The cerebrum -- which is just Latin for "brain" -- is the newest (evolutionarily) and largest part of the brain as a whole. It is here that things like perception, imagination, thought, judgment, and decision occur. I hope you are thoughtful as you leave your comments on this blog.
Recent research indicates that students learn best if teachers: 1. Ask Questions 2. Present Problems 3. Prod [students] to think and then get out of their way.
21st century learning, and Project based learning are, what I feel to be excellent and more beneficial ways to get students to learn and understand the concepts being taught to them. Technology in the class, especially is great when you combined it with PBL.Having students research and complete projects collaboratively, helps build their communication skills and provokes their ability to express their ideas. According to the article on PBL, giving the students a topic, having them break up into groups to work on the project is a great way to learn. Students love to research and ask questions, by giving them a topic and having them to the research and having them discuss with each other gives them the chance to not only express their ideas but be creative as well. Getting students to ask questions, present problems and then leaving them to figure them out influences all the ideas above. This method will ultimately result in students retaining what they learn because instead of being lectured about a topic and being given the answers they are finding the answers on their own, while working in groups.
"This State-of-the-Art Classroom Makes Physics Fun" shows how we can implement the "7 Essentials for PBL". Mr. McCall's students were no longer being lectured to and told information. They were learning everything hands on. Mr. McCall became a facilitator, guiding the students instead of providing them with answer keys and step-by-step processes. He wanted the students to look at the problem, give them the freedom to explore the problems in ways that made the most sense to them, break down the problem using any means necessary (technology, media center windows, etc.), figure out why certain methods worked and certain methods failed, and develop and support their conclusions. His students are making mistakes and breaking misconceptions. They are being challenged and asked to work harder, but they like it. They like the freedom to explore and understand in their own ways, being able to bounce ideas off of each other, use resources to accomplish what they didn't think they could do before. We are allowing them to be the thought centers, the "music makers... the dreamers of dreams... (O'Shaughnessy)."
The real world isn't going to be lectured to students, they aren't going to learn how to deal with taxes, voting, budgets, world events, local events, etc., without learning critical thinking skills. They won't learn critical thinking skills sitting behind a desk writing down what the teacher says verbatim. They will learn it by doing it.
I really thought the writing on windows tool was cool. Call me a nerd, but it made me think of the show "House". I love that show and always want to write on windows or glass walls like he does. I would definitely become more involed in the classroom, if I could be like House, with the write on windows
I feel that in order for students to be motivated to learn, they first must be interested in the subject that they are studying. Project Based learning allows for students to study something meaningful to them. It allows them to make decisions and take charge of their learning. It also allows them to work cooperatively with others and be creative. However, I feel that are current classroom conditions do not adequately allow for this type of learning. Yes, we can move our desks into tables to allow to cooperative learning, but other than that are classrooms are basic rooms. Classrooms that have adequate technology and room for cooperative thinking and learning can help students engage in learning and also have fun doing so. By including project based projects I feel that students can still learn basic skills. They can also take these skills and apply it to everyday situations. I also feel that students will remember the information better and use the information they acquired later on in their lives.
The Educational Leadership article highlights the "7 Essentials for Project Based Learning" and how they can be utilized in the classroom. I think that it is quite clear that employing technology and having that technology available to students is one of the reasons that PBL can be so successful. In the article, "This State-of-the-Art Classroom makes Physics Fun," this concept is brought to life as students are more engaged in their physics class because they have access to SmartBoards, writable windows, and giant touch-screen computer monitors. The technology element adds to student interest and engagement in the subjects being taught because they are involved in hands-on learning and not sitting listening to a lecture.
The PBL article also emphasizes that projects that engage and interest students are more meaningful than perceived "busy-work" projects. This is the same concept seen in the physics classroom at Bishop Moore Catholic High. The students want to learn physics because they are fully engaged, working together, and are not listening to a lecture that can quickly bore students. The issue here is that only about half dozen high schools across the nation have embraced the idea of redesigning classrooms to encourage hands-on learning, so this type of classroom is very rare. While PBL is certainly more common and can be more easily incorporated into a curriculum, the technology element would certainly make the experience more meaningful and engaging. If everyone was in a classroom with SmartBoards, writable windows, and giant touch-screen computer monitors, everyone would want to learn physics!
