Sarah Hughey's Reading Reflection #8

1. Description of some ways to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom.
 
Technology can be used to build connections and branch out beyond the classroom.  For example, blogs can be used to not only help develop students' writing skills but also to help students express themselves to people outside of the classroom and connect with experts in the topic they're writing about.  Digital-age projects can also encourage or require students to connect with people outside of the classroom, whether they're contacting experts, classrooms across the globe, etc.  Projects that incorporate inquiry are great opportunities to involve an expert, and in certain projects teachers can arrange for these connections.  Students should be prepared before these contacts by teaching them how to be efficient at interviewing, and experts should also be advised on what will be asked and how to talk with the students.  Projects such as The Flat Classroom Project also can be used to connect students with other students who live elsewhere.

2. Description of the EAST Initiative Model.
 
The Environmental and Spatial Technologies (EAST) Initiative model has students using technology to make an actual difference by doing projects that help them master different technologies in the context of solving a community problem.  The four cornerstones to this model are student-driven learning, authentic project-based learning, technology as tools, and collaboration.  Also vital to this model is teacher to teacher support and training, as teachers who take on this model also get a new role in their classrooms - facilitator instead of the one who has all of the control.  Professional development for teachers occurs in three phases: a collaborative training experience held for a week in the summer, then when the educators begin to have questions about implementing the EAST model, and then when the educators go further into the real-life problems the students run into.  Teachers also get ongoing support and networking.
 
3. Discussion on some reasons to let students “lead” their projects. 

 Students are more than able to lead their own projects and come up with project ideas that they are passionate about.  Teachers don't have to micromanage the learning, creativity, and projects occurring in the classroom, and students can be intrinsically motivated instead of always extrinsically motivated to do projects.  For example, the book speaks about a teacher who connected a student with dyslexia with an international teacher who she could relate with, and this connection gave the student the idea to create a wiki for students with dyslexia.  This example shows that students are able and willing to try to solve problems and create project solutions without a teacher leading them to it.


4. Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.
 
 This chapter relates to our topic and project because now we have a new model to use when developing our topic/project along with encouragement that coincides with what we have already been learning (to utilize people outside of the classroom in the projects and to let students take initiative and autonomy over their projects).  We can continue incorporating the emphasized ideas into our topic/project while also looking for ways to practice incorporating the EAST model into our teaching methods.