Readings for "Technology Standards and Planning"

     The article from TEAL asked the questions "Do you remember your favorite class in school? In which you learned the best?...This was a class in which you discovered new knowledge and felt motivated to learn both by the instructor and a desire to learn more". Actually, for me, my favorite class ever was one that consisted a 3-hour discussion/lecture on the book we had spent the week reading. I don't say this to reject the thesis that student-centered learning is important; I am only saying that the desire to learn, as the article states, stems first and formost from a teacher who ignites the need to seek knowledge. I recall being so enveloped in the new ideas from my professor's lecture that given the opportunity for any multimedia presentation I would have jumped on it immediately. Like the article says, technology-centered tools allow for the student to have a significant amount of creative freedom, and therefore more fun, with the project.
     There is certainly a reason why "Creating" is put at the top of Bloom's new education taxonomy. It is the culmination of the preceding criteria--understanding, application, etc.--that results in a fully-formed and cohesive project. It denotes a retention of knowledge, and both how to use that information practically while understanding its theoretical value. This of course leads to the much-sought-after prize of higher-level thinking! It is the job of an instructor to prepare the students for a world in which they may not have someone to fall back on for extra help or information. Higher-order thinking is a buttress against students being overhwelmed by new information. It forces them to analyse new information and apply it in a way that is engaging and helpful.
     In the article "Teaching Higher-Order Thinking", it is pointed out that instiling the skills necessary for higher-order thinking requires more effort from the teacher (7). I believe this is absolutely true, and, as an added benefit, is good for both the students and the teacher. The benefits for the students are obvious: greater critical thinking skills, long-term memory practice, the ability to combine and dissect complex chunks of information. Consider, also, that a teacher who is constantly challenged to get his/her students to think must treat each batch of pupils uniquely. There can be no resting on the laurels of last-year's curriculum plan--every new year will have to bring necessary, and often fun, tweeks to the learning environment. After all, the major enemy of learning is boredom. the atmosphere of learning works best when neither the instructor nor the students experience that kiss of death. 

Readings for "Project-Based Learning and Educational Technology"

    

     One aspect of this unit I wholeheartedly agree with is something that was written in the article entitled 'Project-Based Learning for the 21st Century". In this article the author writes "when students work collaboratively, there is an expectation that each child will contribute to the project equally.The group dynamic creates an interdependent team...and as a result, a natural consequence exists for those students who do not demonstrate accountability..." (2). Perhaps PBl's greatest strength is learning of accountability and the obligation each student has towards the other students. Especially if there is a presentation at the end of the project--as Larmer and Mergendoller suggest--it becomes apparent who gets along with others and who needs assistance either in time management or interpersonal skills.
     PBL also offers a chance at creativity that I believe is essential to active learning. I remember an assignment from elementary school revolving around the earlywhite settlers in North America. We had our choice of project, and one of the options was to create a journal as though we were one of the passengers on the Mayflower. This is one of my fondest early academic memories: I recall reading about the Puritan voyage and settlement, and then creating a story based around those readings; I also remember getting my parents to supervise me as I held my drafts over the kitchen stove's flame to give the paper that oh-so-essential brittleness and yellow color. The point is I was excited to do a school project. Such assignments either challenge an individual student or a collection of them to make something their own. It fosters a connection between "what is mine" and "what is/was around me".
     The main drawback I can see from Project-Based Learning is that because each unit and/or project is so subjective, they will not be consistently fruitful. I think everyone can remember certain projects from younger school days that both developed slowly and presented badly. By the same token, I'm sure everyone has memories of much-loved projects. The point I wish to make is best said by Jane David: "...there are no common criteria for what constitutes an acceptable project. Projects vary greatly in the depths of questions explored, the clariy of learning goals and the content/structure of the activity". If a teacher relies on PBL, they should not be discouraged to find some projects work well and others won't. A syllabus should reflect what projects seem to work best.