Reading Reflection #3

1. When finding "the Big idea" or the most important concepts, ideas, processes of a project there are many aspects to consider. As a teacher look over the standards and teaching guides, what do you want your students to know and learn from the project. Making sure to consider what concept to focus on and main goals to achieve is important, so students learn what they need to. Reflecting with the students, why is it important to know the information? Thinking about the context in the real world helps the students become interested in the information.

2. The projects you do with your students should also help them develop 21st-century skills. Learning skills such as analyze, evaluate, and create are most important to understand for project-based learning. They help develop questions that will be relevant and helpful tool for teaching your students.

3. The projects you develop for your students will also help with 21st-century literacies. These literacies  are much more than teaching your students to read and write, but learning to be independent, aware, and productive people in the work force of the US. Literacies include many aspects of learning such as understandings, interpreting, communication, goals, tools, produce products, productivity, and identifying.

4. There are 8 essential learning functions; 1. Ubiquity- make sure students have tools to learn at anytime they desire, inside and outside of the classroom and with who ever they want. 2. Deep Learning- Making sure students are looking at primary sources and rich database, looking at resources with reliable information. 3. Making things visible and discussable- showing students expectations, examples instead of telling them. 4. Expressing ourselves, sharing ideas, building community- Have students use the web to express ideas and interests, blogs and social networks. 5. Collaboration- tools that help learning together and share ideas. 6. Research- Have students use search engines with filters and bookmark tools, helping with student organization on the web. 7. Project Management- Helps students manage time, work, sources, feedback from others, drafts, and products during projects. 8. Reflection and Iteration- Looking back at your work and reflecting and editing work, also reviewing others work and giving feedback.

5. Concepts in this chapter relate to my topic "Staying healthy" because my group works together to develop the "Big Idea" we want our students to learn from our projects. Also by doing project based learning I will learn time management skills, evaluate my work, analyze the project and create good projects that will help my students. Also helping with communication, reaching goal using good web sites and being a productive part of the work force. Also during this semester I will go through each essential learning function with my group members.