EEND 678 Reflection

This course provided many practical tools and designs that I plan to experiment more with and familiarize myself with. I really appreciated the structure and set up of this course because a lot of our conversations were organic and in the classroom.  I always enjoy bouncing ideas off of others and also hearing new ideas from others.  In fact, there were a few times that I was taught new things from my peers that I was able to utilize and use in my classroom the next day.  I also appreciated the introduction of grants. I have always known what grants were, but I never really gave them much thought. However, this course, because it was an assignment, really opened up my eyes to the potential grants can give to our classrooms. Funding is short in many districts and grants can provide us an option to still give our students the optimal and ideal learning environment.

I am not sure that I had a “favorite” aspect in this class, but I did learn that PBL units are a lot more difficult than I could imagine. I love the idea and I truly believe that students will take a lot out of PBLs, I however definitely need more guidance and understanding before I can successfully launch a PBL in my classroom that I believe would be beneficial for my students. But with most things, all it takes is a bit of practice and exposure to understand how something works.

Grant Writing

Purpose:   The purpose of this assignment was reach out to a company for a grant to find supplemental funding for the classroom.  As schools and districts continue to practice innovative classrooms there never seems to be enough of funding for what teachers are requesting. This is an outlet that educators and schools can use to help assist in creating classrooms for optimal learning.

Challenge: The challenge in this assignment was finding a company that had a form that was pre-created for you to fill out for a grant.  I found numerous companies that made standing desks but it was difficult to find a company that offered a grant form to be completed. I did find a company called Stand Up Kids however they are not accepting any grant proposals until 2019 because they are currently conducting studies with large universities. Another challenge I found was writing a grant that would really convey the deep need for this product. Additionally, having the district agree that this product will prove to be beneficial with our students.

How it was used in the classroom: This would be used in the classroom for students who have difficulty paying attention. Studies have shown that standing desks help productivity. Additionally it is healthier for students to stand versus being sedentary all day in their desks. In particular in our district because our elementary students do not have gym more than once a week and only have ten minutes of recess after lunch (weather permitting). This is detrimental for a child’s growth and development, physically and cognitively.  I believe that utilizing these desks in our classrooms would truly help all students.

Reflection and growth: I liked that this assignment was something new that I have not done before because it opened my eyes to new ideas and opportunities I could capitalize on in my classroom.  I certainly believe this is something that I will keep in mind as I continue to expand and build a more innovative classroom.  I am disappointed that the company I found will not be accepting grant applications until 2019, but I have anticipatory plans to proceed with submitting the proposal in 2019 when the company starts accepting grant proposals.  In the meantime, I will search around and see if there are other grants that will provide benefits for my students and their learning environment.

PBL

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment was to create a unit of study where students used project-based learning to provide a student- centered learning opportunity through real-world challenges and real-world problem solving strategies.  Children would have more autonomy in their project than typically given, and a lot more opportunity for creativity and collaboration with their teams.  There is no right or wrong answer to problems, but rather reasonable solutions. Solutions that require students to think critically.  

Challenges:  I have never attempted a PBL in my classroom and I felt very confused when trying to plan backwards and guide my students through this experience. The idea I came up with was creative and could really help my students connect to their community in meaningful ways. I also believed my students to have come up with extremely thoughtful and creative problems they wanted to solve in their community.  I had one group want to help the homeless and their depression, by finding stray animals and pairing the two up for therapeutic healing.  I loved the ideas the students came up with, but felt very frustrated and lost when trying to lead students from idea into creation.  I feel that in order for me to successfully launch a PBL unit, I would need to see how it is done from birth to creation, and work with other teachers that have experience with PBLs, before I feel confident enough in doing so with my own students.

How it was used in the classroom: I had my students watch January 9th, 2018 CNN segment on how young students have found ways to reach out and help people in their community. I had students then brainstorm ways they could help their own community. All my students came up with extremely thoughtful and meaningful ideas on how they want to help their community, and the solutions.  It was really refreshing to hear such young kiddos really put thought and love into wanting to make a change for the better.

Reflection and growth: As stated previous in this blog, I found this to be challenging and frustrating after the initial idea and brainstorming was complete. I feel that in order to truly have this be beneficial for myself and my students, would be to learn from someone with more familiarity than I have.  I do not have enough of experience and/or knowledge base to launch a PBL that would prove to be worth it for my students. I definitely more help in the future if I plan to complete a successful PBL.