Podcast Reflection #7: "Learning In Hand #24: Project Based Learning"

The 24th episode of Tony Vincent's Learning In Hand discusses project based learning. According to Tony, project based learning focuses on driving questions, and requires students to deeply explore a topic and share their thoughts with classmates. In creating these projects, it is important to set parameters and rubrics which are created by both the students and the teacher. Tony clearly believes in the benefit of using handhelds, such as iPods and iPads, in the classroom because they are readily available to his students and they allow students to plan, research, and presentation. In the planning stage, he highlights the Popplet and Ideasketch apps. For research, Tony recommended Atomic web browser and Side by Side app. Finally, he discusses the ways these popular handhelds can be used to present projects related to the curriculum. He specifically highlights an app called SonicPics which enables students to create videos on their handhelds. In these videos, the app allows students to sync narration with any selected images and share the finished product through email and YouTube. From what I saw during the demo video Tony created, the process looked very similar to creating a video on GarageBand. While SonicPics costs money to download, there is a free alternative called Storyrobe which serves a similar purpose. To edit and modify elements in the videos, he recommends apps such as Adobe Photoshop Express, Comic Touch, Easy Chart and Quick Chart. After viewing this episode, I am very convinced that handhelds can be very helpful in fostering creativity and promoting student learning.