1. Discussion on the focus of Learning Communities.

Learning Communities are made up of a collaborative problem solving team to better results.  Members of the team are forced to open their minds capacity to create  the results they desire.  Team members most likely learn new patterns of thinking, they learn how to capitalize on the way the group, and they continually learn how to learn together.

• Discussion on the benefits of Learning Communities.

Some benefits of Learning Communities include: decreased teacher isolation, increased commitment to the mission, shared responsibility, more powerful learning, and higher likelihood of fundamental, systemic change.

1. Discussion on how Learning Communities affect teachers.

In Learning Communities teachers are forced to always be life-long learners. That means that teachers will be forces to collaborate with others to determine the best practice to achieve the mission of the student. It is also very important for teachers to stay true to their shared values and beliefs.  Being apart of a Learning Community is a tough balancing act for teachers.

1. Discussion on how Learning Communities affect students.

I feel like Learning Communities affect students in many ways that could be beneficial. For instance the student will have many more resources available to them with more collaborators on the team.  There is a chance that Learning Communities could affect students very badly by having bad collaborations within the Community.

1. Discussion on the components for shared vision in Learning Communities.

In Learning Communities teachers share a vision of the conditions they must create to achieve the mission.  A shared vision includes all of the collaborators thoughts and opinions to create beneficial outcomes.

1. Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project.

I feel like the concept of Learning Communities can relate to every topic.  Every group is working and practicing the concept of a Learning Community by every individual working as a collaborative team.  Each individual is bringing their idea and beliefs to create beneficial results.

Chapter 2 reflection

1.      When it comes to learning communities there are three main focus points; that the students are learning, fostering a classroom community and teamwork, and focus and produce results.

2. The benefits of a learning community are many, the main focus is on higher ordered thinking and a more powerful learning, creating a community among students and teacher to reduce isolation in the classroom. Also that the teachers share responsibility among themselves, and in working together as a community a change will occur in the learning centers.
3.  Learning Communities empower teachers, to work together and build an environment that challenges students to be their best. Learning community allow for teachers to be sound boards for one another, create new and innovated lesson plans, and strategies to learn.
4. Learning Communities directly affect students, they are able to reap the benefits of what their teachers have been working for. As the teachers display efforts of teamwork, higher ordered thinking, the students will begin to do the same. Allowing for students to have more real world experience.
5. The shared vision in Learning Communities is how to learn together, and learning to learn together. When learning communities focus on these two ideas students will always succeed.
6. The concepts in this chapter relate to creating our health and wellness project by reminding us to work together, question each of the ideas that we have so that together we can create the most well informed, user and learner friendly blog.

Reading Reflection 2

1. Discussion on the focus of Learning Communities
I believe the focus of learning communities is to create a setting when students and teachers alike can asses each other's work for the purpose of improving it. There are many forms ranging from formal to informal and digital to personal. They focus on ensuring students learn, creating collaboration for school improvement, and focusing on results.

2. Discussion on the benefits of Learning Communities
Learning communities bring students and teachers together. Before, teachers worked alone and rarely worked with other teachers. Learning communities not only help teachers improve their curriculum but it also helps teachers learn to asses each others work without being critical. With teachers working together, the school is filled with a curriculum that can't fail.

3. Discussion on how Learning Communities affect teachers.
Learning Communities affect teachers mostly because they are new. They produce a decrease in teacher isolation, increased commitment, shared responsibility, more powerful learning, and a higher likelihood of fundamental, systematic change. They have a wider range of help available to them on the internet where all over the world teachers are committed to helping each other.

4. Discussion on how Learning Communities affect students
Learning Communities affect students by providing them with a richer environment for learning and they learn new patterns for thinking.

5. Discussion on the components for shared vision in Learning Communities
The components for shared vision in Learning Communities are decreased teacher isolation, increased commitment, shared responsibility, more powerful learning, and a high likelihood of fundamental systematic change

6. Discussion on how concepts in this chapter relate to your topic/project
This chapter relates to our project because we are both assessing each other and looking at previous work to influence how we proceed with our project. We will look into our own learning communities to help us develop a great project.

