Effective Strategies

for Project Work

2012 National Chinese Language Conference

Wei-ling Wu, PH.D.

WW-P School District

wei-ling.wu@ww-p.org

Shwu-fen Lin

Princeton Regional Schools

Shwu-fen_lin@monet.prs.k12.nj.us

Basic Perception of Project Work

� Project work is an important activity for foreign

language learning

� Projects are often used for assessment

� Teachers have found project work useful

� Students love doing projects

Essential elements of a project

(According to the project-based learning model)

� Motivation to learn

� A question for inquiry

� Communication and presentation skills

� Cooperative participation and leadership

� Team work with individual assessment

� Self-assessment and reflection

Benefits of Project Work

� 21st century skills

� Language learning

� Content understanding� Content understanding

� Engagement and motivation

Problems with Project Work

� Reduced language advancement

� Excessive concern with art work

� Tendency to repeat what the teacher has said� Tendency to repeat what the teacher has said

� Lack of individual accountability

� Student socializing

Causes of Problems

� Lack of expectations for language proficiency

� Absence of guidance from the teacher

� No personal choices

Content requirements going beyond language � Content requirements going beyond language

limitations

� Grading as a group

� No individual requirements

� Contents not engaging

Effective Strategies for Project Work

� Provide guidance at different stages of the project

� Use integrated performance tasks to increase the use of

language in different forms

� Allow some degree of student choice

� Provide concrete guidance on how to do cultural projects

� Make the project an iterative process of group work and

individual learning

� Add a real-world connection to the project’s end product

� Allow imagination and encourage creativity

Step Two: Think about the following questions:What basic information should I include in my presentation?What special features do I want to emphasize about this town?What comments do I want to make?

Presentational Assessment Present the town in which you were born.

Step One: Use the table below to collect facts. You might need to do some research online or from your parents to collect information.

name location surrounding history population activities stores

Chinese for Youth 少年中文少年中文少年中文少年中文 Book 3 Lesson 1

What comments do I want to make?Step Three: Prepare for your presentation.

Make an effort to use new words and sentences you have learned in this lesson.

You might need the following sentences:Beginning: 我给大家介绍一个小镇 ……

你们知道……吗？在……有一个小镇，叫……你去过……吗？我是……年在那儿出生的。我妈妈告诉我……Other ideas (ask the teacher for help if necessary)

Body: Use the structure list for this lessonEnding: 我爱……因为它是……的地方。我很想回……去看看。

虽然我爱…，可是我现在住在……，我很喜欢这儿。Other ideas (ask the teacher for help if necessary)

Sample 1 Chinese New Year Celebration

• Create a poster for a Chinese New Year Celebration.

• Put up all the posters on the wall.

• Read the posters in pairs and select the one both like

the best and prepare two supporting evidences the best and prepare two supporting evidences

obtained from the poster.

• Discuss in a class which poster is the best

• Write a few sentences telling which poster you like

best and explaining why.

� Learn with the teacher about major dynasties.

� Select a dynasty of personal interest for research..

� Research online about the assigned dynasty.

Sample 2 Chinese History

� Make a poster to tell 2-3 interesting details of the

dynasty selected.

� Report to the class about the dynasty chosen.

� Write a short paragraph about a dynasty that has

impressed you most.

Sample 3 Beautiful China

Assessment Activities

T– Expand & teach more …

S–I Individual present … & teach …

S–I Individual research (homework)

T– Teach basic … & introduce …

S–G Group exchange information

Shwu-Fen Lin

Mandarin Teacher

Princeton Regional Schools

Shwu-fen_lin@monet.prs.k12.nj.us

Designing Project

Teachers must consider

•Student proficiency levels

•Lesson objectives (what will students be able to DO with the language?)to DO with the language?)

•Strategies to help students meet these objectives

• Assessing student learning

Implementing a Project

Students must consider

�Using Chinese language to create the project

�Using critical thinking

Cooperating with the team�Cooperating with the team

�Following the Rubric

Mandarin II

Shopping for clothes

1. Requirement list: Guiding the project

2. Group: Developing cooperative learning2. Group: Developing cooperative learning

3. Instruction: Integrating unit knowledge

4. Student presentation: Moving from practice to independence

5. Teacher conclusion: Providing feedback to improve performance

Requirement List

� Content: the objectives and requirement

� Rubric: the elements to be used for evaluation

� Props: Clothes, hats, shoes, glasses….

� Shop Poster: Store name and picture

Script: Conversation created by students to use � Script: Conversation created by students to use between seller and buyer.

中文报告题目 : 买衣服分组报告 : 四组内容:

1. 东西： ---衣服 (大衣，汗衫，衬衫，运动衫，裙子，连衣裙，牛仔裤，毛衣，皮鞋，运动鞋，凉鞋，手套，围巾，帽子，草帽，太阳眼镜…..)

2. 价钱： ¥ 2.50 , ¥ 100.00, ¥ 50.00 …..

