The fifth week is over now. For me, this week was very important because it added so many new technological tools and methods that can serve teaching English Language better. The main topic of this week was to introduce us to a new teaching technique which is called PBL "Project-based Learning" Through using Web-Quests and creating rubrics as an ideal assessment tool. PBL is very efficient and helpful in learning languages, when opposed to the Grammar-based curricula which tend to be technical more than practical. This new form of learning indulge the students in learning unconsciously through performing projects that they find interesting and valuable!
Regarding our projects, for this week we described a technology tool that would help in solving one of the problems we listed in the forth week. All the participants are doing a great progress in our projects for this course. So far, things are quite clear. Day after day our teaching experience is getting wider.
Dear Khadija!
ReplyDeleteHope you are well and you have done all your tasks successfully!!!
I absolutely agree with you! This week was so important. The new techniques, rubrics. Your rubric is great! What about PBL and Webquests, have you prepared any projects for your students? Since it requires enough time, I am planning to do it for the next year!
I am sure using the appropriate technology you will be able to tackle the problem you faced during teaching!
I wish you great success!!!!!
Take care
Gulnar
Hi Gulnar,
DeleteThanks for your comment..
Actually, I am planning to use a Web-Quest as a technology tool, for the course's project, to solve the problem of rigidness and boredom in my classes. Using PBL, as you know is so efficient in these cases!
Khadija
Hi Khadija,
ReplyDeleteAt the outset, I would like to show my amazement on the way you designed your blog. I liked the pictures.
I too liked the readings of this week and enjoyed the idea of Webquests that's why I will be trying it out starting from this week. By the way, it isn't necessary to use a webquest for PBL. I can use any other IT or ICT tool.
I even think that PBL is a cominationtion of different learning strategies. It has to do with research, discussion, cooperative learning, and e-learning (if I use blogs, webquests, etc.). It's one for many.
Regards,
Huda
Hello Hoda,
DeleteI am really glad that you liked the way I designed my blog. I do like yours too. Thanks a lot.
You are right, I can use other materials and media for applying PBL in my classes. But, in the case of my class, I think web-quests are the most suitable, because students will have freedom of time, I mean they can do a lot of tasks without being worried about the times of lectures and so on, as they do not all live near the university. Furthermore, they can also find it interesting to use the internet as a medium in collaborating and doing their tasks cooperatively.
Thanks a lot for your point. It makes me think about so many other tools that I can use for PBL.
Wish you all the best!
Khadija
Hi Khadija,
ReplyDeleteI would like first of all, to congratulate you on your well-designed blog. looking at the different pictures helps me remember this week's tasks and assignment. An image is worth a thousand words...
As you said in your post : this new form of learning (PBL) indulges the students in learning unconsciously through performing projects..."
In fact, in real life this is what happens we, sometimes acquire knowledge and skills unconsciously. For example do we remember when or where we have acquired the amount of knowledge that we have presently?
Hello Jules,
DeleteI am so happy that you liked my blog,
Learning unconsciously, as you mentioned happens a lot in real life, and let me add, it is counted as the most effective learning that always last in our brains. What we acquire while we are practicing something that we like will remain more than what we acquire through learning. And that is exactly what happens in the case of children. Kids in their first ages tend to learn unconsciously through the surroundings and the actions they notice and practice. But adults, on the other hand tend to learn consciously more than acquiring.
It is a very interesting topi, the issue of learning and acquiring, consciously and unconsciously. It is actually first presented and discussed by a great linguist: Krashen in his Input Hypothesis. Here in a link that you can injoy:
http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/PDFs/SCHMIDT%20The%20role%20of%20consciousness%20in%20second%20language%20learning.pdf
Have nice reading..
Khadija