When students are given time to create something or to figure out the answer to the problem the students are more engaged in the lesson and get more out of the learning experience. Most students learn more by doing than by listening. In lectures students just learn from the teacher but when working in groups students learn from each other. In the Physics classroom, the students were up and working together trying to solve the problem. With this hands on experience students are using 21st century skills by collaborating, are getting feedback from group members and are inquiring about a solution. These are some of the requirements that John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller stated in “7 Essentials for Project-Based Learning” that are important in project-based learning. Personally, I learn better when I am engaged in the learning process. Working together with other students and with tools that allow me to be creative will allow me to learn more.
Students of the 21st century are much different from students of the past. They are constantly stimulated by the plethora of technology that surrounds them. That is why it is crucial to design a classroom that fits their needs. Rob McCall's physics class was a perfect example of a classroom design that works! It is interactive and engaging, and worthy competition to today's tech saavy society. My only concern with high tech classes such as this is that (a) some schools cant afford such a thing and (b) some schools don't know how to teach to the full capability of these technologies. Therefore, if they can be afforded to be implemented, schools should make sure their teachers are trained to properly use these tools. Also, I can only hope that less fortunate school districts will have the opportunity to use these technologies. Moving onto the idea of PBL, this is something that should be implemented and while it is enhanced with technology, technology isn't always neccessary. Students can still collaboratively work, brainstorm, research, invent ideas, etc. without the use of computers (believe it or not books are just as useful). I think the PBL is something that every school should do because it really gets students interested and passionate about their project. It's amazing what students can do without extremely strict guidelines.
The article, "This state-of-the-art classroom makes physics fun", shows how to put the information from the "7 Essentials for Project -Based Learning" article into practice. Instead of just reading about something that sounds effective, we were given a real example of how and where this is being done.
At MIT students are collaborating, communicating, thinking critically, and using technology to get through their course. Best yet, the teacher is acting as an aid instead of dictating information to the students. In this classroom, students get to experience what it is like for a real physicist, where they are given problems that they need to solve.
Students these days are used to being given a problem and the teacher having the answer written down already, they are used to being given a problem that can be solved, but maybe they cannot?
These skills are important to the future of our students, because when they get out of school they are going to need these more then we would have ever thought. we must make the work for our students meaningful and give it educational purpose too.
Both articles discuss how students work together to solve problems. In the first article, the teacher wasn't there to "answer questions", and allowed the students to work together on a "window with crayons" to figure out physics. This is an awesome idea, and even as an adult I would find that fun. I still love writing on the chalkboard/whiteboard. The students found this fun and were engaged, and actually learning something. The physics teacher used the essentials for Project-Based Learning. He gave the students a question, had them think, and had them choose a way in which they could solve the problem. I think that students are more engaged and learn better with technology and project-based learning. Who would've ever thought Physics to be "fun"? "Many students find schoolwork meaningless because they don’t perceive a need to know what they’re being taught." This is so true. Many students do find school meaningless and feel "why am I learning this?" Kids know when they are doing just "busy work". Teachers need to engage and motivate students so that they want to learn. Project-based learning does this.
Student-centered, collaboration, and technology are three ingredients that result in an effective, motivated classroom. Students learn best when they work through problems hands-on. Not only was this proven in the article, "This state-of-the-art Classroom," I've experienced this for myself. Throughout my undergraduate studies, many of the classes that I took were lecture-based instruction. An hour and a half of rambling on and me thinking about what I was going to do that weekend. It was not until I was in the classroom working hands-on with the students was when I finally developed a deeper understanding of what teaching truly did entail. As a teacher, it is important to know this. There is "teaching" and then there is effective teaching. Using the right tools, allowing for collaboration, and "letting go of the reins" so that students can take control of their own learning is the start of effective teaching.
Effective ways of children learning is through collaboration and creativity. Both articles indicated that students learn better when they work together and through technology. New ways of teaching involves educators presenting the project using videos, movies, and field work etc. to capture their student’s attention. Also, to motivate them by giving options to how they can do their project with the use of technology. If this is the way to help kids learn, why not use these techniques? I agree that students are not learning because they are not motivated. With the assistance of technology, students are more interested in gaining knowledge. Why not let these kids explore? They are bound to ask questions, and that shows that they are learning.
