Chapter 4 Reflection: Strategies for Discovery

1. There are many potential pitfalls in project design, in fact the text mentions four of them (p. 60-61). 

• Having a long activity, may have a short on learning outcomes. For example, if students can learn just as much through a small lecture on the topic, then the project idea may fall short.
• Having technology layered over traditional practice. Creating a great projects is more than just researching information on the Internet and regurgitating it into a presentation. Students need to work on projects that have significant learning outcomes for themselves. 
• Having trivial thematic units. It's important as teachers to find ways that a theme elevates and connects students learning. In the text they use the example of the symbol of apples used in learning during the fall. Some teachers will use them to paint and count, where as some teachers structure the idea differently and use apples to teach children about commerce, agriculture, and transportation. 
• Having overly scripted with many, many steps. This leads to limited and predictable results, or even project that are much too complicated. It's important that teachers look into the learning objectives and student outcomes of projects before committing to it. 

2. The features of a good project include the following(p.65):

• flexibly designed with the opportunity of different learning paths for students
• usually generative, causing students to construct meaning
• they create a driving question or are otherwise structured for inquiry
• they capture students interested by compelling real-life situations
• they're realistic, they use multiple disciplines 
• they reach beyond school to involve others
• tap rich data or primary sources
• collaboration among students in their groups
• students working as inquiring experts
• 21st century skills and literacies
• important learning dispositions
• students are hands-on, learn by doing

3. Project ideas can come from a variety of different places. They can come from teachers, news stories, real-life situations, students, Internet, the list goes on. The text also gives us places where we can find ideas in books. 

4. According to the text the steps to design a project include the following (p.67-68):

1. Revisit the framework - make a final list of learning objectives, decide on specifics you want to address, and identify learning dispositions you want to foster.
2. Establish evidence of understanding - what would your students know after completing the project, how would they be different as learners and individuals. 
3. Plan the theme - what would students inquire about, do, create?
4. Plan entree into the project experience - what will you do to captivate your students attention, what will keep them interested in the project at hand?

5. Concepts in this chapter relate to our topic because together we are finding ways that will capture students interests by creating a health fair. With different hands on activities in each place of the fair students will have the opportunity to learn by doing and observing. As for the classroom students will be working in groups to collaborate ideas on staying healthy.In creating these lesson plans, my group will work collaboratively to create beneficial ideas.