505 Final Reflection

The centerpiece of EDTECH 505: Evaluation for Educational Technologists, was an evaluation report. Since my school is preparing to make the shift to bring your own device (BYOD), I've been considering options for graphing and data analysis, so this project provided an excellent opportunity to dig into Desmos, one of the tools I'm interested in.

As part of the evaluation, I asked my students to complete a survey on their experience with Desmos. When I reviewed the results, I was struck by the gaps between my perception and my students' reaction. When students were using Desmos, I was excited about how easy to use and flexible it is. I had informal conversations with students while they were using it, which left me thinking students were similarly positive about Desmos. When I read the student surveys, however, it became clear that my instruction on the use of Desmos was lacking and many students longed to return to the TI calculators they were more familiar with.

In a true evaluation, the evaluator has no investment in or connection to the project in question, and is therefore able to view the data with no bias. A truly objective evaluator may have had the same informal conversations with students that I did, but left with a more accurate impression. Since I can never eliminate my investment in my classroom, it is crucial that I find ways to ensure I can hear what my students and other stakeholders have to say. I need to make tools like the student survey I included in the evaluation a bigger part of my practice if I want to understand where my students are at.

Synchronous Online Learning

Teaching a class online requires teachers to find ways to shift to student-centered approaches, a process I've been working on in my face-to-face classroom this year.  There is significant evidence that students learn physics best from lessons based on discovery learning, where they are asked to construct their own knowledge rather than absorb information from lectures.  I've significantly reduced my use of lecture, instead providing students with open-ended lab experiences and opportunities to work together to find strategies for solving problems.

As I've started thinking about what online learning may look like for a physics class, my biggest hurdle is not to envision what student-centered learning may look like, but to find ways to replicate meaningful lab experiences when students do not have access to the kind of equipment in a typical science classroom.  There is evidence that simulations can provide a meaningful substitute for traditional lab activities and websites such as PhET and the Concord Consortium provide free, high-quality simulations that make it possible for online science teachers to give their students worthwhile labs.  With some creativity, simulations could be supplemented with labs using materials that students can find at home.

As part of my shift to constructivist, student-centered approaches, collaboration has become an important part of my classroom.  Many of the collaborative activities I've been using would be well-suited to synchronous meetings.  For example, I've borrowed the approach to cooperative group problem solving developed by the University of Minnesota's physics education group.  In this process, students take on set roles such as manager, recorder, and skeptic to collaborate on solving context-rich problems too difficult to solve independently.  This process benefits from all members of the group focusing on the problem and sharing ideas in real-time.  Each group would need their own space to work, which could easily be accomplished through the use of breakout rooms in many web conferencing tools.

Another tool that would translate nicely into synchronous meetings are the sense-making discussions many physics teachers conduct after labs.  I've made limited use of these so far, but the idea is students share their results and observations, then have a discussion to come to an agreement on the big ideas contained in the activity.  In the classrooms where teachers do this well, students question each other, argue about the meaning of graphs, and build off each other's observations to reach a final consensus.  While this process could work on a discussion board, the immediate feedback of a real-time discussion can lead to more engagement in this type of discussion, making it a good fit for a synchronous meeting.

The last activity I'm considering for a synchronous meeting is a version of Kelly O'Shea's Mistakes Game.  Rather than providing solutions or correct answers when her students work problems, she has each group put their solution to a problem on a whiteboard with at least one intentional mistake.  The groups them present their solution to the rest of the class and their peers ask questions to make the mistake clear.  This process can lead students to a deeper understanding of their misconceptions, but requires real-time give and take that simply cannot be replicated asynchronously.  The main challenge would be finding a good way for students to display, and change as they discuss, their solutions.  One option would be to have students simply use a sheet of paper and a webcam, then mark corrections with a different colored pen or pencil.  Depending on the web conferencing tool, it may also work for students to upload a photo of their solution, then use markers built into the tool to make changes as the group discusses.

Designing an Asynchronous Lesson

Over the last few weeks, I've been developing an asynchronous lesson on refraction aimed at high school students.  Now that the lesson is nearly complete, its time for me to self-assess and reflect on the quality of what I've done.  I'll be doing this using two different tools.  First, I'll be looking at the rubric that will be used to evaluate my lesson as part of the course.  Second, I'll see how my lesson stacks up against the Common Core instructional practice guides.

Course Rubric

Content: My lesson includes all of the items the rubric is looking for.  The landing page includes an introduction that provides a student-friendly overview of the lesson objectives.  I also included a teacher information page that lists the learning targets my school district uses, the Minnesota state science standards, and the Next Generation Science Standards this lesson addresses.  Throughout the lesson, I included links to resources to support the lesson.

