EdTech 542

Week 15 - EdTech 542 - Final Reflection

Syllabus

Resources

Final Project - The Thinking Entrepreneur

Project Based Learning is a term that many of my colleagues use to describe the style of teaching they use in the classroom. Before taking EdTech 542, I was one of these teachers. In our CTS department, we made many project lessons using inquiry based techniques but not to the extent of a true Gold Standard PBL. The changing landscape of 21st Century education demands more from our classes and expects authentic, life-long learning from our students. PBL gives each and every child (and teacher for that matter) the chance to engage in meaningful learning. Both the outcomes and competencies needed to succeed later in life are a part of every project and the students and teachers involved in these projects have a greater chance to have fun with education.

What do I Know About Project Based Learning? What Do I Need To Improve Upon?

Although this was my first attempt to develop a true Gold Standard PBL, I believe I have a good understanding of the process and what is expected from both the teacher and the student. First and foremost, I know now how much work is involved with the creation of a good project. Second, It helped to have a template for the project that was split into the sections required. It allowed for the opportunity to learn and concentrate on each area of the project before moving on. Third, I have learned that this is another technique that can be used by teachers. Just as it is important to vary our traditional ways of teaching, it is also important to not only rely on this teaching technique. Overall, I feel confident in my abilities to design and use more of these projects in the future.

One area of a PBL project I am a little unsure about is the management of the class throughout the project. I have taught long enough to know that no matter how much preparation you put into a class, the unexpected happens. Students come with different skill sets and motivation. Until I actually implement this project, I am not sure how the students will react.

What Did I Expect to Learn in the Course? What Did I Actually Learn?

I was not completely sure what to expect when I enrolled in EdTech 542. Definitely I wanted to know the true definition of Project Based Learning and all that is involved. Second, I wanted to be able to create a PBL assignment and use it in my classroom. Third, I was hoping to receive resources for my future endeavours. I have to say that all of my expectations were realized. I learned so much from this course including the difference between true PBL and many of the lessons I have been using in the past. The resources were great and will be beneficial in my future teaching. Mostly I learned not to be afraid of trying something new. It makes for an exciting journey for the teacher and leads to more engagement from the students.

What Will I Do With What I Have Learned?

Currently, I am in the process of applying for admin positions in my school board. It is my hope I can use the concepts learned to support and mentor teachers. I would like to present at our PD conferences and workshops and be able to help teachers expand their arsenal of teaching techniques. From a teaching perspective, I will be using PBL in my classrooms starting next year. I can’t wait to try out my project and create more PBL opportunities in the future.

In closing, I would like to thank all of my colleagues who have helped me in this course. A special thank you to Dr. Yang for responding to my emails and helping me get through the difficult sections of this course. I wish you all good luck in the MET program.

 

 

Topic 9 - Weeks 13 and 14 - Peer Review and Assessment

21st Century education has brought with it many changes for both our students and our teachers. School reform (redesign) has asked our educators to use the newest of teaching pedagogy with the purpose of creating well-rounded students who will be ready for today’s changing world. Concepts such as personalization, authentic learning, collaboration, inquiry-based learning and reflection have been introduced to create more learning among our students than the so called “traditional” way of teaching.

With this changing culture in our schools, it is essential to change the way we assess students as well. Gone are the days of only using one method of assessment - the assessment OF learning (summative). Yes, this method of assessment is still vital to judge the student’s level of knowledge but it is not enough to just assess the student’s progress. Different assessment methods must be used in our classrooms to help students learn. Formative assessment (assessment FOR learning) may be used to show students how to improve their learning as the work is progressing. Feedback that allows students to improve and change their work before the finished product is handed in is essential. Assessment AS learning may also be used to give students the opportunity to use assessments to increase their own learning. Examples of this are peer assessments that allows “students to reflect on their own learning and identify areas of strength and need” (Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools 2010).

