VI. 2. Working with texts
Feladat visszajelzéssel_angol2.1. The Teacher’s Role During Project-Based Learning
Read the following text and answer the questions below it
The Teacher’s Role During Project-Based Learning
No doubt about it – project-based learning is both challenging and rewarding for the teacher. Projects are important because they build vital 21st-century skills and lifelong habits of learning. Students’ enthusiasm, confidence, social interactions and motivation are noticeably improved during project work, features, which are all rewarding for the teacher.
The teacher’s role in project-based learning is twofold - sometimes the teacher acts as facilitator,and sometimes as manager. In facilitator mode, the teacher works with students to frame relevant and meaningful questions and to present logical arguments, guides students in seeking answers and researching, structures knowledge-building tasks, coaches necessary social skills, assesses student progress and teaches self-assessment techniques. As manager, the teacher directs project team, small groups and/or independent work experiences. Often, there are multiple activities in the classroom at one time. No doubt, the successful coordination of these diverse activities takes managerial skills.
(adapted from a text by Sue Jackson http>//www.scholastic.ca/education/teaching_tip/april2012.html)
1. What role does PBL play in teachers’ professional careers?
2. Why is PBL important in 21st century education?
3. What student skills and personal traits develop through project work?
4. What are the main tasks of a teacher as facilitator?
5. What are the main tasks of a teacher as manager?
2.2. Differences between traditional teaching and project-based teaching
Read the following statements about teachers’ roles in project-based teaching and decide if they are True or False.
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True
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False
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False
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False
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True
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False
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True
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False
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True
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False
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True
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True
2.3. Teaching innovations
Read the text below and then do the mini-quiz.
We have seen, the key word to PBL is motivation. Consequently, teachers are constantly challenged to think about how to motivate their learners and how to foster creativity in their classrooms, in a context, which originally was based on discipline and conformity. It is a difficult task because learners in the traditional classroom were given one single, most often theoretical pathway to knowledge acquisition. They were asked questions and they had to perform teacher-directed tasks.
In project-based learning innovations are the heart and soul of teaching. The first, most important innovation is the emergence of student voice in all phases of work. Learners may contribute to the planning, implementation and assessment cycles as well. Interestingly, all these phases used to be teachers’ realms. Another interesting feature is reverse mentoring. It means students can play a variety of roles, including that of an initiator, a leader, and an assessor in classroom projects.
Teachers offer multiple sources of knowledge for learners, including use of MLE-s (modern learning environments) and social networking. This way students in PBL can have access to expertise from ’real life’, that is outside the classroom.
All these functions of a teacher in PBL mean that they can be called by many names. Teachers are most often called facilitators or mentors, but sometimes they are termed as guides or coaches. Some experts also call the teacher an ’experienced learner’, suggesting, that the teacher is one participant in the learning process, but he or she has life (and research) experience the students do not have. Consequently, the teacher is able to provide assistance, suggest ideas and share his or her knowledge and experience.
Another concept of the teacher’s role emphasizes the role of teachers in providing the ’glue’ in the student learning experience. This notion is built on the role of the teacher as coordinator and reflective practitioner.