Learning Styles: There is significant evidence that students learn science best by doing science, so this lesson does favor kinesthetic learners.  Students spend most of the lesson playing with a simulation to make observations and determine important principles of refraction, but also will be completing a real-life lab using materials most should have at home.  These activities should also appeal strongly to visual learners since the simulation provides conceptual enhancements that make the underlying process of refraction visible.  My lesson includes two short presentations that should reach auditory learners and I included links to good articles for students who would prefer to read about the topic.

Engagement: In this lesson, as well as interacting with the simulation, students will be participating in discussion boards and using an online quiz that provides immediate feedback.  This lesson is intended to require students to be very active learners, which should promote a high degree of engagement.

Adaptive/Assistive Technologies: This is an area I struggled in.  I'm planning to add captions to the video presentations to support students who have hearing loss.  The big challenge in this lesson is how to support students with significant vision impairment.  While a screen reader will make the text accessible, it will be difficult for a visually impaired student to get the full benefit of the at-home lab or the simulation, especially since the observations are extremely visual.  I did some research to see how others have approached this problem, and most have the blind student work with someone who will explain what is happening in a lab or simulation.

Assessments: This lesson includes both formative and summative assessments.  In the formative category, students will post to a discussion forum about their initial observations in the simulation, as well as about the at-home lab they will be completing.  Both sets of posts will give me a chance to spot and, if necessary, correct, any confusion.  In addition, students will complete a Minds on Physics module from the Physics Classroom.  These modules provide multiple choice questions with an emphasis on a deep conceptual understanding and opportunities to develop mastery of a concept.  At the end of the lesson, I have two summative assessments.  To ensure students have developed a conceptual understanding, they will need to photograph or record an example of refraction from outside the class and explain what they see in a blog post to share with the class.  To make sure they understand the formula, students will need to complete a screencast explaining how they determined the index of refraction of an unknown material within the simulation.

Common Core Instructional Practice Guides

I examined my lesson against the grades 3-12 ELA metrics to see how my use of reading compares to Common Core Standards.  Many of the Common Core criteria specifically related to reading are poorly addressed by this lesson.  That does not mean, however, that the lesson is a bad one.  It simply means that I would have to be very aware of how the lesson fits within the larger unit and make sure that those reading criteria are met elsewhere.

Complexity of Texts: I use a limited amount of text in this lesson, but it is appropriate to high school students according to the Lexile scores I found, meeting the first two criteria.  Many students would benefit from using close reading strategies on these texts, but will not require varied purposes in reading.

Range of Texts: The texts included in this lesson would serve the purpose of keystone texts, grade-level appropriate materials that require close reading for full comprehension that provide a basis for additional reading.  To meet the full criteria for range of texts, other materials would need to be used in addition to those in this lesson.

Quality of Texts: The texts used follow informational text structures, which CC says at least 50% of the materials must be.  The materials used in the lesson should help students to develop a deep, clear knowledge of refraction.

Text-Dependent and Text-Specific Questions: Since the readings are not a major focus of the lesson, there are not questions specifically tied to the texts, though a clear understanding of the readings will support students in completing the questions in the Minds on Physics module and the at-home lab.  Other texts would need to be used during the unit to meet this criteria.

Scaffolding and Supports: Limited scaffolding is provided specifically for the reading since the texts are not a major focus of the lesson.  The presentations should provide some prior knowledge to students beginning the readings, but no specific pre-reading activities are used.  Again, additional texts would need to be used during the unit to truly meet this criteria.

Writing to Sources: Students have several opportunities to write during this lesson.  First, as part of the discussion posts, starting with the initial exploration with the simulation and later with sharing observations and explanations from the at-home lab.  In both cases, students will be connecting their writing to evidence in the form of observations.  Second, students will be writing a blog post in which they explain how a photo or a video they took demonstrates refraction.  This will require them to connect to material learned from the readings and presentations earlier in the lesson.

Speaking and Listening: The discussion forums will provide students with some opportunities to build on each other's ideas as described in this criteria, even if the conversation is via text rather than voice.  Students will also have the opportunity to use academic language and to communicate effectively in the screencast they will be creating as one of the assessments.

Language: While grammar and language conventions are not specifically addressed, the focus on sharing and trying to explain observations will mirror the kind of communication that is expected of a working scientist.

Learning Styles and Online Teaching

After taking several learning styles assessments, I was not at all surprised to find I'm a kinesthetic learner.  Learners like me learn by doing and benefit from hands-on, tactile experiences.  At first glance, this learning style seems difficult to serve in an online environment.  In fact, in a 2002 study, Halsne and Gatta found that kinesthetic learners are less likely to pursue online learning than visual or reader-writer learners.  There are, however, extremely effective strategies which can be used to serve kinesthetic learners in an online environment.

