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Integrating global issues in the creative English

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Integrating global issues in the creative English

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language classroom

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A wide range of interactive EFL / ESL online games and generators your English class will love. Play fun classroom games, present real, high-quality vocabulary images, use our random word generators, sentence scrambler, and much more.

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Discover innovative classroom resources tailored for TEFL educators, designed to facilitate effective and enjoyable English teaching

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Discover innovative classroom resources tailored for TEFL educators, designed to facilitate effective and enjoyable English teaching

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I’m setting up a peer observation scheme in my department. Basically, it’s like this: A team member chooses an area of development in their own practice We work out which other team mem…

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Using AI in the Classroom: Tips and Tricks From Two Teachers

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Deconstructing EDIB: What, why, and how?

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In this webinar, Dr. Amina Douidi aims to deconstruct the concept of EDIB, providing teachers of English with introductory knowledge and tools to cultivate an equitable and inclusive classroom environment.

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Play Your Way to Better Grammar! Fun ESL Activities for English Class

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Free downloadable lessons on global changes

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Free downloadable lessons on global changes

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Future of Work

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"Differentiated instruction"-both the term and the idea-can carry a lot of baggage in teaching circles.

But I think it's so important that we can't talk too much about it, so today's post kicks off another series on how teachers can implement it.

Two of today's contributors were also guests on my 10-minute BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

'Give Each Student What They Need'
Andrea Castellano serves as an elementary teacher in New York City's public school system. She also supports teachers as an instructional coach and PBL curriculum writer and staff developer:
Although traditional schooling relies on one-size-fits-all instruction where all students receive the same instruction and complete the same tasks, each student is totally unique. You'd be hard-pressed to find a group that shares the exact combination of abilities, needs, and interests. Differentiation is tailoring instruction to give each student what they need. It's also the key to teaching diverse groups of learners; without it, someone will always be left out or left behind.

Even if they understand why differentiation is important, many teachers struggle to adapt lessons that include multiple learning goals, citing concerns with lack of resources, planning time, and support with classroom management. Here are some suggestions for getting differentiated instruction up and running in your classroom:

1. Establish a culture of learning through routines and clear communication.

When shifting away from the one-size model, it's important to keep in mind that students may not have much experience working autonomously. That kind of independence has to be taught explicitly via modeling, practice, and maintaining clear and consistent expectations.

In my 3rd grade class, we mix it up between whole group, collaborative small groups, and stations. In September, after the "teach" part of the lessons instead of pulling small groups as I normally would, I walk around, observing and making suggestions. I make sure to answer all questions before I send them off and always post directions in a visible location in case they forget what to do. When we finish, we have a class circle to discuss how it went and to brainstorm solutions and strategies for next time.

Over time, they learn to hold themselves and their peers accountable. Doing this consistently every day means that by October, we've evolved from a single instructional small group to multiple small groups doing multiple things. Because I set my students up for independence, I am able to assign different tasks, offer a variety of resources, and trust them to do their work while I focus on the group that's scheduled for the day.

2. Know your material and use your resources.

Knowledge of content is essential in order to differentiate instruction. But scaffolding instruction requires planning and preparation that sometimes goes beyond the parameters of the typical scripted lesson plan. Luckily, there are a plethora of resources available online, including curriculum maps, scope-and-sequence plans, and digital curriculum resources. I request access to 2nd and 4th grade resources for any program I'm mandated to teach. If students need remedial support, I should have familiarity with the prerequisite skills, including those from the grades below. If students have mastered the content and need a challenge, I have to have a deep understanding of the material as well as an ability to draw from advanced content and make it comprehensible for students as they become ready for it.

I also maintain connections with teachers in other grades in case there's something I don't know. Talking to other teachers about how they reinforce concepts in fun and engaging ways is actually one of my favorite things about lesson planning.
Get to know your students.
Regardless of class size, teachers should know their students well enough to anticipate and plan for differentiated activities. Learning about your students on a personal level can be done through beginning-of-year interest surveys, icebreaker activities, and one-on-one conversations whenever possible.

Getting to know your students on an academic level is done through a holistic series of formal and informal assessments designed to paint a picture of the individual as a learner. Once you start to notice trends, it will become easier to anticipate questions and misconceptions and choose activities that will support students in reaching the learning targets. In any given math lesson, for instance, if I know a student understands a concept but needs more practice, I'll have a worksheet printed for them in advance. Fast finishers always have a basket of multistep word problems waiting for them, and students who need a reteach know to come straight to my table and I'll have another example ready for them.

