Blog Post #5

What did you learn from these conversations with Anthony Capps?

From the Project Based Learning Skills video series, I learned some great examples of how you can use Project Based Learning in the classroom. The videos were taken from conversations between Anthony Capps,a 3rd grade teacher at Gulf Shores Elementary and Dr. Strange, teacher of USA EDM310.

I learned that Project Based Learning is constantly evolving. It was initially a measurement at the end of the lesson to show what a student learned. Now, it is focused on the process of learning.

In the first video series Project Based Learning: Experiences of a 3rd Grade Teacher. Anthony explains how he determines a project topic for his class. He has to make sure that the content meets the state ACCRS standards, motivates the children, has a relevant subject, involves the community, and has an authentic audience. In the example that he used, the class wrote a letter to a congressman. They were encouraged to interview family and friends. All children were required to participate but only 8 letters were selected to be sent. The class critiqued the letters and chose the best ones.

When selecting a topic, I learned that not all projects will go as planned. In some instances, a parent may not agree with the topic and request a change. If this occurs, an alternative project should be assigned to the student. The goal to keep in mind when selecting a topic is for all children to be engaged and excited about the project.

An important part of any project is research. In the video iCurio, Anthony points out that the website iCurio is available for students to do research, download images, text, graphs, and videos. This website is specifically designed for educational use as it meets alabama curation standards. You don't want children searching and finding inappropriate or inaccurate information on the internet. This tool also has an on-line storage capacity which allows students to create folders to keep them organized.

Discovery Education is another website that Anthony recommends. This website encourages the use of digital technology in the classroom to enrich the research experience. This site offers instructional videos, skill builders, games, audio files, images, writing prompts to improve writing skills, encyclopedia research for the basic core subject areas.

I love the video on Strange List of Tips for Teachers . He reminds us that we need to be constantly learning and setting examples for those around us. Teaching never ends and it is hard work but it is so worth it. As he mentioned in the second video, unexpected things will happen as it did when the parent wasn't happy with the project topic that was chosen. In this case, we need to be flexible and have an action plan in place so that we will know how to move forward. In everything we do, we need to have a end goal in mind. What is it we are trying to accomplish and how are we going to get there. Our goal when selecting a topic for Project Based Learning is to engage 100% of students, 100% of the time in 100% of their projects. Once our project is completed, we should reflect and learn from our mistakes and our successes. Ask for feedback from our audience on how we can improve for our next project.

Dont Teach Technology - Use It is a great video where Anthony addresses using technology in the classroom. He explains the importance of allowing children time to become familiar with the computer and programs. It is imperative for the teacher to understand how to use a computer and have familiarity with the instructional website. Don't be surprised if a child is better at creating a powerpoint presentation than you, but make sure you can help assist them if they do have questions.

There are four segments to lesson plans. Your yearly goal, your monthly goal, your weekly goal, and your daily goal. You must adhere to your schedule so that you can accomplish all the required lesson plans on time. This is especially necessary to prepare the children for standardized testing.