• Simulations, such as the excellent examples from PhET and Concord Consortium, provide the opportunity for learners to manipulate variables and observe results, similar to what would happen in a lab in a brick and mortar classroom.  This can provide the kind of hands-on experience that engages and supports to kinesthetic learners.
• Many kinesthetic learners like to apply their new knowledge, so approaches such as project-based learning (PBL) can benefit these learners.  PBL emphasizes connecting learning to authentic problems to provide meaningful experiences for a wide range of learners.
• Bailey Martin suggests making sure class materials are in a mobile-friendly format.  When it comes time to listen, watch, or read something, many kinesthetic learners will absorb more if they can exercise or move around.  If the materials are accessible from a tablet or smart phone, kinesthetic learners could easily do their reading from a treadmill or listen to an audio presentation while on a run.
• Assignments that send students into the "real world" can also engage kinesthetic learners.  Students could conduct experiments using materials they have at home, collect data about something in their community, or otherwise connect their learning to the world beyond their classroom then report back to the class using a blog or a discussion forum.  The prevalence of mobile devices, complete with cameras and microphones, makes this even easier since students can easily record their work and share with whoever they would like.

Teachers tend to do fairly well with learning styles similar to our own, but it doesn't come as naturally to address other learning styles.  In the assessments I took, I was consistently below average in my preference for auditory learning, which makes it a good choice for me to look at how to engage.  Auditory learners tend to absorb information by hearing it and, in a face to face classroom, will prefer lecture and oral discussion.  There are a number of natural strategies to engage auditory learners in an online environment.  In fact, Halsne and Gatta (2002) found that auditory learners are often drawn to online learning environments.

• Screencasts and other presentations with an audio component are a great tool to reach auditory learners, filling the same space as a lecture in a face-to-face classroom.
• Audio discussion tools, such as VoiceThread provide students with the opportunity to listen to, rather than to read, discussions, allowing auditory learners to participate in a mode that feels natural to them.
• Podcasts can provide an excellent supplement to a course in a format that appeals easily to auditory learners.  In addition, it has become extremely easy for individuals to record and publish their own podcasts, providing exciting opportunities to appeal to auditory learners.
• Many auditory learners prefer to listen, rather than read, so digital formats for readings can support auditory learners.  Many devices make it possible to use a screen reader or text-to-voice software to hear a PDF, an ebook, or other digital formats read aloud.

Every student processes information in a different way.  Teachers, whether working with students online, face-to-face, or in some combination of those, must be able to adjust to the range of how students process and adapt our instruction to appeal to every student.

References

Martin, B.  (2013, June 25).  Is online education right for your learning style? eLearn Magazine.  Retrieved from http://elearnmag.acm.org/blog/?p=516. 

Halsne, A., Gatta, L. (2002). Online versus traditionally-delivered instruction: A descriptive study of learner characteristics in a community college setting.  Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, V(I). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring51/halsne51.html.

What Makes Good Online Teaching?

This week, I reviewed the iNACOL standards for quality online teaching in preparation for designing an online lesson.  These standards attempt to describe the knowledge and skills a K-12 teacher must have in order to be successful teaching in an online or blended environment.  Many of these standards reiterate that what makes a good teacher is the same, regardless of the setting.  For example, the iNACOL standards say an online teacher should know current instructional best practices, be skilled in designing assessments, and have the ability to differentiate instruction based on a wide range of student needs.

There were several standards, especially as part of standard B and standard E, which would not necessarily apply in a brick and mortar classroom.  These standards address skills such as troubleshooting technology, implementing an acceptable use policy, and others specific to the use of technology in the classroom.  Currently, brick and mortar classrooms do not necessarily include technology, so a teacher working in that environment may be able to do their job without those skills.  As time passes, however, technology is becoming more and more integrated into every classroom and even teachers who would never dream of leading an online class will find they must learn these skills.

One common theme in not only the iNACOL standards, but the other readings for this week, has been the importance of a student-centered environment when teaching online.  The rationale is that not only does the flexibility of online learning lend itself to a student-centered approach, but online students cannot be separated from distractions in the same way that students in face-to-face classrooms can.  The implication is that a teacher-centered approach is fine for the traditional classroom, but that must change when going online.  I would argue that a teacher-centered approach should be changed regardless of the setting.  Just because a brick and mortar classroom provides a captive audience does not mean that the students present are truly engaged.  Regardless of where the learning happens, students, not teachers, should be the focus of the classroom.

Real Time Chats

This week, one of my assignments for my online teaching course was to participate in an online, real-time chat.  It just so happened that I was invited this week to join a group of physics teachers active on Twitter for an online PLC.  The group meets in a Google Hangout, then shares and discusses examples of student work using tools like screen sharing, Google Drive, and Evernote.  The group tries to shares both successes and struggles in an effort to learn from each other and become better teachers.

