1. Description of some ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom.
Its really important for students to feel and be connected with a real audience, and digital-aged projects offer that to our students. Knowing that others will be reading, or watching your work can be a powerful motivator. Using these technologies students can branch out and consult with experts in the topic they are researching. Connecting students with experts may require some effort on your part, but if you make this a regular part of your process then it will become effortless. A great resource is your students parents, don't be afraid to ask them for access to their world of expertise or if they know anyone whom you are looking for. Technology is so unlimited you can design a project so that your students have to communicate with a class down the hall or half way around the world.
2. Description of the EAST initiative Model.
EAST stands for Environmental And Spatial Technologies, they are a network of schools that have been demonstrating the benefits of using technology to solve problems and make improvements in their communities for a dozen years. These students master tools that are commonly found in professional labs and design studios, to help solve community problems that interest them. For example, a team of students recorded oral histories of World War II veterans and then used software to develop architectural plans for a museum in their honor. I think that is pretty inventive and a lot more impressive that anything I have ever done. The EAST initiative started in Arkansas in 1996 and has grown to have more than 260 schools in seven states. It started out as a high school program but has come to include students from second grade to post-secondary levels.
3. Discussion on some reasons to let students "lead" their projects.
I know it sounds kind of scary but once you are more comfortable with PBL then you can start to see that students are very capable of leading their own projects. Letting the students pick their topic for their projects can be so beneficial to their learning, we know that if students are more interested in a topic than they most likely work harder or go more in depth with it. This way students can really find their own path in learning and it can become more memorable in the long run, because they pick something they liked, not just the teacher giving them a topic they have no interest in. This way you, the teacher, are not micromanaging every project.
4. Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.
Our overarching topic is Hurricane Sandy, and from the way we have formatted our project, its as if the students came up with the topic because the hurricane affected them in some way. I think this is comparable to the EAST initiative model because the students took it upon themselves to research a topic that involves their community and those around them. From this chapter I think a great idea would be to maybe ask someone whose life was affected by Hurricane Sandy to maybe talk with the students. Another idea would be that we could set up an open blog so that anyone who was affected by Hurricane Sandy could post and help answer our students questions.
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