Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Building Connections and Branching out

Connecting with experts

·        “When projects are designed to incorporate inquiry, asking questions of experts becomes a natural component of the learning experience.” (128)

·        Sometimes teachers may connect their students to online experts.

·        Connecting them to experts may take some effort however.

·        Start small and develop a list of experts.

·        Knowing what skill level your students and their parents will help you begin.

Expanding the learning circle

·        Expand the learning to participants from distant countries.

·        The Flat Classroom project is a great example of collaboration across distances

·        The class liked the fact that other students were looking at their projects and they were looking at theirs.

·        They all knew they had a deadline to meet.

Communicating findings

·        Sharing what happened in projects with classrooms in distant countries

·        “These authentic opportunities for students to share their research or advocate for a cause offer a robust contrast to more traditional report out methods at the end of a project—which can seem like an endless parade of PowerPoint presentations.” (132)

·        Students communicate with audiences who can benefit from their work.

Let Students lead

·        After teachers have had some experience with project approach they eventually will let students lead.

·        The teacher sits on the sideline and let the students decide what they want with a project.

·        Students figure out the questions they want to have addressed.

Extending the Benefits

·        Just because a project has been completed doesn’t mean you still can’t learn from it. 

·        Keep recalling what you did in a project to keep it fresh in the students minds