Week 5: PBL - Rubrics - A Technology Tool Solution

Project Based Learning

I read “Seven Essentials for Project-based Learning” by John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller and “Maximizing the Benefits of Project Work in Foreign Language Classrooms” by Brulent Alan and Frederika L. Stoller with great interest.  Although the number of criteria of a successful project differs in the two readings, they define the same key elements. For me the most appealing ingredients of PBL are:  a meaningful, real-world subject matter, collaboration, student autonomy and integrated skills; all of which lead to an effective preparation of students for real world outside school.

If I had had more time, I would have already started my own WebQuest. Not only because more points can be gathered during this course by doing it but because of its remarkable benefits. This integrated student activity can be really attractive, motivating and useful for my open-minded teenagers who were born digital and use the World Wide Web with confidence; but need development of skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, analysing, synthesizing.

Rubrics and Alternative Assessment

I’m not saying that rubrics were totally new to me. We use them in exams. Students’ performance is evaluated based on rubrics prepared by the examination centres. But the idea of using written rubrics created by the teachers themselves with the possibility of customizing them for different tasks, different groups is something that has changed my attitude towards assessment. Some of its elements, of course, have already been used by me but mainly instinctively, not consciously.

I have created my first rubric and I am planning to put it into practice next week.

A Technology Tool Solution - Brainstorming

This week our project task has been to write about the technology tool or technology that we would implement to help with the issue we identified last week. 

As my problem seemed too complex, the instructors suggested me tracing it down to a single issue. I got stuck and asked for help from them. From the options I was offered I have chosen the one(s) that might need the most work but seem(s) the most fruitful for not only me but my colleagues as well. I am going to prepare a workshop for English teachers about teaching/learning writing using ICT. I deliberately wrote the word “one(s)” this way. I’d like to start the preparation for the workshop by compiling a database containing the most useful links about improving writing skills.  The technology elements intended to be used are: online survey made by using GoogleDocs, PowerPoint or Sway presentation; blogs, rubrics and WebQuests as examples etc. I am still at the stage of brainstorming but I am quite enthusiastic about sharing my knowledge acquired by me during this course with my colleagues who face similar problems concerning teaching writing skills.