Project Based Learning Assignment:

Link to our group's website: http://groupapblmedt7464.weebly.com/

     I found this project to be the most challenging project of all. I enjoyed collaborating with a group and being able to depend on other members for help and guidance. This task has helped me grow in the area of Project Based Learning, when before I knew nothing about. In completing our project, and reviewing the other projects, I have gained more than enough knowledge to be able to effectively implement some form of PBL in my future classroom. I will save the lesson plans my group created, as well as the others, to put into my education resource file. I wasn't expecting to learn as much as I did going into this project, but am glad that we were faced with such a profitable project.

     In reviewing the three projects, I learned what other ways/tools can be involved in creating a good PBL lesson plan. I was able to see the benefits of PBL in all subject areas. Our group created plans for Music/Science/Language Arts/Social Studies. Also, In reviewing the other PBL projects, I noticed some things that our own group could have improved upon, where we interpreted things differently from the other groups. However, I would have to say that my hats are off to group D. I found their PBL to be very thorough and concise. They went over and beyond what the requirements were, and I could see from their wiki, that they put a lot of hard work and effort into making their PBL come together. Their wiki didn't even look like a wiki. It looked like a web-page with all the color and features that added.

     Overall, this project was time consuming and challenging, but I enjoyed the challenge. I enjoyed seeing the different ways each group interpreted the directions and how we made our PBL projects our own. I could see school systems wanting to use and be able to incorporate something from each group. I found this project to be very beneficial to me as an educator because not only helped me become more aware of what PBL is, but how to be able to effectively implement it into my future classroom.

Pre-K Character Traits: Digital Story Project

     The main objective of this video is to help make the upcoming Pre-K students more comfortable during their transition from home to school, and show them what we, their teacher and assistant teacher, expects of them in Pre-K.

     The purpose of this project is so show upcoming Pre-K students what we (their teacher and assistant teacher) expect from them, and how we expect them to act. Since it is their first time in school, they have no clue as to what to do, how to act, how to play correctly (unless they have siblings), share, or speak to one another. This video will give them a quick introduction on how and what we are going to expect from them. I think it will help to bring some reality to the upcoming student’s because they are getting to watch other student’s that are just like them. This video would be shown on the T.V. during the first week of school. I would show it several times because repetition is key in Pre-K. Hopefully the video will help them to feel more comfortable, and will help guide them through such a huge and important transition in their life. 

     During this video the only challenge I encountered was with the students. I had to film my own Pre-K students and have to tell them what to say and do. They would stumble on some words, or get shy when I raised the camera up, but overall they overcame their difficulties. I added some bloopers at the end of the video to show some of the messes I had while filming my students.

     I love using MovieMaker. I am taking a film class that requires me to use MovieMaker a lot. I am nowhere near proficient in using the tool yet. It seems like every time I use MovieMaker, I learn something new. I am still working on using the transitions between shots. I want to try and make the movie smooth, and tone down on the choppiness. MovieMaker is a challenging, but fun tool. I think older students would also enjoy using this tool. Most of my students enjoyed being filmed, and had fun in helping me make the movie. They can’t wait till I show them the finished product.