.pdf">Work That Matters: The Teacher’s Guide to Project-based Learning</a>, produced in partnership with San Diego’s <a href="http://www.hightechhigh.org/">High Tech High</a>.<br /><br />This is available as a free PDF download and has great tips, ideas, resources, and information for helping teachers and schools implement <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">project based learning</a> in their schools and classrooms. There is step-by-step advice on planning, organizing and managing projects, as well as how to assess them.<br /><br />You can also request a hard copy by emailing Alec Patton <a href="http://innovationunit.org/user/7/contact">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><b>Related:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning Resources for Educators </a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Free Project Based Learning resource available

  I just found a new publication on project based learning , Work That Matters: The Teacher’s Guide to Project-based Learning , produced in ...

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"How do you know how to do that? I figure it out." How I learn.

<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="143" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4t2BzbYeHIT3WtjFOZ-NBqBul31WIdXTsD8EdVagAqHlRfRWjSh3JI8N5qF9nhjy-XQTBBBvb4sqOVqFMv9YqSCmEfHwBPlVy7WO6Zo5oYCLNYX8i20K78PBehZzWW0zGWY7bG913DjE/s200/explore-dream-discover.png" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></div><br />People ask me "how do you know how to do that?" or "how did you find that?' I explore.  I'm one of those people who just likes to figure things out. Probably why I became an engineer and physics teacher.<br /><br />I explore things and figure them out on my own. I read the "help" files for apps, software and web apps. I go Google searches for information and forums. I figure it out. No one shows me. I look for books, websites, magazines and read about things.<br /><br />This is how I find resources. I go exploring and then I figure out how to use it or look for resources on how to use it. I tinker. I take things apart. I play with them. I try different things. I don't like to sit and be lectured, I want to explore something.<br /><br />Now, this sometimes leads to issues (computer crashes, locking up apps, etc.), but I learn more than if I followed a manual or instruction book. Sometimes I even find features and uses that aren't in the books.<br /><br />This is how I want my students to learn. Why? Because it sticks with them longer. When you explore and learn on your own, you tend to retain that knowledge or skill much longer.  I want them to explore and find answers and solutions on their own. I give them support and advice, but I don't give them the answer. This also teaches them how to learn on their own. They need to be able to figure things out on their own and find resources to help them.<br /><br /><br />How about you? How do you learn new things?<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Related:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-important-skills-students-need-for.html">10 Important Skills Students need for the Future</a><div><br /></div><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-tech-skills-every-student-should.html">10 Tech Skills Every Student Should Have</a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

"How do you know how to do that? I figure it out." How I learn.

People ask me "how do you know how to do that?" or "how did you find that?' I explore.  I'm one of those people who j...

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Free Project Based Learning Resources from Edutopia

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLZgR5XW7DMWPUEsEgIOT_V0AoBj5ir8uvf1x9IEdb6HGWLgNNT1Dr_QpuxzOfAFh6yzlmL5RHDdjPFyRPAogG6iq8OY2ygJaIMI-6XC0LCotRJNsSJqcbLvCj3-pmm_UAQcLns1Dgtc/s400/edutopia.jpg" /></div><br /><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/">Edutopia</a>, the George Lucas Educational Foundation, is an excellent resource for educators. Their site has a huge variety of resources, tips, and research on education and is accessible for free. They are a big proponent of <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning</a> (PBL) and also have a lot of resources on best practices in education. <div><br /></div><div>They have a <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/stw-maine-project-based-learning-resources-downloads">tremendous amount of resources on Project Based Learning available for free on their site</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Resources include lists of reading materials on PBL, links to schools that are using PBL, Resources from Edutopia on PBL, Resources from Maine on PBL including examples of PBL, lesson plans, assessments for PBL, planning guides for teachers and schools, professional development resources, resources for parents, and links to organizations and other resources on PBL. (Resources are in PDF form).</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning</a> is a great way to teach content, as well as <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-important-skills-students-need-for.html">essential skills</a> such as teamwork, collaboration, problem solving, and more. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is an excellent collection of resources about PBL and how to implement it in your school and classroom. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Related:</u></b></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/06/free-classroom-guides-and-downloads-for.html">Free Classroom Guides and Downloads for 2011 from Edutopia</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-free-classroom-guides-for.html">More free classroom guides for educators from Edutopia</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning Resources for Educators</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/wpi-plan-great-educational-model-for.html">WPI Plan - a great educational model for all schools </a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-important-skills-students-need-for.html">10 Important Skills Students need for the Future</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/lehr-und-kunst-or-theory-and-practice.html">"Lehr und Kunst" or "Theory and Practice." - what we strive for in education</a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Free Project Based Learning Resources from Edutopia

Edutopia , the George Lucas Educational Foundation, is an excellent resource for educators. Their site has a huge variety of resources, tips...

