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542 – Self Reflection and Link to Project

Through the creation of my own project and the study of resources and projects presented in this course, I think I now have a pretty good understanding of the connection between authentic, real life experiences in PBL and learning impact. Providing an engaging, open ended driving question that inspires inquiry and exploration and tying it to the development of an artifact or project that represents the culmination of the ideas explored, while providing reasonable voice and choice for students in the process is what makes PBL so effective. Developing a unit that starts with interdisciplinary standards in mind and addresses those outcomes through real world applications creates meaning and leaves a lasting impact on students.

My expectations for this class were to come away with a deeper understanding of the benefits and strategies for PBL and a comprehensive file of resources to turn to once the course was over. My expectations have been met and exceeded.

I have developed and delivered PBL units to classes of students with a gifted designation, however I look forward to using the information and ideas from this class in regular stream classes. I will be taking ideas on differentiation and assessment gathered from this class and applying them to the development of subsequent units. I would like to also find ways to collaborate on the development of future projects with some of my colleagues at school.

Here is a link to my final project

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by barryjanzen on July 26, 2012  •  Permalink
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542 PBL: Role of the Facilitator

A popular misconception about Project Based Learning is that once the unit begins the teacher’s job is done. Meticulous planning in the pre-unit stage by the teacher allows the teacher to act as facilitator of the project much like a project manager in a business setting. It is their responsibility to ensure progress and guide employees/students through the process, offering guidance and encouragement along the way. The manager/teacher must conduct standards based instruction to ensure success of the project and be flexible enough to alter the plan based on the evolution of the project and the needs of the students. The teacher/manager must conduct continuous formative assessment to ensure all learners are on track while providing customized instruction and direction for learners who require extra assistance. The teacher is responsible for the continued well being of the group process, ensuring all members of a collaboration are contributing in a positive manner. The teacher must continue to provide feedback to parents and staff on the progress of the unit and on individual students.

A teacher in a project based learning environment must be organized, flexible, a multitasker and must not be afraid to relinquish some control and direction within their class. The teacher must be willing to self assess and evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction and unit and be willing to make changes based on events in the class and student feedback.

For me personally, in delivering a project based unit I will need to be more “tuned in “ to the needs of the students once the project has begun in order to customize plans and instruction. I tend to over plan and can be somewhat rigid in lesson planning. Allowing for deviation from the planned course is something I will be aware of and work on.

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by barryjanzen on July 17, 2012  •  Permalink
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542 – Designing Integrated Curriculum

 

“Asking kids to do real world things naturally requires them to go beyond what they know.” – Cheryl Hibbeln

Interdisciplinary project development creates relevance for students and allows teachers time to reflect and learn from each other. Too often teachers are forced to teach in isolation, but when they are brought together to plan collaboratively they can gain insight and energy from each other. Integrated curriculum is by nature based on reality and the real word beyond the school doors because school is really the only place where you are expected to focus in on one thing at a time. In the workplace and in social environments people are expected to respond within multiple domains. The difficulty with this approach is finding ways for individual subject teachers, especially at the secondary school level, to satisfy the requirements of the learning outcomes of their course within the context of the interdisciplinary project. Interdisciplinary projects must contain material from relevant disciplines that are necessary to know in order to complete the project.

 

Unfortunately, this approach is virtually impossible in my school given the restriction of the timetable and teacher assignments. There would have to be a fundamental shift in the way we design the school day at our school in order to allow students timetabled into specific blocks in specific courses to cross over for collaboration with students and teachers in other areas. Teacher assignments would have to be designed to allow opportunities for, not only the planning process, but also to actually implement a project.

Inspiration for this post is found at this Youtube link.

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by barryjanzen on July 9, 2012  •  Permalink
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PBL – Assessment FOR Learning

Assessment in my PBL unit on Heroism is weighted heavily on  assessment FOR learning strategies in order to provide students with opportunities for self reflection and inquiry. Assessment for learning encourages self analysis and provides motivation and the spark for students to strive to learn and do more. Providing students with clear criteria in the form of a rubric allows students to consider their own work against benchmarks of achievement. By providing opportunities for peer and teacher feedback throughout the process, students develop a sense of importance in the project while encouraging drafting and revisions. A well crafted set of assessments can motivate students to learn and is not simply a yard stick for measuring what they have learned.

The summative assessment I have built for this project is a rubric that sets out standards for all elements of the development, production and presentation of the final project which is the biographical documentary on their chosen hero. This allows students to know, going into production what the benchmarks for success are and motivates them to reach the highest levels. However, the creation of the artifact does not truly represent the ultimate goal of this unit which is really illustrated in the driving question:  What inspires ordinary people to do heroic deeds? It is through the creation of this video that hopefully reveals the answers to the students and also forces them to question themselves, asking Do I have a hero within me?