A common thread that I found between the articles ["This state of the art classroom makes physics fun" and "7 essentials for project based learning"] was the emphasis on student engagement. Both articles point out how more 'state of the arm technology' and PBL concepts allow students to approach a problem in their own way. In the first article, the author discusses how students found it more beneficial if teachers asked questions, posed problems etc. and then let them solve problems. This active learning approach is an excellent way to let students become more involved because it allows them to be more hands on, which is a tool students will need in their adult lives. The second article was interesting because it gave me a better understanding of PBL, in regards to making it work. Creating an problem that is meaningful to the students allows them to have more fun and understanding with it. As the article states, schoolwork is more meaningful when its not only done for the teacher or test.
There are many characteristics that make up an effective classroom. In “This state of the art classroom makes physics fun” the article discusses the positive impacts a student based classroom can have for the student. The students would be prodded by the teacher with a few hints in solving a problem, but then the job of the teacher becomes to just stay out of the way as they solve their problem with their classmates. In my experience as a student who has had one student centered, this can be somewhat frustrating for the teacher as well as the student. The student wants the help and the teachers want to give answers. In my experience, I also realized I remembered everything I learned in that class as opposed to my other lecture based classrooms. This is because I was actually engaged in my education which allowed me to understand the material instead of just memorizing it before the exam. In 7 essentials for Project-based learning, the author discusses the differences between an effective and an ineffective PBL lesson. For example, there’s point in having the students create an amazing end product if the lesson wasn’t meaningful to them. In my opinion, this is a common misconception made my teachers that in order to have a great PBL lesson, they have to have this beautiful product at the end. Actually what we need is to create engaging questions and meaningful ways to connect the topic to each of our different students. When we can create a classroom like this, are students will not only be engaged in the lesson, but also want to be engaged.
The articles "This state-of-the-art classroom makes physics fun" and " Essentials for Project-Based Learning" both refer to how important technology is for the classroom and how more hands on these classrooms should be. I believe that Project based learning and 21st centruy learing are very good to use in the classroom. These help students become more involved in their classwork and have more fun with it. According to the PBL article collaboration it is key in the classroom. This allows students to work on their communication skills and their technology skills. Breaking up into small groups allows the students to work on these skills and express their thoughts on the topic. Students should have the oppurtunity to speak their minds and have some say in wht they want to learn about. The more meaningfull the topics are for the students the more involved they will be. It's not important to them when they are only being lectured to and tested.
15 comments:
Recent research indicates that students learn best if teachers:
1. Ask Questions
2. Present Problems
3. Prod [students] to think and then get out of their way.
21st century learning, and Project based learning are, what I feel to be excellent and more beneficial ways to get students to learn and understand the concepts being taught to them. Technology in the class, especially is great when you combined it with PBL.Having students research and complete projects collaboratively, helps build their communication skills and provokes their ability to express their ideas.
According to the article on PBL, giving the students a topic, having them break up into groups to work on the project is a great way to learn. Students love to research and ask questions, by giving them a topic and having them to the research and having them discuss with each other gives them the chance to not only express their ideas but be creative as well.
Getting students to ask questions, present problems and then leaving them to figure them out influences all the ideas above. This method will ultimately result in students retaining what they learn because instead of being lectured about a topic and being given the answers they are finding the answers on their own, while working in groups.
"This State-of-the-Art Classroom Makes Physics Fun" shows how we can implement the "7 Essentials for PBL". Mr. McCall's students were no longer being lectured to and told information. They were learning everything hands on. Mr. McCall became a facilitator, guiding the students instead of providing them with answer keys and step-by-step processes. He wanted the students to look at the problem, give them the freedom to explore the problems in ways that made the most sense to them, break down the problem using any means necessary (technology, media center windows, etc.), figure out why certain methods worked and certain methods failed, and develop and support their conclusions. His students are making mistakes and breaking misconceptions. They are being challenged and asked to work harder, but they like it. They like the freedom to explore and understand in their own ways, being able to bounce ideas off of each other, use resources to accomplish what they didn't think they could do before. We are allowing them to be the thought centers, the "music makers... the dreamers of dreams... (O'Shaughnessy)."
The real world isn't going to be lectured to students, they aren't going to learn how to deal with taxes, voting, budgets, world events, local events, etc., without learning critical thinking skills. They won't learn critical thinking skills sitting behind a desk writing down what the teacher says verbatim. They will learn it by doing it.
