Chapter 7 Reflection

Good questions are an important aspect of effective classroom discussions.  There are three levels of classroom discussion that take place on during project implementation; teacher to teacher, student to student, and teacher to student.  Teacher to teacher discussions are the collegial effort made when project planning, and it continues when you begin the implementation phase.  Student to student discussions allow students to talk about their learning experiences as they unfold.  Remind students that good communication skills are part of effective teamwork and will help keep their team organized and on track.  The teacher to student discussions are the important during lectures and projects, but vary deeply depending on the type of instruction.  During projects, it will be the teachers job to address the whole-class, individuals, and teams.

Questioning is an important part of the learning process, and it is important that teachers use questions for checking in.  To check in, you may want to answer the following: procedural, teamwork, understanding, and self-assessment.  When asking procedural, you should be tracking progress toward milestones and deadlines, and remind the students of the project calendars.  For teamwork, circulate and ask questions to help you assess team dynamics.  Understanding requires you to spend time observing teams at work, listening to student conversations, and asking probing questions.  For self-assessment, find out what your students are thinking about with the project.  Ask questions that encourage self-assessment and reflection. 

It is important for a teacher to get students to optimize their use of technology.  By optimizing technology use, students will gain new insight on how to communicate with a culturally diverse audience.  To maximize the use of technology during a project, you shhould consider the following questions: Is technology helping students reach learning goals, or is it leading them on side trips?  Is technology helping students stay organized? Are students able to use technology to expand their horizons by connecting outside experts or a broader community?  Do students have access to the technologies that they need?

There are important 21st-century skills that can make or break a project.  Troubleshooting is one of the 21st-century skills that distinguish an effective project manager.  Hleping students understand the real-world projects come with real-world challenges.  Help them learn from setbacks and fine-tune their strategies for getting a project back on track. Teamwork is another 21st-century skill that can make or break a project.  During project implementation, it is important to play close attention to team dynamics.  If you detect a problem, helps students resolve it.  It's a real-life skill that will serve them well for years to come. 

This section was wonderful to read because it allowed me to realize some important life skills that students should be learning about during the project.  It is very important for teachers to still be involved in their students work, and it is important that the teacher gives the skills needed to overcome challenges.  This is good to know when planning a project with my students, and would help in teaching students about the weather project.