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by barryjanzen on June 30, 2012  •  Permalink
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542 – PBL Unit in the Making

This week I was able to decide on one of the three ideas for a unit and sketch out its basis building blocks. The concept behind the project is to kindle the potential hero in ninth grade language Arts students, by exploring the characteristics of true heroism. This project will use a fictional character as the spring board into the investigation of heroism; however, it is the discovery of real everyday heroes and their stories that will emphasize the possibility that we can all be heroes. The unit explores the idea that traditional societal heroes are wrong because they organize their life around heroism. Just as childhood heroes are wrong because they posses supernatural talents. Most heroes are everyday people and the heroic act is what is unusual.

The project will use a combination of class collaboration to develop initial ideas, individual investigation to develop a tribute website to a living hero, and ultimately small grouping of students will produce a biographical documentary on a living hero of their choice.

 

Heroism Visual Flow Chart

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by barryjanzen on June 25, 2012  •  Permalink
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542 – PBL Brainstorming

At this point early in the course we are to be considering a topic and approach for PBL unit development. As with all the other classes I have taken at BSU, I have tried to create projects that are applicable to my teaching areas with the intention of implementation. I have use the PBL approach with my Language Arts classes, although without many of the details evident in the examples I have seen over the past few days. In Language Arts I have used this approach to try and make real life connections to thematic study in literature with some success and would like to further explore this concept.

Some general ideas I am considering in the Language Arts 9 area are a deep examination of thematic elements relating to humanity and human nature as explored in the short story Dr Heidegger’s Experiment. My idea is to have students formulate a driving question based on a theme analysis of the story then work toward the creation of a documentary video.

In Language Arts 10 a connection between heroism and the main character Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird could lead into an investigation of the true qualities of a hero culminating in a documentary biography on a local hero, perhaps incorporating the MyHero website as a resource and presentation forum.

All of the above ideas culminate in the creation of documentaries. I teach a unit on documentary film making in Media Arts 11/12 and perhaps a PBL unit in this area could focus in on a topic of choice as well as the genre. Using the National Film Board of Canada’s web resource, Beyond The Lens as a opening resource in exploring techniques, history and documentary forms can lead into interest driven groupings and development of a film.

The final area I am considering right now is in Photography. Exploring the power of photojournalism to evoke change through a PBL unit may be effective. Using the James Natchway TED talk as an entry event maybe a useful strategy.

 

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by barryjanzen on June 14, 2012  •  Permalink
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542 – Differentiated Instruction in PBL

In examining the many examples of Project Based Learning units over the past few days one common element in the design of instruction was the consideration of the needs of a diverse classroom through differentiated instruction. I discovered an article on Edutopia that offers some concrete examples of differentiation strategies. In a blog post by Andrew Miller (2012) he outlines six strategies for differentiated instruction in Project Based Learning.

1. Differentiate Through Teams

PBl is by nature a collaborative process and by sometimes grouping students in homogeneous ability levels the instructor can focus his/her attention on the groups that need the most help.

 

2. Reflection and Goal Setting

Taking time throughout a PBL project to reflect and re-adjust goals can allow individuals to set goals based on their needs and instructor to craft instruction based on these goals.

 

3. Mini Lessons

After reflection and goal setting instructors can modify and offer mini lessons for the diverse needs of the learner.

 

4. Voice and Choice in Products

Customizing the products or artifacts developed by students that reflect learning, based on the characteristics and needs of the learner, contributes to the success of PBL in a diverse classroom.

 

5. Differentiate Through Formative Assessment

Providing ongoing formative assessment is one of the primary jobs of the instructor during a PBL unit. PBL projects offer flexibility for instructors to assess and provide feedback through a variety of ways.

 

6. Balance Teamwork and Individual Work

PBL units should be developed to utilize both individual and group processes. As Mr. Miller states, “…demanding a 21st century collaborative environment while allowing time to meet students on an individual basis.”

 

This type of individualized instruction requires careful planning and flexibility by the instructor.

Reference:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-strategies-pbl-andrew-miller

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by barryjanzen on June 13, 2012  •  Permalink
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542: Technology Supported Project Based Learning – What is PBL?

Week one in this course has been a good reminder of the key elements of effective Project Based Learning units and why they are effective for students. In looking through the responses to questions from other students in the course there were some clear similarities. Most people emphasized the necessity for projects to address authentic, real life issues while remaining true to the standards and curriculum of the course. Another common thread dealt with student choice and flexibility. Here is my response to the questions this week.

 

  • Define Project Based Learning. Describe the difference between Project Based Learning and Problem Based Learning.

