MID TERM PROJECT FINAL - PRESENTATION (6th week lenght)

MID TERM PROJECT (FINAL)

DE Methods II:  Project-based Learning
Midterm Group Project Template

Names of group members:	·         Olga Malcov               olgamalcov@yahoo.com ·         Wilma Zurita              csbwilmazurita@yahoo.com ·         Wilson Chiluiza          onlywilsonfr@hotmail.com
Project description	The project focuses on action research, as a very significant tool that helps students to search information about different issues. This project consists of involving students in investigation, teamwork, cooperative and collaborative learning and autonomous learning, through the development of investigation skills, integrated skills approach, focused on research which is created to help students expose and emphasize on significant oral practice, by learning from one another tended to emphasize listening, reading, language use, writing and speaking.  Research in this project is an “action research”, which refers to a systematic approach to carry out investigations and collecting information that is designed to illuminate an issue or problem and to improve classroom practice. Each step leads naturally to next one; in particular, students generate information.
Project goal	The project aims to improve investigation skills in the learning process by using updated tools like internet, blogs, video conferences, scientific articles, updated topics, etc., whose outcomes allow assess students’ work in academic, emotional and communicative progress. Action Research, report s significant changes to understanding of learning process, student teacher interaction,  and also serves for a number of purposes and present evidence of students critical thinking, creativity, resourcefulness and effectiveness.
Objectives (Who is the intended audience and how will it be used?)	Content standards: Students will be able to develop investigation skills. Students will be familiar with basic concepts of research. Students will increase their knowledge by using a variety of information. Students will design research projects to work in their classrooms. Students will develop a proposal, based on the ideas they have discussed. Students will create a portfolio to generate information. Students will report the results of their research in presentations and publications.
What aspect(s) of the project are you most satisfied with?   Why?	This Action Research Project, provides students a wide opportunity to fit into PBL, it helps to find strengths and weaknesses, and presents many activities for students to perform critical thinking. We think that applying a whole learning approach, and integrating listening, reading, language use, speaking and writing, skills, as well as investigation skills, will enhance our students to develop understanding of the problem. To do so, action research, often reports significant changes, like student-teacher interaction, interdisciplinary performance, and the use of different teaching and learning motivational strategies in our classrooms.
What changes or additions would you make to the project if you had more time?	Use of other sources in the classroom. A more complete bank of resources for teachers and students.  The possibility of debating the project with teachers from other curricular areas and share the project with them, turning it into a more interdisciplinary project, having the collaboration of teachers from different  curricular areas (further development of the project could include creating a website for interactive skills and research projects).

DE Methods II:  Project-based Learning
Midterm Group Project Description

Rationale:

Since the main theme of the course is project-based learning, ACTION RESEARCH, used as a creative act of communication, develops originality and inventiveness in a process of investigation to improve classroom practice. The present project is inserted as a means of learning-by-doing perform, which reinforces the language process, makes students autonomous learners, and more competent in linguistic development, also describes and documents students’ performance, facilitates development and provides basis for reflection, review and give feedback, this, leads to a more student-centered approach to learning.

Finally, Research Action Project, takes into account students’ interests and needs, and compiles investigations which provide a student an opportunity to document his or her strengths, weaknesses, skills, material development, and accomplishments, and of course, it provides a source of data leading to a resolution of the problem. We believe that at least some of this renewed interest is due to the project opportunities presented by the Internet and World Wide Web. While the Internet adds valuable dimensions to a PBL experience, the management issues of a networked project are the same as those faced by every teacher who has embarked on an "old-fashioned, low-tech" project.

Goal:  The purpose of the Action Research project is to improve the learning process collaboratively and efficiently by the use of research, intended to solve problems and clarify issues, as well as to acquire investigation skills by compiling resources related to language learning. Also is necessary to use cooperative and collaborative learning in instructional contexts in which peers work together on a learning task, with the goal of all participants benefiting from the interaction.

ABCD Objective

A:   SS aged 18-25 with basic intermediate and advanced level of English who work in teams and integrate the Project –Based Learning method in the classroom.

 B:  Will design and create a research project and will develop investigation skills and critical thinking.

C: According to the criteria outlined in the project description, rubrics and template SS will work in class as a group making research project; further they will work online publishing their results in a blog or using e-mail, having also online discussions and sharing their progress and reporting on their results with peers. Finally they will make a portfolio that reflects their final project.

D: That satisfies at least 85% of the requirements of the project that means that they will have minimum 2 publications online every 3 days (if it is a blog) or send a report to the teacher about their progress every 3 days if the SS use e-mail. There should be a midterm evaluation with discussion of the progress in a week after the project started. At the end of the project SS should create a portfolio.

Example project ideas:

Kinesthetic	Create a bulletin board about particular themes students want to search and work on. Create a research place in your classroom. Students will be part of a researcher support group. Interview teachers on specific areas or students involved into a particular topic to be searched. Create a visual representation of the research (portfolios, with a  poster or Power Point presentations,  pictures, etc) Create a brochure. (Which could include tips of the result of  what was  searched) Brainstorm ways of presenting the research (results).
Text-based	Find an issue to investigate, using questions and answers. Select different topics: problems or issues toward meeting a particular goal. Analyze the issue in more detail deeply, to understand it. Select a suitable procedure for collecting information. Develop of the action plan. Collect the information, analyze it and make decisions. Share information with members. Write up the results. Present the finding to others. (Use mind maps, essays, pictures, drawings graphics, power-point presentations via oral expositions…)
Digital	Compile a list of Internet sites that would be useful resources for students. Create a blog. Discuss on chat-rooms about a specific research topic. Create a website.

