Reading Reflection #8

    As teachers, we can bring in professionals to talk with our students. The student will gain more by listening and asking an expert questions related to our topics. A good way to branch out beyond the classroom is creating a class blog or website. It is a way for other people across the country and even around the world to look and relate to the project your class is doing.

    The Environmental and Spatial Technologies (EAST) Initiative Model networks of schools have been demonstrating the benefits of using technology to solve problems and make improvements to their communities. The EAST model is built on 4 essential ideas.

1.     Student-driven learning: students need to be responsible for their own learning

2.     Authentic project-based learning: Students should be engaged in solving real problems in their communities.

3.     Technology as a tool: Students need access to the relevant technologies that professionals use to solve real problems.

4.     Collaboration: When students collaborate in teams to pursue authentic projects, they accomplish more than any one person can do in isolation.

  Once you are comfortable with the idea of a project, let the students start taking over. If your project is something they are interested in, they will get their work done. This is a way for you as a teacher to make sure that students really understand that project; if they are able to teach it someone else then they understand. All you have to do is start them off and then let them go, they will take over.

      This chapter can relate to our project. We are going to have a class blog where we can show people what we are going. We are also going to have experts come in a talk to our students. Last, we can let our student’s lead different parts of the project. If they are split into groups, have a group leader, tell them the basic idea of what they have to do then let them figure it out together.