PBL Project - Assessing Project Based Learning

 

As I started my work on this assignment I was a bit confused on which direction I wanted to go in. I began my work using the project that my group created in module 3. As I was working I realized that I didn't have a lot of passion for this project. Instead I used my winter homework and project to complete this assignment. I'm not sure if this meets the project requirement, but I do know that it has (and will) benefit my students immediately and measurably. 

The students in my grade 10 Pre-DP Language B class are mostly high achievers with English levels that are high for their grade in our school, but would be considered average in most IB schools. For the winter holiday the will be working with the novel Hatchet. While this book may seem easy, it will be the first English language novel the students read for class, and I didn't want them to experience failure at a time where I cannot offer them direct support. The project is broken up into six parts culminating in each student creating a tri-fold poster and participating in a gallery walk. Each week the students will be assigned four chapters to read, and a weekly assignment. To keep the free-flowing classroom discussion environment that we have developed over the first semester I have designed the first three weeks of activities to require peer review and feedback.

I see each week's assignments as steps in which students begin to understand the book, character, and setting. With the final project being a culmination of everything that they have learned while they were at home during the holiday. 

I experimented with two different "rubric makers" during this activity; Rubistar and Rubric Maker. While Rubistar looks like (and is) a website from the early 2000 I found it's interface to be very intuitive and easy to use. I wasn't able to find out how to save your rubrics to the system, but you can easily export them to Excel and save for later use.





  • Week 1:
    • Reading – Students will read pages 1 – 39
    • Assessment – Brian is a very emotional young man (for good reason!). As a narrator Brian clearly states all of the emotions that he is feeling at the moment. Pick the three strongest emotions that Brian suggests; describe those emotions, when Brian is feeling them, and why Brian is experiencing those emotions. 
    • Platform: Flipgrid 2 minutes
    • Peer Review – Respond to at least two classmates, 1 minute video responses.
    • Due Dates: Flipgrid post 1/28, responses 1/30
  • Week 2
    • Reading – Students will read pages 40 – 81
    • Assessment 
    • Prompt: Brian has his second encounter with a wild animal, and because of this event, he learns the first rule of survival. What is it?
    • Activity: On this week’s Padlet answer the prompt (50 words+)
    • Peer-review: Respond to two classmate’s who chose a different skill than you, and discuss the positives and negatives of their skill (25 words+).
  • Week 3 
    • Reading – Students will read pages 82 – 112.
    • Activity: On Flipgrid record a 3-minute video summary of pages 82-112. Please use at least three major plot points and cite the page numbers of those examples. 
    • Peer-review: Respond to two classmates and discuss a similar plot point (if you have one in your video), and discuss the plot points that your classmates mention.
  • Week 4
    • Reading – Students will read pages 113 – 149.
    • Activity: This week please watch the Edpuzzle video and answer the ten questions embedded (inside) in the video. 
  • Week 5
    • Reading – Students will read pages 150 – 177
    • Activity: Analytical Writing Assignment
    • Prompt: How do Brian's feelings about the Secret change over time?
    • Requirements
      • Word Count: 200 words
      • At least 3 MLA citations
      • Name-box and Title
  • Week 6 (in-class)
    • Reading – None
    • Activity: Create a tri-fold poster of their assigned chapters; this will lead to a gallery walk on Friday.
    • Deadline: 3/4 at the end of class
      • Poster requirements - Students must summarize their assigned chapters according to the following requirements:
      • Poster-Left: First chapter summary, at least two pictures. No more than 100 words. 
      • Poster-Right: Second chapter summary, at least two pictures. No more than 100 words. 
      • Poster-Center: Five pictures that depict major plot points from the assigned chapters.
    • Reading - None.
    • Activity: Gallery Walk
    • Students will lead their classmates through their assigned chapters that have been detailed in their posters. This will be completed in 3-4 minutes


Project Monitoring and Feedback 

For the holiday homework aspect of the student's work I have set up weekly meetings with students to check-in and make sure that they comprehend and are successful in their projects.

In-class I will be monitoring them during each period with goals and expectations for their posters and gallery walk preparation.

For more details about project monitoring, feedback, and information about each step of the project please see this document for a full description.

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