WEEK 7

Well, this week I was busy with preparing my project report, I mean a rough draft. What we did during previous weeks was very helpful (the description of a class, the setting, the problem, possible solutions to the problem using technology or some technique). So, I made the beginning of my rough draft rather quickly. I’d like to say that taking part in this project we learn to teach our students to make projects step by step.

I found a partner for the project task. It’s better to say that the partner found me. Anyway I and Bojana are partners and I’m really glad to have such a partner.

What concerns the assignments of this week, I described how I use one computer in the classsroom: mainly for watching videos, listening to songs, watching presentations, creating Word processor-documents, drilling exercises and tests. Reading the article "How to thrive in a one-computer classroom" I liked the idea of posting a schedule and establishing color-coded groups so that students could work with the computer in turn. I'm planning to try this in the nearest future.

I made a one-computer lesson plan where I used my interactive presentation from Week 6. I think I feel better now with making ABCD objectives.

I also read articles on learner autonomy and I agree that the autonomous learner takes an active role in the learning process, he is ready to generate some ideas, he becomes an active agent in his own learning process. I mentioned the ways I try to increase learners autonomy: we discuss news and current events, our weekends, express our opinions on some problems, make individual projects and so on.
In conclusion I'd like to say that this week I learned a lot of useful information which is very helpful for the final project task and for my lessons in general.

MY WEEK 6
I'm glad that this week we had not so many assignments as last week. Nevertheless the week was very fruitful for me.

First, I learned a lot of new about Power Point and how to make it interactive and useful for creating student-centered lessons. Of course, I knew about Action Buttons that go to the next slide, indicate an available movie or sound clip and that any element in a PowerPoint slide can serve as an Action Button -- text, images, or even clip art. But I didn't use Action Buttons to assess student understanding.  I liked this idea very much. Also I found the idea of blank slides very useful when you ask a question which needs some time to be answered and when you use Think-Pair-Share technique. I'd like to try this too because I used to just stop my presentation and what was on the screen at that time could distract my students.

Then I made my interactive presentation. I called  it "No to addictions". It's for the students of the 9th form (intermediate level), the topic is "Healthy way of life". The presentation contains a task to identify the harmful substances in a cigarette with an active button "HELP", a short video (a comercial) after which there is a blank slide because students are supposed to discuss the video after watching it, then the students' task is to do an exercise from their student's book (to answer some questions choosing the option true for them:"Are you addicted to the Internet?"), then there are rules for scoring and hyperlinks for seeing tips after doing this quiz. I added blank slides not to distract my students during the discussion. And I used interactive scoring to motivate my students, to make them more active.

I brought my ineractive presentation in class. I noticed that blank slides helped me switch students' attention from the screen to some discussion easier than before because nothing on the screen distracted them. Using a video in the presentation (it was an ad of an alcoholic beverage) provoked my students to speak on the problem of using alcohol and if it can solve personal problems as it was said in the ad. Then when I proposed my students to do a quiz "Are you addicted to the Internet?" interactive scoring interested them much. So, my presentation was really interective as my students were more active than usual, they became more motivated and spoke more which is my objective.

MY WEEK 5
I think it was the hardest week so far. So many tasks! Rubrics and Webquests were completely new for me.
I'd like to share my thoughts about Webquests. I didn't use them before and I even didn't see them, so, I was really interested in using and creating Webquests.  I thik Webquests can be a good form of PBL because students do not just surf the Net but they learn to find necessary information on the sites which were recommended to them. I also find very important that the evaluation is produced in the form of a rubric for students because when students present their product after doing a Webquest they will be able to see the point of the teacher who gives them grades. So the Webquests which I saw inspired me to create my first Webquest. I consider using Webquests as a form of PBL can be very effective for motivating students. I hope my students will like this activity as I'm going to suggest them my first Webquest in the nearest future.

What concerns rubrics, I didn't use this word earlier in my work and didn't make them either. So, I was really interested in this topic. I consider rubrics very useful in assessing students because they know what they are supposed to do and to have to obtain high results. Rubrics are also very useful for teachers to explain students their grades for some work. And of course rubrics are very helpful in self assessment and peer assessment, I think. I've read articles on rubrics and learned a lot of useful information besides rubrics: how to establish project goals and objectives and how to assess projects. I've tried RubiStar to create my first rubric. I haven't done such work before and I didn't use this word in my work so far. So, it was an experience for me. First I thought it would be extremely hard for me because I need to invent something. But with the help of Rubistar I did it within 5 minutes. What a great tool!I've tried this rubric in class. First I explained my students what they are supposed to do. Then I showed them my rubric and commented on it. I was glad that my students found it fair. When they presented their projects I began assessing them using my rubric and commenting on every aspect of it. My students said that they could easily understand their grades, their problems and mistakes. Next time I'm planning to assess students' project together with them, maybe using peers assessment.

PBL. I often use it with my students. They like making projects, especially when the topic is really interesting for them. And I like PBL because all students are cative, all of them doing different tasks. And of course, it's motivating.

Speaking about motivation, my problem is speaking motivation. I want my 9th form students to speak more in the lessons. I'll try to solve this problem by using Project Based Learning. I'm thinking of suggesting my students some projects like making a Power point presentation on some topic or interviewing people and, of course, Webquests. The topic can be Natural Disasters, I think (we are studying it now). I believe PBL will help me and my students because it involves all the participants of the project in active work and the topic seems to interest my students because it's authentic. So, I hope it'll work.
In conclusion I'd like to say that this week was very productive for me though It took me much time to do all the assignments, more than I expected.

MY WEEK 4

Well, the tasks are becoming harder but more interesting too. And of course they are very useful.
This week I looked through some sites which were recommended. I searched for some information that I could use for teaching reading and vocabulary and of course I found a lot helpful.
Then I analyzed some sample lesson plans in order to create my own one. I liked this task very much because here in Belarus we have different lesson plans and to use something new is always very exciting for me. This task was also useful for me because I had to make my ABCD objective again and I realized that it was easier for me to do it this time.
And I tried to formulate the problem that my students have. It's motivation. Thanks to Jodi I could make it clearer: motivation in active class participation.
Looking forward to new tasks.