Discussions

Your Name andTitle: Safiétou Ndiaye Teacher of English

School orOrganization Name: Lycée Moderne de Dakar,Senegal

Co-PresenterName(s): None

Area of theWorld from Which You Will Present: Dakar,Senegal

Language in Which You Will Present: English

TargetAudience(s): Teachers,students,administrators

Short Session
Description (one line): This session is showing how Project Based Learning can
help shape better learners,better citizens and future leaders by extending learning from the classroom to the real world

Full Session
Description (as long as you would like): Working on one of  iEARN's projects, "My Country" and adapting it to my objectives and students' needs has been an enriching experience for my students in terms of new skills acquisition and for myself  in terms of innovation.

When tackling a topic entitled "Environment" in our national syllabus for English Language teaching, I wanted the lesson to be a practical and innovative one. I thought the project based approch to be the most suitable one.I chose the "My country" project because  I find so flexible for there are so many things one can say about any country. I chose to deal with an environmental issue my students and I face every week on our way to school and which is common in many areas in our country.The problem solving approach which I adopted is what I call "my adaptation" of the "My Country" project.  

Objectives:

*Get students acquire functions and notions related to Environment

*Raise awareness about an environmental issue in our country

*Get students come up with personal and easy to implement solutions

*Get students share their experience locally and globally

Procedures:

*Through a brainstorming get students talk about environment and point out an environmental issue in the surroundings of our school

*Introduce the "My Country" project and give tips for its adaptation to our topic

*Define the objectives of the project, choose the format in which the work will be presented and its use

*Form groups and divide tasks

*In the field work for taking pictures,interviewing people,collecting more information about the topic

*Set dates for meetings and assessment not excluding exchanges through Internet

*Finalize the work and share it with peers locally and globally

Outcomes and achievements:

The outcomes were authentic products made by students: a film and a power point presentation.Students were trained on the use of some Microsoft softwares like Movie Maker and Autocollage. They used the acquired skills to make the film. They acquire techniques for interviewing people and exploiting the collected information. They learn authentic vocabulary they really needed to carry out the project in a real life context ,thus becoming the major actors of their knowledge building.They became active citizens by implementing one of the solutions they proposed for solving the environmental issue they raised through community service.This decision making after identifying a problem is a sign a of  leadership skills which needs to be encouraged.

As the teacher I learned a lot  about Environment by exchanging with a teacher of Earth and Life Science in my school and  I shared this experience with my peers at school and in other schools.

Prospects:

This experience has had a positive impact on my students. They  made proof of  astrong committment during the community service consisting in helping cleaners working around our school. They now call themselves "environment protectors" and they are ready to work on another aspect of the "My Country" project or  another project.More students from other classes have expressed their will to join the group of students who have worked on the project.

Last words: 

I strongly believe that Project Based Learning ,by increasing learner-centeredness and  students' involvement can contribute a lot to  motivate learners and make them become better.The problem solving approach can help shape future decision makers and leaders because in everyday life, people in general,leaders in particular are all the time confronted with problems and are expected to find solutions to them. To quote a famous singer I will end saying, "I believe the children are the future,teach them well and let them lead the way".

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