- Discuss the potential pitfalls in project design.
- Discuss the features of a good project.
- Discuss where project ideas come from.
- Discuss the steps to design a project.
- Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.
The potential pitfalls in project design are an activity taking long while the outcomes on learning are short, technology layered over traditional practice, trivial thematic units, overly scripted with many steps, not enough focus on formative assessment, and assessment that doesn't feel authentic. The features of a good project are they are loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths, are generative. center on a driving question, capture students interest, are realistic, reach beyond school to involve others, tap rich data, are structured, and get at digital age skills and literacies. The project ideas come from online, in books, the ideas can literally come from everywhere. The steps to design a project include revisiting the conceptual framework, deciding on specific skills, identifying learning dispositions, planning the "vehicle" and entrée into the project experience, and writing a project sketch that you can share with others and follow through with. This chapter has helped me better understand what a good project should consist of and where I should go about finding project ideas.
Cassie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the time it takes for these types of lessons can be a major downfall, and seeing as how three of us have already mentioned it we realize just how negative an impact this can have in a classroom. I appreciate how you mentioned that good projects should be designed to encompass all different types of learning paths, because we all know no two students learn the same way. That kind of ties in with you stating that we can get ideas for projects from just about anywhere, and that's important to remember.
Cassie,
ReplyDeleteI really like the parts of chapter 4 that you chose to blog about. "The features of a good project are they are loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths, are generative. center on a driving question, capture students interest, are realistic, reach beyond school to involve others, tap rich data, are structured, and get at digital age skills and literacies." I think that this part was the most important part of chapter 4 since that is what will enable our students to prosper from projects with others.