Blog Post #11

What Can We Learn About Teaching and Learning From These Teachers?

• Brian Crosby
• Mr. Paul Andersen
• Mark Church
• Sam Pane
• Dean Shareski
• Roosevelt Elementary PBL Program

In Back to The Future by Brian Crosby we learn about teaching kids to be passionate. Brian demonstrates how he uses project-based learning in his classroom. When Brian starts the school year most of the students don't even know what country they live in. Brian gets the students involved and excited to learn. They use blogging to connect to other students around the world. They get excited to share what they have learned. Some of the tools Brian uses in his classroom are:

• Class Blog
• Skype
• Flickr
• Videos
• Class Wiki

Brian points out that we need to stop "racing kids through school". We need to make it meaningful and motivating.

Mr. Paul Anderson's video the Blended Learning Cycle explains how he uses the blended learning cycle. Mr. Anderson explains that his class is made up of online, mobile and classroom learning. He created an antonym on how he creates a lesson and makes sure that his students understand what they are learning. 

QUVERS

Q- Question-What is your hook?

U- Investigation/Inquiry-Students research and discuss answers

V- Video-Watch videos to learn more

E- Elaboration-Use diagrams and read the text

R- Review

S- Summary Quiz

Making Thinking Visible, is a quick video by Mark Church. Mark Church exemplifies how we can get students to use critical thinking. He has his students work together in small groups to answer an important question. Two weeks later he returns to the question to see if they still feel the same about their answer.

Sam Pane is teaching his students to become digital citizens in this video clip Sam Pane 4th Grade. Sam asked his students a question and has them whisper at their tables. He then has the students create their own superhero teaching digital citizenship. The students have fun creating characters. He explains that it allows them to feel ownership and is a meaningful activity. They then share their characters and what their characters have to say about digital citizenship.

In Project Based Learning Dean Shareski shows us that we can combine different subjects into one project. Several teachers collaborate on a project for their students. This allows the students to have more time to spend learning. It gives the students a deeper understand. 

After watching the video Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program, I learned that Project Based Learning teaches real world problem-solving. Students learn public speaking at an early age. Some benefits of project-based learning are:

• Student Choice/Student Ownership
• 21st Century Skills
• Community Participation
• An instructional Approach/Multiple Intelligences
• Student Engagement