Week-5: Reflections on Project-based Learning, WebQuests, and rubric

Every week new resources are equipping me with innumerable strategies to teach ESL/EFL in a very interactive and motivating way. This week I've read an article on "Less Teaching and More Learning" by Susan Gaer. The project based learning is positively an innovative technique to foster learner liberty in teaching and learning. Though it is not a new concept in the university teaching of Bangladesh, it is not much practiced in schools and colleges here. In secondary and intermediate levels (schools and colleges) lecture based authoritative teaching is prevalent though it is said that teaching should be done through communicative language teaching (CLT) approach. I think the scenario will change soon but curricula first need to be changed by the govt. here. In university on the other hand, I'll be able to apply many of the techniques and all the new concepts I have learnt.

It is good to read many of the technology-related changes that many of my coursemates have suggested to implement in their case. As I said before, I am teaching a course named 'Business English' where most of the students are from Business and Engineering schools. For this course I have some plans to implement the following technology-related changes as solutions to many of the present problems in teaching this course.
# as learners are late in submitting the hardcopies of assignment, I'll rather receive softcopies online through emails and send feedback that they will read on emails. This will make a good habit of checking and sending emails and enhance their reading skills.
# Blogs can serve the purpose of interaction among the learners who will get motivated through working at liberty, by reading and sending subject related posts and by talking and consulting about their problems among themselves even before coming to the teacher finally.
# I'll refer to eslflow.com, owl.english.purdue.edu, fog.ccsf.edu/~lfried/ etc for specific resources and tell students to use search engines like google.com to find new resources related to their tasks and assignments
# I've planned to set up some online quizzes for make-ups and extra-credits so that students can feel instrumentally motivated and at the same time sit for the tests online.
# Finally I'm greatly motivated to see the rubistar that can generate excellent rubrics for any task and I must create rubrics and lesson plans for all types of assignments and lessons. I have already created a rubric on designing a poster paper on "importance of logo, brand and color in business: especial focus on mineral water in Bangladesh".

If these can be implemented, I think there will be positive changes in my teaching style as well.

As Susan Gaer showed in the article "Less Teaching and More Learning" that her students learned more through project based learning, it may not be always true. In Bangladesh alternative and project based learning is encouraged, but the teachers have not much training. As a result, they still are in the same traditional lecture based teaching zone. But to work as a 'guide on the side' not as a 'sage on the stage", we as teachers need continuous training before applying these techniques. Again training only will not do if the teachers do not practice them in school and later share their reflections with the colleagues. Finally they should be applied on a large scale, even though techniques may vary based on the situation and context.

About the webquests, I'm still in doubt. It seems that webquests are store houses of lessons and resources from where students can collect information and learn even being home. It is excellent but I've confusions about how to make webquests. Hope it will get easier soon.

Above all I'm greatly enjoying the new techniques and strategies that I'm learning every week.