Chapter 4

There are several pitfalls in project design. They include:

·         Long on activity, short, on learning outcomes- If a project is long and carried out and the learning outcomes are short than it is not worth investing the time.

·         Technology layered over traditional practice- Good projects focus on reaching significant learning outcomes, not merely making use of technology applications.

·         Trivial thematic units- A thematic approach can be trivial, but it doesn’t have to be. A theme could unify an entire year’s worth of projects to help students make connections.

·         Overly scripted with many, many steps- Try not to use projects that have many discrete steps.

There are several features of a good project. They:

·         Are loosely designed with the possibility of different learning paths

·         Are generative, causing students to construct meaning

·         Center on a driving question or are otherwise structured for inquiry

·         Capture student interest through complex and compelling real-life or simulated experiences

·         Are realistic, and therefore cross multiple disciplines

·         Reach beyond school to involve others

·         Tap rich data or primary sources

·         Are structured so students learn with and from each other

·         Have students working as inquiring experts might

·         Get at 21^st-century skills and literacies, including communication, project management, and technology use

·         Get an important learning dispositions, including persistence, risk-taking, confidence, resilience, self-reflection, and cooperation

·         Have students learn by doing

You can find good projects everywhere. Some project ideas come from:

·         A tried-and-true project with potential for more meaningful, expressive learning

·         Project plans developed by and for other teachers

·         News Stories

·         Contemporary Issues

·         Student questions or interests

·         A classroom irritant put to educational use

·         A “mashup” of a great idea and a new tool

There are several steps when designing a project.

·         Step 1: Revisit the Framework

·         Step 2: Establish evidence of understanding

·         Step 3: Plan the “vehicle”

·         Step 4: Plan entrée into the project experience

·         Write a project sketch

·         Create an Asset Map

·         Track Assets Online

The concepts in this chapter relates to my team’s project because the project that my partner and I are working on incorporates the features that make up a good project. Features like learning from each other, learning by doing, learning 21^st century skills like communication, project management, technology use, etc.