My top two. (Can’t really decide which is first or second)
Getting Down and Dirty with Engaged Learning; Amy Crandall
The video was a great extension on the ones seen in class. It is great to see project based learning working well. It is nice to know that the students start at an early age and then continue through the higher grades. The best thing is seeing the students engaged and active in their own learning. I agree with you that the teachers took on more the role of facilitator then a guide. The teachers let the students choose their topic and only helped to steer them to something that was feasible. Technology was seen being used throughout. I agree with the LoTi level of 5. I would have like to have seen more technology use in some of the final products instead of boards. It did seem that the higher the grade the more technology was used. I still haven’t seen them using technology to check the market. The song about worms at the beginning showed interdisciplinary to include music. Math, science and language arts seem to be other major components. Assessments don’t seem to big a part of these videos. In a way I like that because it shows that they are more interested in the student and their learning then just making good grades (although they are important). They do mention that their test scores go up but they don’t make it the main focus and doesn’t take away from the students actually learning.
Learning Landscape: Kids Monitor Terrain with Tech ; Shannon Albright
The video was great in showing engaged learning and continuously show the engagement of the students learning from one year to the next. The older students were then given the task of helping and teaching the younger students. Each student is also made in charge of an organism and then later needs to share it with others in the group. The students are also being exposed to an actual change in an environmental area in their community. The students can continue to work and observe the changes in the same place from year to year. They are observing, hypothesizing, collecting data, and experimenting at a previous prairie wetland that was used for cattle land and crop that destroyed the biodiversity found within. Now the students have a chance to see how it can be restored and are a part of the restoration project.
The school didn’t have the technology at first but they received a grant to buy equipment that the students now use to collect their data. With the use of technology the teachers became more a guide throughout the project. The students used computers and a variety of probes to collect data. Once they have gathered all the information they discuss their findings and send it to the Glacial Ridge Wildlife Refuge. They also have scientist come and help with the information. I agree with Shannon that the LoTi Level is at 4 and almost a 5 because the students own problem solving wasn’t really evident. I enjoyed the comment made of not using textbook. Those textbooks get outdated by the time they get them. They use technology to gather real time data found on respected science website to correlate with their own findings. They have a true real world experience in their own community.
The thing I try to keep in mind is that these videos of course only probably tell a small part of the whole project. Both of these video talked about a collaboration not just among the community but within their own school. It demonstrated on how it was not just a one year project and that as they continue they find new ways of continuing their learning but at a different level. Further research would be needed to see if the weaker engaged learning indicators are actually not weak and are just not present in the videos. I do see that these projects require not only the collaboration of the community but most importantly the collaboration of other subject matters to have a truly engaged learning project. My hope and goal is that learning about other successful projects will help me to design and implement a successful one at my own school.
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