Supporting the Learning Process

Nothing comes easy, but with enough planning the learning process becomes easier for the learner.

The teacher needs to pre-research the sites for the learners. This in a way saves the learners the time they would have wasted looking for sites and probably using or focusing on non-credible sites.

Learners are guided on what to do otherwise the entire learning process is Student-centred and the teacher is there to only guides.

The learning process involves transformative learning.  The new information that the learners have acquired alters the learners understanding and gives them new perspective on things. In the end they develop a more sophisticated understanding.

The learners also develop expertise in the subject using the situated learning environment. As Stein, 1998 says;

           " Knowledge and skills are learned in the contexts that reflect how knowledge is

                         obtained and applied in everyday situations"

It gives learners chance to participate in different roles and hence providing them with different perspectives from which to view things.

Learners are in charge of their own learning. the teacher is there only to guide and give feed back.

I have not used the Webquest per se in my teaching, but I have on several occasions involved learners in taking up roles especially of characters from Literature texts. I would ask them to act the parts in groups or in class and after words they would have to discuss what they have seen, liked or not liked about a particular character. It is quite amazing what analysis they would make of that character. This method has always been effective in getting the learners to understand the character traits and actions.

 

 

The Gathering Phase

The pros and cons of pre-researching resources, and  using technology during the Gathering phase of a project

I believe pre-researching resources for your learners has its pros and cons. Some of the pros include;   

·         It saves time that would otherwise have been wasted if the learners were to look for the resources themselves.
·         It helps in identify the dependable resources from the quack ones since learners are inexperienced in this respect.
·         It helps in identifying the relevant ones from the ones that are not relevant for that very topic/task.

The cons include;

·         Some sites are unreliable and it takes time to evaluate and consider them good for the tasks.
·         Some have very limited information and lack in -depth
·         Some resources are not free and one has to subscribe first before they can access them.
·         For some sites, one has to first register in order to get to information and it becomes too much when you have to keep registering just to access those sites.
The gathering phase of the project should be in line with the roles given to each individual or group of individuals. It entails the teacher Pre- researching sites for the learners and making sure that the information and the data helps in starting the learners off on the thinking process. The resources must also have a meaningful and clear connection to the task given and the information required.

The advice I would give my learners is to be very careful with the resources online because not all of them are credible sources that can be relied upon, not all information on the NET is correct and anybody can post anything. It would be wise for them to check the credibility of such sites before using it as a source of reference

Role Play as an Effective Learning Strategy

Role-play is an effective and active learning strategy because it helps in encouraging the otherwise passive learners to participate and gives the learners the drive to do things and also to remember what they have learnt. It helps in ensuring success and also making learning enjoyable. It also helps the teacher to know the learner more. It helps the learner to appreciate the experience of the characters they are playing. The learners get to relate Education with experience and at the same time, it promotes collaboration.
When it comes to a project, the teacher has to ensure that the roles are well spelt out and that each member of the group understands the role they have to play and what is expected of them. Role playing is not a difficult thing to incorporate in a lesson because our learners only have to assume a character for that moment. They have already witnessed what people do in real life  and taking on role play should be an imitation of the real world, the very people they have met and are meeting in their lives. Taking them to carry out their own observation of the characters is another way in which they can learn about the characters they have to play.
For instance in a Literature lesson, it is easy to get the learners to take up roles of characters within the  play. When they take on these roles, it helps them to understand the texts more. They get conversant with the plot of the play and the characters as well. It also helps them to remember  the content.

 

The Challenge Phase of a Project

The challenge phase of a project  is the most important part. It is the hub on which the project revolves and therefore it should be well structured so that it links well with the introduction, and  all the subsequent  steps in a Webquest. 

I   think that my draft introduction is as it is but not as it should be and that it is temporarily enough to grab the attention of my learners. I feel that with time, through a lot more practice, I shall be satisfied with it. I also think the task I have set for the learners is enough for the S.4 level. It is within the subject matter of their Literature syllabus and at the same time it is not removed from the real world. It is something they live with and experience every day, Leadership and its challenges.

