Project Based Learning

According to a 2001 article published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, "a growing body of academic research supports the use of project-based learning (PBL) in schools as a way to engage students, cut absenteeism, boost cooperative learning skills, and improve test scores." These types of projects put students in charge of their own learning. Instead of sitting all day listening to a teacher lecture on the answers to the questions of the universe, the students are engaged in activities that allow them to find the answers themselves. "Everybody is motivated by challenge and solving problems" (Curtis, 2001).

In order for project-based learning to be successful, the teacher must choose a "real-world topic worthy of children's attention and effort" (Curtis, 2001). The project must begin with discussion of the topic, to establish what the children already know about it, as well as what problem they will be solving. Then students begin the work of gathering information from a variety of sources, and using information literacy skills to analyze and apply what they have found. In the final stage, students present what they have learned.

The benefits of project-based learning extend beyond the enthusiasm of students. Research shows that students retain information better when they have applied it to a real world situation instead of just regurgitating it for a test. They are better able to apply their knowledge to future situations than their peers who learned the same material through lecture in the isolated context of the classroom. Project-based learning has also been shown to increase standardized test scores, reduce absenteeism, and improve social and collaborative skills (Curtis, 2001).

It takes some work and a willingness to try new things to implement project-based learning in the classroom. The teacher must have a clear picture of the objectives to be taught and the assessment of learning outcomes. Educators can get assistance with the sometimes onerous task of assessment by using pre-made checklists that can be tailored to meet the needs of a particular project. One site that provides such checklists is 4Teachers.org (http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/). In the interest of time, not all required curriculum material can be taught through project-based learning. The teacher must evaluate which topics can be covered effectively by more traditional teaching methods such as lecture and textbook activities. The topics that require in-depth coverage for student understanding are best suited for PBL (Buck Institute for Education, 2002).

It is easy to implement cross-curricular learning through the used of project-based learning activities. For example, students from Tolenas School in California learned about Native Americans, marsh ecosystems, geography, geology, and local history when they took on a PBL task to find out why it was important to preserve Rush Ranch (Ball, 2003). In the course of the project, students also strengthened their skills in research, writing, technology, and communication. The class's finished project can be seen on the website they created at http://www.geolit.org/rushranch/ .

The way I feel about implementing project-based learning in my classroom is the way I feel while waiting in line for a ride at an amusement park. There is excitement mixed with nervousness. Is it going to be a blast, or am I going to regret this decision? Just like I anxiously watch the people getting off the ride to see if they survived, I eagerly search the Internet for accounts of teachers who have implemented project-based learning. I try to gather hints about what worked and what didn't, so that when I do get on this ride, I can throw up my arms and enjoy the experience instead of closing my eyes and holding on for dear life, praying for it to be over.

References

Ball, A. (2003). Geo-Literacy: Forging New Ground. Edutopia. Retrieved February 25, 2006, from http://www.edutopia.org/php/article.php?id=Art_1042&key=037

Buck Institute for Education. (2002). Project Based Learning Handbook. Retrieved February, 25, 2006, from http://www.bie.org/pbl/pblhandbook/intro.php#coverage

Curtis, D. (2001). Start with the Pyramid. Edutopia. Retrieved February 25, 2006, from http://www.edutopia.org/php/article.php?id=Art_884&key=037

GLEF Staff. 2001. Project-Based Learning Research. Edutopia. Retrieved February 25, 2006, from http://www.edutopia.org/php/article.php?id=Art_887&key=037

Ch. 5--Stage 1: ASKING

The Asking lesson planner helps the teacher to integrate specific Asking skills into a lesson or project. It is a more detailed extension of the Asking section of the Ten-minute lesson planner discussed in the previous post. There are five components in the Asking planner: essential skills, prerequisite skills, technique skills, equipment skills, and review skills. Each skill is divided into subskills, and the teacher can pick which ones to emphasize in a particular lesson--not every lesson is going to touch on every skill! This stage of planning forces the teacher to evaluate where the students are, where they need to go, and what will be needed to get there.

The student Asking tool helps students to activate their previous knowledge on a given subject. In an organized way, they are presented with the teacher's key words about the topic, are asked to summarize what they already know, and are encouraged to list questions they can use to find more information about the subject. The advanced version of this Asking tool urges students to use higher-level skills to think about questions that are relevant to the subject today. It also pushes them to look to the future and ask imaginative "what if" type questions.