I really thought the writing on windows tool was cool. Call me a nerd, but it made me think of the show "House". I love that show and always want to write on windows or glass walls like he does. I would definitely become more involed in the classroom, if I could be like House, with the write on windows
I feel that in order for students to be motivated to learn, they first must be interested in the subject that they are studying. Project Based learning allows for students to study something meaningful to them. It allows them to make decisions and take charge of their learning. It also allows them to work cooperatively with others and be creative. However, I feel that are current classroom conditions do not adequately allow for this type of learning. Yes, we can move our desks into tables to allow to cooperative learning, but other than that are classrooms are basic rooms. Classrooms that have adequate technology and room for cooperative thinking and learning can help students engage in learning and also have fun doing so.
By including project based projects I feel that students can still learn basic skills. They can also take these skills and apply it to everyday situations. I also feel that students will remember the information better and use the information they acquired later on in their lives.
The Educational Leadership article highlights the "7 Essentials for Project Based Learning" and how they can be utilized in the classroom. I think that it is quite clear that employing technology and having that technology available to students is one of the reasons that PBL can be so successful. In the article, "This State-of-the-Art Classroom makes Physics Fun," this concept is brought to life as students are more engaged in their physics class because they have access to SmartBoards, writable windows, and giant touch-screen computer monitors. The technology element adds to student interest and engagement in the subjects being taught because they are involved in hands-on learning and not sitting listening to a lecture.
The PBL article also emphasizes that projects that engage and interest students are more meaningful than perceived "busy-work" projects. This is the same concept seen in the physics classroom at Bishop Moore Catholic High. The students want to learn physics because they are fully engaged, working together, and are not listening to a lecture that can quickly bore students. The issue here is that only about half dozen high schools across the nation have embraced the idea of redesigning classrooms to encourage hands-on learning, so this type of classroom is very rare. While PBL is certainly more common and can be more easily incorporated into a curriculum, the technology element would certainly make the experience more meaningful and engaging. If everyone was in a classroom with SmartBoards, writable windows, and giant touch-screen computer monitors, everyone would want to learn physics!
When students are given time to create something or to figure out the answer to the problem the students are more engaged in the lesson and get more out of the learning experience. Most students learn more by doing than by listening. In lectures students just learn from the teacher but when working in groups students learn from each other. In the Physics classroom, the students were up and working together trying to solve the problem. With this hands on experience students are using 21st century skills by collaborating, are getting feedback from group members and are inquiring about a solution. These are some of the requirements that John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller stated in “7 Essentials for Project-Based Learning” that are important in project-based learning.
Personally, I learn better when I am engaged in the learning process. Working together with other students and with tools that allow me to be creative will allow me to learn more.
Students of the 21st century are much different from students of the past. They are constantly stimulated by the plethora of technology that surrounds them. That is why it is crucial to design a classroom that fits their needs. Rob McCall's physics class was a perfect example of a classroom design that works! It is interactive and engaging, and worthy competition to today's tech saavy society. My only concern with high tech classes such as this is that (a) some schools cant afford such a thing and (b) some schools don't know how to teach to the full capability of these technologies. Therefore, if they can be afforded to be implemented, schools should make sure their teachers are trained to properly use these tools. Also, I can only hope that less fortunate school districts will have the opportunity to use these technologies.
Moving onto the idea of PBL, this is something that should be implemented and while it is enhanced with technology, technology isn't always neccessary. Students can still collaboratively work, brainstorm, research, invent ideas, etc. without the use of computers (believe it or not books are just as useful). I think the PBL is something that every school should do because it really gets students interested and passionate about their project. It's amazing what students can do without extremely strict guidelines.
The article, "This state-of-the-art classroom makes physics fun", shows how to put the information from the "7 Essentials for Project -Based Learning" article into practice. Instead of just reading about something that sounds effective, we were given a real example of how and where this is being done.
At MIT students are collaborating, communicating, thinking critically, and using technology to get through their course. Best yet, the teacher is acting as an aid instead of dictating information to the students. In this classroom, students get to experience what it is like for a real physicist, where they are given problems that they need to solve.
Students these days are used to being given a problem and the teacher having the answer written down already, they are used to being given a problem that can be solved, but maybe they cannot?
These skills are important to the future of our students, because when they get out of school they are going to need these more then we would have ever thought. we must make the work for our students meaningful and give it educational purpose too.
