I wish days had more hours and weeks were
longer so that I could do more. Right now the truth is that I can’t and
tiredness is taking its toll.
I started this 5th (and middle
week) by reading the texts on rubrics and assessment, PBL and WebQuests, both
the main texts and the additional resources and by Wednesday I had already
managed to leave my post on Nicenet, our faithful asynchronous discussion platform.
Rubrics have definitely been the most
difficult part. Not that they are more complex than what we have done before,
but it’s just that I’m not used to creating them. I have already shared with
you the link to my first rubrics and I’m pleased with them in spite of
acknowledging they are very straightforward; my / our concern is that they have
to be understood by our students and in my case, these are for a group of
12/13-year olds.
I have noticed that some participants are
going to use WebQuests in their projects. Nice that we can share so many links
of ready or almost ready to use links for WebQuests. About two years ago I created one you can find here (the links disappeared as the site underwent changes) which means I was
already familiar WebQuests and PBL.
Nevertheless, I am already outlining a new one – which, in fact, has
been in “lukewarm” (Portuguese saying), waiting for an opportunity to be
created. If interested, please check this
post, the basis for my new WebQuest, whose link I’ll share later.
While I consider WebQuests very rewarding and
challenging for students (and for teachers, too), I have to choose a NEW
technology tool for my project and that hasn't been that easy. On the one hand, I
have to think I’m designing a project for tweens and therefore it has to be simple
and doable also in what concerns my time. On the other hand, I have already tested so
many tools that I feel at a crossroads… and back to the beginning of my post: if only
I had more time!
Time to cheer up... Let me share with you a video that a good friend once shared to cheer me up - it worked and up to this day, it makes me smile every time I listen to it or watch it. Hope noone feels distressed...
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
