Copyright PowerPoint

NOTE: Reflections will be posted each week to your group blog. Responses to other groups reflections on their blogs will be a comment post to those reflections. Please see rubric for Reading Reflections.

Covers Chapter 2, Creating a Professional Learning Community, of Reinventing Project-Based Learning, p. 25 to 40.

Your reflection should include:

1. Discussion on the focus of Learning Communities.
2. Discussion on the benefits of Learning Communities.
3. Discussion on how Learning Communities affect teachers.
4. Discussion on how Learning Communities affect students.
5. Discussion on the components for shared vision in Learning Communities.
6. Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

DUE DATE: Reflection is due by Friday, Feburary 3, 2012. Responses to two other groups' reflections are due by Monday, February 6, 2012.

Before sending students to web sites, it is important for a teacher to review those web sites. In lab, we will be reviewing and discussing The Pacific Northwestern Tree Octopus web site. After reviewing this web site, your group will decide what types of web sites you will need for your Project. Each member of the team will find and evaluate at least three (3) different web sites. You will need to use your Blog (Assignment I ) to keep a conversation going with your teammates. NO ONE on the team should evaluate the same web site. For the evaluations, you will use the following form Intel evaluating Internet resources questionnaire. Be sure to use this form, fill out for all three web sites, and save as one document.

SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT: The Evaluation of Web Sites will be submitted under Submission of Web Evaluations found in Module #3. You MUST turn in one document to your instructor. If you submit three separate evaluations, they will be returned to you to combine into one document.

DUE DATE: Evaluation of Web Sites is due by 11:59 p.m., Friday, February 10, 2012.

Virtual Penpals and Google Maps

Objective: In order to develop cultural understanding and global awareness, this assignment will engage students with learners of other cultures. There are two (2) parts which, once completed, will total 100 points.

Part A: The first step in this assignment is for your group to decide what type of assignment you would do with your class (that directly relates to your Project-based Learning topic) to demonstrate cultural understanding and global awareness. Together, your team will write up a detailed description of this assignment. Examples might be having students in your class and in a class from a different place compare and contrast differences and similarities between their regions as they relate to the content of their projects (i.e. different/similar vegetables, birds, weather, etc.) Assume that will use ePals to help you identify and connect with another group of students. Be sure to add the following in this description (this will take some creativity and imagination):

• Who are the students your students will communicate with (specific location, grade level)?
• When would your students contact these other students (at what point in their project work)?
• What kinds of questions would they ask each other and what kinds of information would they share?
• What will they do with the information they get from the other students?

This writing will be completed in Google Documents. Once it is complete, each group member will receive 50 points.

All group members will be able to edit (add to or delete) information to this detailed description. In order to do this, you will have to do the following:

1. One member of your group will create a document. That group member will need to invite the rest of the group members to share the document with the option to edit. (Use the Share button and add other group members email.) Your instructor will be invited to share the document with the option to view.

2. Each group member will add to the detailed description and review/edit other members portions until the whole group is completely satisfied with the description. Instructors will be able to see who did and did not take part in this assignment.

3. Once the detailed description has been finalized, it will need to be published to your group Blog. To publish to your blog, open up the document. On the right hand side, you will find a "Share" button. Click on the arrow and go to Publish to the Web. Then you will need to copy the Embed Code, go to your blog, create a message. You will need to be in Edit HTML, paste the embed code and then post.

Part B: The second step is for your group to create a map in Google Maps. This map will be related to your Virtual Penpal assignment (see above) in some way .... your team decides how. A different group member will begin the process and then invite group members to share the map.The final map along with a brief explanation about the map will need to be posted to your group blog. Once it is posted, all group members will receive 50 pts.

All group members will be able to edit (add to or delete) to this map. In order to do this, you will have to do the following:

1. Your group will decide what the map will be used for and create a "route" to wherever.

2. One member of your group will go to Google maps and create the map and have other group members review.

3. Once the map is complete, click on Link Icon (chain) in the top right hand corner about the map. You will need to copy the URL under "Paste HTML to embed in web site" and paste it into a post on your blog. Be sure to add an explanation of the map.

SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT : Both parts (A & B) will be included on your group blog. A = 50 points and B = 50 points for a total of 100 points.

DUE DATE: Both parts (A & B) are due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 10, 2012.

NOTE: All assignments have specific due dates. Late assignments will lose 10 points for each WEEK they are late. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Web Evaluations Rubric

Reading Reflection Rubric

Intel evaluating Internet resources questionnaire

Google Documents

Google Documents Help

Embedding Google Doc into Blog

Google Maps

Explore Google Maps - video tour of different uses of Google Maps

What is My Maps and how do I use it?

Google Maps for Educators

Geo Education using Google Maps

ePals