Reflections on Project-Based Multimedia Learning

When I read about project-based multimedia learning in chapter one, I was excited. Here was a true example of how technology can be seemlessly integrated into the curriculum. The students were all on task and excited about learning.

Project-based learning means students take control of their learning, working collaboratively on a project of their own choosing and turning it into a multimedia presentation to a real world audience. It takes the student through a variety of curricular areas. I think it's a great way for students to get excited about learning. They can get as creative as they want, adding pictures, video clips, sound, animations, cartoons, and even create their own drawings to best represent what they learned. When they get to share their project with others in the real world, it empowers them to do a better job of learning. They know what they're producing will be noticed, reveiwed, evaluated and even commented upon by others. By getting them involved through projects ensures they'll want to get involved in their own education. Their learning becomes relevant and authentic. They're producing for the real world and not just for a teacher who's said they have to do something. The life lessons they learn through project-based learning are priceless. Students have the chance to problem-solve, make decisions, collaborate and gather all the materials they need for their project. They learn the life skills necessary to make it in the real world marketplace: collaborating, analyzing, problem-solving, evaluating and turning their learning into a final multi-media project that sums up what they've learned. Then they present to a real live audience, just as people in the workforce do today. It's a way of preparing them for their future.