Reading Reflection 9 (Week 9)

1. Discussion on ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom.
2. Description of the EAST Initiative Model.
3. Discussion on some reasons to let students “lead” their projects.
4. Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

There are many ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom. You can ask experts that are willing to communicate online, reach out to family members and friends, seek help from community members, etc. By reaching out beyond the classroom, you lead your students to a more meaningful project. 

The EAST Initiative Model is all about using technology to solve real-world problems. Students are able to learn the necessary material while helping their communities. 

There are a lot of reasons to let students students "lead" their projects. The students will be able to feel responsible for their own learning, they will be more engaged, and it will often lead to other topics that need to be explored. In the book, it says that, "projects spiral in unanticipated directions and live on into the future to create extended benefits" (pg. 199). This is helpful especially because as teachers, we think we know the right time to end a project, but there could be other learning opportunities within the same project.

The concepts in this chapter relate to the lesson that I wrote for this topic because I had to understand the importance of letting the students take charge of their own learning. Sure, the teacher needs to be there to guide the instruction, but the students will feel more responsible for their learning and be more engaged if they have a more important role in their own learning.