Although the changing assessment requirements are still new to my teaching repertoire, I have tried to incorporate all three assessment methods mentioned above to some extent in my classroom. The method I need the most work on is the assessment AS learning. I have tried to have students review their peers work but, as yet, the students have not done great job of this. Students feel it is a waste of time. Students also feel the sense of “not hurting another’s feelings” and, therefore, do not review the work objectively. Moving forward, I will continue to use this type of assessment, however, I will make changes to its delivery. One technique I will try is the Critical Friends Tuning Protocol. This peer review technique focuses on developing collegial relationships, encouraging reflective practice, and rethinking leadership. A second technique that may be worth trying over time is the CPR - Calibrated Peer Review.

Peer reviews can be used in many situations during the school year. PBL, group work and practice presentations are just a few of these situations but no matter the technique used to aid in the development of peer review assessment in the classroom, it is important to adhere to the following four points. The class must have and use a strong model that works for the teacher and the students, the teacher must create a culture of critique in the classroom so students feel safe and accepting of criticism, the class must have clearly defined expectations and the teacher must explain the benefits of these types of reviews.

 

 

Topic 8 - Weeks 11 and 12 - De-briefing the PBL Project

Once the final presentation is complete - including the culminating activity, the weekly reflection journal and the final reflection about the project, there are perceptions that the project is completely finished. These perceptions are incorrect.

Two more important things that come from the project include the enhancement of a better project next year and a discussion with other teachers and administrators about the success of PBL in general.  A final class discussion using the information collected from the shared Google document will help ensure that the students obtain the most possible out of the project. It must also be used to enhance the project for next year’s class. Who better to judge learning than the students who were involved in the project. This shared document was open during the semester in real-time so that students could write down their thoughts - good or bad - about things that happened that were important to the student. In the final discussion about the project, students will use this document to reminisce about successes and failures and bring them forward for discussion. All ideas will be documented and used to create an even better project next year. The second important aspect of the project is an informal presentation or discussion with the students, the classroom teacher, other teachers in the school and the administration. 21st Century education is about the outcomes and competencies students can gain from authentic projects like the Thinking Entrepreneur.  It is important for all stakeholders in a school to understand the importance of this type of education and how learning occurs even though it is different from our traditional methods.

Topic 7 - Managing the Proces - Weeks 9 and 10 Reflection

The Thinking Entrepreneur PBL project is really starting to take shape. This module – weeks 9 and 10 - continued to add to the project with the introduction of the Culminating Activity, the creation of final assessments and the development of the Reflections section of the project. As well, the topic of  Differentiation was discussed.

The Culminating Activity is so important to the overall success of the project. It answers questions about the learning of the students. Did the students find the answer to the Driving Question and the sub questions? Did these students gain experience in using 21st Century Skills? Its purpose is to bring together everything the business strives to do – having students learn the characteristics of running a successful business and making money for its shareholders. The activity includes a presentation and a distribution of dividends to all stakeholders including shareholders, admin and parents. Very exciting. Here are descriptions of the final assessments that will be used in this activity.

The Reflections section of the project is also important for student learning. The students will do self-assessments, peer assessments and a final reflection in regards to the project. There will be many group and class discussions that will help students as they learn about creating a successful business. Students will also be involved in a shared Google Doc that will not only answer questions about the project including what went well and what the class could have done better, but, also, let the students voice their opinions about the project as a whole. The final reflection will show the learning from the student’s point of view.

 

 

Module 7 - Weeks 9 and 10 – Role of Facilitation In the Classroom

High school re-design is not only changing the direction of student learning but changing the way instructors teach. For years, teacher-directed classrooms have shaped our teaching practice. Today, constructivist views of learning and teaching are at the forefront of education. It is essential that teachers move ahead with this new teacher pedagogy to get the most out of the 21st Century student.

PBL is one technique that requires the use of new constructivist learning methods. The biggest change in teaching with PBL is the move from the teacher-directed classroom to student-centered learning. This change has resulted in the instructor adapting to a different type of teaching - one of facilitator rather than teacher. 

