Reinventing Project Based Learning

I just received my new copy of Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digitl Age by Suzie Bls and Jane Krauss purachased through my ISTE membership. I am alreay using many kinds of technology-connected projects in my classroom and have been for several years but with the new Web 2.0 technologies, one must keep current and stay on the cutting edge. It will be a slow read through the rest of the school year but this summer I will really get into a real groove of planning new projects; especially after attending the NECC conference in San Antonio.

First Web 2.0 Technology use

The first plunge has been taken into using Web 2.0 technologies and students in World Geography are doing a project using Google Maps. The beauty of the project is that now they can work on it both in the classroom and at home; that goes also for the Works Cited by using easybib.com. It is going well; students are uploading their own pictures or using internet pictures that are cited. The first project was turned in today and the quality is good. Another step has been taken along the information use highway.

Grant proposal mailed Friday

After four months of hard work and much writing, the grant proposal went out in the mail. Now we have to wait and see if we achieve success. While waiting I need to practice and relearn some of my Web 2.0 technologies. Good news immediately is that the team will be attending the 2008 NECC Conference in San Antonio, TX at the end of June. Last year's conference was wonderful; this year we can concentrate more on the nuts and bolts of Web 2.0 instead of the broad strokes.

Podcasts online

Using the new Web 2.0 techology of podcasting, my American History and World History section summaries are now posted online on the school's website, www.shsvp.com.
The students are using them for test reviews so it is another tool for learning. Student podcasts will be posted online soon in American History from their VFW essays.

Google Docs and Spreadsheets

As usual I am working on learning a new technology, this time it is Google Docs and Spreadsheets. This web based sharing tool could almost take the place of a wiki and allow students to collaborate on projects with access from any computer. This is something to think about and play around with. I created this quick syllabus original document and uploaded it to this blog; potential there.

Renweb is now installed on all my computers and probably next week we'll have a workshop to learn that new system allowing parents to see grades and assignments.

This has really been a technology loaded summer what with attending the NECC conference in Atlanta and trying to digest lots of new things in preparation for writing the grant. Let's hope this all comes together in a meaningful way.
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"Powerbook surgery". Sarae's photostream. posted January 22, 2006. Canon Powershot S410 camera http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarae/90106817/

American History Syllabus

Sacred Heart High School

2007-2008

First Grading Period

Chapters 4,5,6,7,8

Project: VFW essay and podcast

Second Grading Period

Chapters 9,10,11,12,13

Project: Critical Thinking Biography

Third Grading Period

Chapters 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

Project: Important Battle Power Point Presentation organized by a wiki

Fourth Grading Period

Chapter 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

Project deadlines will run over so this is overlap catchup time

Each grading period has an Academic Assessment Rubic grade worth 50 points.

Death by Power Point

Read an interesting blog entry by Doug Belshaw from the UK about people who put up a Power Point slide presentation and then preceed to read directly from it. Boring!!!!! I agree and have been in that situation myself. However, I find myself doing that somewhat in class lecturing and the students copying the notes off the Power Point slides. At first seven years ago I was really bad and had way too many slides and notes. I guess I felt a complusion to put everything in writing up on the screen. I am better; now I have only 6 slides per chapter and am only doing American History myself with the new books we have chosen. World History and World Geography provide Power Point slide shows per chapter that are less wordy and more thought provoking. So, I am trying to learn how to do that; lecture and make the students actually read the material and use the slide presentations for more critical thinking. I am a work in progress.