It will take some practice for teachers to become adept at planning using the Asking lesson planner. It will also take lots of guidance from the teacher for students to become comfortable with the process involved in the student Asking tool. However, both of these tools provide opportunities to move toward higher-level thinking skills. With practice, the steps will become second nature, and students will start to automatically apply the skills to many situations without the guidance of the tool.

Ch. 4--Introducing the Ten-Minute Lesson Planner

Project-based learning activities can be a very effective tool for teaching information literacy skills, across all subjects and at any grade level. Planning and implementing a project-based learning activity, however, can be an overwhelming task. The teacher must have specific learning objectives in mind, and create an authentic project to achieve those goals. The potential benefits of this type of learning experience can be easily lost if the teacher has not carefully considered the methods to be used for student learning and assessment. The ten-minute lesson planner is a tool designed to help teachers quickly and efficiently integrate curriculum content with the 5As (asking, accessing, analyzing, applying, assessing) in order to create a technology-rich project. The tool, as well as the 5As, can be applied to any subject at any grade level, and together they provide teachers with a way to ensure that "all criteria for learning information literacy skills are addressed" (Jukes, 2000). When the tool has been completely filled in, the teacher has a clear picture of the content to be taught, the objectives to be met, and the methods the students will use to ask a question, access and analyze information, and apply it to the question. The lesson planner also allows the teacher to establish how student learning will be assessed at the end of the project. At a glance, both the content and the process skills for the lesson are visible.

References

Jukes, I., Dosaj, A., Macdonald, B. (2000). net.savvy: Building information literacy in the classroom (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

What to do about Wikis

Wikipedia is a reference site that allows users to submit and edit encyclopedia-type content. The service is free to anyone, anywhere, unlike Encyclopedia Britannica, which charges users for access to its material. The journal Nature reported that both encyclopedias had numerous errors, "but among 42 entries tested, the difference in accuracy was not particularly great" (Giles, 2005). The difference between these two sites is that anyone using Wikipedia can "edit, delete, or modify content that has been placed on a site--including the work of previous authors--using only a browser interface" (Riddell, 2006). A team of volunteers strives to verify information and keep the site as error-free as possible. At Britannica, a paid staff of experts writes the articles and checks for accuracy--users have read-only access.

A visit this morning to Alexa.com, a site which tracks web traffic, found that Wikipedia currently ranks #1 in online reference sites, and is globally the 22nd most visited site on the web. These rankings are higher than those reported just three weeks ago in an eSchool News article (Riddell, 2006). The increasing popularity of this type of reference site is causing a stir in schools as educators debate its validity and reliability as a reference tool. The benefit of Wikipedia is the "speed at which it can be updated" (Giles 2005) to reflect the rapid changes in today's world, especially in the areas of technology and pop culture. The concern is the level of accuracy, and whether students can discern good information from bad. Wikipedia, and other similar sites, present a unique opportunity for students to learn and practice information literacy skills.

Educators must stress to students the importance of confirming the validity of their research. Students must be able to identify possible sources of information, then determine the most appropriate ones for the task. "Students should be taught not to rely too much on a single source and to cross-reference sources against each other" (Riddell, 2006). As Giles (2005) points out, even our "gold standard" resources like Britannica are not error free and must be carefully evaluated. Educators must emphasize the "old school" skills of close reading and use of multiple sources in order to help students navigate through the ever-changing world of information (Riddell, 2006).

References

Giles, J. (2005). Internet encyclopaedias go head to head. Nature. Retrieved February 18, 2006, from http://npg.nature.com/news/2005/051212/full/438900a.html

Riddell, R. (2006) Wikis test students' research skills. eSchool News. Retrieved February 18, 2006, from http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6069

Links

http://www.alexa.com

http://www.wikipedia.org

Setting up the NetSavvy Classroom

A NetSavvy classroom allows students to "learn information-processing skills while completing relevant student projects in almost any subject area...and at any grade level" (Jukes, Dosaj, Macdonald, 2000, p. 17). The idea is to incorporate NetSavvy skills into the current curriculum to widen students' opportunities for research and presentation, rather than approaching information literacy as a separate subject. The key to the success of this approach is to have a curriculum in place that emphasizes problem-based learning. The Internet is a valuable tool in this kind of learning, and the NetSavvy framework "provides a comprehensive organized list of information literacy skills as they pertain to the Internet" (Jukes, Dosaj, Macdonald, 2000, p. 19). Students will learn the critical skills of asking, accessing, analyzing, applying, and assessing.