Project Assesment

The self assessments for the project are rubrics as a tool developed by instructors to assess the performances of the students. We can focus RUBICS into 3 elements that we found so important depending in the Performance Objectives (also known as learning objectives) which identify the specific knowledge, skill, or attitude. These performance activities should consist of 3 elements.

·         Student’s performance. - learning knowledge.

·         Conditions. - tool, resources and environment where the performance will take place

·         Criteria.-accuracy level assigned to the performance.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is used to fellow a normal process of learning performance through a Holistic Method. This is reflected in the student language performance on learning process.

 Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Map (Churches, 2008)

Presentation on Research Rubric

Student: __________________________________ Date: ____________________________________

	Levels (Criteria)
Dimensions (Categories)	Awesome 4	Good 3	Okay 2	Not Quite There Yet 1	Points
Organization	Student presents information about researches in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.	Student presents information about research in logical sequence which audience can follow.	Audience has difficulty following presentation because student jumps around.	Audience cannot understand presentation about researches because there is no sequence of information.
Content Knowledge	Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) with explanations and elaboration about researches contents.	Student is at ease with content, but fails to elaborate.	Student is uncomfortable with information and is able to answer only rudimentary questions.	Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject.
Visuals	Student used visuals to reinforce screen text and presentation.	Visuals related to text and presentation about researches.	Student occasionally used visuals that rarely supported text and presentation about researches.	Student used no visuals.
Mechanics	Presentation about researches has no misspellings or grammatical errors.	Presentation about researches has no more than two misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Presentation about researches had three misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	Student's presentation had four or more spelling errors and/or grammatical errors.
Delivery	Student used a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms.	Student's voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly.	Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members have difficulty hearing presentation.	Student mumbles incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear.

WRITING RESEARCH RUBRIC

Name: _______________________________________________

Date: ________________________________________________

	Levels (Criteria)
Dimensions (Categories)	Strong "In Control" 5	Developing "Coming Along" 3	Not There Yet 1	Points
IDEAS	-clear and focused about researches content. -holds attention -rich with details and anecdotes -fresh, original treatment about researches ideas -easy to understand	-adequate but mundane treatment of ideas about research content. -some attempt at support or expansion but key issues or story line not fleshed out or confused by irrelevant detail -all events assume equal importance	-unclear -leaves reader hungry for details -text may be repetitious, confusing or disconnected - random thoughts
ORGANIZATION	-order, structure or presentation of information about researches is compelling and moves the reader through the text -flows smoothly -inviting  introduction draws reader in -satisfying conclusion -thoughtful, smooth transitions	-structure moves reader through text without confusion -recognizable introduction and conclusion -connections between ideas may be unclear at times	-a clear sense of direction is not evident -ideas may be strung together loosely -ineffective or nonexistent lead and conclusion -hard to determine the main point
VOICE	-tone of writing is individual and engaging, appropriate to purpose and audience -writer has taken risks by revealing himself -commitment to topic	-writing contains generalities and few personal insight -tone may be pleasant and "safe" -individual perspective or sincerity is not evident	-style does not match audience or purpose -monotone, flat writing -lifeless, risk-free
WORD CHOICE	-powerful, engaging words, convey the intended impression in a precise, interesting and natural way -phrases create pictures, linger in reader's mind	-words are adequate, correct -attempts at colourful language may go too far -passive verbs, mundane nouns, some adjectives and adverbs	-vocabulary may be vague and immature -clichés, jargon -guess at meaning
SENTENCE FLUENCY	-natural flow to sentences -sentences are well-constructed with strong and varied structure -cadence invites oral reading	-text seems more pleasant and businesslike than musical -sentences are generally correct with some variety in length and structure.	-sentences choppy or awkward -most sentences are simple in structure and begin the same way -frequent connectives
CONVENTIONS	-writer demonstrates a grasp of standard writing conventions -some minor errors	-reasonable control over conventions -some misspellings, errors in internal punctuation, attempted paragraphing	-frequent errors in conventions may interfere with reading

1 Checklist – Research Action Project:

Principles

When managing research projects, the following principles should be observed in both

the research proposal and in the final report:

·         Exploring (finding an issue to investigate).

·         Identifying (analyzing the issue in more detail to understand it more fully).

·         Planning (deciding what kind of data to collect about the issue and how to collect it).

·         Collecting data (collecting about the issue)

·         Analyzing-reflecting analyzing the data.

·         Observing (what happen as a result of the changes)

·         Reporting (describing what one observe it)

·         Writing (writing up the results).

·         Presenting (presenting the findings to the classroom).

Procedures:

The Teacher will explain the project objectives for students encouraging them to follow these steps.

1. Be divided into groups (until 3 students)
2. Decide on issue to investigate
3.  Decide what kind of data to collect
4. Examine the issue or problem more detailed.
5. Structure and reorder the information into sequential parts
6. Understand and paraphrase the organized information into their own words
7. Report and present the results.

Resources:

·         Vella, J. (1997). Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach: The Power of Dialogue in Educating Adults. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

·         Bloom's Digital Taxonomy Map (Churches, 2008)

·         Citation: Huitt, W. (2009). Bloom et al.'s taxonomy of the cognitive

·         Domain. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University.

·         Students peer interaction cognitive questions decisions participation achievement www.susancaroljones.com.

·         Rubrics; Study tasks in English, Mary Waters, Alan Waters. Cambridge University.

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