The facilitator must let the students explore and problem-solve, therefore, the facilitator’s role is to help and guide the students in their endeavours. There will be very little lecture time in this new role but it is important for the facilitator to keep the students on task. The facilitator must also be in tune with letting students collaborate with each other to find the appropriate answers.

There are certain skills needed to be an effective facilitator. Some of these skills are listed below: The facilitator must be able to

·       Engage students following educational standards

·       Guide students in developing a deeper understanding of concepts

·       Help students in collaboration

·       Guide students in reflective learning

·       Help students become self-directed learners

PBL gives educators an incredible opportunity to help students gain 21st Century skills (competencies). With the use of a well-developed project and well-managed classroom, students will gain experience in many areas of life skills such as teamwork, collaboration, creativity, learned technology skills, problem solving, innovation, organization and time management.

Personally, I have tried to incorporate many of constructivist views of teaching such as personalization, authentic learning, reflection and collaboration into my classroom. However, to become a strong facilitator, I will need to change aspects of my teaching, especially when using PBL. I will have to trust the students more and let them learn from their mistakes. At times, I can be like a father figure who does not want to see failure – even the first time around. Another change I will have to make is to stay away from teacher-directed lessons. I will continue to hold mini lessons to help in certain situations, but I need to let the students explore more. Another very important change is the introduction to the projects. I need to become more creative when using an entry event so as to create more engagement in the project.

 

Module 6 - Week 7 and 8 - Planning and Preparation Reflection

As with most of the courses I have taken in the MET program, this course has been a huge learning curve.  The concept of PBL has been a constant source of learning and I am now realizing how little I knew about this topic. There is so much preparation required to design a strong project. This course has also opened my eyes to the value of PBL and, at the same time, the incredible amount of planning and management that goes into its creation. I would say that the amount of preparation time is a key is reason why PBL is not used all that often in our schools and, when it is used, it is not as effective as it could be.

In this two – week module the class discussed the importance of planning and preparation. There is so much that goes into the planning of the project – especially a semester long project.  The following are links of the work completed during this module and their importance to the overall project:

• Student Learning Guide - it gives an overview of the entire course and its assignments.
• Timeline – helps in management and the overall timeframe of the course.
• Entry Event – provides excitement for the course and creates motivation for the students.
• Tools and Resources – allows for teacher resources to be present for the project all in one place.
• Resources Needed – Gives an overview of the resources, facilities and community that will be needed in the course.

 

 

Module 6 - Week 7 and 8 – Designing Integrated Curriculum and the Benefits of Transdisciplinary Education

One of the buzzwords of high school re-design (reform) is trans-disciplinary education. True authentic learning is not subject based, therefore, it is important to teach our students that subjects actually overlap in the real world. Students must learn, at a young age, that today’s problems are related to all sorts of subject areas. Math, business, English and social issues are a part of almost every decision made in real life.  They are not separate or exclusive of each other.

PBL offers teachers and students a great chance to experience authentic problem-solving. As stated earlier, these problems are not subject based and require knowledge across a wide variety of subject areas. Projects should include learning in across different subject areas. My project, the Thinking Entrepreneur, is a perfect example of how different subject areas should be involved in the final product. Economics, business, language, math and societal issues are all important aspects that play a part in the learning expected through the project.

How is this possible in a school? There are many challenges that must be overcome in order for trans-disciplinary education to be successful. The first challenge is the need for strong leadership. The school’s (and board’s) admin must support this type of learning. It is essential for the whole school to be on board and develop a culture that supports trans-disciplinary education.  A second challenge is the need for trust between teachers and the need for trust between students and teachers. Subject teachers feel the subject matter taught in their area is of utmost importance. It is their area of passion. They do not want students to miss out on any of the concepts they would teach in a traditional setting. The trust it takes to use ideas of other teachers that may not necessarily be completely subject related takes a lot of courage, especially when it is new. A third challenge is time. The preparation, coordination and management of PBL projects is very time consuming, and, at times, stressful. It is hard enough for one teacher to create a project but to get teachers of all subject areas together can be very difficult.