I feel that as a first year teacher, in theory it should be relatively easy for me to set up a NetSavvy classroom. I am just becoming familiar with the third grade curriculum. I do not have a file cabinet of lesson plans that I have taught the same way year after year. I have not had time to become "set in my ways" or resistant to change in my classroom. As I progress through the year, I have a better feel for what has to be taught, so I can now look for creative ways to use problem-based learning to cover the same material. Through those projects, I can familiarize my students with the five As, and equip them with the tools needed to master each skill, therefore better preparing them for the technology-laden world that awaits.

Jukes, I., Dosaj, A., Macdonald, B. (2000). net.savvy: Building information literacy in the classroom (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Ch. 3—Understanding InfoSavvy and NetSavvy

Because of the new technologies found in today’s world, literacy is no longer being able to remember some information you read once. Instead, literacy today is being able to find, evaluate and apply information to a specific task. Unfortunately, many people are not prepared for this shift in literacy. Adults find themselves struggling to learn new skills in order to keep up with the rapid changes in the world. Teachers must take on the responsibility of preparing students for life in the Information Age so that when they leave school, they do not face the same technology struggles now encountered by their parents.

Teachers can help students become InfoSavvy by systematically providing information literacy experiences at all grade levels and in all subject areas (Jukes, Dosaj, & Macdonald, 2000, p. 11). There are five aspects (5As) of information literacy that are crucial to becoming InfoSavvy:
· Asking (questions to be answered)
· Accessing (relevant information)
· Analyzing (the acquired information)
· Applying (the information to a task)
· Assessing (the end result and process) (Jukes, Dosaj, & Macdonald, 2000, p. 11)

At first, educators will teach students to tackle each of the 5As separately, treating each as a separate entity. This is important because there are many subskills involved at each level, and many of those must be demonstrated and practiced before the larger process can be mastered. For example, in order to be proficient at the analyzing process, students must be able to organize and summarize information from a variety of sources, differentiate fact from opinion, examine information for bias, and determine whether any information needed to answer the original question is missing. Eventually, once students are comfortable with each of the 5As, they will be able to apply them to problems fluently. The individual steps will blend together into a single smooth process (Jukes, Dosaj, & Macdonald, 2000, p. 14).

Using the Internet to navigate through the 5As is the key to becoming NetSavvy. Being NetSavvy is more than just knowing the mechanics of using hardware or software. It is knowing how to use these tools, and especially the Internet, to gather information, analyze it, and apply it to solve a specific problem.

Currently in my classroom, I teach my third graders many of the subskills needed to become InfoSavvy. Unfortunately, because I did not understand the larger picture myself, I don’t think I’ve done a great job of tying all the pieces together in the 5As format. I think a 5As poster in the classroom would be a good tool for my students and me, to guide us through problems in a systematic way. I believe this approach will increase the depth of understanding (and the amount of learning), and will allow students to more successfully apply what they are currently learning to future situations.

Jukes, I., Dosaj, A., Macdonald, B. (2000). net.savvy: Building information literacy in the classroom (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Ch. 2--Understanding InfoWhelm

Help! I have IDD! There is a good chance that you have information dysfunction disorder as well. The amount of information that bombards us today has increased dramatically, thanks to advances in mail delivery, television and radio broadcasting, telephone services, book, newspaper and magazine publication, and the internet (Jukes, Dosaj, & Macdonald, 2000, p. 6). As a result, many people are suffering from anxiety and guilt over an inability to keep up with all of the information flowing into their lives. They may have too much to do and too little time to do it in. They may be surrounded by piles of information in the form of unread mail, books, magazines, and newspapers. They often know what information they need, but are unable to find it.

People respond to this information overwhelm in different ways. The "informationally oblivious" don't know they have a problem. They have lost their ability to evaluate information sources for validity, and willingly accept almost anything they see, hear, or read. The "informationally paralyzed" are aware that there is much that they need to know, but are overcome by the sheer volume of information or by the technology needed to retrieve it. They don't have the skills to use the tools, or to find the needed information, or to process any information they do access. Finally, the "informationally dyslexic" know they have an information problem, and have some skills to be able to solve it. Unfortunately, their skills are not very precise, and if they are able to find the information they need once, they may not be able to duplicate that success. If they do find the information, they are often unable to evaluate and apply it appropriately (Jukes, Dosaj, & Macdonald, 2000, p. 7).