Project based learning is a constructivist approach to education that combines inquiry, investigation, research, collaboration, and creation, centered around a driving question and culminating in the creation and presentation of an artifact.
Problem based learning involves many of the same strategies, however the end result is limited to solving a problem. With Project Based Learning students must work through problems in order to find solutions that they can apply in the creation of a project. Solving real life problems and applying that knowledge in the creation of relevant, real life projects elevates the importance and gives meaning to learning.

  • Why should teachers consider incorporating PBL in their classroom?

Project Based Learning has become an essential approach to teaching that engages students through maximizing relevance. PBL should not be thought of as something external to the curriculum, rather as a way to deliver the curriculum in a way that teaches concepts at the right time in order to use them in real life situations or simulations.
World renowned mathematician and educator from MIT, Seymour Papert states in an Edutopia video on Project Based Learning that the,
“ …first thing you have to do is give up the idea of curriculum. Curriculum meaning you have to learn this on a given day. Replace it by a system where you learn this where you need it. So that means, you’ve got to put kids in a position where they’re going to use the knowledge that they’re getting.” By actually using the knowledge acquired during the exploration of a concept, rather than simply being tested on it, students are much more likely to gain a deeper understanding and maintain longer retention.
The collaborative nature of PBL is also an essential element of the process that cultivates valuable 21st century skills such as group interaction and communication. With the infusion of technology into PBL students are then given the opportunity to use the endless resources of the Internet, as well as the many technology tools available, in the investigation, collaboration, and production of a project. This process simulates and requires many of the same skills necessary for success in a 21st century workforce.
Perhaps the main reason to use PBL in the classroom is simply because it motivates students. Students choose to explore what is relevant to them in authentic environments with the ultimate goal of presenting an artifact, often to professionals outside of the school community. It is the high degree of relevance that stimulates motivation.

  • What are the essential components of a PBL approach to instruction?

Effective PBL units have several essential elements. They must have flexibility to allow for many learning paths and are cumulative in order for students to generate meaning. The unit must center on a driving question that compels students to explore a real life or simulated life experience and span the scope of many academic disciplines. The effective unit should tap the resources of the community, both virtually and in person and leverage the power of the Internet to access vast resources and primary sources. Within the unit there must be opportunities for students to learn from and with each other and collaborate in the creation of the artifact, putting them in the role of the “inquiring expert.” The effective PBL unit should emphasize student responsibility for their own learning, allowing them the freedom to make choices about what is important for them within the context of the question and also allow for adequate opportunities for feedback and revision. Ultimately the end result of inquiry and investigation is the creation of the project or artifact and its presentation.

Resources:
Boss S. & Krauss J. (2007) Reinventing Project Based Learning. International Society for Technology in Education.
http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-overview-video
http://www.bie.org/about/what_is_pbl

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by barryjanzen on June 8, 2012  •  Permalink
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541- Final Course Reflection

Throughout this course, AECT content standards have been a driving factor. Technology standards around design, development, and utilization have been at the core of the direction and strategy of each unit.
Development of a technology integration vision is integral to the design process. One must have a complete vision of the “why” and “how” of integration before the implementation of design. Determining the relative advantage to using technology over other strategy methods is a key element in developing a philosophical approach to designing classroom integration. Each unit of study within this course was designed to implement best practices of instructional theory and design, targeted at specific groups of learners with a standards driven learning outcome.

The following is a list of course projects with links and the standards they address:

Vision Statement

Relative Advantage of Instructional Software

  • 1.1 Instructional Design Systems
  • 1.1.1 Analyzing: process of defining what is to be learned and the context in which it is to be learned.
  • 1.2 Message Design
  • 1.3 Instructional Strategies

Network Project

  • 1.2 Message Design
  • 1.3 Instructional Strategies
  • 2.2 Audiovisual Technologies
  • 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
  • 2.4 Integrated Technologies
  • 3.1 Media Utilization

Instructional Software

  • 1.2 Message Design
  • 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
  • 2.4 Integrated Technologies
  • 3.1 Media Utilization

Interactive Presentation

  • 1.1 Instructional Systems Design (ISD)
  • 1.3 Instructional Strategies
  • 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
  • 3.1 Media Utilization

Spreadsheets and Databases

  • 1.1 Instructional Systems Design (ISD)
  • 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
  • 2.4 Integrated Technologies
  • The design of a spreadsheet or database driven lesson combines computer-based and integration technologies.

