SKKN Combining technology and PBL in teaching unit 12, English textbook 10

SKKN Combining technology and PBL in teaching unit 12, English textbook 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1 1 Reasons of choosing the theme 1 1 2 Aims of the study 1 1 3 Objects of the study[.]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Reasons of choosing the theme .1

1.2 Aims of the study 1

1.3 Objects of the study 1

1.4 Methods of the study 1

1.5 New ideas of the study 2

2 CONTENTS OF THE STUDY 2

2.1 Theoretical background 2

2.2 Practical background 4

2.3 Combining technology and PBL in teaching Unit 12, English textbook 10 (Tiếng Anh 10), Education Publishing House 5

2.3.2 Step 2: Discusing the Criteria for Evaluation 6

2.3.3 Step 3: Organizing projects 7

2.3.4 Step 4: Conducting the project .8

2.3.5 Step 5: Presenting the project .12

2.3.6 Step 6: Reflecting on the Process and Evaluating the Process 14

2.4 Results of combining technology and PBL in teaching unit 12, English text book 10, Education publishing house 16

3 CONCLUSION 17

3.1 Conclusion 17

3.2 Suggestion .18

REFERENCES

APPENDIX 1 : PROJECT TEAM WORK PLAN

APPENDIX 2: GUIDELINES FOR POWER POINT LAYOUT

APPENDIX 3: GUIDELINES FOR ORAL PRESENTATION

APPENDIX 4: CHECK LISTS FOR POSTER

APPENDIX 5 : ASSESSMENT FOR GROUPWORK SKILL

APPENDIX 6: TEACHER AND PEER’S ASSESSMENT

APPENDIX 7: The talk of the group 3 about “Music”

APPENDIX 8: The talk of the group 4 about “Music”

1.1 Reasons of choosing the theme.

Up to now, English which is used very popularly in Vietnam is an indispensable international language English is one of the compulsory subjects

at high schools It has been used for Final Examinations to evaluate students’ level of knowledge Therefore, whether students are proficient at English or not, bases mainly on teaching methods Being proficient at English means students are good at both received skills – reading and listening, and productive skills – speaking and writing These four skills are integraded in a lesson to improve all these skills for the students because one certain skill can be used to improve the others Language teachers; therefore, should find out the most suitable methods – from the curricula, pedagogies, school environment and settings, assessments and extra-curricular activities to concretely bridge theories and practices

Moreover, there is no doubt that using technology in teaching and learning English always brings us surprising results Students can search information with a laptop or a computer connected to the internet

Basing on these facts, I forcefully chose and applied a combination of technology and Project based learning (PBL) in teaching many units in English textbook, Education Publishing House, with the aim of enabling my students to

“experience what they are learning about and the opportunity to relect on those activities” [5], since “learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through transformation of experience” [4]

In what follows I shall present the theme “Combining technology and PBL in teaching unit 12, English textbook 10” that I have applied in teaching

English in many classes with the aim of helping students focus on learning English at High school

1.2 Aims of the study

My theme focuses on making clear about some issues below:

- What is PBL?

- Why is a combination of technology and BPL?

- How is technology and PBL combined?

1.3 Objects of the study

10th grade students in classes 10A1, 10A11 in Hoang Hoa 4 High school, Thanh Hoa province are the objects chosen for my study The students are in the first year of high school, tending to focus only on their main subjects in the National Examination and English is not really their interest; therefore, they complete the tasks in their English text book in a passive way

1.4 Methods of the study

In order to collect a number of information, compare, and then, analyse data my study is conducted by qualitative methods By using the combination of these methods, my theme will make clear the questions in this topic, and reach effectively the targets of the essay

1.5 New ideas of the study

With a laptop or a computer connected to the internet, students working in groups search, choose, compile and arrange information related to their project Then they complete their presentation on slides of the power point software with the teacher’s instructions

CONTENTS OF THE STUDY 2.1 Theoretical background

2.1.1 What is Project-Based Learning?

Project-based learning hails from a tradition of pedagogy which asserts that students learn best by experiencing and solving real-world problems According

to reseachers (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008; Thomas, 2000), project-based learning essentially involves the following:

 Students learning knowledge to tackle realistic problems as they would

be solved in the real world

 Increased student control over his or her learning.