Both articles discuss how students work together to solve problems. In the first article, the teacher wasn't there to "answer questions", and allowed the students to work together on a "window with crayons" to figure out physics. This is an awesome idea, and even as an adult I would find that fun. I still love writing on the chalkboard/whiteboard. The students found this fun and were engaged, and actually learning something. The physics teacher used the essentials for Project-Based Learning. He gave the students a question, had them think, and had them choose a way in which they could solve the problem. I think that students are more engaged and learn better with technology and project-based learning. Who would've ever thought Physics to be "fun"?
"Many students find schoolwork
meaningless because they don’t perceive a need to know what they’re being taught."
This is so true. Many students do find school meaningless and feel "why am I learning this?" Kids know when they are doing just "busy work". Teachers need to engage and motivate students so that they want to learn. Project-based learning does this.
Student-centered, collaboration, and technology are three ingredients that result in an effective, motivated classroom. Students learn best when they work through problems hands-on. Not only was this proven in the article, "This state-of-the-art Classroom," I've experienced this for myself. Throughout my undergraduate studies, many of the classes that I took were lecture-based instruction. An hour and a half of rambling on and me thinking about what I was going to do that weekend. It was not until I was in the classroom working hands-on with the students was when I finally developed a deeper understanding of what teaching truly did entail. As a teacher, it is important to know this. There is "teaching" and then there is effective teaching. Using the right tools, allowing for collaboration, and "letting go of the reins" so that students can take control of their own learning is the start of effective teaching.
Effective ways of children learning is through collaboration and creativity. Both articles indicated that students learn better when they work together and through technology. New ways of teaching involves educators presenting the project using videos, movies, and field work etc. to capture their student’s attention. Also, to motivate them by giving options to how they can do their project with the use of technology. If this is the way to help kids learn, why not use these techniques? I agree that students are not learning because they are not motivated. With the assistance of technology, students are more interested in gaining knowledge. Why not let these kids explore? They are bound to ask questions, and that shows that they are learning.
A common thread that I found between the articles ["This state of the art classroom makes physics fun" and "7 essentials for project based learning"] was the emphasis on student engagement. Both articles point out how more 'state of the arm technology' and PBL concepts allow students to approach a problem in their own way. In the first article, the author discusses how students found it more beneficial if teachers asked questions, posed problems etc. and then let them solve problems. This active learning approach is an excellent way to let students become more involved because it allows them to be more hands on, which is a tool students will need in their adult lives. The second article was interesting because it gave me a better understanding of PBL, in regards to making it work. Creating an problem that is meaningful to the students allows them to have more fun and understanding with it. As the article states, schoolwork is more meaningful when its not only done for the teacher or test.
There are many characteristics that make up an effective classroom. In “This state of the art classroom makes physics fun” the article discusses the positive impacts a student based classroom can have for the student. The students would be prodded by the teacher with a few hints in solving a problem, but then the job of the teacher becomes to just stay out of the way as they solve their problem with their classmates. In my experience as a student who has had one student centered, this can be somewhat frustrating for the teacher as well as the student. The student wants the help and the teachers want to give answers. In my experience, I also realized I remembered everything I learned in that class as opposed to my other lecture based classrooms. This is because I was actually engaged in my education which allowed me to understand the material instead of just memorizing it before the exam.
In 7 essentials for Project-based learning, the author discusses the differences between an effective and an ineffective PBL lesson. For example, there’s point in having the students create an amazing end product if the lesson wasn’t meaningful to them. In my opinion, this is a common misconception made my teachers that in order to have a great PBL lesson, they have to have this beautiful product at the end. Actually what we need is to create engaging questions and meaningful ways to connect the topic to each of our different students. When we can create a classroom like this, are students will not only be engaged in the lesson, but also want to be engaged.
The articles "This state-of-the-art classroom makes physics fun" and " Essentials for Project-Based Learning" both refer to how important technology is for the classroom and how more hands on these classrooms should be. I believe that Project based learning and 21st centruy learing are very good to use in the classroom. These help students become more involved in their classwork and have more fun with it. According to the PBL article collaboration it is key in the classroom. This allows students to work on their communication skills and their technology skills. Breaking up into small groups allows the students to work on these skills and express their thoughts on the topic.
Students should have the oppurtunity to speak their minds and have some say in wht they want to learn about. The more meaningfull the topics are for the students the more involved they will be. It's not important to them when they are only being lectured to and tested.
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