While I've previously interacted with some of the participants via Twitter, the chat provided opportunities for a different sort of interaction.  First, we were able to share and respond to student work more freely than on Twitter.  I have seen teachers share anonymized student work on Twitter, but it is almost always a positive example showing some interesting thinking or providing a good example of a skill.  Those are great to see, but the most interesting discussions center around an example of a misconception or the work of a struggling student.  However, I doubt many parents or students would be happy to see the errors in their work being dissected in a public forum.  The closed chat makes it possible to share and study the kind of work we can learn the most from.

It was also nice to not only get people's thoughts in chunks longer than 140 characters, but to hear the tone of voice and see the facial expressions or gestures that accompanied the comments.  This allowed people to express complex thoughts and engage in a depth of conversation that is simply not possible on Twitter.  In addition, the chat provided an immediacy to the conversation that allowed ideas to gain a momentum that can be difficult to generate on Twitter.

The overall experience was fairly similar to the face-to-face conversations I've had at conferences and, as I get to know these people, I expect it will more and more like the face-to-face PLCs I've participated in.  This group actually provides some advantages over face-to-face communication as it does not have geographical limitations.  I've started making connections with teachers outside of my district, but most teach courses similar to mine in schools similar to mine at schools within a few hours of mine.  This online PLC includes people from across the United States teaching a variety of courses in some very different schools.  As a result, the PLC includes a wide range of different perspectives which I look forward to learning from.

While there is significant value in time-shifted, text-based communication, a real-time online chat can provide additional layers of interaction.  The same benefits I've found in the real-time chat with the online physics PLC can be reaped by an online teacher.  A crucial part of teaching in any setting is building relationships between teacher and student and between the students themselves.  Just as a real-time chat allowed me to engage in more meaningful interaction and to forge deeper relationships with other teachers, this tool can be harnessed in an online classroom to allow the teacher to connect with students and for students to connect with each other.

Online Community Building

This fall, I joined the Global Physics Department for the first time.  The Global Physics Department is a weekly webinar on physics education topics.  When I attended the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) meeting this summer, I met a lot of people who spoke enthusiastically about the benefits of the webinar and got interested in checking it out.  The group takes a hiatus during the summer, so I had to wait until this September to take the plunge.

Each week, someone working in the field of physics education delivers a presentation on a project of theirs or an area of particular expertise.  The presenter typically ignores the text chat where the attendees react to the presentation in real time and do some socializing.  Many of the participants are people I've connected with on Twitter thanks to the #physicsed and #modphys hashtags, but the Global Physics Department provides a very different kind of interaction.  Since we are all watching the same presentation at the same time, the conversation takes on a depth that does not often occur on Twitter.

The presentations themselves have also been extremely valuable so far.  I've only attended two meetings to date, but have learned about some exciting resources like Direct Measurement Videos and the Concord Consortium directly from their creators.  In addition to hearing how the creators suggest using these tools in the classroom, the text chat is filled with teachers sharing their ideas and their experiences with the resources.  At the end of both meetings, I've left with new tools and new ideas about how to use them.

The Global Physics Department has been a valuable complement to the professional learning network  (PLN) I've already been developing via Twitter and blogging.  I look forward to learning a lot more from other physics educators.

In an online classroom, students need to be provided with the same kinds of opportunities for community and peer learning that I've found in my PLN.  In order to consider how I can support this kind of community in an online classroom, I developed some community building strategies for high school students in a science class.

Getting to Know Online Learners

One of my tasks this week was to develop a tool for getting to know new students (and parents) in an online course.  Several of the questions on the survey I put together are ones I've asked my students at the start of a class for quite a few years, but the parameters of the assignment pushed me to ask some new questions of my students that I expect to be valuable, even in a face-to-face environment.

My favorite question from the survey remains "Aside from a specific grade, what are your goals for this course?"  My 12th grade physics class is an elective, so I tend to get pretty meaningful responses that give me an idea of what my students value and what they are interested in.  My 9th grade physical science course is required for graduation, so its a little tough to get students to provide a meaningful response on their own.  I have used that question as a starter for a conversation with students and have been able to get some interesting information about what they are expecting from the course.

Another question I really like is "How can I (the teacher) best help you learn?"  Especially in 9th grade, I sometimes get students who say they need me to stay on their case to keep them on task and hold them accountable for things like completing homework.  A few weeks later, that same student will be less enthusiastic about my efforts to keep them on track, and pulling out their survey reminds them why I'm doing it.  It also sends the message that I did pay attention to their responses and am trying to respond to their needs.

