The Reflection of Week 5

Ohhh... it's very exhausted, but don't give up! This week is more challenging because many difficult works to do. But I have tried to finish all happily. There are three very important lessons this week.

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1) Project-based Learning (PBL)

Project Based Learning (PBL) basically is a method of teaching that allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts and standards at the heart of a project (http://www.bie.org/about/what_is_pbl/). This is a good way for teachers to train students to implement a theory in a real life. Through this method, students do practicing to what they learn theoretically in the classroom. Teachers and parents can do collaboration to monitor and lead their students/children doing their project, even solve their problems, beside they do their group works. This method, for example, was used by Susan Gaer when she taught her students Folktales. Through PBL she did not only teaching reading and writing Folktales but also she asked her students did a project. The project she designed changed a traditional teaching method to Project-based instruction. Through this PBL, her students were more active and creative in doing their project work. They made puppets for retelling the folktales orally, prepared costumes for performing role playing or mini drama that performed the Folktales on the stage. This is an alternative assessment that is more practical and directly observable (http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=385.html).
PBL can motivate students more in their study. The facts show that teaching one subject, for example teaching writing, theoretically makes students bored because it does not stimulate them to move their hands. The student will only listen to the teacher's explanation about a theory of writing. On the contrary, if the teacher applies PBL in teaching writing, for example, directly the students will move their hands to pick up their pens and paper, think the topic, draw an outline, start to write individually or in groups. This is one example of a PBL activity that is different from a traditional method. PBL here can change students from station to motion because it gives them motivation.

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2) Rubrics and Alternative Assessment

Basically a rubric is an easily applicable form of authentic assessment. A rubric simply lists a set of criteria, which defines and describes the important components of the work being planned or evaluated (http://us.iearn.org/professional_development/multimedia/assess/rubric.html). The role of rubrics within PBL is providing a measure of quality of performance on the basis of established criteria (http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/assessing/alternative.htm). With the rubric, teachers can measure the students' performance, capability, and mastery of one subject and students can refer to what level or score they are going to achieve because it can be a scale for students to measure their own achievement. See my rubric sample on https://sites.google.com/site/seanswebskillswikifall2013/rubrics.

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3) Project WebQuests

PBL can be corporated with technology by using WebQuest. The facility of WebQuest that is available more and easy to take and to use can help students to do their projects given by the teacher. Suppose when the students are given a writing project by the teaching, they can acquire some knowledge of writing theories that can lead them how to write well. They can use resources on the World Wide Web for writing subject because WebQuest itself is an inquiry-oriented activity. WebQuests pull together the most effective instructional practices into one integrated student activity (http://zunal.com/zunal-help/help-about-whatiswebquest.php). However, sometimes PBL can be implemented if schools or classrooms do not have complete facilities that can support all activities in PBL. I have tried to create Project-based learning and WebQuests though it is not good yet, but I have been successful in applying this web application. See it on http://questgarden.com/164/08/7/131110091317/