In my classroom, knowledge of my students as well as their knowledge of self is what drives the instruction throughout the lesson.

'There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Approach'
Isabel Becerra is the multilingual-services consultant for Region 10 in Texas. She was born in Bolivia and has been an educator since 1992. She is a passionate advocate for emergent bilingual learners:
Just as everyone has a unique fingerprint, every student has an individual learning style. It's most likely that not all students learn in the same way or share the same level of ability. It is our job as educators to find ways to meet the different learning needs of our students in order to ensure that learning is happening.

Differentiated instruction is a teaching approach that is used to adjust curriculum and instruction to maximize the learning of all students; average learners, English-language learners, struggling students, students with learning disabilities, and gifted and talented students. Differentiated instruction is not a single strategy but rather a framework that teachers can use to apply a variety of strategies. In other words, differentiated instruction is simply tailoring instruction to meet a learner's needs. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for instruction.

Research says that "differentiated instruction is an instructional practice that involves a teacher who proactively plans varied approaches to what students need to learn, how they will learn it, and/or how they can express what they have learned in order to increase the likelihood that each student will learn as much as he or she can as efficiently as possible" (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 151).

Teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom may modify assignments to meet the needs of the students, assess students frequently to determine their readiness levels, use data to adjust instruction, provide a variety of scaffolds (visuals, graphic organizers, sentence stems, word banks, etc.) to support student learning, strive to make lessons engaging and meaningful, implement different grouping formats for instruction (e.g., whole class, small groups, independent instruction), and use flexible grouping.

So, what does differentiated instruction look like in the classroom? When differentiation happens in the classroom, students have constant access to learning materials of varying levels of difficulty, and students can advance their learning at their own pace by having choice in assignments and using personalized learning methods. In addition, teachers build lessons around their students' individual skills and customize teaching to suit multiple forms of intelligence. Everyone is learning in a differentiated classroom, including the teacher.

If you are like me and have a background in teaching English-language-learners in a dual-language or ESL classroom setting, you know how important it is to differentiate instruction for learning to happen. We must find effective ways to teach these emergent bilingual students in order to give them access to comprehensible content and develop English-language proficiency at the same time.

Some starting activities to differentiate instruction that are interactive, engaging, motivating, and make learning fun for students are:

1. Give instructions in several formats, such as books, videos with closed captions, worksheets, and projects. These options will accommodate their learning styles, and they will help them practice reading, writing, and listening in English.

2. Provide opportunities to use English as much as possible, such as through group work, classroom discussions, and partner sharing. The more they verbalize it, the more they will internalize the language and content.

3. Incorporate active learning with manipulatives, movement (TPR), gestures, and games. This will allow for students to remember words, concepts, and skills, as many are visual and kinesthetic learners.

4. Use leveled reading materials to help students explore the same content. You must be able to meet the students at their level to take them where they need to be by scaffolding what they need to learn.

5. Create learning centers that give students self-paced practice time in hands-on ways. Tell me and I forget; teach me, and I may remember; involve me, and I learn.

6. Form learning groups and use a tiered approach, with each group mastering content or skills at various speeds.

7. Foster a safe learning environment where students can feel included, cared for, and be opened to new learning material.

8. Allow students to choose how they'll present their work: Write a paper, give a presentation, create a video, etc. Giving students choice will help them engage in the learning process.

Implementing differentiated instruction can be challenging, but it is worth the effort. It may not be possible to apply differentiation all the time; however, what is important is to practice it often to incorporate it in daily instruction procedures so that with time, it can become second nature to all educators. Differentiated instruction in the classroom is one of the keys to success.

'It's the Approach...'
Kara Pranikoff is the author of Teaching Talk: A Practical Guide to Fostering Student Thinking and Conversation (Heinemann, 2017). She consults with schools to center student voices and ideas across inquiry-based social studies and literacy instruction:
Differentiating Instruction is a concept in education that sounds like it should have a special formula. As if you could plan a lesson, whiz it through a magical machine, and receive a plan that is ready for each individual student. Don't let that official descriptor be a boundary. Even if you are at the very start of your career, you have already differentiated on instinct. You know that you have a room full of learners who have a variety of needs and that your instruction cannot simply be one-size-fits-all. Any time you make shifts and changes in response to the learners in front of you, you are providing differentiated instruction.

Every teacher aims to connect with their students. Have you ever considered sharing content in a range of ways (video, read aloud, independent reading, etc.)? Have you provided a choice about the method by which students share their understanding (written, illustration, etc.)? Have you planned strategically when making partnerships or seating arrangements? That is differentiation.