Because this course is focused on online teaching, the survey included some questions about the kind of technology access students have.  Since I currently teach in a face-to-face environment, I haven't asked students about that before.  Having actual data on how many of my students have a device and what kinds of devices they have gives me more confidence in exploring some very cool things I've seen other teachers trying.  For example, Andy Rundquist of Hamline University has his students make their own screencasts instead of taking written assessments or submitting lab reports and high school teacher Ramsey Musallam encourages students to submit videos with demonstrations or real-world examples of their classroom topics.  Now that I know how many of my students have easy access to cameras and microphones, I can provide my students with similar opportunities with minimal concerns.

A good introductory survey is a great way to set the expectation for students that their voices and their needs matter while providing the teacher with a wealth of valuable information.  Whether I'm teaching face-to-face, in a blended setting, or entirely online, this is a practice I intend to continue and to refine to ensure I know what I need to in order to support my students.

Project-Based Learning Final Reflection

Prior to this course, I had a fairly vague idea of what constitutes project-based learning.  I knew it was an approach that relied on long-term, in-depth projects as the focus of the unit and entered this course looking forward to learning how to ensure a project effectively addresses content standards and strategies to scaffold projects for students who have little experience working independently.

This course addressed several key points I would not have previously considered.  For example, the approach I’ve taken with projects before is to start with the content standards, then select a project which will address those standards.  I would have skipped the driving questions, a feature crucial to a good PBL unit.  By focusing on the driving question before the product students will produce, it is possible to design PBL units that are much broader with wide variation in the student products.

My most significant takeaway from this course, however, is the importance of authenticity in a PBL unit.  Like many teachers, most of my assessments are written tests which, no matter how carefully the questions are selected or written, never truly replicate the way the content is used or applied in the real world.  A PBL unit should be placed in a real-world context, allowing students to address problems that interest them or affect their community.  Students should also be given the opportunity to follow processes and produce products modeled on relevant fields.

The part of PBL that has me the most nervous at this point is classroom management.  My students have limited experience with deciding how to use their time in class, and it shows when I use inquiry activities or short-term projects.  With this in mind, I planned specific tasks students should have completed at the end of each class period since I expect my students to be more successful with a series of discrete, small goals than a large goal at the end.  Even so, my students will have significantly more time in their groups and significantly less direction than they are used to and I will need to find strategies to ensure they are making progress on the project.  I expect there is a limit to how much I can learn about classroom management in PBL until I implement a unit and face those challenges first-hand.

This year, I’ll be implementing and refining the PBL unit I developed for this course.  In the 9th grade physical science course I teach, my district has directed us to create more meaningful STEM integration and, in particular, would like to see at in-depth engineering design challenge in each term this year.  PBL very effectively builds on the principles of good engineering instruction, so I will be using strategies from this course to ensure my students get as much out of the engineering design challenge as possible.  In the future, as my district would like us to increase the number of engineering challenges in the course, so I plan to revisit what I’ve learned about PBL when it comes time to develop a second (or even third) design challenge.  I also plan to examine other projects and lessons I do, such as a presentation on the advantages and disadvantages of different energy sources, to find ways I can make improvements using the principles of PBL.  This should result in my course becoming more rigorous and my students becoming more engaged.

Theoretical Foundations of Educational Technology: Final Reflection

1. What were the most important things I learned this semester?

            The coursework I completed to obtain my teaching license included only a brief overview of educational theory.  As a result, I’ve heard terms such as constructivism, cognitive development theory, and behaviorism, but had no more than a superficial understanding of the terms.  While this course hasn’t turned me into an expert in theories of education, I now have a much clearer understanding of those terms.  This has helped me to see the purpose behind instructional approaches I’ve seen or used without knowing where it comes from or why it works.

2. How was my teaching impacted by what I learned or experienced this semester?

            Two major themes will stick with me moving forward.  First, I spent a lot of time this semester focused on constructivism, particularly discovery learning.  The approaches associated with these theories are frequently used in science and examining the theory behind these approaches has reinforced by commitment to constructivism.

3. Will I use the projects, skills, or ideas from this course in my teaching?  If so, how?

            A recurring theme in the research on discovery learning is what effective scaffolds look like.  While I’ve made some progress through trial and error, my reading this semester has helped me to understand the particular challenges students face, as well as some of the ways they can be addressed.  This understanding will also provide me a lens through which to evaluate the technology I bring into my classroom.  A clearer knowledge of what scaffolds students need to be successful in a constructivist environment, as well as a clearer understanding of what a constructivist environment looks like, will allow me to select and implement technology effectively.

4. Select three projects.  How do these projects demonstrate my mastery of the AECT standards?

            The three most significant products in this course were the learning theories overview paper, the annotated bibliography, and the synthesis paper, which all address similar AECT standards.

            First, these assignments addressed instructional systems design (1.1) in that I developed a background in different learning theories, which is required to identify the underlying theory in an instructional model and address the implications, one of the performances indicated by the AECT.  In the learning theories paper in particular, I had to identify a particular instructional model which fit with the theory I selected.

