Tag: Project-Based Learning

Making It Meaningful.

Project-based learning may seem like just another education buzzword. Every single thing we do in life may appear as a project. Publications, communication plans, and more, boil down to projects. Even things we do in our homes. Part of this process is breaking things down into chunks and working through them along some timeline.

What about in school? Where do we learn these skills? Students appear to be working on a lot of projects, displays, etc., but what really prepares us to complete projects in the real world? These are skills that today seem only applicable in the workforce. What happens in schools tends to be more time filler and not always something relevant or even intentional to a real-world problem. What if students of all ages were allowed the opportunity explore and discover? Remember, not all learning or discovery is earth-shattering innovation. It may just be an individual experiencing something for the first time.

Students at Raisbeck Aviation High School provide just one example of how students are being engaged in authentic and meaningful explorations. Students in this scenario are learning about the math and physics behind airfoil designs. Throughout the year, they explore, design, and test airfoil designs, documenting evidence for why one design is superior to another, followed by a recommendation for what they feel is the best design to meet the pre-determined specifications. They may not necessarily be creating the next generation of airfoils for the airline industry, but they are putting their skills and knowledge to the ultimate test.

In a real work environment, this is exactly how it works. There isn’t always going to be someone standing next to you explaining the next move and why. Individuals and groups must document their processes for exploring a particular problem and be able to explain what worked and what didn’t along the way.

What are some shifts you make in your classroom to provide a more authentic learning environment for your students? What ways do you turn those ‘projects’ into meaningful explorations?

Interested in hearing more about project-based learning from students in the aviation program? Read the original post from Getting Smart and listen to the podcast.

Original Post – Project-based Learning Connects Real World with Deep Impact

Graphics and Glitter and Gaps, Oh My!

How to Keep Your PD on Point

Sylvia Duckworth, an “AIM French teacher and techno-geek” out of Toronto, shares “10 Things Teachers Want for Professional Development” in a happy little infographic. The value of the list is threefold: 18121142350_682ac1f50a_m

  1. PD Content creators ought to constantly keep these in mind when researching and developing curriculum for educators
  2. School leaders should use these as an evaluation tool when selecting programs for in-house training and in recommendations for offsite training for their teams. Additionally, there are a few reminders on how to remain a team player when attending professional development activities with your team.
  3. Although the infographic speaks of what teachers already want, it’s a good reminder on what to look for when seeking out your own development opportunities.

More artful edu-wisdom from Sylvia can be found on her twitter @sylviaduckworth or her about.me page.

 “I will never miss the glitter…”

No time is a bad time to share stories that restore faith in humanity. And this reflection on the saints who are preschool teachers is no exception. If you’ve ever parented a 3-year-old, cared for a 3-year old, or observed a screaming one in the aisles of a Wal-Mart, you know that wrangling even one of these angels is not for the faint of heart. So head over to the Huffington Post to read about just a few of the things we ought to thank preschool teachers for, then go find a teacher and thank her yourself. Faith in humanity: restored. 

Want to share a story of an outstanding teacher? Tell us: rfadenrecht@lumentouch.com

Gaps and Overlaps

When considering the achievement gap that plagues our at-risk and under-privileged youth, we think of the traditional classroom and efforts that can be made to close that gap during the school year. What we often overlook is the perpetuation of the achievement gap that occurs during the summer months, when students with fewer academic resources at their disposal face a continued lack of resources: a viable network for finding employment.

According to the superintendent of school in Rochester, NY, “There is no other time in the lives of minority and poor children in the nation where the opportunity gap is so widened than during the summer time.” But all is not lost! Read on in this EdWeek article to see what proactive cities across the country are doing to empower the youth in their community this summer.

Is your community linking youth with opportunity? Tell us about it: rfadenrecht@lumentouch.com

Direct Yourself

We’re always looking for schools who are “doing it right” when it comes to the 21st century learning movement. Change is never easy, and enacting meaningful change when it comes to education comes with a lot of bureaucratic red tape, budget limitations and a well-padded comfort zone that must be overcome. So when we find schools that seem to have found a way over or around those hurdles, we’re excited to learn more and share their inspirations with the world. Prepare to have your mind blown by – that’s right – seventh grade chemical engineers. Read it here. 

Do you know of a school doing progress, disruptive, impressive thing? (Bonus points if it your school!) Email us: rfadenrecht@lumentouch.com

 Readers Gonna Read

If you happened to read “Five Ways to Keep the Pencil Sharp This Summer” on the Lumen Touch blog last week, then you received a little nudge about reading outside your comfort zone. If you’re still stuck on where to go, check out this week’s book recommendation:

Remember when the crazies at Duke University gave every incoming freshman an Apple iPod? The catalyst of that hair brained brilliance, Cathy N. Davidson, writes about the experience, as well as her other experiences with disruptive learning in her book: Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn. Read a full summary here. Or buy it here.

Do you have book ideas to contribute? Email us: rfadenrecht@lumentouch.com

 On the Blog

This week on the blog, find out what competitive cooking, reality TV and project-based learning have in common. A few ingredients may leave you queasy, but we hope the recipe itself helps you cook up some delightful project ideas!

Share your project-based learning ideas! Email us: rfadenrecht@lumentouch.com