Chapter7 Reading Reflection

1.) Description of the three levels of classroom discussions:

1.  Teacher to teacher: Teacher to teacher conversations are the teachers' reflections of how well the students are taking to a project and possible ways to implement new ideas.These conversations are needed to evaluate, analyze and help the teachers communicate about various aspects of a project. Its important to stay connected with teachers in order to share information about the positive and negatives of a project  and to collaborate on where the lesson may need modifications. 
2. Student to Student: Student to student conversations should entail observations about their learning experiences and how their thinking has unfolded throughout the project. It should also a chance for them to understand each other's thought processes as well as challenge each other. Students should be giving each other effective, constructive feedback and keeping their lines of positive communication open. 
3. Teacher to Student:  Whole class instruction should not be the main form of communication between teacher and student,unless the teacher needs to introduce a new skill or concept that students need to keep their project going.Teachers can use blogs or wiki spaces to make general announcements. Teacher's are there as a learning resource for a student, meaning they should be walking around and talking to students in small groups ; not the main conveyor of all knowledge.

2.) "Checking in" questions for  students doing a project: In a PBL environment, different groups move at different paces, which means there is going to be a lot of different things going on at once. As a teacher,we need to make sure we are keep the students on track, making sure they are working together as a team, and understanding their group/project dynamic.

• Procedural: The  has to do with the organization and management of the project. Making sure that students are staying on schedule, setting deadlines for assignments, having the right materials available and planning different parts to the overall project.
• Teamwork: Teachers should pay close attention to the dynamic of the team. Looking at how  successful certain students work together or making sure the workload is equally distributed are a couple ways to check in. Teachers can have students write about the progress of their project, how their group is getting along. Or,  for a more personal approach, the teacher can set up a poll that  asks about team dynamics that is a safer place for students to open up.
• Understanding: Teachers should be observing students conversations, project progress and in return pushing students to think deeper about their projects. Teachers need to understand how students are responding to the project by observing their conversations, online work spaces and reviews of their information.
• Self-Assessment: A really cool assessment is the project journal. I believe students should write a reflection every week of their project: what troubles they had? How did they over come these challenges? Progress of project and so on. 

3.) Optimize Technology=Students Benefit

I loved the way this particular teacher Mr.Fagg incorporated  the students' MP3 player   into his lesson  instead of confiscating them. He catered to the students interest despite not having much knowledge on how to use one himself.  Optimizing technology is when a teacher can  integrate  the technology and resources that are readily available- such as a students MP3 player- and  use them  to enhance their lesson. Thinking of things as an enhancement rather than a hindrance can give students more opportunities to be creative and expand their own talents. Students  are actually INTERESTED in what they are doing because  they have a personal attachment to their technology skills.

How do we help students maximize technology potential:

• Stay  focused on the goal trying to be conveyed and less time on fluffing the project with graphics,
• Have the students use technology for planners and organizational tools. 
• Make sure students learn about emailing and reaching people on a broader level.  Keeping parents informed through online communities.
• Make sure that technology is accessible and available.

4.)21st Century skills that make or break a project:

21st Century Skills: 

• Students need to know how to troubleshoot. Working through a project and overcoming the challenges is a skill that is learned through a PBL setting. PBL offers a closer connection with real life than traditional classrooms because students learn by failing, often times. When students work through a problem they learn to be persistent and persevere which are both qualities of success. 
• Communication is a way to build a community of learners. Discussions among the students build a safe environment and teach kids to communicate their ideas in a diverse setting.  
• Teamwork is a skill that has to be present in order for a project to succeed. Since PBL requires a group effort, team members need to communicate correctly, designate responsibilities and fulfill their end of the bargain equally. 

5. When this chapter brought up student to student conversations I think the PBL  process leaves no choice but for us to continuously evaluate what is working in our project as well as  the many obstacles and triumphs we have had throughout this process. We have realized that communication is a significant factor in how  successful our project turns out.  Thus far, I have learned most about time management when it comes to technologically based assignments and clear communication amongst group members. I also feel that our classroom is definitely ran as a PBL environment because the professor introduces a concept or skill and then lets us figure it out. It definitely seems that people who learn independently would benefit the most from PBL.