1.) In Back to the Future, Brian Crosby teaches us that the possibilities of learning with technology are endless! He also teaches us how selfless teachers can be, and I feel that he is someone that all education students can learn from. He shows us how much children can learn by hiding facts within fun and educational projects and assignments.
2.) In the next video, Paul Andersen discusses the Blended Learning Cycle. I learned a lot from Mr. Andersen, as I had not yet heard of this concept. He teaches us that it is a combination of different steps and learning methods combined in the classroom to cover a topic thoroughly. He refers to this as “Quiver”. He teaches us that reviewing information in different ways can help to retain knowledge. One other thing I learned that I thought was interesting was the idea Mr. Andersen had to put student results into a graph to show the class. This teaches us how important it is for students to be able to compare their findings with others within the learning process.
3.) In Making Thinking Visible, Mark Church, an elementary school teacher, sheds light on the depth of student thinking and reasoning. The students in his class were able to use logic and other skills to come up with original ideas pertaining to their assignment. Here we are able to see children dive into deeper material, and handle it excellently. Mr. Church also shows us the importance of hindsight for students. By having them reflect on their past assignments and then re-do them when they are more educated on a topic is very clever! This can allow students to see that they are truly learning and feel a sense of accomplishment for getting better over time.
4.) The next video, Super Digital Citizen, showcased a project in Sam Pane’s elementary school classroom. Mr. Pane had his students invent experiences in relation to the topics he was currently discussing in the classroom. This is a great way for students to be able to take information and make it their own, which will only help them to internalize it in the long run. This reiterates the importance of making assignments fun and easy to relate to. I thought this one was very creative and clever! We are also able to see, as educators, how technology will be a very valuable teaching tool.
5.) The video Project Based Learning by Dean Shareski focuses on several teachers who collaborate together to teach one large, more lengthy class rooted in project based learning. The teachers show us that there are no limits to PBL. The opportunities that can stem from it are never ending. I would have never thought to combine two different subjects together in one classroom. It seemed that with this change, these students were learning much more than the average student in a traditional classroom. Students seemed to want to do projects more than most other things, and they were truly able to see the benefits of it.
6.) The teachers implementing Roosevelt Elementary’s PBL program are very inspiring! I am learning how important it will be to collaborate with my colleagues. The teachers here come together to create what is a very successful PBL environment. It is very inspiring that the parents are able to see the difference PBL makes in the classroom. This shows what an effect it can have not only on a student, but also their family, friends, and the environment.
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