            In addition to standard 1.1, the annotated bibliography and synthesis paper also addressed computer-based technologies (2.3) and integrated technologies (2.4).   The descriptions of these two standards repeatedly mention selecting appropriate and effective technologies.  These two assignments bridged the gap between a theory of learning and technology in the classroom.  By explicitly connecting theory to technology, I am now better equipped to determine what will constitute effective and appropriate technologies for my classroom.

After the Project

If you want to improve in some domain and grow your skills, it is critical to take time to reflect after you've attempted something significant.  Project-based learning is no different.  After a project, students, teachers, and other stakeholders need opportunities to debrief and reflect on what has been learned and accomplished.  As part of planning my own PBL unit, I've spent some time considering what will happen after the unit to make sure the learning, for everyone involved, continues.

Through some contacts in my district, I'm working on arrangements for a working engineer to attend the final presentations students will deliver.  I'm hoping that once the presentations are complete, the engineer will be willing to take some time to share with my students their perspective on how the project compares or contrasts with the actual work of an engineer.  With luck, they'll even be brave enough to field some questions from my students.  I've attempted to model the project on the process a professional engineer will follow and have made frequent references to that when I've done less rigorous design challenges in the past, but my voice carries limited weight.  It will make a much more significant impression if someone actually working in the field delivers that message.

I also want students to reflect a bit on their own contributions and learning during the project.  For each unit, I provide students with a list of the learning targets that includes space for them to self-assess their understanding, both at the beginning and the end of a unit.  After the final presentations are complete, students can revisit their learning target checklist to complete the after ratings and see the improvements they have made.

I also have a goal this year to start each term with a discussion of what makes a good lab group member.  My intention is to use the results of the discussion to create a rubric for collaboration that my students and I can periodically revisit.  Right after a PBL unit seems like a perfect time to use such a rubric.  I plan to have students evaluate themselves, and each of their group members after the final presentations.

Finally, I need to consider how I will gather the data I need to continue refining the unit.  I'll be keeping notes of my observations during the project as a reference for myself.  I also developed a survey I 'll have my students complete in order to give me some feedback.   These should provide me with some good information for me to reflect on the project and determine what revisions need to happen.

My involvement with the EngrTEAMS project will give me some additional sources of data, at least during this first year of the project.  The researchers involved have developed a pre- and post-surveys designed to examine student attitudes and understandings of the engineering process.  I'll have access to my students' results, which should help me identify areas for improvement.  In addition, one of the researchers involved in the project has been working with me as an instructional coach.  As part of that, she will be observing my classroom during the project and will meet with me to support my reflection.

One of the powerful aspects of PBL is that the learning doesn't stop when the project does.  If done right, the endpoint of the project will provide a point for the students and teacher alike to reflect on their learning and identify areas for future growth.

Why Read Research?

This week, I worked on writing my synthesis paper, in which we need to connect some aspect of education theory to educational technology.  I decided to expand on my annotated bibliography  on computer simulations and discovery learning.  Writing the paper required me to spend a lot of time going back to the articles I'd located and skimmed before to re-read them much more deeply, which lead me to seek out additional articles to read in-depth and resulted in even more time spent digesting dense, dry text.  All of this time pouring over articles from the campus library and Google Scholar leads to the question, why should teachers care about reading research?

Practicing teachers may not be the intended audience of most journal articles, but we are the ones who eventually implement the results of the research.  All too often, an administrator will decide on some new initiative, maybe even bring in a guru to promote it, and tell teachers "All the research supports it!"  Teachers, perhaps with some grumbling along the way, go along with it, accepting the version which has been filtered through numerous sources since the initial research and not entirely sure of what results to expect.

By going back to the peer-reviewed articles that eventually lead to the initiative, it is possible to gain a much clearer understanding of it.  The research lets you know what the originators were trying to accomplish and why its necessary.  With this understanding, teachers can identify what are really the key features of the initiative to more effectively adapt it to their classroom.  The research gives an idea of what kind of results others achieved with the initiative, which can guide the goals a building sets.  The research is how you find out if the administrator is actually right when they say all the research supports it, or if there's more to the story and there are pitfalls you should be wary of.

Over the years, I've made use of discovery learning, tweaking my approach based on my classroom observations as I go.  By reading what the experts have to say about discovery learning, I've begun to refine and improve my discovery lessons.  When managing a classroom and dealing with the grind of the school year, it isn't always possible to make in-depth observations and thoughtful reflections, limiting how well I'm able to identify the issues in the way I approach discovery learning.  An examination of the research however, has helped me see why certain portions are difficult for my students, which means I can now take specific steps to address those issues.

