Time is always an issue in the classroom.

We never seem to have enough and there

are so many other things to do.
But a lot of work on projects can be done outside classroom time. Homework is
often done quickly or badly if students are not motivated. If your students are
interested in the project and want the final presentation of their ideas to be good,
they will spend more time outside the classroom on it.
Class time will not be wasted on projects as the work the children are doing is very
valuable for their language development. They are using English to be creative and
communicative and often stretch themselves to try to producean excellent end
result.

Having interactive activities for each lesson will help keep students engaged. Also associating topics to
more relatable things for students can help them connect the information to their personal lives, and it will
be instilled in their minds better. Project work is definitely an activity for students to learn by themselves
and ensure for a better understanding on the topic.
I have tried project work in English Language especially in teaching Literature and I found that it is very
useful especially to those who do not show any interest in this language. I remembered after briefing them
on the topic/concept, and they are away with the project. By the end of the week my students can tell or
write everything I needed them to know through the project and they get to take it home and explain it all
over again to their parents. I received response from parents saying that their child has never been so
engaged in school and they can't wait until the weekend is over to see what they are going to make next!
There are teachers who have high passion in teaching and they will conduct the lesson in an interactive
way where students will enjoy learning by doing. However, back to reality when the education system is
too exam-oriented, teachers are often being forced to avoid project as they feel that it is a waste of time.
Time constrain is the main reason teachers will just skip or avoid project work and concentrate on
teaching, rushing all the syllabus and let the students do as many past year questions as they can. Most
of the parents, schools or even teachers think that getting As in the exam is more important than getting
As in project work.
Apart from that, I'm totally agree with Hongyu Wang who said that doing projects cannot replace doing
homework totally. It is true that homework needs to be given to students besides doing projects because
that is the way for them to apply what they have learned in the classrooms. Also, in some rural areas,
where students do not have access of Internet and computer facilities at the school or home will be facing
difficulties in doing their projects.
In conclusion, I feel that projects should be carry on in schools as it not only helps the students to engage
in their learning but also will enhance their creativity and communication skills through working with
others.
Zoez (MY)

Reads less well:

Do you agree with the strategies Reilly suggests to

encourage reading? Explain your views on extensive reading and how you
incorporate it in your classes.
I am from Gen Y and I agree that this generation reads less compared to the previous generations. In my
point of view, reading is one of the ways to improve a language particularly in mastering writing skill. I like
the activity suggested by Reilly which is encouraging students to create stories and illustrations of simple
books. I find that this activity can be carried out for students aged 10-12 and it definitely will give them
satisfactions and benefit those who love reading.
Extensive reading (ER) activities are significant because they help teachers introduce ER to students,
organize and introduce suitable reading materials, motivate and support students reading, and monitor
and evaluate reading progress.
In my opinion, students can be encouraged to read extensively by setting up a class library, encouraging
review writing, and incorporating reading of books into the syllabus, and dedicating some class time to
quiet reading. My school practices reading activity every morning before the lesson starts. Students would
carry out ten to fifteen minutes of silent reading in class. Although this is not necessary from a
pedagogical point of view, it does allow the teacher to ensure the students are approaching the reading in
an appropriate manner; not overusing dictionaries and choosing books at the correct level. Teacher
should also become a role model for the learners. It is recommended that during the silent reading stage
of a class, the teacher read a book at the same time as the student are reading.
Besides that, all classroom has a mini library or known as reading corner with storybooks, daily
newspapers and magazines. It is very important to have a mini library in each classrooms because
teachers can encourage students to read while waiting for another teacher to enter the class or during
their free period. They can spend the time wisely by reading at the reading corner. Research shows that
students who engage in extensive reading (ER) increase their reading speed, comprehension, vocabulary
knowledge, motivation to read and positive reading attitudes.
I have writing brief book reviews with my students once a week. I found that they enjoy this activity so
much and this activity has helped to build up their vocabularies. Once a month, I will hold a book review
presentation and the best presenter will be rewarded a storybook.
I encourage them to read the book they love and write in 5 lines on the reviews by :
1) Describing what the book is about
2) Discuss what you particularly liked about the book (i.e. favorite character)
3) What you dislike on this book (if have)
4) Round up review
5) Book rating
Zoez (MY)

Project-based learning is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems
and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative
groups. As PBL is filled with active and engaged learning, it inspires students to obtain a deeper
knowledge of the subjects they're doing the project.

21st century skills

In PBL, students thrive on the greater flexibility of project learning. In addition to participating in traditional
assessment, they might be evaluated on presentations to a community audience they have assiduously
prepared for, informative tours of a local historical site based on their recently acquired expertise or
screening of a scripted film they have painstakingly produced.
Project learning is also an effective way to integrate technology into the curriculum. A typical project can
easily accommodate computers and the Internet, as well as interactive whiteboards, GPS devices, digital
still cameras, video cameras, and associated editing equipment. Through PBL, we prepare students the
skills they needed in the 21st century.

A Driving Questions
Project-based learning creates opportunities for groups of students to investigate meaningful questions
that require them to gather information and think critically. Typical projects present a problem to solve; a
phenomenon to investigate; a model to design; or a decision to make.
In my opinion, teacher should play the role of facilitator, working with students to frame worthwhile
questions. Teacher should brainstorm the students with the possible solutions when they encounter
difficulties in their project instead of giving the direct solution. Besides structuring meaningful tasks and
coaching both knowledge development and social skills, teacher also accesses what students have
learned from the experience. Remember, our job is to make them think and indirectly teach them critical
thinking skills through PBL.
I found this article to be interesting especially because they point out research that has been done to
stand behind Project based learning.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb08/vol65/num0...

How does creating a strong classroom community prepare students for

cooperative learning?

I always encourage collaborative learning in classroom. In fact, I've practice it as a culture. My students
know that I will divide them into groups during my lesson and they look forward to the activities.
Collaborative learning affords students enormous advantages because a group (whether it be the whole
class or a learning group within the class) can accomplish meaningful learning and solve problems better
than any individual can alone.
In collaborative classrooms where students are engaged in a thinking curriculum, everyone learns from
everyone else, and no student is deprived of this opportunity for making contributions and appreciating
the contributions of others. Shared knowledge, mediated learning, and heterogeneous groups of students
are essential to create a strong classroom community to ensure cooperative learning among students.
Sometimes, students we often label as unsuccessful in a traditional classroom learn from "brighter"
students, but, more importantly, the so-called brighter students have just as much to learn from their more
average peers.