Module 2 Responses
From Fringe Area
Contents |
EDTC 6324
Grant Proposal
Response to Article
Fletcher, G. H. (2006). Imagine the possibilities. T H E Journal, (33)16, 6-8.
In his article, G.H. Fletcher points out a very significant fallacy that pervades some segments of the educational arena and that is that technology just for the sake of technology equates to learning. He describes a school in Klein Independent School District where teachers were either using the whiteboards for teacher dictated learning, or they were not using them at all. He commends the director of the district, Ann McMullen for observing that students were not benefiting from the technology. By re-structuring the classroom into groups and maximizing the use of the existing technology, the students in her district have become more involved in the process of their own learning. Now the learning in her district has become student-centered and student-initiated.
Since I teach technology courses, my students have the benefit of having their own individual computers. However, I have used the overhead projector to have my students give group presentations to the rest of the class. Students were assigned sections a video unit, and they had to present their sections to the class. The students used the presentations to assist in the process of creating their video projects, and their presentations were eventually compiled and placed on one location on the web server where all students could use them to study for the semester exam.
Response to Questions
1. What are the advantages to teaching units as these teachers do?
There are many advantages to teaching units in small groups with the use of technology and real world connections as these teachers do. First of all, students have to get involved with the assignment in order to be successful. Teaching units in this manner engages those students who would otherwise be sitting at their desk “failing” alone. Secondly, group structured real world projects such as these allow students who have varying styles of learning the opportunity to succeed by providing different multi-sensory opportunities. For example, the extroverted child can find success and involvement in the presentation process, while the child who is introverted can find success in researching concepts. Children with disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD or mobility-related disorders also have the opportunity to participate and to collaborate with class members because they can better utilize assistive technologies. Finally, teaching units in the manner allows a more self-directed approach to learning in which students have ownership in their work because they have more liberty to make choices about their learning within general guidelines.
2. What are some disadvantages that you can see to teaching this way?
One of the primary disadvantages to project based learning is the amount of time involved to do a project-based learning assignment once implemented. The second primary disadvantage is the amount of time “up front” that has to be done to ensure a successful unit. Even though the teacher is taking more of a facilitative role, the work in order to prepare the unit is extensive and the work to evaluate the projects afterwards is time-consuming as well.
3.What are some challenges you will face as you attempt to develop this type of lesson?
The primary challenge to developing units such as these is making sure that they have value and purpose. Since I have done these types of units in my classroom quite extensively, I can comment from experience that it takes a lot of preparation to make sure that you have adequate resources; that your resources are used to their maximum potential; and that your units covers as many of the concepts required by your curriculum over the specific period of time required to do the project based assignment. Since many curriculum goals and objectives are ongoing throughout the year, it is easy in some cases to continue their implementation; however, six weeks specific objectives have to be covered by law, so it is challenging to fit them all into the assignment.
4.What types of resistance will you face in developing lessons like those in the videos (yours, other teachers, administrators?
The first type of resistance encountered with this type of lesson generally comes from the same angle. My experience has been that the “curriculum” is usually the primary form of resistance. For example, administration is primarily concerned with how the school performs on TAKS or end of the year assessments. If there is no clear and relevant connection between the project based unit and the mastery of curriculum objectives needed to obtain the necessary scores on yearly assessments, the administration will offer resistance to the idea of such learning. Teachers resistant to this type of project based learning will offer the same types of comments regarding curriculum. Many will claim that they simply do not have time to do project based learning units because they are time-consuming, and they have too much to cover that is mandated by the state. On occasion, I have heard teachers being resistant to project based learning because of technology resource limitations. However, these teachers generally do not implement project-based learning in any format whether they use technology or not.
5.In developing a project-based lesson, how can you adapt it to meet state standards?
When considering the development of a project-based lesson, it is extremely important to make the connection between the curriculum and the lesson. I speak from personal experience on this matter. I can recall a situation around ten years ago when I first began using project based learning in my Pre-AP/GT English classes. A colleague and I were team teaching the project based unit, when the parent of one of his students took exception to the unit because he felt that it had nothing to do with English. Since the parent was a trial lawyer by profession, his first complaint was registered to the principal of the school. Not realizing that my colleague and I were team teaching the unit, the principal later that week came to my classroom to do one of his yearly observations. He noticed that that unit was the same as the one being done by my colleague. After the observation, he asked about the unit, and he wanted to know where the idea for the unit originated. I told him that it was originally my project based learning unit, and I handed him the publication. The unit was one of the projects that I did while getting my M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction, and it had been published by the state as an example of how to integrate technology with curriculum. Needless to say, when the material was presented by my colleague in his conference with the trial lawyer and the principal, the lawyer didn’t have much to say when he saw that the unit was aligned with state standards and that its application had educational relevance to English. Always ask yourself the questions: “What are my students learning from this?” “Are they reaching and exceeding state goals and objectives?” and “How will students convey the learning accomplished through project-based assessments to paper-based assessments at the end of the school year?”