The reading I did on computer simulations can also inform my classroom practice.  Even if I never design my own simulations, I still make choices about how and when to use simulations, along with which ones to use and how to structure activities around them.  Reading the articles I did gave me insight into what it is that makes some simulations so much more effective than others, which will in turn guide my future decisions about using simulations.  In addition, even when a simulation lacks features which the research has shown are effective, there may be ways I can provide similar tools to my students.  I read about several that provide simple text reminders of what makes for good experimental design, and there's no reason I can't provide something like that to my students.

Most peer-reviewed journal articles are not targeted at the practicing classroom teacher, but they are still a valuable tool.  Spending time pouring over articles has given me insights that will improve my teaching next fall.  The ideas I got from reading educational research may not be as quick or easy to implement as a neat lab from a publication like The Science Teacher, but they have the potential for a lasting impact on my practice.

The Teacher's Role in Project-Based Learning

In most school settings, teachers are viewed as dispensers of knowledge, there to pass our content expertise on to the next generation.  Project-based learning, however, requires something very different from teachers.  As students explore and discover on their own, the teacher's role becomes that of facilitator, there to use our content expertise to keep students headed in the right general direction.

I use a lot of inquiry activities in my curriculum and, with time, have gotten better at stepping back to gently guide, rather than firmly lead, my students in the desired direction.  Most of these activities last only a day or two and students explore a small topic within fairly well-defined parameters.  My PBL unit, by contrast, will likely take around three weeks with students exploring some very big ideas in a much broader way than a stand-alone inquiry lab allows.  My skills in leading inquiry will not only be utilized, but challenged and developed as I learn to take on that role when it comes to the big picture, not just the daily learning target.

There are two key skills I've used when teaching inquiry lessons that will be very useful when I try PBL.  First, I've gotten better at asking the right questions.  The right question can get students to put the pieces together, get a group unstuck, or push a student to a deeper understanding, all without the teacher actually providing any information.  A good question from the teacher helps students see alternative ways to think about a problem without actually telling them what to do.  The skill of asking students just the right question is critical in any form of inquiry, including PBL.

Second, I've had to learn to keep my hands off (both literally and metaphorically).  Every teacher knows the moments when a student just can't seem to reach the big idea behind an activity or when a kid simply doesn't get how to perform some task, whether on paper or with equipment in the lab.  At those times, it can seem irresistible to write something for the student, manipulate the equipment for them, or just give them the answer.  But any of these actions will reduce the student's sense of ownership over their work and take responsibility for learning away from the student.  Part of the point of using PBL is to give students ownership and responsibility for their learning, so teachers must be especially careful to avoid diluting that sense. 

To make it possible to keep your hands in your pockets, you need to make sure students have the skills to be successful.  This means a lot of scaffolding.  My physical science students have had very limited exposure to PBL and other open-ended, inquiry-based instructional methods, meaning the challenge can seem overwhelming at first glance.  Currently, I provide significant scaffolding for the inquiry labs early in the term, and gradually remove supports as students become more skilled.  I plan to take a similar approach with my PBL unit.  The first days of the project are relatively structured, but as the project progresses, students have more flexibility in how they approach a given stage.  I've also decided to include daily tasks to ensure that groups stay on pace to complete the project in the allotted time.  I will need to be on alert for any struggles that many groups are facing so I can provide brief instruction or additional scaffolding as needed.  I also should be prepared for groups to go in a direction I did not expect, which may require me to remove some planned scaffolding or adjust my daily checkpoints to accommodate.

Teaching in a PBL or other inquiry environment is a very different challenge than the classic sage on the stage, but the benefits to students make it well worth trying a new approach.  I can't wait to get out of my students' way and let their curiosity and creativity drive the classroom.

Scaffolding in Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning calls for students to work independently on high-level tasks.  The trick is this requires a variety of skills, including organization, reflection, self-assessment, communication, and collaboration to name just a few and most students, including the top ones, have a limited capacity with these skills.  If the instructor simply defines the final product and turns students loose to work on it, the result will most likely be a disaster.  As a result, a thoughtful teacher will provide scaffolding, giving students the support they need to reach the goals of the project.  Jamie McKenzie sets out eight characteristics of scaffolding, each of which I've tried to integrate into my PBL unit.

1. Scaffolding provides clear directions

Directions are the road maps that let students know exactly what is expected of them.  Since my project asks students to apply a version of the engineering design process, I plan to make that process explicit to students by sharing a diagram of the process with them as part of the entry event.  Throughout the project, the engineering design process can then be revisited to remind students of where they are at and where they are going.

For individual lessons within the unit, I've tried to vary the level of directions provided.  For some lessons, such as the Newton's 2nd Law Lab, I created detailed step-by-step directions that allow students to focus their attention on the analysis required and the potential application of what they are learning.  For other days, such as the days spent building or testing a product, I've identified what each group and each individual should have by the end of the class period, but have left it open how that product will be produced.