Social Media for Instruction

  • 1.1 Instructional Systems Design (ISD)
  • 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
  • 2.4 Integrated Technologies
  • 3.2 Diffusion of Innovations

Internet Safety

  • 1.1 Instructional Systems Design (ISD)
  • 1.4 Learner Characteristics
  • 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
  • 2.4 Integrated Technologies
  • 3.2 Diffusion of Innovations

Video Enhanced Lesson

  • 1.1 Instructional Systems Design (ISD)
  • 1.3 Instructional Strategies
  • 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
  • 3.1 Media Utilization

Content Areas

    Language Arts    Social Studies    Art, Music. PE    English Language Learners

  • 1.1 Instructional Systems Design (ISD)
  • 1.2 Message Design
  • 1.3 Instructional Strategies
  • 1.4 Learner Characteristics
  • 2.2 Audiovisual Technologies
  • 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
  • 2.4 Integrated Technologies
  • 3.1 Media Utilization
  • 3.2 Diffusion of Innovations

Adaptive/Assistive Technology

  • 1.1 Instructional Systems Design (ISD)
  • 1.3 Instructional Strategies
  • 1.4 Learner Characteristics
  • 2.1 Print Technologies
  • 2.2 Audiovisual Technologies
  • 2.3 Computer-Based Technologies
  • 2.4 Integrated Technologies
  • 3.1 Media Utilization

 

In working towards the conceptual framework of a professional educator as stated by the college, this course has allowed me to understand more fully the theoretical approach to technology integration for educating all learners, no matter their age, learning style or disability. The material for study and the development of relevant technology integration projects have helped me to better “create environments that prepare learners to be citizens who contribute to a complex world”. The development and study of tech implementation strategies that engage learners in content has been an integral part of this course, moreover, these strategies also serve to help students, “understand the implications of technology in today’s society”. The main thrust of this course for me has been building skills to develop strategies that help students learn how to use technology to become better thinkers and life-long learners.

Another benefit for me professionally has been the detailed look at integration in content areas other than my own. Developing strategies for tech integration into curriculum across all content areas is a personal goal for me in my career path with the intent of sharing a sound theoretical approach and effective strategies with teachers and administration. Considering the relative advantage of integration strategies I have found especially valuable. Using this approach with my own work and sharing the value of considering why you use technology in a given educational setting validates the process.

References:

Boise State University. EdTech Department: http://edtech.boisestate.edu

Blog Entries: Self Evaluation

  1. Vision Statement

This blog entry is a comprehensive look at my personal vision for technology integration, supported by several external sources.
Ranking: Outstanding

  1. Relative Advantage of Instructional Software

This blog entry outlines the relative advantage of instructional software in the classroom. My findings are supported by external resources and a multimedia Glog that gives specific examples of instructional software available for computer and tablet.
Ranking: Outstanding

  1. Spreadsheets and Databases

This blog entry examines the relative advantage of the use of these applications in education, including their ability to save time, contain and display a large amount of information and to quickly see the results of variables to a result.
Ranking: Proficient

  1. Social Networking and Walled Gardens

“Censorship, in the guise of protection, is evident throughout history when governments or religious organizations have controlled the flow of information or eliminated the expression of perceived subversive ideas, usually with the intent of suppressing dissent.” This blog entry examines my personal view of the value of social networks and the concept of “protecting” students from internet content.
Ranking: Outstanding

  1. Internet Applications via the class Voicethread

This blog outlines my personal views on using internet applications in the classroom. “…to ignore the capabilities of the Internet for gathering information, sharing resources, engaging students, communication, solving problems, building artifacts, and exploration is a disservice to students and does not prepare them for life in the world outside of school.” This entry includes a narrative on some of the ways in which I currently use the internet in my teaching and also has a link to the class voicethread on this topic.
Ranking: Outstanding

  1. Video Blog

This blog entry has a link to a video version of the text and is about the integration of video in the classroom. The entry discusses the use of video as an instructional tool, but also as a method for students to use in preparing artifacts of learning such as video documentaries.
Ranking: Outstanding

  1. Integrating Technology Into the Content Area

I believe this entry represents my best blog work for this course. I detail relative advantage and specific integration strategies for all content areas using external resources and my personal experience.
Ranking: Outstanding

  1. Obstacles and Solutions for Integrating Technology Into the Content Area

This blog entry addresses some of the problems with technology integration in content areas such as equal access for all, and security issues and includes a link to a screencast presentation that addresses technology integration strategies and solutions for English Language Learners.
Ranking: Outstanding

  1. Assistive Technologies

This blog entry outlines the accessibility capability of my Macbook Pro and was written in conjunction with the unit on adaptive and assistive technologies.
Ranking: Proficient

Overall Blog Assessment

  • Content 70/75
  • Readings and Resources 33/35
  • Timeliness 25/25
  • Responses to other students 28/30
  • Total 156/165

 

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by barryjanzen on May 1, 2012  •  Permalink
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513 – Worked Example Screencast

The following is a demonstration of a sequential approach to poetry analysis. The video was created using Camtasia.

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by barryjanzen on April 30, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by barryjanzen on April 30, 2012

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