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Flipped Classroom - my thoughts on it, some other ideas, & infographic

<br /><br />"Flipped Classroom" is a classroom model where the teacher works with students on projects and what would be typically homework instead of a lecture and the students get the "lecture" at home, usually through a video (like from <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/12/khan-academy-free-video-lectures-on.html">Kahn Academy</a>, or made by the teacher, or from Discovery Education). The proponents of this model say that it offers the teacher more time to work with students on projects and applying the knowledge, rather than spending time delivering that knowledge. The opponents say that it moves too much work to the student at home and many students don't have access to the resources, like broadband internet and a computer, to watch these videos.<br /><br />In my opinion, this is nothing new. Teachers assigned reading out of the textbook for homework, and now they want to assign video lectures to watch. What's so different? Does it really improve student learning?<br /><br />Here's my full article on my reservations of the Flipped Classroom Model: <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/04/flipped-classroom-what-it-is-and-my.html">http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/04/flipped-classroom-what-it-is-and-my.html</a><br /><br />I have students who don't have the time, computer, internet access, or ability to watch videos at home. A video is still a lecture. At home, the students have less access to someone to ask questions of.<br /><br />Instead of making the students watch lectures at home, can we get rid of lectures all together, or at least change them?<br /><br />I use lectures in my class. They are short, have lots of multimedia and live demonstrations, and lots of interaction between the students, each other, and my self. I use these lectures in different ways. Sometimes I use them to introduce a topic and the main points and then students do labs and projects were they further explore the concept and learn more about it, while learning other important skills. Other times I start with an inquiry lab or project and then the lecture comes later. With these lecture/discussion/demo's I can ensure that all students are getting certain information and that they have a chance to ask questions and discuss the topic.  I use short videos and animations in class. Could some of this be put on the student to do at home? Yes, but it would not be the same learning experience.<br /><br />I don't assign a lot of homework. My students have sports, part time jobs, clubs, and many do a lot of work at home due to their situations. They do get some homework, but they have time to start it in class to ask for help.<br /><br />I want my students to learn, but I don't want them spending hours and hours doing homework, or watching videos at night. I want them to have had a learning experience in school that makes them look at the world around them at home, and wonder why?, how? and be able to apply what they learned in school, to something outside of school. I want them to find things that they are interested in, and want to learn more about it on their own. I think we should be focusing on making school time more productive and effective and leave out of school time for the students to explore their own interests and needs.<br /><br /><b>Related:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-important-skills-students-need-for.html">10 Important Skills that Students Need for the Future </a>- watching videos and taking tests are not on list<br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-tech-skills-every-student-should.html">10 Tech Skills Every Student Should Have</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-i-use-with-physics-classes-instead.html">What I use with Physics classes instead of a Textbook</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/wpi-plan-great-educational-model-for.html">WPI Plan - Great Educational Model for All Schools</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/making-school-relevant-for-students.html">Making School Relevant for Students</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><b><i>What are your thoughts?</i></b><br /><br /><br />Here's an infographic summarizing what the Flipped Classroom is and some data they found. I don't endorse this or the data, just sharing it so people can make their own decision.<br /><a href="http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/"><img alt="Flipped Classroom" class="colorbox-21031" height="2831" src="http://knewton.marketing.s3.amazonaws.com/images/infographics/flipped-classroom.jpg" title="Flipped Classroom" width="600" /></a><br />Created by <a href="http://www.knewton.com/">Knewton</a> and <a href="http://columnfivemedia.com/">Column Five Media</a><br /><br /><br />

Flipped Classroom - my thoughts on it, some other ideas, & infographic

"Flipped Classroom" is a classroom model where the teacher works with students on projects and what would be typically homework in...

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Ten Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration - great article

<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2851" height="167" src="http://21centuryedtech.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/pbl2.jpg?w=500&h=419" title="pbl2" width="200" /></div><br />Michael Gorman has a great article on his  <a href="http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/">21 st Century Educational Technology and Learning</a> blog entitled <a href="http://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/ten-sites-supporting-digital-classroom-collaboration-in-project-based-learning/">"Ten Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration In Project Based Learning"</a>.<div><br /></div><div>The article lists 10 sites that allow for students to collaborate on projects together with a short description of the site and how you can use it with your students. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm a huge fan and user of <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning</a> and this is a great list of resources to use with students.</div><div><br /></div><div><br />Related:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning Resources</a></div>

Ten Sites Supporting Digital Classroom Collaboration - great article

Michael Gorman has a great article on his   21 st Century Educational Technology and Learning  blog entitled  "Ten Sites Supporting Dig...

