Week 7 Reflection

I’ve stated several times throughout this semester that I am very thankful for the practical application the EDTECH 542 class provides. The fact that this course is designed to allow educators to create curriculum for their classrooms while learning new methods and teaching practices is an invaluable experience. With that said I have been very purposeful in designing my PBL because I want to be sure it is something that can be used by my 9th grade English team. In the transition to Common Core our district has moved in the direction of PBLs making this course content very applicable. Thus, my evaluation process will largely involve my PLC (Professional Learning Community).

There are four other teachers that make up my PLC team. If teachers hop on board we can implement this 4-6 week unit this coming fall as we teach Of Mice and Men. The hope is that with a diverse group of teachers, and a wide range of teaching experience, we will collectively be able to work out the cinks of this PBL while simultaneously assessing how well the assessments build student knowledge and meet the Common Core standards. I would like to monitor our PBL experience through the use of a double-entry journal for teachers. In the left hand column teachers will list the activities done in class each day and how the class was structured, essentially a rough outline of a lesson plan. On the right hand side of the journal teachers will then reflect on the aspects of the day that went well and those that need improvement. This journal will serve as the foundation for conversation after the PBL is complete. In this way we can look at what common issues surfaced or which classroom structure provided the best environment for PBL success. Assuming that time allows it, our weekly PLC meeting time can be used to analyze and compare our journal entries as we progress through the PBL. Doing this will chunk our reflection and hopefully create an opportunity for deep and meaningful analysis for how to improve the PBL as a whole.

Moreover, I have a close friend that teachers at a different school. Her school site is not nearly as diverse as mine and mostly composed of affluent white students. I have asked that she would implement this unit as well that we might compare how the PBL plays out at each of our school sites. With the data from her journal we will be able to explore how different demographics influence the productivity of the PBL.

In addition, I intend to create an evaluation form where students can provide feedback about this learning process. I hope to list each formative assessment and ask students how useful they found the assignment in preparing them for the summative assessment. I will also ask students to consider what additional skills they would like to be exposed to in the weeks leading up to the summative assessment. From the teacher’s perspective the pedagogical sequencing of a unit often makes sense; however, students might have a different perspective and hearing their voice will be key in building the PBL so it fits student needs.

The reflection process never stops. The goal would be that every time we teach we reflect and look at ways to which we can better serve our students. It is my hope that through this PBL, and the reflection that follows, that I will be able to guide my students in developing mastery learning of both Common Core standards and 21st Century Skills.

***My peer evaluation partner for this assignment was Catherine Holthaus.