Week – 5 - ''The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.'' (Marcel Proust, French novelist)

Hello My Dear Journal,

One more week finished and there is so much I have to reflect on.

At the very beginning we went on a trip to a new land.  The design of the voyage route was full of new destinations that we had to achieve that I decided first to explore the content and only after that to set off.

Alternative Assessment

The first task was a bit challenging as we had to analyze several resources on alternative assessment and the tools used to assess students’ learning.

How to assess? There are a lot of different ways to do it: multiple choice tests, fill-in blanks, True-False, matching that have become common in education. These tests are teacher-created. But how can we help our students to develop into ‘productive citizens’? There is a solution: to give them meaningful tasks and watch if the students can apply their knowledge and are capable of doing so. It’s essential that we teach our students how to apply their knowledge into a real context.

Having analyzed the article on Assessing Learning “Alternative Assessment” I found out that the alternative assessment methods (checklists, rubrics) are not only different from traditional ones in structure, but they have a different grading system. The teachers’ role here is crucial as they have to decide upon the most and the least useful assessment tools taking into consideration what is appropriate in their teaching context.

These tools give opportunities for teachers and their students to focus on communication, learn to negotiate, share and develop. In my opinion, the students should be informed that their activity is assessed according to the rubrics provided. This will keep students motivated and involved and moreover, it will lead to creating a learning community where everybody is expected to take their own responsibility for assessment. The learners will have opportunities for self- and peer-assessment.

For incorporating alternative assessment into classroom activities I created the Do’s and Don’ts list which I would like to share with you:

• Draw up very clear assessment criteria and make these known to the students;
• Use checklist and rubrics to evaluate student performance;
• Make sure that you can use it;
• Explain the benefit from alternative assessment to the students. Students need to get comfortable with the process;
• Familiarize them with the use of checklists and rubrics to make them start assessing their learning and provide feedback to the peers;
• Be supportive and be aware of group dynamics when observing students working in small groups;

·         Make it beneficial, decrease isolation;

·         Be positive and objective while giving feedback and grading.

Don’ts

• Make tasks too complicated ;
• Isolate the students from the process;
• Focus on wrong or right answers;
• Focus too much on the grades required, opposed to the quality of learning.

To tell the truth while reading the article I learned so many interesting things that I wasn’t aware of. I do use different tools for assessing the students’ progress, and I have always found it difficult to do. Probably it happened because I still use the traditional assessment.

It is the fourth year that educational system in our country has implemented new curriculum. We started from the Primary school and next year we are going to have new curriculum standards for secondary school. So using checklists, rubrics for assessing students’ progress is something new in our teaching context which we are learning to apply now. I believe that our course will help me to become more proficient in this area and moreover, improve my teacher skills through interactive web.

 I have already created rubrics for assessing my 9 th grade students’ writing in “Write On” project. The task is to write a story based on the set of pictures "Are We Alone in the Universe?”. The students can give different titles. It depends on their imagination and creativity.  It was my first experience of creating a rubric and I liked it.

Some Issues and their solution

There are some issues that need considering while implementing new approaches into my assessment.  

Last week when writing about class issues I pointed out one big problem that really exists in my class. The students do not like writing. They like to read, speak English, analyze texts, and discuss the movies. When it comes to writing they find it not important and it draws them back.

I think the problem lies in the assessment that is traditional. The parents insist on having tests that are more traditional and teacher-created. Why? Because when the children have to take final exams or entrance university exams they will have to do multiple choice tests mostly based on grammar-translation method. So, this is a big issue.

I am trying to change this old approach in my classes, but at the same time I don't have to forget about the 'assessment' the students have to be ready for at the end of the semester and school year.

I am very thankful to our tutor Robert who gave a fantastic idea about having students create the tests for the class or unit. I think it would be alternative assessment which will bring a valuable difference into the class.

I even didn't think of giving students the chance to create the tests themselves. I am sure that the students will feel more responsibility for their learning, as before creating the tests they will have to learn all the material.
 If they do it in groups or with the partners, there will be another chance for them to revise the topic and share their knowledge.

Less Teaching and More Learning – Project Based Learning

The next port that we had to reach was: "Less Teaching and More Learning".

The article “Less Teaching and More Learning” by Susan Gaer gave me more confidence in my positive attitude towards Project Based Learning. 

Three years ago my 5^th grade students participated in the Project “Bat Chen Diaries”. Within the project my students had to start writing their dairies. It was a bit challenging for all of us. Some of my students didn’t have any desire to keep the diaries (especially boys); others even if they wrote didn’t do it regularly. Then I asked the students to prepare a poster where they would describe one memorable event or just write a poem “My Diary”.

They were informed that the activity would be graded. It motivated them so much (the grades) that even those who were not very happy about the task at the beginning produced the posters that impressed everybody. While assessing I created some rubrics which were agreed with the students: presentation skills, content, fluency and organization.

The students enjoyed the activity so much that asked me to have such presentation every month as they had a lot to share and there was only one rule to follow: they had to continue writing their dairies.

Summarizing the main ideas of “Less Teaching and More Learning” by Susan Gaer and my personal experience we can conclude that Project Based Learning:

• Motivates students in their learning;
• Makes learning purposeful and meaningful;
• Provides real life experience and promotes learning for life;
• Creates learning community where each member’s efforts are valued and contribution is appreciated;
• Creates opportunities for self- and peer-assessment;
• Inspires students for doing research work;
• It is an effective tool for integrating technology into curriculum 

Webquests can also be considered as one of those effective tools for integrating technology into curriculum.

I created one. It was a bit difficult and at the beginning I even didn’t click on ‘Publish’ and it wasn’t saved. Thanks to my classmates, when they followed the link and couldn’t find my WebQuest they wrote to me about the problem and I had some time to change the content and add some images. I cannot say that I finished everything with the WebGuest, but it was a great experience of mine. Again my tip “Yes, I Can” worked. If you click here, you will have a chance to see it.

The Port of our Destination

 Project Step # 4- Technology Related Change

 Writing is fundamental not only in learning the language, it is also essential in all other subjects. I defined developing writing skills as one of the most important changes that I need to bring into my teaching context.
I have always worried about my students' writing. I get my students to keep dairies and write short stories. They bring them to school only twice a week (Monday and Friday) just to show that they keep them and share some stories with us.  When the students gave comments on their peers’ writing some of them expressed their desire to  bring their new  stories and  read them in class, others (not very many) who had already created the blogs promised to post theirs in the blogs.
I felt very happy when the children mentioned the blogs as it meant that they would create their writing pieces using the keyboard and afterwards post them in their blogs. 
I reminded the students about the procedure: first to show their stories to me for checking and proofreading, and only then to make their contributions to the blogs.

Now I see that little by little we are moving from pen-and-paper to word processing. It is our first and the most noticeable achievement in changing my students' attitude towards using the computer for writing. 
I am sure that reading the posts and giving comments will bring more motivation in improving their writing skills using technology. 

There is one disadvantage that we experience now. Our school is moving to another place due to the building reconstruction, and therefore we were disconnected from internet. So, the students and the teachers will have to do all the work at home (provided they have internet access).

I was a bit confused about the situation and thanks to  Massa , my classmate, who suggested having off-line activities with the students and get them to write, analyze, peer-check and leave a comment about their pieces of writing .

We all are here to share and care. We learn from each other.

 I really appreciate all the comments and support that I get from our captain Robert and other ‘crew’ members (my classmates) while “we are on a voyage to new discoveries” which we see now "with new eyes”.

Bye, my  Dear Journal.

Have a good time and enjoy your weekend!

See you next week.