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The Power of Project Learning

The Power of Project Learning
By Wayne D'Orio Here’s a riddle: Imagine there is a learning technique proven effective through 100 years of use that is now enhanced by the power of today’s technology. Imagine it can excite learners to continue their work well past the parameters of the school day. What is it, and would every school in the country do it? It is project-based learning, and the answer is yes, and no. Why Project-Based Learning? While project-based learning can be decidedly low tech, the recent surge of interest has been driven by the increase in technology capabilities in public schools. “Friedman’s book had an incredible impact,” says John Mergendoller, executive director of the Buck Institute for Education in Novato, California, a nonprofit research organization promoting problem- and project-based learning. There are now 40 New Tech schools from coast to coast, including eight in California and four each in Texas and Louisiana. Two other factors help Tech Valley’s mission. What Makes a Great Project?

Teaching Creativity Through Projects Today I would like to focus my blog post on what I believe is the best what to teach 21st Century Skills and school technology to our students — projects. The school I taught at before coming to my current school was a PBL or Project-Based Learning school. This meant that most of the concepts and skills that were being taught to students were part of a larger projects — students love to learn this way. Here is a rough idea at how project-based learning works… Step One: Define — give your students a real-world problem or process and ask them to make things better, easier, faster, cheaper, more effective or more enjoyable. Step Two: Plan — students need to take time to understand information about the subject, through study and research students can use school technology to be better equipped to answer the above question. Step Three: Do — using different techniques students then do the project, in the case of the Renaissance question, I will ask my students to produce a podcast.

Instructional Technology/Utilizing Technology for Meaningful Learning The information provided in this section of the Instructional Technology Book is provided by students in the Master's of Education program at the University of Mary Washington. Students are in the Leadership in Educational Technology program and are working in conjunction with Dr. Teresa Coffman in the ITEC547 Special Topics course (Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning) during the Fall 2008 semester. This chapter will investigate and explore the various theories and resources on technology tools and meaningful learning. The course also created classroom activities that explores the idea of technology and meaningful learning. Here is the page to help with formatting text Please feel free to add to our research and classroom activities to grow the wiki of meaningful learning! What is Meaningful Learning? Vision – What does meaningful learning look like? Elementary Leadership in Technology: IT Starts at the Top History

Welcome Browse Resources Verizon Foundation proudly partners with some of the country’s top educational organizations to provide you with the latest topics, tools and trends in education. Created by the John F. Visit ARTSEDGE Developed by the Council for Economic Education, EconEdLink provides teachers and students with lessons and classroom learning activities based on economics topics in the news and real-time economics data. Visit EconEdLink Presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities, EDSITEment features lesson plans and additional classroom resources about art and culture, literature and language arts, foreign language, history and social studies. Visit EDSITEment Designed by The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Illuminations is the comprehensive source for instruction and learning materials based on NCTM's Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Visit Illuminations Visit National Geographic Education Visit ReadWriteThink Visit Science NetLinks

Videos I'd Like My Future Principal to Watch: PBL at HTH Let me start by freely admitting I don't know how to do this. Let me also admit that at the high school I think I'd like to create I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't hire myself as a teacher. Nevertheless, I'd like my future principal to watch the following video (yes, it's 15 minutes, but it's important to watch all of it). I'd like my future principal to consider the ideas contained in this video and compare them to the more traditional view of what high school looks like that many of us have. 12:14 - We need to be evocative, we need to be midwives with teachers and find out how they learned in high school, what was their most memorable learning experiences.

Common Core Georgia Performance Standards Georgia has joined 44 other states, the District of Columbia (D.C.), and 2 territories, along with the Department of Defense Education Activity, in formally adopting a set of core standards for kindergarten through high school in English language arts, mathematics, and grades 6-12 literacy in science, history/social studies, and technical subjects. The CCGPS provide a consistent framework to prepare students for success in college and/or the 21st century workplace. These standards represent a common sense next step from the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). What do CCGPS mean for Georgia? The CCGPS for English Language Arts, mathematics, and literacy in science, history/social studies, and technical subjects will ensure that all Georgia students have an equal access and opportunity to master the skills and knowledge needed for success beyond high school. CCGPS Online Professional Development Professional Learning Webinars Professional Learning Georgia Public Broadcasts

Essential Questions Examples of Essential Questions In schools, essential questions may offer the organizing focus for a single discussion, a month’s unit of study or a whole year’s exploration. Outside of school, of course, essential questions might challenge us for years. We may struggle with questions of a lifetime as well as questions of the day. We may have close and brief encounters with monumental issues or longstanding relationships with queries that dog us, defy us or delight us. In this section we will look at school examples that work well at four age levels: Primary Grades - Students from the age of 4 to 8. Primary Grades Questions about traits are especially powerful for this age group as young ones try to understand the world around them. What are the traits of a good fast food restaurant? Traits are at the heart of evaluation on Bloom’s Taxonomy - the skill of making wise choices based on criteria and evidence. Why do you suppose the rain falls down? Intermediate Grades Middle School High School

Online Library of Professional Development Resources - Dr. Marzano's Suite in iObservation Accelerate Teachers’ Instructional Improvement Dr. Robert Marzano’s Library of Online Resources is the perfect companion to the Marzano Observation and Feedback Protocol. As teachers’ assessed need areas are revealed through use of the Marzano Protocol, the Library provides on-demand professional development resources for use to improve instructional effectiveness. Teachers are able to utilize a rich collection of resources within the library including professional development modules, exemplary videos of best practices, videos of Dr. The Marzano Library of Online Resources: Are accessible on-demand 24/7 by teachersTarget assessed need areas for teachersOffer economical professional developmentSupport continuous improvements in instructional practice Dr. Contact Us to learn how to access the complete library of Dr. Register for a demo of the Marzano Protocol in iObservation Watch Dr.

Active Learning | Infusion Level | Language Arts Objectives Students will learn to use Pages for publishing a magazine. Students will learn to use a shared file. Procedure Each student applies for and is offered a job at the magazine: Pre-AP CLASS. NETS Profiles for Technology Literate Students Use a variety of media and technology resources for directed and independent learning activities. Materials iPhoto Pages Word Scanner Digital Camera Projector and Laptop Grade Level: 6-8 Twenty Ideas for Engaging Projects The start of the school year offers an ideal time to introduce students to project-based learning. By starting with engaging projects, you'll grab their interest while establishing a solid foundation of important skills, such as knowing how to conduct research, engage experts, and collaborate with peers. In honor of Edutopia's 20th anniversary, here are 20 project ideas to get learning off to a good start. 1. Flat Stanley Refresh: Flat Stanley literacy projects are perennial favorites for inspiring students to communicate and connect, often across great distances. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Please tell us about the projects you are planning for this school year.

21st Century Learning: A visit to the GA DOE Center for Classroom Innovation What does learning in a 21st century classroom look like? We had the opportunity to visit the Georgia Department of Education’s Center for Classroom Innovation. The room is setup with different spaces depending on the kinds of learning and collaboration taking place. The room also offers flexibility with some mobile furniture such as rolling chairs, rolling tables, and screens that divide the space into different learning areas. The spaces include: The room is also equipped with these technologies: Wireless internet with multiple access pointsDocument cameraXbox with KinnectLaptop cart3D projector w/3d glasses for a class2 Mondo boards (large touch screen computers) w/videoconferencing capabilitiesPlug and play connections to easily display content from any device You can view a slideshow of the room and find out more here. This visit began taking shape several weeks ago when we were invited to bring a class to the space to engage in a lesson and be filmed. In class, Mrs. Mr. Like this:

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