2. Scaffolding clarifies purpose

Students do best when they know the reason behind a task.  The entry event for the unit is an attempt to provide a real-world context for the project at the center of the unit.  Each activity is then designed to support students in completing the project.  In addition, each lesson has a learning target which will be presented to students to ensure they know what they should be getting from each lesson.

3. Scaffolding keeps students on task

People of all ages are naturally curious and can easily go off on a tangent when something is interesting.  In order to complete the project, students need a balance between room to explore and clear checkpoints to keep them from wandering too far off.  In my project, I've set a task for teams to complete each day.  By setting a clear objective for the day, students know what they should be working on, but have room for inquiry and creativity within the task.

4. Scaffolding offers assessment to clarify expectations

Assessments are not just for the instructor; a good assessment will also allow students to track their progress.  For two of the key products, an oral presentation and a team journal, I've created rubrics which will be used to assess the work.  These rubrics will be provided to students as they start these products to ensure they are aware of the criteria. 

5. Scaffolding points students to worthy sources

The Internet is an incredible repository of information, but not all of it is worthwhile or credible.  For students learning how to perform effective research, a few good resources provided by the instructor can serve as a starting point for the research.  Since my project includes minimal research in the traditional sense, this type of scaffolding still needs to be fleshed out in my project.  I plan to include a day for students to explore technologies currently used to reduce impact forces and to consider how these might be adapted to their own designs.  I can provide sources to students using a class website and Diigo, a social bookmarking tool.  One of the advantages of Diigo is students can add worthwhile sources they've found, providing their peers with a larger library of sources in the process.

6. Scaffolding reduces uncertainly, surprise, and disappointment

In order for a lesson to be effective, it should be tested as thoroughly as possible before students complete the lesson.  Even after this testing, lessons should continue to be revised and refined based on feedback and observations of the implementation.  This summer, I've been working on a version of this project as part of a professional development opportunity.  My writing partner and I have been testing many of the details of the engineering challenge used as a centerpiece of this unit in order to ensure all aspects work as predicted.  In August, we will be piloting portions of this unit with students in a STEM camp and using our observations to further refine the lessons and materials.  While I expect to further refine the unit each time I implement it in the classroom, significant testing of key lessons will inform even my first implementation.

7. Scaffolding delivers efficiency

Every action students take during a PBL unit should contribute to completing the project.  The use of the engineering design process as a framework for the unit will help students to focus on the path they are following to reach the ultimate goal.  In addition, the daily tasks assigned to students during the project will ensure that students know how to remain focused and efficient as they progress through the project.

8. Scaffolding creates momentum

As students progress through the project, their confidence and excitement for the material should build.  This form of scaffolding is less concrete than the others, but I have designed the unit to begin with relatively simple tasks which build to more complex.  Students will also move from presenting informally ideas to just a few peers to presenting to the entire class and a guest engineer able to provide real-world expertise in evaluating student products.  In other words, as students get closer to the end of the project, the stakes get higher.  At the same time, as students practice the skills which will be required at the end, they should find they are able to conquer the more complex tasks with confidence, in spite of a larger audience.

Supporting Discovery Learning

Armed with a bit of background on theories of learning, I decided to explore how discovery learning, and especially its criticisms, have influenced the design of simulations.  I selected simulations because they are the technology most closely associated with discovery learning.  A lot of teachers use a wide variety of technology, such as probeware and data analysis software, in discovery learning, but much of this technology can just as easily be used for "cookbook" applications in which students are asked to verify information already provided by the teacher or complete an experiment designed by the teacher or a publishing company.  When a simulation is used, it is almost always to have students try and discover the underlying model.

There are a number of scaffolding options that researchers have demonstrated can be effective in supporting discovery learning in simulations.  I found numerous examples of assistance for what could be considered the planning phase of discovery, in which students develop a hypothesis and plan an experiment.  Simple reminders of what makes a good hypothesis or things to keep in mind when planning an experiment can have a significant effect on student learning.  The other scaffolding I saw many examples of was a knowledge base.  In discovery learning, students must build on their prior knowledge in order to develop their own version of the model in the simulation.  Many of the simulations provided a built-in knowledge base which could provide that background when it was needed.  Again, this simple feature resulted in significantly more student learning than the pure discovery condition.  As I select simulations to use in my classroom, these kinds of features will be important to look for.

Many simulations, however, leave out scaffolding in an effort to be as flexible as possible.  This does not mean that my students would not benefit from these sorts of tools.  I could provide similar scaffolding to my students by posing information on a course website to be viewed during a simulation or by leading a class discussion to remind students of key points prior to them working on a simulation.  Many simulations can also be embedded in a webpage, which would allow me to provide supports in the same place where students will access the simulation.  Regardless of the method, the benefits of providing these kinds of scaffolds is clear.