In this video, Anthony gave insight on what project based learning looks like to him. The goal of a good project has to have "student interest, involves the community, and is driven by content." I think it is very important to keep the teacher requirements and Alabama College and Career Ready Standards in mind while planning the project. He gave a really good example of one of the projects that he did in his classroom. The students were assigned to write letters to the Congressmen about women fighting in open combat. Not only was this fun for them, but it met reading, writing, and social studies standards. They did research on historical females to start off their research. Not only was this interesting for Anthony, it was fun for the kids. They would go home and talk to their parents or family friends that served and got their opinion on the idea. Some of the kids actually got replies as well! I think that was an awesome project, because it was more than just writing letters.
Another project Anthony talked about, was that he let his students make a narration of them being kids in Afghanistan to study the country. The focal point of each story was different. Some kids focused on the food, some on fashion, warfare, etc. What made it stand out to me, was that the kids got to choose. This gives them more ownership and more pride. I think most students has had to write a paper that was assigned to everyone in the class. Papers need originality, and with kids' imagination, it makes it fun for the teacher too.
Two tools Anthony talked about was iCurio and Discovery Education. They both seemed very useful. iCurio is an online tool that allows students to safely search websites that pull educational material only. It also gives children the opportunity to become organized with the option of putting stuff in certain folders, etc. Not only is the website kid friendly, students with disabilities can also use this website. If a child is blind, the website will read to you.
Discovery Education brings extra information to the kids. If a teacher doesn't know too much information on certain aspects, the students can search for videos that shows them more in depth to it. Also, students seem to remember and learn better if its a visual thing.
Two things that Anthony said really stuck out to me. In the video UseTech Don'tTeachIt, Anthony says, "You shouldn't teach it (technology). It shouldn't be a part of your curriculum." Instead, we should build off one another. You do one thing one week, and the next week they will use last weeks assignment and this weeks. In the video Strange Tips for Teachers, Capps stated, "Let your work become a fun experience for you." I think that is probably one of the most important things. If you aren't having fun teaching, the kids won't have fun learning. You learn along side of them, and it makes it fun for them.
Lesson:
-How it fits into your year.
-How are you going to unfold the unit.
-How are you planning your week to ensure you're getting everything done you need to.
-How do you deliver to students daily.
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