In our school we are fortunate to have the leadership, trust and work ethic needed to make this type of education work. The admin wants us to try new things. They do not mind failure if it results in learning (or attempted learning).  The Thinking Entrepreneur project is a perfect chance to use trans-disciplinary learning, but, since both PBL and this project are new to me, I will stick to individual preparation and management this time around. As I feel more comfortable with PBL, the project is an excellent way to involve a variety of subject areas that will increase authentic learning for the students of our school.

 

EdTech 542 - Reflection Week 6 - Assessments

This week we continued with our PBL projects. The topic of this module was assessments. I found this week to be quite time consuming but it was expected considering the amount of time we, as teachers, spend on assessment development and the actual assessment of our students.

There was a lot of information on different types of assessments and their creation. I have added many new resources to my resource list as they were very helpful. I also added these to my resource page in the project.

Here is a link to my project thus far. Note the Assessment and Resources pages.

This week showed that there are so many ways to help students learn. Although summative assessment is still very important to test a child's progress, formative assessment (on-going assessment) is the way of the future. It is essential for students to be assessed in a variety of ways which can lead to "learning as they go." Things such as formative quizzes, journals and learning logs, preliminary plans, rough drafts, practice presentations, notes, checklists, concept maps and self and peer evaluation can be used to assess students throughout the project. These allow for the students to learn what is correct and what needs work during the project when they can be corrected. It should be noted that these assessment methods can also be used for summative assessment.

 

EdTech 542 - Reflection - Week 5 - The Driving Question and Technology

The PBL process continued this week. It was an important week as the introduction of the Driving Question and its sub questions were discussed. Edutopia states that the importance of the Driving Question in a PBL project are essential to both teachers and students. From a teacher’s point of view, the Driving Question “helps initiate and focus the inquiry of the project.”  As well, “it communicates the purpose of the project in one open-ended question.”  From a student point of view, It “creates interest and a feeling of challenge” so that even the most reluctant student thinks, "Hmmm, I guess that sounds kinda cool." In essence, it guides the work. It gives the “boring activities” some relevance and purpose. It makes the students understand the answer to the important question of why are we doing this?

The Driving Question I came up with for my project is How do we, as young entrepreneurs, create a successful business venture within the confines of our school?  Here is a link to the overview of the project. This question allows for the entire curricular standards of the business course to be met. The students will need to learn about all aspects associated with running a business from startup through liquidation, including financing the business, marketing the business, working the business and closing the business. In the end, students will have learned different aspects of entrepreneurship. All important but different for all participants.

The use of a Tubric - available on the BIE website - was used in the development of the Driving Question. I have added this resource to my PBL project resources and, as well, my own resources for this course. The course used many resources for the development of a Driving Question. These included a webinar and an ePortfolio and are also available in my resources page.

According to the Webinar, The Driving Questions should follow three main criteria:

1. The question must be “engaging.” The Driving Question must create excitement for the student. They need to understand what the project is about and its relevance to the real world and the individual student.
2. The question must be “open-ended.” The Driving Question must be more than a basic question that a Google search would be able to find. It must allow for unique answers from each student and the final answer must be detailed and reflected upon.
3. The question must be “aligned with curricular standards.” The Driving Question must be written to allow for the content, knowledge and skills to come out in the project. It must be aligned with the standards however, not written in such a direct way.

Other things that should be present in an effective Driving Questions are the following: It must be objective, focussed and answerable through research, practice, collaboration and reflection. Sub questions should also be present. These should be used to help in the answer to this question through the use of mini lessons as each sub question relates to a curricular standard expected of the Business Opportunity course. All will relate to running a business and answering the Driving Question. The individual lessons associated with these sub questions will lead to a far better understanding of business and its eventual success.