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#PBLchat - Twitter chat for Project Based Learning

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="182" id="il_fi" src="http://modelschoolscnyric.pbworks.com/f/1306333049/PBL.png" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></div><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning</a> is a great way to teach content, as well as other needed skills (communication, teamwork, problem solving, technology, etc) - see related for more on these skills.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/">Edutopia</a> is a great resource for information and <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/project-learning">resources on Project Based Learning</a> as it is one of their main topics. It's also a great resource for any educator for a variety of topics.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-best-practices-twitter-chat-suzie-boss">Edutopia has a great article on a new Twitter chat, #PBLchat</a>, that just launched in December. It occurs on Tuesdays at 9pm EST, 6pm Pacific and is growing every week.<br /><br />I'm a firm believer in <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning </a>and <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/11/twitter-for-education-great-resource.html">Twitter as a resource for educators</a> and #PBLchat just brings the two together.<br /><br />Join us!<br /><br /><br /><br />Related:<br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning Resource page</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-important-skills-students-need-for.html">10 Important Skills Students Need for the Future</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-tech-skills-every-student-should.html">10 Tech Skills every Student Should Have</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/stem-science-tech-engineering-math.html">STEM Resources page</a><br /><br /><br />

#PBLchat - Twitter chat for Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning is a great way to teach content, as well as other needed skills (communication, teamwork, problem solving, technolog...

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Some great science projects and science literacy projects

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="155" id="il_fi" src="http://www.case.edu/provost/centerforwomen/wiser/SCIENCE_ROCKS_LG.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></div><br /><br />Science education lends itself to hands-on labs and projects easily, but there are some nice project ideas that are a little different than what most people are used to seeing / doing in a science classroom. Literacy is one of those areas. In science, student write lab reports, and maybe some research projects. There are some other great projects that incorporate literacy, science knowledge, and even some technology skills.<br /><br />1. Science Journalism - have your science students pick a topic in your class and look for current events or news on that topic. Then have them write a news article about that topic and what is happening currently in that area. They have to do research, create and edit an article, and use at least a word processor. You can also combine all of the students' work into one "newspaper" and share it online.<br /><br />2. "How It Works" project - have students pick a device, technology, or product and create a project that describes how it works. They should be relating something they have learned in the science class to the project. They can create a poster (paper, electronic, <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/06/glogster-multimedia-tool-thats-great.html">Glog</a>), a website, presentation, etc. for the project itself. Again, they are doing research, collating the research and creating a product.<br /><br />3. Invention - have the students apply what they have learned in class to create an invention or new technology of their own. Research, creativity, presentation, and more.<br /><br />4. Create a science fiction story based on science topics they have learned in class. Literacy, science, and creativity.<br /><br /><br />These projects have students developing their science knowledge, research, literacy, creativity, technology skills, and more. They can be done individually or in groups.<br /><br /><br /><i>What are some different science projects you do with your classes?</i><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Related:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning resources and tips</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/stem-science-tech-engineering-math.html">STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Resources</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/search/label/science%20resources">Science Resources on Ed Tech Guy</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Some great science projects and science literacy projects

Science education lends itself to hands-on labs and projects easily, but there are some nice project ideas that are a little different than ...

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"Lehr und Kunst" or "Theory and Practice." - what we strive for in education

<br /><br /><br />"Lehr und Kunst" or "Theory and Practice." (Learning and Skilled Arts) is the motto for my alma mater, WPI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute). I really like this as a motto for all education. <div><br /></div><div><img height="123" src="http://www.math.wpi.edu/Course_Materials/MA2051C09/images/WPIlogo.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div>The motto appears in the ribbon above the shield. The books represent theory and the arm and hammer represent the practice or skilled art.<br /><div><br /></div><div>We are trying to teach our students facts, knowledge and information, but they also have to be able to apply this to different situations. The practice of applying knowledge is so important. </div><div><br /></div><div>We talk about 21st century skills, like communicating, working in teams, life-long learning, analysis, applying, critical thinking, and problem solving. This is what we need to teach our students. They need to be able to learn skills and knowledge and then apply them to a situation. </div><div><br /></div><div>How do we do this? Project Based Learning, Contextual learning, internships, practicals, scenarios all help students learn theory and then apply it in practice. To help our students be successful, we need to help them learn theory and how to apply that theory.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related:</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/wpi-plan-great-educational-model-for.html">WPI Plan - a great educational model for all schools</a><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://ems%20education%20practices%20-%20some%20good%20ideas%20for%20k12/">EMS Education Practices</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>

"Lehr und Kunst" or "Theory and Practice." - what we strive for in education

"Lehr und Kunst" or "Theory and Practice." (Learning and Skilled Arts) is the motto for my alma mater, WPI (Worcester Po...