 Teachers serving as coaches and facilitators of inquiry and reflection.

 Students ( usually, but not always ) working in pairs or groups.

Teachers can create real-world problem-solving situations by designing questions and tasks that correspond to two different frameworks of inquiry-based teaching: PBL, which tackles a problem but doesn’t necessarily include a student project, and PBL, which involves a complex task and some forms of student presentation, and/or creating an actual product or artifact experience” [1]

These inquiry-based teaching methods engage students in creating, questioning, and revising knowledge, while developing their skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, reasoning, synthesis, and resilience (Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008) Although these methods of inquiry-based teaching differ slightly, for simplicity they’re combined in these pages and reffered to as PBL [2]

(source: https://www.edutopia.org)

2.1.2 Why is a combination of technology and PBL considered as an effective and enjoyable way to learn?

The experience of thousands of teachers across all grade levels and subject areas, backed by research, confirms that a combination of technology and PBL

is an effective and enjoyable way to learn - and develop deeper learning competencies required for success in college, career, and civic life Why are so many educators around the world interested in this teaching method? The answer is a combination of timeless reasons and recent developments

A combination of technology and PBL makes school more engaging for students Today’s students, more than ever, often find school to be boring and meaningless In PBL, students are active, not passive; a project engages their hearts and minds, and provides real-world relevance for learning

A combination of technology and PBL improves learning After completing a project, students understand content more deeply, remember what they learn and retain it longer than is often the case with traditional instruction Because of this, students who gain content knowledge with PBL are better able

to apply what they know and can do to new situations

A combination of technology and PBL builds success skills for college, career, and life In the 21st century workplace and in college, success requires more than basic knowledge and skills In a project, students learn how to take initiative and responsibility, build their confidence, solve problems, work in teams, communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively

A combination of technology and PBL helps address standards The Common Core and other present-day standards emphasize real-world application of knowledge and skills, and the development of success skills such

as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, communication in a variety

of media, and speaking and presentation skills PBL is an effective way to meet these goals

A combination of technology and PBL provides opportunities for students to use technology Students are familiar with and enjoy using a variety of tech tools that are a perfect fit with PBL With technology, teachers and students can not only find resources and information and create products, but also collaborate more effectively, and connect with experts, partners, and audiences around the world

A combination of technology and PBL makes teaching more enjoyable and rewarding Projects allow teachers to work more closely with active, engaged students doing high-quality, meaningful work, and in many cases to rediscover the joy of learning alongside their students

A combination of technology and PBL connects students and schools with

communities and the real world Projects provide students with empowering

opportunities to make a difference, by solving real problems and addressing real issues Students learn how to interact with adults and organizations, are exposed

to workplaces and adult jobs, and can develop career interests Parents and community members can be involved in projects [3]

(source: https://www.edutopia.org )

2.2 Practical background

Hoang Hoa 4 high school is located in Hoang Hoa district, Thanh Hoa province It was built in 1989 At present, the school has 32 classes with nearly 1.540 students

Almost all students in the school live in the countryside and don’t have many opportunities and conditions to practice English regularly as well as take part in extra English classes Although they are studious and obedient students, they do not raise the sense of initiative in learning English They need the teacher’s help

Teachers in this school have been trying hard to find suitable teaching methods and, to a certain extent, these methods can fulfil the aim of helping students understand and know thoroughly the contents of 16 units and 6 test yourself units Nonetheless, how will the class be if these methods are applied in all the lessons? Will the students find it interesting to learn whereas they can find the exact answers for the tasks in many reference books? Will the completing tasks in the text book help students learn how to take initiative and responsibility, build their confidence, solve problems, work in teams, communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively? Will the students have chance to build important skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, communication in a variety of media, and speaking as well as presentation skill? More important, will the students be connected with comunities and the real world while studying in textbook only?

