Blog Post #6

In the video Project Based Learning Part 1, I observed a discussion between Anthony Capps and Dr. Strange about project based learning and all of its parts. It was a very interesting video for me because It involved Dr. Strange asking Anything Capps many questions, that I also had myself, and Capps would answer them accordingly. I learned very much about project based learning by watching this discussion video. Capps is very much for project based learning. He believes very strongly that it is an effective way of learning for the students. He says that not only will it help the students learn more effectively, but it will also be something they can enjoy doing. It forces them to be engaged in what they are doing/learning, which will be better committed to their memory in the long run. Capps gives some really good examples and stories of how well it has worked from his own experience. I think the format of Q & A was very helpful for me while watching this video, and Capps was very good at explaining his point of view. In the second video, Project based Learning Part 2, Capps tells us of a great example of one of the group projects that he had his students do on different cultures and backgrounds. This allowed for the students to independently find their own sources and become familiar with discovering their own answers by way of the internet. The students are free to roam endlessly for information to complete their project which is good for the students to learn without having boundaries. Capps states that limiting students to only one source or type of work is going to only hold them back. It is more enjoyable for them to roam freely and look for all kinds of information on a topic they are interested in. Capps likes to see his students proud of what they find and he likes for them to enjoy the process of learning, even though they may not even realize it. The last video I watched was the iCurio video, between Capps and Dr. Strange on iCurio. ICurio is a search engine made for students to use because it is filtered for the students, and restricts where they can go. They can look up information on a student-friendly site, that may be a little safer depending on different age groups. I think this is wonderful because as a future teacher, I have been very concerned about how much we are incorporating the internet into teaching the students due to the fact that sometimes the internet can be harmful to young eyes. iCurio is also great because it allows students to leave off and pick up where they'd like. If they are working on something but need a break, or it's time to go, they can save it in a folder and come back to finish their work later. I think this will be great to incorporate in my classroom in the future.