Jennifer Lingo's Profile

This article was very interesting. I have always believed that children learn best when what they are learning pertains to their real lives and when they can be hands on in their learning. The teacher that wrote this article basically lets her students decide where her lessons will go. For example, her students wanted to provide a service for the school while learning. They planned, designed and created an Outdoor Learning Center. This center taught the students many real life skills and also provided services for other teachers in the school. The students next wanted to know what it was really like to live in prehistoric times. This led to an Outdoor Archaic Adventure in the country. These project-based learning projects really allow the students to become hands on and get a feel for real life. Their next project was learning about the brain. The students wanted to know how the brain works and the parts of the brain. The students did a very in depth study of the brain and learned why we do what we do and what parts of the brain control what. After this study the students knew what their brains were capable of and what they could do to enhance their learning. I think these type of project are key in teaching children real life, not just the basics.

This article had good information in it. It was about connecting schools in different parts of the country to each other and teaching them the same curriculum. Sky View High School in Smithfield, Utah was studying the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The project they came up with was to study about the death penalty. The teacher wanted to know the students point of view and to also get the point of views from students that come from different backgrounds. The principle of the school put the teacher in touch with a teacher from Cortland Junior/Senior High School in New York. The two teachers were able to connect through the Internet and share their lessons and their discussions with both classes. The students researched the topic and had to write about their opinions and use supporting evidence for their opinions. They also had to create an artistic expression of their opinion as well, with a collage or gesso art pieces. The students had to work with a partner from the other state and had to communicate via e-mail and put together their work through the Internet. I really like this idea. It gives students a chance to communicate with people that are not exactly the same as them and work together through communication.