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Edheads - cool activities and projects

<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Edheads - Activate Your Mind!" height="117" src="http://www.edheads.org/images/global/Edheads_Logo.jpg" width="234" /></div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://www.edheads.org/">Edheads</a> is a great web site that has online projects for students to do. These projects help students explore and learn about a variety of topics.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some of the projects include - design a cell phone, virtual knee surgery, simple machines, and more.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found it fun also! Try it out yourself and you will find that it is a nice resource to use in your classroom. The crash scene project was fun and is great for a physics class.<br /><br />They are also looking for ideas from teachers to add to the collection and there is a nice teacher resource center. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEg4R-kN-F1I2VIQl6VjdUeSMWJBwE6CzvCUdmzpwE18aNhXSi34BEPB9apmwIUBeBcdLwuxSGKgt7VficZd2Gac9M_IZfUwRmVm40MmTteiOlqtgpMyFaZ5Jm4iaGWm3bK9OqVGYumsc/s1600/edheads.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEg4R-kN-F1I2VIQl6VjdUeSMWJBwE6CzvCUdmzpwE18aNhXSi34BEPB9apmwIUBeBcdLwuxSGKgt7VficZd2Gac9M_IZfUwRmVm40MmTteiOlqtgpMyFaZ5Jm4iaGWm3bK9OqVGYumsc/s400/edheads.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Edheads - cool activities and projects

Edheads  is a great web site that has online projects for students to do. These projects help students explore and learn about a variety of ...

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10 Important Skills Students need for the Future

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img height="159" id="il_fi" src="http://blog.bufferapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/future.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />The future. What do our students really need to know and be able to do to succeed in future education and careers?<br /><br />Content is a part of what they need to know. Standardized tests test content knowledge and some skills. There are huge debates raging over standardized testing, curriculum, and the like. But what it is that students really need to know for the future. Hint: it isn't all content. <br /><br />Content is important to a point. Having certain knowledge of facts and information helps us put things in context as we work and live. Content helps us evaluate other information we are working with. However, in today's world of the web and smart phones, facts and content are less important. Students, and the workforce, need to know how to think critically, find and evaluate information, work in teams, communicate effectively, solve problems and apply knowledge and skills to new things and be able to learn on their own. These are some of the <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/search/label/21st%20century%20skills">"21st Century Skills"</a> that have been talked about for years. I agree that these are the most important skills and I feel that <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning</a> is one of the best ways to teach these skills. <br /><br />I learned many of these skills in college because even 20 years ago, my school, WPI, understood these ideas. <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/wpi-plan-great-educational-model-for.html">The WPI Plan</a> is an excellent model of project based learning, core competencies, and needed skills. This base has allowed me to be successful as an engineer, and successfully transition to being an educator. It has also helped me to learn on my own.<br /><br />Research by the <a href="http://www.iftf.org/">Institute for the Future</a> released in a report entitled <a href="http://www.iftf.org/futureworkskills2020">“Future Work Skills 2020″</a> shows that preparing for a specific career area based on content is difficult and, instead, people should be developing certain broad skills. These same skills are important for our students to learn. The report explains each of the skills in detail, and also goes into the implications for education and policies. <br /><br /><b><u>Here are the skills:</u></b><br /><br /><b>Sense-making</b>. The ability to determine the deeper meaning or significance of what is being expressed<br /><br /><b>Social intelligence</b>. The ability to connect to others in a deep and direct way, to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions<br /><br /><b>Novel and adaptive thinking</b>. Proficiency at thinking and coming up with solutions and responses beyond that which is rote or rule-based<br /><br /><b>Cross-cultural competency</b>. The ability to operate in different cultural settings<br /><br /><b>Computational thinking</b>. The ability to translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning<br /><br /><b>New-media literacy</b>. The ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms and to leverage these media for persuasive communication<br /><br /><b>Transdisciplinarity.</b> Literacy in and ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines<br /><b><br />Design mind-set</b>. Ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes<br /><br /><b>Cognitive load management</b>. The ability to discriminate and filter information for importance and to understand how to maximize cognitive functioning using a variety of tools and techniques<br /><br /><b>Virtual collaboration</b>. The ability to work productively, drive engagement and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team</span><br /><div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A summary map of the skills:</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img height="300" src="http://www.iftf.org/system/files/deliverable/IFTF_FutureWorkSkillsSummary.gif" width="520" /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Related:</span></b></u><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Project Based Learning resources</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/search/label/21st%20century%20skills"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">21st Century Skills resources</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/wpi-plan-great-educational-model-for.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">WPI Plan - a great educational model</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><a href="http://isteemergingtech.wordpress.com/about-21st-century-skills-and-emerging-technologies/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ISTE - 21st Century Skills and Educational Technology</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Resources:</span></u></b><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.iftf.org/">The Institute for the Future</a> and <a href="http://www.iftf.org/futureworkskills2020">“Future Work Skills 2020″</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://gigaom.com/collaboration/the-10-key-skills-for-the-future-of-work/">Gigacom.com article</a> (list of skills came from this site)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>

10 Important Skills Students need for the Future

The future. What do our students really need to know and be able to do to succeed in future education and careers? Content is a part of what...