My introduction and task are addressing a topic that is somewhat familiar to the learners. Some of them have been in leadership positions and have experienced its challenges. They have had to make decisions that have affected the people they have led. They have been tempted here and there. Some have fallen prey to the temptations whereas others have tried to withstand them. Others wish to be leaders in future. The task will surely help them to know more about leadership and its challenges, and it will educate them more on how to be better leaders.   

Secondly, the words and graphics used are appealing enough and I feel that my learners attention will definitely be captured. The questions are thought provoking enough to get them thinking and working. It is not an easy task though to come up with attention grabbing words and thought provoking tasks. It is a nice experience.

My Initial thoughts About a WebQuest

 Well, my first thought of a webQuest was that it is a very difficult task to accomplish and true it is not easy. I have tried several times to make it impressive and attention grabbing but I feel I have not done enough.  The good thing is that there is provision for updating whenever one is ready.

A WebQuest according to Tom March, Circa 2003 is;

“ … a scaffolded learning structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students’ investigation of a central, open-ended question, development of individual expertise and participation in a final group process that attempts to transform newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding." 

A WebQuest  constitutes;

·         Introduction

·         Task

·         Process

·         Resources

·         Evaluation

·         Conclusion

·         Teacher page and it also has a welcome page

There are some 21st century learning and innovative approaches and these include;

·         Quality questioning and in-depth thinking

·         Research and synthesis

·         Small group discussion

·         Using technology and posters

·         being creative

·         Simulation

·         Demonstration

Project Learning Goals

The initial idea of this project revolves around the nature of our leaders in and outside school. The essence is to get the learners to analyze  and present a short skit to the community showing why and how leaders at virtually all levels fall short of people's expectations and how they can and should be helped to become better leaders.

Curriculum objectives/Goals
ü  to read, understand and explain the causes of bad leadership as shown in the play Betrayal in the City.
ü  To analyze the Character of the leaders from the grass roots to the last man/ top man in the Play Betrayal in the City  and to evaluate the reasons the playwright comes up with to justify their actions.
ü  Dramatize the most revealing sections of incompetence and inefficiency of leaders in the play.
ü  Design a play to incorporate all ideas about leadership and how leaders should/ and can be helped in their leadership roles.

21st Century Skills

ü  Critical thinking and problem solving.
ü  Communication and collaboration.
ü  Research.  
ü  Creativity and innovation.

Higher order thinking skills
ü  Analyzing.
ü  Evaluating.
ü  Creating.
ü  Applying.

Way forward

I will get the students to view the play first and carry out a class discussion. I will then get them to observe their own student leaders within the school, some of the leaders from the local communities and top Government leaders. They will then carry on more research, make their own decisions as a team, share tasks and create a finished product. I will be there to guide and motivate them.
The project is all about getting to realize and understand why and how leaders betray the trust of the people, and how these leaders should/ and can be helped to change for the better. The learners will come up with  ideas to share with the rest of the school community to create awareness and provide solutions too.

 

The Essence of Projects

My earlier thinking was that if anybody was to get learners to engage in project work, it should be scheduled outside the school program on the assumption that it needed a lot more time than could be accorded it on a school time table. Secondly, I assumed that apart from being time wasting, the learners can be easily distracted and at the end of the learning time nothing would be achieved. All this has changed because I have come to realize that when learners are engaged in something that requires a hands-on experience, their interest will definitely be aroused and they will do a bit more learning than they would otherwise have done. From the videos that I have watched in this lesson, I have seen that the learners instead get to focus on the project at hand and everyone is actively involved. They even go ahead to share ideas and build/create something beautiful at the end. The excitement on their faces all the time shows they are enjoying the learning process and this is how learning should be.
The strongest arguments to using Project Based Learning include;
·         The learners are effectively engaged and direct their own learning
·         They learn to work together and exchange/ share ideas
·         They are better prepared for higher levels
·         They learn well and remember better
·         The presentations they make help boost their confidence and communication skills
·         They develop creativity that later helps them in improving their communities
·         The learners are more likely to meet the more demanding standards.
In short, Project Based Learning promotes critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity.
Implementing this approach has its challenges. For instance in our country today, the curriculum is rigid, and the resources are not available because of financial constraints. Getting learners to have personal tools they could use such as digital cameras, laptops etc. is a challenge in itself. Most of them come from families that are either average or living below the poverty line and cannot afford such luxury.