3. 买东西的人，卖东西的人4. 海报———店名，卖什么东西5. 说中文：（欢迎光临）（你要买什么？）（我看看）（我想买）（这件汗衫多少钱？）(这件衣服多少钱？) （这件汗衫太小了，你有大号的吗？）（这双鞋子多少钱？）（一双___ 钱）（这双鞋子打几折？）（太贵了）（便宜一点，行不行？）（要不要？）（我很喜欢）（我不喜欢）（对不起，不行）（对不起，我们没有___）（这是___块钱）（找你____ 块钱）（谢谢，请再来！）…… Creative ideas:

1. Use a poster to design your project.

2. Use photos, objects

3. Use music, instrument , song

4. Bring in things you have at home.

5. Others.

Language request: 中文Due date: 4/4/2011

Presentation length: 4 – 5 分钟Presentation date: 4/4/2011 and 4/5/2011

Groups

There are many options to choose from, including

random choice, ability, interest and student choice

Small group created by teacher:

�Random pairs, student ability, student interest

Small groups created by student

�Friend, interest

Students create a clothing market where they can shop and bargain for items in class. Procedures:

•Teacher shows last year’s the video of student performance

•Students identify vocabulary for clothes and money through

pictures and games

Instruction

pictures and games

•Students learn the grammar

•Teacher models how to shop in the market

•Teacher divides students into groups

•Students work with their group to create their skit

•Students present shopping skits to the class

Presentation

Students� Create context by themselves

� Show their motivation

� Engaged in learning

� Grade their classmates’ performance using rubric

� Ask questions and receive answers about groups’ performance

Teacher conclusion

The teacher will

�Comment on each groups’ performance

�Correct student pronunciation, grammar, and , �Correct student pronunciation, grammar, and , content to improve skit performance

�Help students to build self esteem

�Check for Rubric elements

Rubric

Project report 中文 二 Criteria 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point Comments

Content Include the answers

of all required parts

Include the answers

of 6 required parts

Include the answer of

4 required parts

Includes the answers

of 2 required parts

Language No mistake in

accuracy/ grammar

and characters

There are 1-3

mistakes in accuracy/

grammar and

characters

There are 4-6

mistakes in accuracy/

grammar and

characters

There are more than 6

mistakes in accuracy/

grammar and

characters

Overall Presentation Report is neatly

complied and well

organized

Report is somewhat

neatly complied and

well organized

Report is readable

Report is difficult to

read

Oral Presentation Criteria 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point Comments

Contents Able to convey all

requested information

Able to convey 6

requested information

Able to convey 4

requested information

Able to convey 2

requested information

Vocabulary Proper use of grade-

level vocabulary

There are 1-3

mistakes

There are 4-6

mistakes

There are more than 6

mistakes

Grammar No grammatical

mistakes

There are 1-3

grammatical mistakes

There are 4-6

grammatical mistakes

There are more than 6

grammatical mistakes

Fluency Speak fluently

without hesitations

Speak with

confidence, but with

some hesitations

Speak with little

confidence, and

some hesitations

Speak with little

confidence, and

significant some

hesitations

A: 28 -22 B: 21- 15 C: 14- 8 D: 7 – 0

Mandarin AP

Interview (College Application)

� Interview guideline

� Pair work� Pair work

� Video student interview

� Share interview video with class

Interview guideline

� Teacher provides questions for student interview

� Same questions for pair

� Different questions for pair� Different questions for pair

� Students create the questions

� Students follow Rubric

中文AP

十分钟说中文

内容: 说一说申请大学和社区服务

1. 你计划申请那一种大学（私立，州立）？2. 你想读本州大学还是外州大学？为什么？3. 上名校有什么优点和缺点？4. 你做过什么社区服务或你想做什么社区服务？5. 你在社区服务学到了什么？5. 你在社区服务学到了什么？6. 社区服务会影响你的课业吗？7. 申请美国大学除了学校成绩，社区服务还需要什么？

时间：十分钟

方式：iPod 錄音

分组：两人一组

Pair work

� Grouping students by interest

� Grouping students by ability

� Grouping students by random

� Grouping by student choice

Video

� Video students’ performance

� Flip camera

� iPad

� Students have a chance to see each performance� Students have a chance to see each performance

� Example: college application (video)

Viewing Student Videos

� Increases student learning

� Provides opportunity for students to ask and answer questions

� Provides opportunity for teacher to give feedback to studentsto students

Interpersonal Rubric

Level : Intermediate-Mid to Intermediate-High

3 Points 2 Points 1 Point

Language Function

(How well does the

student handle language

tasks?)

Creates with the

language, able to

express his/her own

meaning in a

sophisticated way.

Uses mostly

memorized language,

with some attempts to

create.

Uses memorized

language only.

Text Type

(How well does the

student organize his/her

discourse?)

Uses smooth and

sophisticated

sentences and some

strings of sentences.

Simple sentences and

memorized phrases.

Words, phrases,

chunks of language.

Communication

Strategies

(How well does the

student keep the

conversation going?)

Maintains smooth

conversation by asking

and answering clear and

sophisticated questions.

Clarifies by asking and

Responds to basic,

direct questions. Asks a

few formulaic questions

(primarily reactive).

Clarifies by

Responds to a limited

number of formulaic

questions (primarily

reactive).

Clarifies by repeating Clarifies by asking and

answering questions.

Clarifies by

occasionally selecting

substitute words.

Clarifies by repeating

words and/or using

English.

Comprehensibility

(How well is the student

understood?)

Is generally understood

by those accustomed to

interacting with

language learners.

Is understood with

occasional difficulty by

those accustomed to

interacting with

language learners.

Is understood somewhat

by those accustomed to

interacting with

language learners.

Language Control

(How well does the

student use the

language?)

Exhibits capacity of

clear, smooth and

accurate

communication.

Most accurate when

producing simple

sentences.

Most accurate with

memorized language

only, including phrases.

Content Expectations

(How well does the

student apply the

content knowledge)

Exhibits content

knowledge and

understanding

required for the unit.

Exhibits some content

knowledge and

understanding

required for the unit.

Exhibits little content

knowledge and

understanding

required for the unit.