Why does competency-based learning use projects?
Competency-based learning is motivated by the idea that the classroom should prepare learners for real life. Learners acquire the language, but they also develop skills and strategies that will help them complete the kind of tasks they would do in real life. Learners complete a project at the end of a unit or chapter to show that they have learned the information and that they can use it.
A project is a creative way for learners to apply the language and skills that they’ve learned in class. A project lets learners personalize the structures and skills they have learned in class – they can choose what they do and how they do it -- as long as they demonstrate that they have mastered the objectives of the file. This is an important part of motivating learners and helping them see that they can use English to express things that are important or interesting for them.
A good project should require learners to do independent research to get information for their project. They can look for information in books or magazines that they have at home or in a library. They can ask friends, neighbors or family members for information. If learners have access to the Internet they can search for information there. Learners may do their projects by hand or on the computer. They may create their own illustrations, or use pictures cut or photocopied from books or magazines, computers or the Internet.
A project should be more than just copying what is in a book or information they have talked about in class. Learners should process the information in some creative way. They may apply the information in a different situation, compare and contrast ideas or classify them into groups. Learners might also predict or plan something new using the information they have researched. Learners can evaluate information to decide what is best or most important and then justify their evaluation.
How can teachers prepare learners to work on projects?
Preparing learners to create a successful project starts before the assignment. Teachers have to plan classroom activities that will introduce learners to the skills and decision-making that is necessary to successfully complete a project. If learners never have a chance to work in groups, do creative exercises or make decisions in class, they will probably have a difficult time doing these things for their project. It’s important for teachers to use creative writing activities in every class period so that learners have practice using language creatively. It is also important to give learners some freedom to choose during class activities (for example, ask learners to describe a their favorite game or musician). Choosing how they want to use new information or a new structure is good practice for choosing how they will complete their project.
Teachers should also ask learners to work in pairs or groups in every class period. This will help learners begin to develop the social skills they need to cooperate with classmates when they work on their project. Teachers may need to explicitly instruct learners in social skills like taking turns, disagreeing politely, making a suggestion, dividing tasks and encouraging all learners to participate. If necessary, the teacher can assign roles or use other strategies to be sure that learners are cooperating effectively. Additionally, teachers should also help learners develop the language skills they need to complete social roles in English.
Teachers should use a variety of higher level thinking activities during class to make learners develop the higher level thinking skills they need to plan a project. For example, learners can analyze information (Why do you think Souad Massi is less famous than Celine Dion?), to apply it in their own lives (if you wanted to be a soccer star or famous singer, what would you do?) to use it in a different situation (if Britney Spears came to Algeria, what problems would she have?), to predict the consequence or outcome of an event (What do you think would happen if David Beckham got fat?), to identify similarities and differences (How are you and Ronaldo the same? Different?), make something new using familiar information (Write a daily schedule for Zidane) or to rank things and then justify that rating (Who are your three favorite stars? Why?)
A successful project has many different steps. The following steps are probably best completed in class:
1) Teachers should begin discussing project objectives and grading criteria with the class.
2) Learners work with their group to brainstorm ideas about the topic of their project (Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Amel, Loana), the format of their project (a picture dictionary, a recipe, a newspaper, an interview, an advertisement, a timeline) and the content of their project (a list of her movies, the words to one of her songs, interesting facts about her).
These steps can be done by project groups outside of class:
3) After learners have finished brainstorming, they should select the topic, format and content (Jennifer Lopez, an interview, interesting facts about her, the words to one song) they think are the best.
4) The groups should make a sketch of what they want their project to look like (poster with a picture of Jennifer in the middle, words to a song in the lower left hand corner, interview in the upper left hand corner, picture from a movie in the upper right hand corner).
5) Learners should identify the information and materials they need, and
6) Assign tasks (who will bring pictures, who will bring colored pencils, who will research information about her life, who will get the words to the song).
7) Learners carry out their research and purchase any necessary materials, and finally,
Learners should work on their project as a group.
9) Before handing in their project to the teacher, learners should check to be sure their project meets all the necessary criteria (correct use of grammar, creative work, visual support of information) and change it if necessary.
Teachers can ask learners to use organizing tools to organize their ideas and plan their project before they begin to work. Tools like concept maps (example D) or lists (example C) can help learners think through what they want do and what information and materials they need. The teacher can make a list of key questions (example B) to help learners focus on the decisions they need to make about their project. A checklist (example A) can help learners check they have fulfilled all requirements before they give their project to the teacher. Teachers can make posters of these tools to use as examples when the class begins to work on their projects. As learners gain more practice in planning their projects, they can develop their own planning tools and techniques. Teachers can ask learners to include their group’s planning tools as part of the project that they give to the teacher. This will motivate learners to plan, and it will also help the teacher identify successful planning techniques or areas where the learners need more guidance in the planning process.
