Challenge 20/20

http://pixabay.com/en/gear-globe-earth-world-flag-76736/

I think the two challenges that apply best to my grade level would be deforestation and water pollution. Our last PYP unit of the year is called "Waste Not, Want Not" and in this unit we discuss different resources and the different problems those resources face.  This year we had the students research the different resources and they are becoming "experts" in the topic, and are trying to come up with some "action" that relates to saving that resource.  The 4 topics we are studying are deforestation, water pollution, oil spills, and food scarcity.

I think that integrating these projects into this last unit would be great.  Since there are so many 4th grade teachers in the class we can collaborate together as well as with other schools.  We will discuss this in one of our grade level meetings and make a decision together.

The Human Slinky

I chose this picture because Ellie's pose fits perfectly as a bridge or a connector between two lands.  I thought it would be funny to use her as a human "slinky".  I think this ad would be targeted to people who are travelling or looking to expand their horizons.   The ad's message is to connect between lands and cultures, and to share new experiences, maybe it would work as a study abroad advertisement, or for a travel agency. The target audience would be people who are looking for new experiences, or to travel.  The visual enhance the message because it makes it fun, and it is different to other things you see around.

What Motivates Us?

Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation

In his TED talk, Dan Pink tells us how incentives are not always the best way to motivate people.  He mentions different examples where people display weaker performance when there is a reward.  While most of his talk is about businesses, it is not very different in a classroom setting. Teachers tend to fall into this incentive-based system.  Students do what you want them to do (and not more) and they get a ticket, or a sticker, or a brownie, or marbles... or... you get the idea.  However, they don't always get why (or what) they are doing, or what purpose it has on the greater scheme of things (like Geometry... I had some students ask why they needed to learn about acute angles if they were never going to use it).

Dan Pink says that people work better when the incentive is based on three things: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.
So what are these three things that will motivate most people into working better?

Autonomy relates to independence.  They get to make the decisions
Mastery is the absolute understanding or knowledge in a subject
Purpose is knowing why you are learning something

These three things, in my opinion, relate to project based learning.  Students have the autonomy of what and how they do it.  They also decide when and where they will be getting their work done.  The students will then figure out, through trial and error, and a lot of research, what it is they need to know.  They will become "experts" on the topic.  They will also understand what the purpose is to learning this particular information, and will be able to relate it to their lives.

I will leave you with this quote, and a thought....
“People do not fail in life because they aim too high and miss. They fail in life, because they aim too low and hit.” (Unknown)


Do we aim low in life because we are just trying to do what is "needed" to get the reward?

Projects vs PBL

In these flowcharts I am showing the differences between doing "projects" vs. project based learning.  

 In a classroom where the students do "projects" the teacher lectures the students regarding a topic and their project reflects only their knowledge at the end of the unit.

In  a PBL classroom the teacher acts as a mentor or a guide and helps the students understand the topic through their own research.    The students then reflect on their learning after the project is done.


Watching the video and creating these flow charts made me  reflect on on the PYP projects we do in 4th grade, and whether they are "just projects" or if we are actually leading PBL units of inquiry.  For example, on our leader unit we first discuss what are the differences between a positive and a negative leader, and then we assign leaders for the students to research... Would it be better if we assigned the project first and then had the kids decide if their leader is positive or negative based on their findings?  Thoughts?

Project Based Learning

Project-Based Learning is, in my opinion, a way in which students learn by doing.  The teacher will set the guidelines, and expectations, but will not "lecture".  Instead, the teacher serves as a mentor, while the students experiment and look for the best way to meet the expectations.  I think PBL is a great way to engage kids in their learning.  By giving the students the autonomy to work in a project and allowing them to "get their hands dirty" the kids are more interested in learning.  

In 4th grade we have different examples of project-based learning.  The opera, of course, is a huge project that the students work on.  The students write, produce, and perform a "musical" while applying different concepts they have previously learned.  Likewise, in our nutrition unit the kids research different nutrients, and then present the nutrient to their classmates.  The kids were then asked to develop a balanced meal, and present it to a group of "guests".  The guests asked the students questions regarding the nutrients in their food, and why did they decide to "pair it" with the other food in the meal.

 One of the biggest problems I see is that not every kid puts the same effort on their projects.  Making sure that everyone is working (if it's a group project) and that they are all doing their best is very important.  

Infographic

 In a group of 5 we created an infographic comparing environmental effects on the world.  We chose 5 different countries, and found information to compare how those countries affect the environment.
We separated into two main groups.  We had 3 people do the research, and create the infographic, and 2 of us looked for the pictures and created the Imovie.
I think the infographic would help explain in a visual way how the different countries affect the world.  The students will benefit from their teacher using an infographic because it is very easy to understand and it can help them come up with good interesting questions.

Cat World

Miau Publisher is proud to present Cat World, a magazine that will forever change a cat lover's life.  This no non-sense magazine offers in-depth articles about your loved feline, offers advice from our kitty experts, and tells hear-breaking stories written by our readers, devout cat lovers. The readers should remember that while cats are very independent, they also need tender love and care.  

The magazine does not only have interesting articles, but it also has artistic pictures of cats.  This makes it a little different from other cat magazines.

The headlines contrast with the sepia colored picture, but are still simple enough to not affect the picture.

The picture on the cover shows a beautiful, loving cat.