As second part to this week’s learning was to use a technology based organizer to help brainstorm ideas for the project. I used a program called Gliffy. Although I have never used this program before, this brainstorming presentation helped to organize my thoughts for this PBL project.

References

Drake, R.J. Driving question. ePortfolio. Retrieved Feb. 14, 2016 from http://www.jetspost.com/eportfolio/pbl/driving_questions.htm.

Larmer, J. & Olabuenage, G. Driving question - Webinar. Retrieved Feb. 13, 2016 from http://bie.org/object/webinars_archived/driving_questions.

Miller, A. (2015). How to write effective driving questions for project-based learning. Edutopia. 
           Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-how-to-write-driving-questions-andrew-miller.

  

EdTech 542 - Week 3 and 4 - PBL and Project Idea

The landscape of education is changing. With so many school boards involved in school reform (re-design), teachers have been looking for ways to bring their classroom into the 21st century. Outcomes and competencies have become equally important to student learning. Collaboration, innovation, creativity, authentic projects, technology skills, trans-discipline teaching, inquiry and flexibility are some of the incredible changes happening today.

Although inquiry-based learning techniques such as Problem and Project-Based learning are not new, they are now, more than ever, in the forefront of teaching pedagogy. This type of learning fits perfectly with 21st century education and the skills associated with our students. I have been a part of Career and Technology Studies (CTS) for some time. Our department has worked hard to offer students inquiry-based learning although there is much to learn. Many or our teachers have used PBL but to a limited extent. This course and the BIE website will surely offer better, more organized projects. One advantage of PBL is the students enjoyment of this type of education. It seems as though the students feel as though they are a part of something larger than just learning in school. From the teacher’s standpoint, it brings about a teacher-student relationship that can be compared to athletes and their coaches.

The idea I have for my PBL project is to have the students in my Business Opportunities class create a business from startup to liquidation. In group of three or four, the students would have to come up with a business idea, make a business plan and then pitch the business idea to their classmates. The students would then vote on the best idea and then start the business. Once the idea is voted on, the students would chose the President of the company and the Vice Presidents of each area (Human Resources, IT, Marketing, Production, etc.). The students then would choose which area they feel they would benefit the business the most. The entire group would then come up with a mission and goals, sell shares to get the business finances going, get a bank account so as to write cheques when needed, develop and run the business and finally, at the end of the semester, liquidate the business and pay off the shareholders. Classtime would be the student’s work week. Every Friday a shareholders meeting would take place - led by the executive. As well, teaching would occur with mini lessons throughout the semester in a whole group or individual business area setting. Student reflections would be written weekly about the learning that occurred. The final presentation of the project would be a final shareholders report accompanied by a cheque to each shareholder.

EdTech 542 - Project Based Learning - Week 1 and 2

This is my first entry into my learning log for EdTech 542 - Technology Supported Project-Based Learning. The first week was an orientation to the course. The syllabus is very well-prepared by Dr. Yang. Introductions from all colleagues were expected via a discussion thread and advertisement. It was great to read about some of the talented colleagues taking the MET program.

Module 2 - Overview of PBL - gave a strong description of PBL and the foundational concepts needed to succeed in this type of teaching. We were introduced to the Buck Institute for Education (BIE) website - a non-profit organization that gathers and shares high-quality PBL instructional practices and products and provides highly effective services to teachers, schools, and districts. The site has many PBL projects that can be used or modified to today’s teachers. It truly is a amazing resource.

Our project for the week was to join a discussion on the definition of Project-Based Learning. As well, we were to comment on responses to this questions made from our colleagues. To view my discussion post, click on this link. I have also started a resource document as there have been many readings and websites that will help with this learning. This document will continuously be updated throughout the course.

I am really excited to learn more about this topic as I have been using a variance of this type of teaching for many years without formal training. It will be interesting to see where I need work and where I am have done a good job.