How can teachers assess and evaluate projects?
A project gives teachers the opportunity to see if learners can meet the objectives of a file. This gives them information about learners’ abilities and about the effectiveness of teaching strategies they have used during the file or year. Teachers should carefully consider the objectives both of the file and their teaching in general; evaluation of projects should focus on learners’ ability to correctly and creatively use new structures and vocabulary. Evaluation must also focus on learners’ ability to use higher level thinking skills and learning strategies. The Example F, Project Evaluation Rating Scale and Example E, the Project Evaluation Rubric are evaluation tools that measure both language ability and higher-level thinking and planning.
Learners – and their parents – should know the evaluation criteria before the project is assigned. Because competency-based learning is new, it is important for students and parents to know how they will be graded. Teachers can give groups a checklist or copy of the instrument that will be used to grade their projects or make a poster for the classroom wall. This helps learners know what is important and how they can spend time effectively. Teachers can give parents a copy of evaluation criteria, translated into the appropriate language so that they can understand what their children are doing – and why they have gotten the grade they got.
What kinds of projects can learners do?
Learners should make a project which expresses their interests and originality. Because every group is different, every project should also be different. Teachers should instruct learners that their projects must include the target structures, vocabulary and skills from the file, but should also give them freedom to choose the content and the format of their project. And, teachers should help learners identify project formats that use the target structure – not every format is good for every theme. Below are some ideas that may inspire learners:
• Graphic Organizer (concept map, timeline, Venn diagram, compare and contrast table, etc.)
• Advertisement
• Brochure
• Package
• Book or mini-book
• Movie storyboard
• Book or magazine cover
• Magazine
• Application form
• Passport
• Map (city, house, neighborhood, etc.)
• A play
• News (radio, TV, newspaper)
• Dictionary or encyclopedia
• Television show
• Design a computer program or game
• Menu
• Recipe
• Letter or e-mail
• Postcard
• Newspaper article
• Song
• Rap
• Poem
• Dictionary
• Encyclopedia
• Tourist guide
• Game
• Game cards
• An internet chat session
• A video or audio
Competency-based learning is motivated by the idea that the classroom should prepare learners for real life. Learners acquire the language, but they also develop skills and strategies that will help them complete the kind of tasks they would do in real life. Learners complete a project at the end of a unit or chapter to show that they have learned the information and that they can use it.
A project is a creative way for learners to apply the language and skills that they’ve learned in class. A project lets learners personalize the structures and skills they have learned in class – they can choose what they do and how they do it -- as long as they demonstrate that they have mastered the objectives of the file. This is an important part of motivating learners and helping them see that they can use English to express things that are important or interesting for them.
A good project should require learners to do independent research to get information for their project. They can look for information in books or magazines that they have at home or in a library. They can ask friends, neighbors or family members for information. If learners have access to the Internet they can search for information there. Learners may do their projects by hand or on the computer. They may create their own illustrations, or use pictures cut or photocopied from books or magazines, computers or the Internet.
A project should be more than just copying what is in a book or information they have talked about in class. Learners should process the information in some creative way. They may apply the information in a different situation, compare and contrast ideas or classify them into groups. Learners might also predict or plan something new using the information they have researched. Learners can evaluate information to decide what is best or most important and then justify their evaluation.
How can teachers prepare learners to work on projects?
Preparing learners to create a successful project starts before the assignment. Teachers have to plan classroom activities that will introduce learners to the skills and decision-making that is necessary to successfully complete a project. If learners never have a chance to work in groups, do creative exercises or make decisions in class, they will probably have a difficult time doing these things for their project. It’s important for teachers to use creative writing activities in every class period so that learners have practice using language creatively. It is also important to give learners some freedom to choose during class activities (for example, ask learners to describe a their favorite game or musician). Choosing how they want to use new information or a new structure is good practice for choosing how they will complete their project.
Teachers should also ask learners to work in pairs or groups in every class period. This will help learners begin to develop the social skills they need to cooperate with classmates when they work on their project. Teachers may need to explicitly instruct learners in social skills like taking turns, disagreeing politely, making a suggestion, dividing tasks and encouraging all learners to participate. If necessary, the teacher can assign roles or use other strategies to be sure that learners are cooperating effectively. Additionally, teachers should also help learners develop the language skills they need to complete social roles in English.