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ZoonZone - great hands on activities for STEM subjects

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/11092500/11092894_484d_625x625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/11092500/11092894_484d_625x625.jpg" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://zoonzone.com/">ZoonZone</a> is site that has a collection of hands-on activities and projects for science and technology.<br /><br />There are 20 different projects in 5 different areas. Each project has a video that can be used to introduce the project to your class. There are overviews of each activity, ideas for extending the project and a list of resources to help students. The overview includes the concepts that the students will be learning about through the project.<br /><br />This is a great resource for teachers. They can use these activities to add <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/11/stem-description-ideas-and-resources.html">STEM</a> content to their class and incorporate<a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html"> projects</a> into their curriculum. The projects are also great for introducing <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-engineering-resources-for-k12.html">engineering</a> concepts to students.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/11092500/11092979_3a71_625x625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://rookery9.aviary.com.s3.amazonaws.com/11092500/11092979_3a71_625x625.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><br /><br />

ZoonZone - great hands on activities for STEM subjects

ZoonZone is site that has a collection of hands-on activities and projects for science and technology. There are 20 different projects in 5...

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Experiments and Exploration are vital to science education!

<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="155" id="il_fi" src="http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x3799925/teenagers_15-17_doing_science_experiment_teacher_4161.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></div><br /><br />This week, <a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/1916851.html?viewAsSinglePage=true">an article</a> was posted about how some middle school science teachers felt that labs were messy and a waste of time in science. They stated that they could get the students to know the material better through lecture and a couple of demo's and the students just looked at labs as free time. They also stated that when they did less labs, the state test scores went up.<br /><br />I'm horrified that these people are science teachers. Exploration and experimentation are vital to science and science education. Students need to learn how to explore, collect data, analyze, conclude and communicate what they found. They need to work in groups to solve problems. This is what people do in real life. They don't sit around getting lectured to.<br /><br />Test scores are, unfortunately, being used to much as a measure of student learning, when in fact most of these tests are invalid and useless. I also find these teachers' comments about students treating labs as free time an indication that these teachers lack classroom management skills. I also think that the labs they are using are not well designed.<br /><br />I can look up science facts online very easily. But that doesn't mean that I understand them, or can even evaluate if these "facts" are actually true. Science changes constantly as scientists and engineers explore the world and find new things and new ways of doing things. Remember these science "facts"-  the earth is flat, the earth is the center of the universe.<br /><br />To succeed in any endeavor, a student needs to be able to think critically - they need to analyze and solve problems. They need to learn how to work as a team and communicate. They need to have an understanding of where science comes from and how it is explored. They need to understand that failures lead to answers also. They need a basic functional literacy in science. They can only get this through projects and labs.<br /><br />These projects and labs should be hands-on, but there are also plenty of labs and investigations that can be done online, for free, and are still very educational. This is a great alternative to hands-on labs that are too expensive or possibly dangerous. Students can also use free web 2.0 sites to do projects, webquests, and more that will teach them so much more than facts.<br /><br />As an Aerospace Engineer (worked for 10 years as an engineer before becoming a physics teacher) I can tell you that the only way I was successful is because I learned science and engineering through labs and projects. You can not learn to apply concepts and facts by sitting in a lecture hall. My college, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, understood this and they have a very <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/wpi-plan-great-educational-model-for.html">unique educational program called the WPI Plan</a> that is based on projects.<br /><br />I'm very sad that some science teachers are focusing on facts and test scores rather than actual teaching and learning in their classrooms.<br /><br /><br />Here are two other articles by other educators who agree that this is not a good idea:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.joebower.org/2011/10/science-labs-are-messy.html">http://www.joebower.org/2011/10/science-labs-are-messy.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://davidwees.com/content/should-labs-be-part-science-education">http://davidwees.com/content/should-labs-be-part-science-education</a><br /><br /><br />And here are some more articles I've written on this topic:<br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/09/wpi-plan-great-educational-model-for.html">WPI Plan - A Great Educational Model for All Schools</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-get-started-with-project-based.html">http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-get-started-with-project-based.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/04/project-based-learning.html">http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/04/project-based-learning.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/06/free-classroom-guides-and-downloads-for.html">Edutopia</a> also agrees that their research shows that Project Based Learning, which includes labs, is very effective way to learn.<br /><br /><br />What do you think?<br /><br /><br /><br />

Experiments and Exploration are vital to science education!

