TESOL 2003 2003 Electronic Village Online Session Our Syllabus onlinemag YahooGroup Site 2003 EV_Online Session Moderators: Sandy Peters Anne Davis Julia Karet

Creating an Online Magazine for Student Writing Welcome | Members | Syllabus | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 4 Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 Week Three: Applicability to the ESL/EFL classroom/ What's in it for teachers? What's in it for Learners? How to link classroom learning and web publishing through project-based learning How can web publishing of student writing enhance classroom learning and help develop learners' language skills? How can web publishing be integrated into classroom learning? This week we'll take a look at project-based learning as a way to link web publishing and classroom learning. We'll think about how it can energize and ESL/EFL and enhance classroom learning at all levels, in particular the writing process. To do this, we will take a look at some classroom projects published in Topics Online Magazine and teachers' descriptions of the classroom activities that were involved in developing these final products. Before we start, let's consider some features of project-based learning. First, what are some major features of project-based learning? active student involvement in a sequence of learning activities based on the exploration of a topic or issue, extension of classroom learning: (ESL/EFL: development of language skills) authentic communication development of a final project Secondly, what is a project? It is a final product of classroom learning, something which students can share with others. Working together, students can produce a product such as: a school or class newspaper a guidebook; e.g., a guide to local restaurants, a guide to campus facilities, or a travel guide to cities in their own countries. a how-to booklet or web pages a collection of web pages exploring aspects of  a real world topic of interest  a technology activity or project that reinforces or extends classroom learning a play written and produced by a class for presentation to an outside audience a poster or a poster display, a simulated conference or a simulated election campaign and election As you can see, there are many types of projects. In this session, the projects we are concerned about are web pages or collections of web pages. Now please read some ideas on how project-based learning enhances the writing process and get tips on designing and organizing a project for web publishing. Then come back to this page to do the activity and this week's assignment. Activity: A look at four classroom projects: What went on in the classroom? Click on the following links to review four published projects and accompanying descriptions of the project-based learning that went on in the classrooms. To relate to as many of your teaching situations as possible, we have chosen projects from three different learning environments: intensive English programs, community colleges, and elementary schools. Review as many as you have time to. That way, you will gain a better understanding of what kinds of activities and learning activities possible in project work and of how web publishing components can be incorporated into the classroom learning situations. As you explore them, notice how project work: energizes class activities integrates all four skills-reading, listening, speaking, and listening you need writing here also requires collaboration and authentic communication. You can now click on the links below to start. Restaurant Reviews by ESL Students (IEP) http://staff.uscolo.edu/peterssl/topics/projects/restaurants/project.htm Christine Bauer-Ramazini's IEP students at St. Michael's College in  Colchester, Vermont created a guide book to the best local restaurants for students and published it on the web. Christine's project description http://www.topics-mag.com/projects/restaurants/christine-b-r-page.htm Writing 'How To' Paragraphs (Community College) http://www.topics-mag.com/edition04/how-to.htm Julia Karet's community college students at Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, California produced a collection of how-to writings and submitted them to this online magazine for publication. Julia's project description http://www.topics-mag.com/teachers/julia's-page.htm Our Toy Stories (Elementary School) http://www.topics-mag.com/ /projects/toy/stories-page.htm A project by Anne Davis' and Dana Peters' first grade ESL students at J.H.House Elementary School, Atlanta, Georgia. The students learned to use technology to extend classroom learning and produce descriptions of their favorite toys.   Anne's project description http://www.topics-mag.com/projects/toy/anne-davis.htm Academic Dishonesty (Cheating) (IEP) http://www.topics-mag.com/edition13/cheating-page.htm Students in Sandy Peter's IEP students at Rice University, Houston, Texas explored the significance of the rise of cheating in schools. Assignment 1: Post a message to the group. Begin thinking about the curriculum objectives you could meet with project work. How could a project build on and enhance learning/ teaching in your classroom? Think of your regular classroom teaching. Use your imagination and envision a possible project that could spring from your classroom lessons. How would you carry it out? Share your ideas with the group. When you read each other's postings, you might like to send each other feedback. What do you like about their ideas? How would you modify or expand them to use in your own teaching situation? For those of you who want to know more about project-based learning, a very interesting article was published in Tech Learning on January 15, 2003..You might like to read it if you can find time. Project-based Learning, a Primer by Glen Solomon http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/TL/2003/01/project.html Return to: Welcome | Members | Syllabus | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 4 Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Our YahooGroup Site | 2003 EV_Online