Teachers should use a variety of higher level thinking activities during class to make learners develop the higher level thinking skills they need to plan a project. For example, learners can analyze information (Why do you think Souad Massi is less famous than Celine Dion?), to apply it in their own lives (if you wanted to be a soccer star or famous singer, what would you do?) to use it in a different situation (if Britney Spears came to Algeria, what problems would she have?), to predict the consequence or outcome of an event (What do you think would happen if David Beckham got fat?), to identify similarities and differences (How are you and Ronaldo the same? Different?), make something new using familiar information (Write a daily schedule for Zidane) or to rank things and then justify that rating (Who are your three favorite stars? Why?)
A successful project has many different steps. The following steps are probably best completed in class:
1) Teachers should begin discussing project objectives and grading criteria with the class.
2) Learners work with their group to brainstorm ideas about the topic of their project (Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Amel, Loana), the format of their project (a picture dictionary, a recipe, a newspaper, an interview, an advertisement, a timeline) and the content of their project (a list of her movies, the words to one of her songs, interesting facts about her).
These steps can be done by project groups outside of class:
3) After learners have finished brainstorming, they should select the topic, format and content (Jennifer Lopez, an interview, interesting facts about her, the words to one song) they think are the best.
4) The groups should make a sketch of what they want their project to look like (poster with a picture of Jennifer in the middle, words to a song in the lower left hand corner, interview in the upper left hand corner, picture from a movie in the upper right hand corner).
5) Learners should identify the information and materials they need, and
6) Assign tasks (who will bring pictures, who will bring colored pencils, who will research information about her life, who will get the words to the song).
7) Learners carry out their research and purchase any necessary materials, and finally,
Learners should work on their project as a group.
9) Before handing in their project to the teacher, learners should check to be sure their project meets all the necessary criteria (correct use of grammar, creative work, visual support of information) and change it if necessary.
Teachers can ask learners to use organizing tools to organize their ideas and plan their project before they begin to work. Tools like concept maps (example D) or lists (example C) can help learners think through what they want do and what information and materials they need. The teacher can make a list of key questions (example B) to help learners focus on the decisions they need to make about their project. A checklist (example A) can help learners check they have fulfilled all requirements before they give their project to the teacher. Teachers can make posters of these tools to use as examples when the class begins to work on their projects. As learners gain more practice in planning their projects, they can develop their own planning tools and techniques. Teachers can ask learners to include their group’s planning tools as part of the project that they give to the teacher. This will motivate learners to plan, and it will also help the teacher identify successful planning techniques or areas where the learners need more guidance in the planning process.
How can teachers assess and evaluate projects?
A project gives teachers the opportunity to see if learners can meet the objectives of a file. This gives them information about learners’ abilities and about the effectiveness of teaching strategies they have used during the file or year. Teachers should carefully consider the objectives both of the file and their teaching in general; evaluation of projects should focus on learners’ ability to correctly and creatively use new structures and vocabulary. Evaluation must also focus on learners’ ability to use higher level thinking skills and learning strategies. The Example F, Project Evaluation Rating Scale and Example E, the Project Evaluation Rubric are evaluation tools that measure both language ability and higher-level thinking and planning.
Learners – and their parents – should know the evaluation criteria before the project is assigned. Because competency-based learning is new, it is important for students and parents to know how they will be graded. Teachers can give groups a checklist or copy of the instrument that will be used to grade their projects or make a poster for the classroom wall. This helps learners know what is important and how they can spend time effectively. Teachers can give parents a copy of evaluation criteria, translated into the appropriate language so that they can understand what their children are doing – and why they have gotten the grade they got.
What kinds of projects can learners do?
Learners should make a project which expresses their interests and originality. Because every group is different, every project should also be different. Teachers should instruct learners that their projects must include the target structures, vocabulary and skills from the file, but should also give them freedom to choose the content and the format of their project. And, teachers should help learners identify project formats that use the target structure – not every format is good for every theme. Below are some ideas that may inspire learners:
• Graphic Organizer (concept map, timeline, Venn diagram, compare and contrast table, etc.)
• Advertisement
• Brochure
• Package
• Book or mini-book
• Movie storyboard
• Book or magazine cover
• Magazine
• Application form
• Passport
• Map (city, house, neighborhood, etc.)
• A play
• News (radio, TV, newspaper)
• Dictionary or encyclopedia
• Television show
• Design a computer program or game
• Menu
• Recipe
• Letter or e-mail
• Postcard
• Newspaper article
• Song
• Rap
• Poem
• Dictionary
• Encyclopedia
• Tourist guide
• Game
• Game cards
• An internet chat session
• A video or audio
0 comments:
Post a Comment