The first step to curing IDD is admitting there is a problem. Because the world of information has changed so drastically, we must all learn a new set of skills in order to cope. We must practice these skills in the same way we practiced what we learned in driver's ed--we eventually got to the point where we could drive with very little conscious thought. As educators, we must introduce technology skills to students early on, so they have plenty of opportunity to practice evaluating and applying information before they get into the "real world." If we do this successfully, our students will be immune to the "infowhelm" that is paralyzing many adults today.

Jukes, I., Dosaj, A., Macdonald, B. (2000). net.savvy: Building information literacy in the classroom (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Ch. 1—The Internet in Your Face!

The first Web browser was only introduced in 1995, yet every company and industry in the world marketplace understood that it was vital to establish themselves in the online community. The Internet allows everyone with the appropriate hardware and software to be digitally wired together, regardless of their location on the globe. Research no longer takes hours, weeks, or years. Information can be shared almost instantaneously, instead of relying on the speed of a messenger. For the first time, research, communication and publishing tools have converged in one place, and are available to “businesses, schools, and even the homes of ordinary people” (Jukes, Dosaj, Macdonald, 2000, p. 4).

“Many educators believe that access to the Internet can have a profound and positive impact upon education” (Jukes, Dosaj, Macdonald, 2000, p. 5). Yet the capabilities of the Internet have created two major challenges for educators. The first is developing mastery of basic information literacy skills. There is so much information available to students through the Internet that extra time must be spent teaching them how to clarify the task, locate appropriate materials, evaluate the information for relevance and authenticity, organize the findings, and apply the ideas to the original problem.

The second challenge educators face is how to effectively use the Internet in an educational context. Online resources and activities must be integrated into the curriculum in appropriate ways, so that they enhance instruction and create new opportunities for student learning. The Internet can open the door to endless possibilities for developing problem solving and critical thinking skills, as long as it is used correctly.

It is becoming vitally important for educators to lead students from the Industrial Age into the Information Age. They must teach students to become information literate, able to locate and evaluate information from the vast Internet, so that they will have the skills sought by employers in today’s ever-changing marketplace.

Jukes, I., Dosaj, A., Macdonald, B. (2000). net.savvy: Building information literacy in the classroom (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Hey, I didn't know Jessica Simpson was a sixth-grade teacher! Just kidding. What really stood out for me in the article "Media-Savvy Kids" (Lundstrom, 2004), was that even though teachers complain about not having enough time to teach media literacy in their already-packed curriculums, many are doing it without even knowing it. The article states that media literacy is a process, not a content area. Teachers should approach it as just another way to teach critical thinking skills, not as another topic to try to squeeze into the day. Because research says that children can spend up to four and a half hours a day in front of TV screens, computer monitors, or video games, it is important for educators to teach them skills for evaluating all of the information they are receiving. The result? According to studies, kids may become less agressive, be more skeptical of tobacco and liquor ads, develop healthier eating habits, and even improve reading and listening comprehension scores on standardized tests. It is vitally important to teach children not to accept everything they see, hear, and read in the media as the gospel truth. They must learn to look beyond the surface message and evaluate the message on a deeper level.

In order to evaluate all of the messages they receive, there are five key questions that media-savvy kids must ask.

• Who created this message? (how might their personal feelings and goals influence it?)
• What creative techniques are used to get my attention? (what are the tricks?)
• How might different people interpret this message? (what audience was targeted, and does this message apply to me?)
• What lifestyles, values, and points of view are in this message? What was left out and why? (does everyone share these lifestyles, values, and points of view?)
• Why is this message being sent? (what is the result the creator is hoping to achieve?)

The responsibility for creating media-savvy kids cannot rest solely on teachers, since much of the child's exposure to media happens outside of the school. Teachers and parents must work together to introduce and reinforce the skills children need to become media literate. Cable in the Classroom has resources available for both parents and teachers, helping these adults become more media literate themselves before they tackle the issue with youngsters. PBS also offers a great website for parents, which guides them in asking appropriate questions to help children evaluate electronic media including movies, television, the internet, advertising, and video games. Parents and teachers should also remember that librarians are a valuable resource in the quest for media literacy!

Media literacy is not a new issue. Even before the internet, video games, television, and radio, people had to evaluate what they read in print. Raising media-savvy kids has become such a hot topic recently because kids are exposed to media, in all its forms, at a higher volume and faster rate than ever before.

References

Cable in the Classroom http://www.ciconline.org/Enrichment/default.htm

Lundstrom, M. (2004). Media-Savvy Kids. Instructor. Retrieved February 3, 2006, from http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/Nov04_mediasavvy.htm

PBS Parents http://www.pbs.org/parents/childrenandmedia/