Please see the link within the slide deck and/or the subpages for Teacher Documents and Student Documents used in this unit.

This module was a great opportunity to review assessment features and look at my practice. The "The Water Project" is a large, complicated 21st century learning unit that is both fun and challenging to teach. Looking back, I think the first year we did the project from a pedagogical standpoint we did a better job at assessing. We had regular two hour blocks with the students and did a great job of meeting with groups, checking in with them, helping them problem solve and redirecting them. We also were able to end class with students reflecting on "reflection slide decks' and verbally checking in. We regularly asked students via whole class conversations about the challenges they faced and how they met them as well as how giving them a chance to compliment their classmates. 

This review of how this year's project went allowed me to see that we didn't do the same level of reflection with the students. The logistical issues with the schedule prevented us as teachers from seeing each other as often and we no longer had two hour blocks with the students. This year's class also needed a lot more of slower pace and hand holding due to their abilities. This slowed the entire project down. 

For the next year, I would like to build in more exit slips (Padlet style) that would allow students to be aware of how the days went and give us feedback on their project. I also want to incorporate Synth and see how that works with the class for the end of the project.

The Blended Learning Competency that jumps out immediately with this project is Adaptive Skills:

What 

Higher complexity that are generalized across domain/jobs. Help people tackle problems and tasks where the solution might be unknown or that require organizational learning and innovation 

How 

Developed through modeling, coaching, and reflective practice

This is the number one skill needed to complete a Design Thinking project with students. With each problem students face and their ideas for solving as a teacher I need to be able to help them find solutions or lead them in their thinking. This is sometimes difficult when students are not as developed as thinkers. Finding ways to help them think outside the box and find solutions without telling them a solution is a challenge, especially with elementary age students, at times they are not developmentally ready or are still very black and white thinkers. It is moments like these that I realize what being a teacher is really all about. For example, getting prepared for this unit, I planned a small research unit to introduce students to Noodletools to cite sources and take notes.  I have taught this for years! I regularly taught fourth graders how to use it in one 60 minute or less lesson. Yet, this year, it took me four class periods. My students are not good listeners, they were anxious, they were not as comfortable with technology. Taking time to reflect and check in with my students I realized I needed to teach this same skill in a new approach, and much slower. This is an excellent example of how assessment is so important and how it leads us to be better teachers. I know that while I didn't get the lesson to go as fast as I wanted it to go, my students learned the skills and are not quite comfortable with Noodletools and citing sources, and I am a better teacher for the experience.

Final reflection:

Reflection is one of the most powerful tools in the learning toolbox, yet it is one that often gets set aside in order to move on. After the performance, showcase, turning it there is a feeling of being 'done' and ready to go to the next lesson. We know through research that it is the reflection process that cements the learning. As teachers I think we don't do this enough. I try to take notes and think about what happened why it happened, what could be done better when I think about doing a project again. I know we as teachers do the best we can with the constraints we have to work with. I was proud of the Water Project this year, we stretched our students along the way and through their presentations realized how much they learned. I look forward to next year and seeing how this project is iterated next year with my new role and the new schedule.