This week, an article was posted about how some middle school science teachers felt that labs were messy and a waste of time in science. Th...

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WPI Plan - a great educational model for all schools

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/WPI_logo.png" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">There has been a lot of talk about education reform and what models will help our students learn the best. I submit that Worcester Polytechnic Institute's undergraduate program plan is a great model to follow. It stresses learning, critical thinking, functional literacy in a topic, project based learning, and student creativity. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">College was a great experience for me and I learned much more than just content. In fact, I feel that my undergraduate degree at WPI prepared me for anything I want to do in the future. Let me explain.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 18px;">I went to <a href="http://www.wpi.edu/">Worcester Polytechnic Institute</a>, in Worcester, MA. <a href="http://www.wpi.edu/">WPI</a> is an excellent school, highly ranked, and offers an excellent educational experience. The school is small, with only 3,400 undergraduate students. But, the school is well equipped and well run. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 18px;">The secret behind the school's success is the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">unique curriculum, called <a href="http://www.wpi.edu/academics/catalogs/ugrad/wpiplan.html" id="lq47" title="the WPI Plan">the WPI Plan</a>, consisting of 4 quarters instead of 2 semesters, 3 <a href="http://www.wpi.edu/academics/catalogs/ugrad/projects.html" id="n69g" title="large projects,">large projects,</a> and course curriculum that are mainly project based. Each undergraduate has to complete a <a href="http://www.wpi.edu/academics/catalogs/ugrad/sufficiency.html" id="tt95" title="Humanities Sufficiency Project">Humanities Sufficiency Project</a>, an <a href="http://www.wpi.edu/academics/catalogs/ugrad/iqp.html" id="y6rh" title="Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP)">Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP)</a> and a <a href="http://www.wpi.edu/academics/catalogs/ugrad/mqp.html" id="jq82" title="Major Qualifying Project (MQP)">Major Qualifying Project (MQP)</a>. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The Sufficiency is a 3 credit project and course sequence in the humanities which ensures that all WPI graduates are well rounded. Instead of students having to take meaningless core courses, they develop their own plan and sequence. I took a writing course to help improve my writing skills and then took a sequence of courses in US Government and Foreign Policy before doing my project on the political use of air power in the Vietnam war.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The IQP is a 9 credit project done in the junior year which relates science and technology to society. My group did a project on the Quality of Technical Education in the United States. As part of it, we did research on different programs, school systems, number of students taking technical majors (engineering, science, etc.) and then surveyed current engineers and scientists about their college education and what they thought was good and bad about it. We also looked at how well high school's were preparing students for these types of college majors and made recommendations for high school programs. (which started my interest in education).</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The MQP is a 9 credit project done in the senior year similar to a Master's thesis. My group designed a Two-Stage-To-Orbit space craft. We had to do everything from project planning, to engineering design and analysis, to working with NASA (who sponsored the project) to get information and feedback. The project then had to be presented and defended in our department. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The project based curriculum helps students learn content and develop problem solving, communications, and teamwork skills. It also helps develop ethics and responsibility in the students. I found that my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.wpi.edu/" id="n5i7" title="WPI">WPI</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> education has prepared me for my career as an engineer, as well as an educator, and served me well in many capacities.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">This plan stresses project based learning. Why? Because back when they developed the Plan (over 30 years ago) they knew that the only way to truly master subject area content is to apply it. They also knew that students needed to develop teamwork, communication skills, problem solving skills, creativity, critical thinking, and research skills (sounds like "21st Century skills" doesn't it?). WPI's symbol is the two towers of the first two buildings on campus. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Lehr und Kunst. German for Theory and Practice, it's WPI's founding motto and the principle that still underlies the academic programs today. In class, in projects, and in research, students and faculty put knowledge into action to make the world better.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img src="http://www.wpi.edu/academics/Library/Archives/Tower/Images/2towers.gif" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><br /><div style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">The projects are an integral part of the Plan. All classes are expected to use projects in their curriculum and the school has the three projects that all students must complete. The classes are taught by professors who are very dedicated to education, not just research. Each class is project based and emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving, along with a functional literacy of the topic, over memorizing data and facts.</span></div><div style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I think that WPI was ahead of the game with their plan, considering this is the route that high schools and even middle schools are going. K-12 education is starting to realize how important these skills are and that project based learning is a great way to engage students while teaching them content and other needed skills.</span></div><div style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">I think that we can make more schools like WPI and do a better job of teaching our students the skills they need to know: teamwork, communications, problem solving, critical thinking, self-education and lifelong learning.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">The students at WPI are given more control over their education by having the freedom to choose what they want to learn and how they are going to learn it. There are not a huge number of unneeded and useless "core" classes for students to take. Students create their own humanities program and their own educational plan. There is space in their schedule for them to take elective classes to explore new areas and topics. Students learn the basics and develop a fundamental literacy in each subject. Students do not memorize formulas and facts. They learn how to apply their knowledge to real-world problems and situations. For example, in Thermodynamics, we were taught the three laws of thermodynamics in depth. Then we were able to apply these to any situation instead of learning 10-15 different equations for different situations. This is in contrast to many schools who teach students every little equation for specific situations instead of teaching them the basics and how to apply the basics to any situation.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">All of the learning, research and projects all have a purpose beyond just for class. Projects are all real-world applications or really are real-world projects. Student projects have included working to shore up the canals of Venice, design water systems for villages in Africa, developing medical equipment for disabled or sick patients, designing safety features for cars, and much more. This learning with a purpose gives meaning to what everyone is doing. This is very important in education.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">WPI stresses teaching over research also and is very committed to the quality of the professors. Professors who have issues with their teaching or have poor reviews by students (each class has a evaluation form done by every student and these are taken very seriously) are given support and help in changing and improving their teaching. They are not vilified. They are supported and helped and that means that they become better educators. This is what we need to do with K-12 educators - help them when they struggle, not demonize them as the reason for the failure of society.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">The WPI Plan is an excellent model for schools to use as a way to make education more personalized, engaging, relevant, and effective in preparing students for the future. The education there goes beyond preparing them just for the major they are in. The education prepares students for life. They are prepared to continue their education, adapt to new situations, and even change careers from engineering to education. It is truly a unique and effective way to teach and learn.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Related Posts:</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-educational-ideas-from-colleges.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-educational-ideas-from-colleges.html</span></a></span><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/technology-in-use-in-engineering.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/12/technology-in-use-in-engineering.html</span></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/04/project-based-learning.html">http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/04/project-based-learning.html</a></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.wpi.edu/News/Journal/Oct96/miracle2.html">http://www.wpi.edu/News/Journal/Oct96/miracle2.html</a></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><br />

