Skip to main content

Home/ T531 Summer 2012/ Contents contributed and discussions participated by kdamiano

Contents contributed and discussions participated by kdamiano

kdamiano

Project-Based Learning: Real-World Issues Motivate Students | Edutopia - 0 views

  • engaging students by starting with the concrete and solving hands-on, real-world problems is a great motivator.
    • kdamiano
       
      We know that students learning through experience, which is why I think PBL can really help reshape and reform what education is and means to this nation. If we want to be the leading country in engineering or mathematics or reading, than we need to allow our students to experience and explore these fields. 
  • "Everybody is motivated by challenge and solving problems, and we don't make use of that in schools enough,"
    • kdamiano
       
      We must hold our students to high expectations. I think allowing them to explore their curiosities and struggles is one of the most useful and impacting ways to learn. 
    • kdamiano
       
      This is where I could see teachers currently seeing a problem because with the restraints schools are placed in with time, curriculum, etc this amount of time is filled to the brim with material. I could see this being a big issue because of what is "expected" of teachers today. 
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • In project-based learning, students try to answer a question -- one that has relevance for them -- that is greater than the immediate task at hand.
  • "One of the major advantages of project work is that it makes school more like real life,"
    • kdamiano
       
      When students have a vested interest in what they are learning, they are more apt to put forth the time. They are more likely try their best. 
  • "in-depth investigation of a real-world topic worthy of children's attention and effort." She advocates a three-phased approach: Phase 1 involves an initial discussion of a project topic, including children's firsthand experiences related to the topic. Phase 2 involves fieldwork, sessions with experts, and various aspects of gathering information, reading, writing, drawing, and computing. Phase 3 is the presentation of the project to an audience.
  • Kids who are excited about what they learn tend to dig more deeply and to expand their interest in learning to a wide array of subjects. They retain what they learn rather than forget it as soon as they disgorge it for a test. They make connections and apply their learning to other problems. They learn how to collaborate, and their social skills improve. They are more confident talking to groups of people, including adults. And, as a number of research reports suggest, project-based learning correlates positively with improved test scores, reduced absenteeism, and fewer disciplinary problems.
    • kdamiano
       
      Isn't it sad that we know this, yet reformer do little to acknowledge the impact of learning like this? 
kdamiano

Failing Grade - Oprah.com - 2 views

  •  
    Located in a low-income community in Chicago, Harper High School graduates just 40 percent of its 1,500 students. Meanwhile, about 35 miles away in suburban Naperville, Illinois, Neuqua Valley High School-a $65 million facility-graduates 99 percent of its students. In an experiment Oprah says was inspired by Rev.
  •  
    I know have been posting a little too much in the past day, but in undergrad, we watch this documentary by Oprah that showed the difference between the urban and suburban school. I think the video highlights the inequality of schools better; however, the article still gets the point across. Being from around the Chicago-area, I see the differences all the time. Urban schools are in crisis. And it makes it even harder for these failing students when these students see the schools right down the road spending millions of dollars on gymnasiums and libraries.
kdamiano

Not on the test - 3 views

  •  
    I am sure most of you have already seen this video. Although it does not make the distinction between urban schools or suburban schools, it is one of those videos that is funny because it is sadly so true. It focuses on testing, and well, I will let the video speak for itself.
kdamiano

Crisis and Hope - 1 views

shared by kdamiano on 16 May 12 - No Cached
  •  
    Here is an image that went along with the educational reform conference that took place at Princeton University. I thought that it helped identify the hope and need for change.
kdamiano

Crisis & Hope: Transforming America 's Urban Schools « NJSACC Afterschool FLASH - 2 views

shared by kdamiano on 16 May 12 - No Cached
    • kdamiano
       
      This is so true, and yet, it is the most overlooked fact. The saying, "The rich get rich, and the poor get poorer" is so prevalent when it comes to gaining education. It seems like the more we try to apply standards and accountability, the more we continue to tell disadvantaged students that we believe their future is failure. 
  • In social terms, many of these young people constitute a dependency class overrepresented in prison populations, welfare rolls, broken households and homeless shelters. At the same time, the vast investment of tax dollars in education with seemingly minimal return strains the nation’s collective purse strings at a time of severe economic dislocation.
    • kdamiano
       
      If we know this, why are we not doing more about this!? Is anyone else baffled by the chaos that continues to ensue and the little "we" do to stop it. There needs to more. There need to be more people willing to fight and be the voice for these students. 
    • kdamiano
       
      Standardized tests only contribute to their demise and downfall. 
  •  
    Austin and Jenn- The immediacy for results is true. We are a nation of we want it fast, and we want it now; however, this is not possible nor is it reliable. The need for answers only causes stress and irritability in our school systems. Sadly, the pressure to perform on tests and other assessments negates students overall comprehension and engagement within a class. It also limits a teachers ability to teach. It is complicated. I do not think there is one answer. I don't think there is an easy answer. However, I do think that there needs to be a bigger fight for students. It is my belief that this fight starts with eliminating the presence of instant failure, otherwise known as standardized tests.
1 - 4 of 4
Showing 20 items per page