Reading Reflection 1

When starting Project-Based Learning (PBL) any teacher needs to know that there are going to challenges, and some uphill battles; especially if they are the only one or of few in the school using PBL.  Teachers also need to remember that students love and learn in the real world; literally most children have the world at their fingertips and don’t even know it. Students are up for the challenge; they are raised in and thrive in the technology world. Using PBL the student and teacher gain more knowledge on any given topic because the project takes them where they want to learn, not only what is needed to learn. After all of the self doubts, trials and discouraging moments, the project will be worth it, they will change a student’s thinking and thought process, and it may even change them. Students will learn new tools to expand their knowledge, allow for global connections, open more doors for active communication, better prepare teamwork skills and strategies, think critically, and use technology as a tool for problem solving.

When implementing a PBL there are cautions that need to be thought about and addressed. Students must learn to find out what is real information and what is someone’s thought. Modification of the goals and objective of a project may need multiple times depending on the course of the project. The classroom roles may change, the traditional idea that the teacher stands in front of the rooms and speaks might evolve into the students teaching each other while the teacher provides the framework. Communication skills will change, be ready to change with it; emails, blogs, online questionnaires, etc.

The New Technology Model used at New Technology High is an amazing and innovative approach to non-traditional learning. As stated before almost every student in the United States has access to the outside world via technology. Instead of fighting it off or just adding it to the curriculum this school has embraced it, and made it relatable, accountable, and a lifelong learning tool for their students. I whole heartedly agree on the grading scale that feedback is presented on multiple aspects of a project, because there are certain areas of a project that will be better than others, and students need to know where to focus their attention to strengthen their weaknesses. Teacher collaboration, shared planning hours, and staff meeting that focus on the students is something that I feel other public and private schools are missing. As a whole every teacher in every school, district, county, state and nation are working at the same goal; providing our students with the best education we possibly can to turn out people who continue to seek knowledge with the given tools to make successful decisions for themselves, their families, and the world that they live in. By creating and fostering an environment that promotes teamwork the students see that and begin to replicate it.  It will only be a few years from now the ideas from New Technology High will be integrated into every school nationwide.

***Response to questions 1-3 are included in the first paragraph

Reading Reflection #1

1. Discussion on what you need to keep in mind as you start the journey through Project-Based Learning (PBL) 
Technology is providing opportunities for projects to be more connected to student's lives. The results are worth it when students find themselves connecting with the material and then using it in the real world. Most importantly, teachers will be learning with the students since this is a new way of learning.

 2. Discussion on the overall benefits of the PBL approach. 
By using the PBL approach, students are introduced to more real life experiences that they will use outside of the classroom. Students are more interested in this approach because it connects to the real world and it uses topics they're more interested in which in turn encourages them to participate more. I also believe that with the teachers learning alongside the students, the students will be more eager to learn when they can discover things with the teacher rather than always from the teacher.

 3. Discussion on the benefits to students who participate in PBL.
Students learn to work and communicate their ideas collaborativley with other students which is an essential tool to use both outside the classroom and in the work force. They learn to meet deadlines better when they know others depend on them. They develop a key set of inquiry skills that lead them to explore ideas with their teammates. And most importantly, they develop a set of communication skills to break through cultural misunderstandings.

 4. Discussion on what issues need to be considered in PBL approach.
We need to consider that this is a new approach for teachers and students alike. It will be a learning process where we will need to work together. Teachers will also need to be more developed in the understanding of technology. Right now we live in an age where students know more about technology than teachers. As teachers we need to know as much as we can so that we can help students in their struggles

 5. Discussion on New Technology High as an example of New Technology Model.
I think it's important to have a smaller design that cater to each student's individual needs. It also has the teachers working together to perfect their lesson plans.