WPI Plan - a great educational model for all schools

There has been a lot of talk about education reform and what models will help our students learn the best. I submit that Worcester Polytechn...

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Free Classroom Guides and Downloads for 2011 from Edutopia

<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLZgR5XW7DMWPUEsEgIOT_V0AoBj5ir8uvf1x9IEdb6HGWLgNNT1Dr_QpuxzOfAFh6yzlmL5RHDdjPFyRPAogG6iq8OY2ygJaIMI-6XC0LCotRJNsSJqcbLvCj3-pmm_UAQcLns1Dgtc/s400/edutopia.jpg" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/" style="color: #3d81ee;">Edutopia</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">the George Lucas Educational Foundation, is an excellent resource for educators. Their site has a huge variety of resources, tips, and research on education and is accessible for free. They are a big proponent of <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">Project Based Learning</a> and also have a lot of resources on best practices in education. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They have a page with <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/classroom-guides-downloads">Free Classroom Guides and Downloads for 2011</a> that contains four excellent guides in PDF format. There are also additional, related resources linked from this page. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The four guides are: </span></span></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><u>Top Ten Tips for Teaching with New Media</u> - tips and tools for making learning more engaging and collaborative.</span></h2><h2 style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><u>Summer Rejuvenation Guide</u> - Ten Fun Ways for teachers to spend their summers</span></h2><h2 style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><u>Top Ten Tips for Assessing Project-Based Learning</u> -  effective assessments for project based learning</span></h2><h2 style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><u>Home-to-School Resource Guide</u> - </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px;">Get tips, tech tools, and strategies for how to strengthen the bonds between schools, families, and communities.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"> </span></span></h2><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Edutopia also has great <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blogs">blogs</a> with some excellent articles written by educators. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Share this resource with your colleagues.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Related Articles: (containing Edutopia)</b></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-attachment: initial; 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Free Classroom Guides and Downloads for 2011 from Edutopia

Edutopia , the George Lucas Educational Foundation, is an excellent resource for educators. Their site has a huge variety of resources, tips...

