Week 5: An impressive week

 I learned a lot this week as we are introduced to Problem Based Learning (PBL) , Alternative Assessment and Rubric, WebQuest and the benefits of implementing them to our ESL classes. Problem Based Learning is a real world-based activity which promotes autonomous learning activity. Here, students are put as the center of learning process while teachers act as ‘coaches and facilitators of inquiry and reflection’. As it departs from a problem-solved learning task and assigns students to working in pairs or groups, it creates and develops students’s awareness of the importance of togetherness and cooperativeness. Susan Gaer’s project samplers are good examples of the application of PBL learning approach. It gives me some thought or ideas about activities that might be relevant for my listening class. I think it would be worthwhile to use PBL approach  for my Intermediate Listening class. I have asked my students to create their own blog on which they may write their reflection of what they have watched and learned. Last night, I searched and studied several listening materials on the internet for them to listen. I was so helped by this URL http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/listening/liindex.htm as it provides me not only the essentials of teaching listening such as goals and techniques for teaching listening, but also sample listening materials which are topically varied.

I also learned new alternative assessment to evaluate learning process:   checklist and rubric. They are  two assessment methods that are very different from the traditional ones that most of the time I used. I learned that both checklist and rubric help both teacher and student evaluate the learning process. Checklists is a measurement which is easy to construct and use. It also aligns closely with tasks. However, it has a weakness as it ‘simply provides an indication of whether a specific criterion, characteristic, or behavior is present’ in the students or class. A rubric, however, gives the teacher information on the students' background knowledge and interests as it provides a measure of quality of performance on the basis of established criteria. Alternative assessment is appropriately used to evaluate or score a wide varieties of elements. I used it last month for assessing teachers’ teaching practice. It is designed to evaluate various aspects of teaching such as pre-teaching, while teaching and post teaching activities, voice, body language, teaching media, and so on. It can be easily used by both the assessors and the peers since it uses checklist boxes for each category and activity. Both assessment can also  be used by student to assesses  to assess their own learning and provide feedback to their peers. I have created my rubric for oral presentation class. It is designed to evaluate my students' ability to describe a place as their listening and speaking project. I like using this rubric for my assessment as it is very easy to follow and the assessment is already there and clearly stated. You can take a look at my rubric from this link http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=ShowRubric&rubric_id=2378152

 A WebQuest is a new Internet-based learning activity for me. WebQuest is an activity, either individually or in teams, in which students learn as they search for information using the Web. They follow a prescribed format focusing on problem solving and authentic assessment which uses resources available on the World Wide Web. I think WebQuest is a powerful learning tool for us to use since it enhances the learning atmosphere and motivates both teacher and student to involve in the activity.   It also could motivate students to use their creativity and critical thinking in solving a problem. In addition, it develops basic knowledge of research as they lear to to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information.