Echoing some of my colleagues’ statements on their blogs, this has been a whirlwind of a week. I’m moving on Saturday, and I have not packed a single box yet. I’m also taking another one week 3 credit class next week as well. This is not looking good for my sanity or my homework completion rate.
Back on track, I’m still struggling with integrating PBL into a Language Arts Classroom. Part of that is because so much of LA is reading from the cannon. Students today have a hard time connecting the events in literature to their lives. However, the PBL I looked at for analysis asked the big question of why we still read this literature. It could help students see that human kind really hasn’t changed that much. It’s what to do with that information that would make the learning even more authentic. So much of what I’ve read is not to solve a problem, but to relate it to their own lives.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Week One-Project Based Learning
The premise of Project Based Learning (PBL) makes sense in my head. In everyday life, students are able to personalize their belongings, accounts, and other aspects. And since they are exposed to so much technology, they often do not have to engage in critical thinking. PBL would put both together.
I appreciate how the Intel Reading mentioned how PBL should be part of one’s instructional techniques, and not the only one. Often, I find it frustrating to be an English teacher because everything that I instruct really needs to be applied in other subjects. Sometimes I often wished that I could pair with a social studies teacher to make my content more authentic. I don’t think that everything in an English classroom can be taught through PBL, but there are opportunities.
My other challenge is looking at this from the perspective of a LMS as well. I think that a LMS would have to help the classroom teacher connect with the community to help students with their authentic research. Maybe we could spend time in class focusing on how the LMS can support the classroom teacher, and how we can promote these projects to the staff.
The other major topic of the week were the LoTI. After taking the survey, and thinking about it, last year I was probably at a level 2. If was to continue being a classroom teacher, I think I would have been a level 3 next year. So much of technology and applying new knowledge take time to work things into the classroom. I am not someone who likes to take huge risks in the classroom. My preference is to have someone else try it first, ask them questions about it, and then try it in my classroom. Again, it goes back to Intel Reading advising to try one thing at a time, and then it won’t seem as overwhelming.
I appreciate how the Intel Reading mentioned how PBL should be part of one’s instructional techniques, and not the only one. Often, I find it frustrating to be an English teacher because everything that I instruct really needs to be applied in other subjects. Sometimes I often wished that I could pair with a social studies teacher to make my content more authentic. I don’t think that everything in an English classroom can be taught through PBL, but there are opportunities.
My other challenge is looking at this from the perspective of a LMS as well. I think that a LMS would have to help the classroom teacher connect with the community to help students with their authentic research. Maybe we could spend time in class focusing on how the LMS can support the classroom teacher, and how we can promote these projects to the staff.
The other major topic of the week were the LoTI. After taking the survey, and thinking about it, last year I was probably at a level 2. If was to continue being a classroom teacher, I think I would have been a level 3 next year. So much of technology and applying new knowledge take time to work things into the classroom. I am not someone who likes to take huge risks in the classroom. My preference is to have someone else try it first, ask them questions about it, and then try it in my classroom. Again, it goes back to Intel Reading advising to try one thing at a time, and then it won’t seem as overwhelming.
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