Read more »

End of the school year approaches - lesson ideas and reflection

<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img height="115" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/7/2/0/3/ar124408404630274.jpg" width="200" /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are quickly approaching the <b>end of the school year</b>. Advanced Placement Exams start next week, effectively the end of AP classes (although I do a lot of projects with my AP students after their exam). The student's last day of school is June 21st and teachers finish on June 22nd. Seniors will be finished by June13th though as they then have graduation rehearsals and Senior activities. I teach 90% seniors, so I have to finish up everything by the 1st of June when Senior finals begin. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I was looking over the schedule and working on my lesson plans for next month, I was trying to decide what I would do with my students. I use web quests, videos and activities from <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/top-10-resources-from-discovery.html">Discovery Education</a>, and <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/project-based-learning.html">projects</a> to keep my students learning during a time of distraction. Senior Prom, Junior Ring Dance, end of the year, Spring Fever, Senioritis. They all affect schools around this time. So, I use the projects. Think of projects related to your curriculum that would be great to do at the end of the year and use that instead of lectures, problem sets, or standard labs.</span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The rockets project is my favorite and my students favorite. The web quest incorporates <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">elements</span> from <a href="http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/rocket/index.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">NASA's</span> web site</a>. The students are applying multiple areas of physics during this project: energy, chemical reactions, fluid dynamics, forces, Newton's Laws, and more. They get to work in a group and do something hands-on and creative (they get to decorate the rockets any way they want and they are also able to do different fin designs). The best part is launch day. The students get to go outside and launch rockets. I handle the actual launching so that I can ensure safety, but the students love the countdown and watching the launch. They also have to chase down rockets that drift in the wind. Who wouldn't want to be outside launching rockets on a beautiful Spring day?. Then, they do a web quest on aerodynamics and then design, build, and fly their own gliders. They learn some great physics topics while having a lot of fun.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="http://hillelsteinberg.com/FAQ/ModelRocketry.jpg" /><br /><br /><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another thing I start doing around this time is to reflect on the past year. What worked? What went right? What went wrong? How did I handle classroom management issues? How well did my students learn? Lots of questions to answer and get ready for next year. I do this throughout the year too, but this is the point where I can really plan and make changes for the following year.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div></div><img src="http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/3871321/1/3871321-mature-solid-business-man-or-teacher-thinking-dark-tone.jpg" />    <img src="http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/4760600/1/4760600-young-female-teacher-businesswoman-thinking.jpg" /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></span><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One thing I do to as an evaluation of the year is to have my students fill out a survey about the class and their experience. It asks them to rate things such as was the classroom and equipment (labs and projects) adequate, was enough time given for demonstrations and review, how well did the teacher answer student questions, and their thoughts on assignments and work given. It also asks about me: did I set a climate that was conducive to learning, did I effectively communicate with students, did I address their needs and issues, and were the teaching methods effective. I also have space for them to write comments about what they liked about the class and what they think should be improved. They can put their name on it or it can be anonymous.</span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span></span><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I do take the surveys with a grain of salt. Some students write all "4" (highest score) and some complain that everything was too hard. But I do get a lot of great feedback and ideas. Some times I am surprised by the level of sophistication that I my students have and how insightful they are about their classes. (<a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/04/students-weigh-in-on-characteristics-of.html" id="zu48" style="color: #551a8b;" title="I've also used this model with pre-service teachers">I've also used this model with pre-service teachers</a>).</span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After I've read through all of the surveys and taken notes, I sit and think about the whole year. I try to be critical of things so that I can really evaluate how things went. I am going to implement some of the things I've come up with and some of the things my students noted, but I am also going to keep my lessons flexible so that I can modify them once I've met my students next year and see what they are like and what they need. I believe in constantly assessing how I am doing as an educator and how well my students are learning and changing and modifying things as needed throughout the year. The end of the year and summer are great times to come up with lots of different ideas so that I have a collection of ideas to use next year.</span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ongoing Assessment is a term we use in EMS for constantly monitoring our patient and changing our treatment as needed based on the patient. This is also something we do in education. We change things to meet the needs of our students.</span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This year I've been using the <a href="http://mrandradesphysics.blogspot.com/">classroom blogs</a> and Google Forms to get more feedback from the students throughout the year. I will also be using a Google Form instead of paper for this year's final class evaluation. </span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I write this, I keep having thoughts about issues I've had and how to change them next year. I'm also thinking about the type of teacher I am and what I can do to improve my attitude and persona to make me better. I think one of the things I'm going to do this summer is to actually relax a bit instead of working to much to recharge myself. I will be attending a few conferences and will keep active with my <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/creating-personal-learning-network-pln.html" id="lsk0" style="color: #551a8b;" title="PLN (Personal Learning Network)">PLN (Personal Learning Network)</a> to share ideas, thoughts, and resources. I want to come back to school next year enthusiastic, motivated, and ready to have some fun while educating. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><u>So, let's hear from you:</u></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What do you do in your classroom at the end of the year to keep students focused and engaged?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How do you evaluate teaching and learning in your classroom? </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What do you do at the end of the year and summer to prep for the next year?</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div></span>

End of the school year approaches - lesson ideas and reflection

We are quickly approaching the end of the school year . Advanced Placement Exams start next week, effectively the end of AP classes (althoug...

Read more »