One of the issues I’m likely to encounter in my class is students’ lack of motivation. After reading Susan Gaer’s article “Less Teaching and More Learning” (1998) I believe I have found a solution to my problem. The solution is called Project-Based Learning(PBL. Gaer’s article is a real revelation to me.
She gives examples of how she managed to achieve what we are all striving for: a learner-centered environment where the teacher is only a facilitator and where the students perform their tasks with excitement. To learn with excitement? Is it really possible? I strongly believe it is, provided that the teacher thoroughly prepares the project. Although Gaer argues that advanced students will create projects by themselves, I don’t think that this is possible in my school, because the students have been taught in a traditional way in almost all the subjects they have studied so far. However, after a certain period of time and a number of projects carried out, I think they will be able to devise their own projects according to their needs and wishes.
It is important that the project is well-prepared in advance. In order to do this the teacher must understand his/her students and know their learning styles. Students are different, their needs differ as well, and so do their learning styles. I think it might be a good idea to carry out several projects in one class. According to the Sun Associates’s article A Project-Based Learning Activity About Project-Based Learning (2003) there are four types of learning styles:
1) Spatial/Visual learner
2) Language-oriented learner
3) Kinetic learner
4) Logical learner.
In the article, the learning styles are thoroughly explained and examples are given for the teachers to choose what is the most appropriate for his/her class.
Dear Arjana,
ReplyDeleteI agree that Project-Based learning is a drive to make students more motivated and willing to work.
I have used Project-Based learning with my students and I have seen excellent results. Students enjoy working in teams and using authentic material. They feel proud when they are given a problem and they are able to find a solution.
When they present their projects I notice that they are more competitive rather than when they do individual presentations.
I think that students don´t want to be the reason for their group to fail because they couldn´t make it and therefore they try harder.
A very important tool which also motivates them is technology. Technology is very important when doing projects, students need the technology during they prepare their projects and when they presents the projects.
Yours,
Luiza
Dear, Arjana
ReplyDeleteLike yourself, I think that this tool is really motivating. I agree with you on preparation component. No project will succeed unless a teacher is well-prepared.
It is good to take in account students'learning styles as well. If you have a thourough knowledge of this, you might group students accordingly,when all in a group contribute to a successful project.
Yours,
Liliya
Dear Arjana,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts on Project-Based Learning (PBL). Like you, I strongly believe that it is possible to learn with excitement. As humans we are wired to learn, and find new things interesting and exciting - but we all learn best in different ways. A thoughtful and effective teacher will do their best to take into consideration the diverse learning styles among their students when planning PBL activities. Such planning and preparation will ensure that learning activities speak to, excite, and motivate all students at some level.
You raise an interesting point about your students potentially having difficulty moving from a traditional learning environment to a progressive environment because the "traditional" is what they are familiar with and used to. It might be important to ease your students into PBL activities. As your classroom activities gradually becomes more project-based, your students will gradually obtain more autonomy over their learning. While considerable teacher-provided structure around activities might be necessary at first, eventually you will be able to ask students to take on more responsibility for framing learning activities. Students might not start out creating their own research projects, but they might start out by contributing ideas for research questions. As you point out, over time and a number of projects, students will be able to plan and carry out their own projects according to their own learning needs.
Regards,
Stephen
Dear Arjana ,
ReplyDeleteReading this post and its comments I think we can create a chain of teachers willing to motivate their students more.
What I suggest is designing common tasks for cooperation, working together to accomplish certain goals. We can share blogs, wikis , WebQuests or anything related to technology and English practice. We can send a problem to be used as a way to get groups to discuss and review material, or potential solutions to problems related to content information. We can have case-studies. We can have pairs of students reading the same material and exchange double-entries journals.
Because variety is the spice of life , the same could be with our teaching .The more we expose our students to challenging tasks with off-class audience ( the same age students of other nationalities learning English as a second language ) , the more we could have the chance to see them becoming confident , autonomous learners.
Yours,
Camelia