PBL bearing many good points as mentioned above can bring to a new change in teaching process PBL conbined with technology can make students more active and creative I therefore forcedly implemented PBL and technology

in teaching many units, of which Unit 12, English text book 10, Education Publishing House brought my students as well as my teaching much joyful experience and core value

2.3 Combining technology and PBL in teaching Unit 12, English textbook 10 (Tiếng Anh 10), Education Publishing House.

The process of a combination of technology and PBL can be varied, depending on the real situation in terms of students’ ability and the content of each unit By my experience in learning and teaching English, instead of teaching lessons in each units; that means teaching Reading, Speaking, Listening, Writing skills and language focus in turns traditionally, I have forcefully and successfully applied PBL and technology in teaching unit 12, English textbook 10, Education Publishing House in the following steps

2.3.1 Step 1 Breaking real situations related to the content of the lesson.

From my point of view, many students do not identify what they know, what they need to know and what they are being taught so they find the lessons boring and meaningless With a compelling student project, the reason for learning relevant material becomes clear: I need to know this to meet the challenge I have accepted

In this step, as a classroom teacher, I could powerfully activate my students’ need to know content by launching a unit in a way that engages interest and inititates questioning This could take the form of a lively discussion

Morever, I gave out many driving questions to my students Good driving questions capture the heart of the project in clear, compelling language, giving students a sense of purpose and challenge The question should be provocative,

open-ended, complex, and linked to the core value of what you want students to

learn It could be abstract (What are roles of music in our lives?/); concrete

English 10, Unit 12: Music, Page 124 Project: Music

1 Music, which brings us many special benefits, plays a vital role in our lives Morever, there are a great number of kinds of music Each kind expresses its own emotion Work in group:

- Discuss the role of music, its good points

- Name some kinds of music

- Find out songs, pictures or photos of famous songs/singers/bands/musisians to demonstrate your opinion in the project

- Write the slogan and the core value of your project

2 Prepare and give presentation to your class

3 Time: 7 days

(What are kinds of music?); or focused on solving a problem (Does music bring

us numerous advantages? What are they?)

(Teacher give out many driving questions to students)

2.3.2 Step 2: Discusing the Criteria for Evaluation

In this step, I and my students had to decide that the projects should be assessed by fullfiling the questions in rubrics including self assessment rubric, peer assessment rubric and teacher assessment rubric (See Appendix 6) and checklist.(See Appendix 4)

Once the criteria were clearly defined, the students realized that they might have to be modified in the future

(Teacher and students are discusing the Criteria for Evaluation)

2.3.3 Step 3: Organizing projects

 Dividing the class into 4 groups:

In the first place, I divided my class in to 4 groups of nine or ten, and appointed the leader of each group

(Students worked in groups of nine)

 Assigning tasks

In the second place, the group’s leaders assigned the task for each members In terms of making a project feel more meaningful to students, the more voice and choice, the better The leaders should assign the tasks depending

on each member’s ability Each member had a chance to share what they had learned with the group On one end of the scale, groups’ members should also discuss on how to design, create, and present products In the middle, I might provide a limited menu of options for creative products to prevent students from becoming overwhemed by choices On the other end of the scale, students could decide what products they will create, what resources they will use, and how they will structure their time Students could even choose a project’s topic and driving questions Basing on the topic in units 12, Music, my students chose pictures to be their final products During this step, students in each group use the check list (See Appendix 4) and Project team work plan (See Appendix 1) and Assessment for group work skill (See Appendix 5) to check the work and

the duty of each member

(Groups’ leaders distributed work to members)

2.3.4 Step 4: Conducting the project.

(source: https://www.edutopia.org )

In a project, students should be given opportunities to build such 21st century skills as brainstorming, negotiating, collaborating, communicating,

critical thinking and using technology, which will serve them well in the workplace and life This exposure to authentic skills meets the second criterion for meaningful work—an important purpose A teacher in a project-based learning environment explicitly teaches and assesses these skills and provides frequent opportunities for students to assess themselves

Being given the Guidelines for the power point presentation layout (See Appendix 3), the students in each group worked on preliminary sketches until they decided on a final design Besides, students gathered information from many resourses such as websites, newspapers, CD, VCD and their real lives They then compiled imformation, deciding on what pictures, songs and information to paste on slides of the power point presentation Finally, they decided on how and where to put information, songs and pictures on it During this step, Check list for power point presentation (See Appendix 4) was also used to check the tasks of all the members

(Students gathered information, songs and pictures with a laptop connected

to the Internet )