Project Based Learning Reflection Number 8

Project based learning has been around for a while in education. However, with the new technological developments that we have today, the possibilities of project based learning have been extended. I have some experience with project based learning here at UGA. I took EFND 2110 and 2120 during the fall of 2012 and spring of 2013. In each of these classes, I was assigned to spend time at two different local Boys and Girls Clubs. While volunteering my time, I was conducting a learning project with the kids. This was an experience that could not have been possible through reading a textbook or researching online. I learned through many real life situations and gained valuable knowledge about myself and kids from a social and educational standpoint.

One of the main pros of project based learning is less lecturing and more “doing.”

In addition to student’s being put in more real life situations, they are also more likely to be motivated by projects. I feel like most students want to see their project succeed, which contributes to them being motivated to learn. Project based learning can be very positive, however, the only real con that I see is that this style of learning can be too focused on one specific skill-set. This is not always the case, but I feel as though sometimes other skill-sets are neglected through the use of project based learning.

In my opinion, as a teacher, it would be tougher to manage a classroom while focusing on project based learning. It would be challenging to make sure that the classroom was still somewhat structured enough to keep it effective. If not careful, kids would choose to only focus on things that coincided with their personal preferences and interests. However, as I mentioned earlier, the motivation of the kids to learn would be greatly enhanced through the use of these projects. Motivation is something that cannot be taken for granted.

            

Reflection 7

           My experience using our app called Stack the States was good in several ways. First of all, I was able to see how apps and tools in general that are very cheap and easily accessible can be very useful in learning to many different ages and people in different situations. The app that we used was targeted for kids, however, we often found some of the simple trivial questions tough to answer. This app in particular can be useful to anyone interested in knowing about the United States from a geographical standpoint. If it were available back when I had geography tests in elementary school, I would have definitely used this application.

            Each of the tools that were used by our groups seemed to be very useful in educational settings. It was interesting to see applications like Vine be used as a learning tool. I personally had never thought of apps like Vine as useful or educational, but the group did a good job showing that it had many possible uses. Overall, I thought each group did a nice job displaying how many apps in general can be huge tools in learning for people of all kinds. Whether it was learning how to cook or learning to use save time using Dropbox, the apps used in our class projects show that there are many tools that we should take advantage of.

            The stop animation project was a challenge. I had no experience doing this before, so I was lucky to have a good group that I could work with to get the job done. To me, the most important part of this project was to come up with something creative to incorporate into the stop animation. After getting the ideas and pictures figured out, the rest was not all that difficult. I believe that the stop-animation effect is a nice choice for an infomercial. I believe it is more effective than using video recording or other options. A stop animation with a good pace, quality images, and an effective message can be a very successful way to inform people about an app or any product.

Reflection 6

After reading the Horizon Report, I realize that Augmented reality is something that will change the world. It will make learning easier for everyone because information will become instantly available. Augmented reality allows educator’s to shape how students “see” the world. This means that AR is obviously a very powerful tool that needs to be utilized in the correct ways. Enhancing learning environments by producing new experiences of the world while creating a blended reality is something that we should become good at.

 

Augmented reality is a part of my life and is more than likely part of everyone’s in the U.S. whether they realize it or not. I am personally fascinated in how often it occurs in television. I am an avid sports fan and I had no idea how much Augmented reality is in sports TV. All the lines and diagrams drawn and shown on screen used by analysts and commentators are part of augmented reality. Weather channels also frequently use augmented reality to help show us the forecasts. Movies and children’s TV are other types of television that AR is common in. While augmented reality is very important to education and learning, it is also used in entertainment. However, even the sports diagrams and lines drawn are there for the purpose of helping us see the real world in a different view.

 

I liked how Jim was very knowledgeable about the subject of augmented reality. I enjoyed him including examples such as the one with Brandon Stokely, the NFL football player, in order to help us grasp a better understanding of augmented reality. I had read pieces regarding augmented reality before hearing Jim’s talk, but listening to Jim’s talk really made things click as to how widespread and useful that augmented reality is in everyday life.