Differentiation is not just about the students in your classroom that have identified learning needs, it's the approach you take for ALL students. It's the foundation of equity in our teaching. Everyone gets the things they need to do their very best learning. Is there any other way to educate?

As you accumulate years in the classrooms and gain experience with a wide variety of types of learners, you develop a repertoire of shifts you can make so that all students find engagement with your content. There are also professional frameworks that can help you know what to consider when differentiating curriculum.

· What are the ways our plan allows all students to have agency?

· What are the ways our plan allows all students to access content?

· What are the ways our plan allows all students to expresstheir understanding?

Remember, we are making plans that fit the needs of ALL students. So, what does this look like in action? Here is an example:
Michelle Shory is a veteran language educator with 26 years of experience in five states. She is currently an ESL teacher and instructional coach at Seneca High School in the Jefferson County public schools in Louisville, Ky. Michelle also works as an adjunct instructor for Eastern Kentucky University and Indiana University Southeast for their ESL endorsement programs:
Differentiation provides students with the agency to learn, access content, and consider how they can best express their understanding. Our flexibility in these areas creates equity. By keeping differentiation as the norm in our planning, we can create a classroom where all students can thrive. Anything that you can do to help meet the needs of your students will help them meet their goals. That's just good teaching.

Universal Design for Learning

A few years ago, my interest in UDL was sparked, significantly enhancing my understanding of student-centered differentiation. While differentiation and UDL both aim to address learner variability, I prefer UDL because of its proactive approach. By implementing UDL, I found that I was better able to plan lessons that offered choices in engagement, representation, and expression, empowering students to become proficient learners with specific goals-and flexible pathways to achieve them.

In terms of engagement, I brainstorm how to captivate student interest and establish the relevance of what they are about to learn. I incorporate various media such as images, videos, articles, or podcasts that provide background knowledge. Recognizing that each student has distinct needs and interests, I encourage them to choose the most intriguing formats and appropriate levels of complexity. One of the strategies I particularly admire, which I learned from Holly Clark, is the implementation of an Explore Board to build background knowledge. To illustrate, I've provided an example I developed specifically for English-learners.

Regarding representation, I thoughtfully assess the materials I utilize. I frequently incorporate images, translations, simplified directions, or audio to enhance accessibility. By planning for learner variability, I ensure that students can access the necessary support they require. This may involve simply providing videos or text-or spending more time modifying the text to make it comprehensible for all learners. The point is to offer the content in a range of formats and levels of complexity. Here is an example demonstrating how I adapt texts for English-learners.

My interest in UDL has changed how I approach every unit and lesson. UDL has enabled me to adopt a proactive approach, planning lessons that empower students to become expert learners with clear goals and flexible pathways. I ensure that students' diverse needs are met by incorporating choices in engagement, representation, and expression. Through strategies like Explore Boards and adapting texts for English-learners, I captivate student interest and provide accessible materials. Additionally, I prioritize student expression, allowing various proficiency levels and formats while focusing on mastery. UDL has genuinely made me a more inclusive educator.
What does "differentiating instruction" mean to you, and what does it actually look like in the classroom? Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email. And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 11 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below.
Thanks to Isabel, Andrea, Kara, and Michellefor contributing their thoughts!

Today's post is the first in a series answering this question:

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What Does Successful Differentiated Instruction Look Like in the Classroom? (Opinion)

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Many teachers struggle to adapt lessons, believing they lack resources, planning time, and classroom-management support. They don't need to.

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BIANCA NITA: ILLUSTRATING MINDFULNESS AND CORE VALUES

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BIANCA NITA: ILLUSTRATING MINDFULNESS AND CORE VALUES

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https://scaffoldingmagic.com/bianca-nita-illustrating-mindfulness-and-core-values/

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Bianca Nita: Illustrating Mindfulness and Core Values - Scaffolding Magic

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In Doorways to Learning with Donna we explore all aspects of education - how it can affect our children’s lives and the lives of our students.

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Cambridge Assessment International Education, Teaching and Learning Team

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https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/global-education-episode-22-technology-in-education-a-tool-on-whose-terms?utm_source=CM&utm_medium=Bulletin&utm_campaign=22Aug

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A teacher in Lima, Peru, holding an online maths class during the COVID-19 crisis. ©Myriam B/Shutterstock

This podcast from Teacher Jo Earp: Hi Manos - it's good afternoon from Melbourne actually and a good morning to you there in Paris. Thanks for joining us here at Teacher for this Global Education podcast. So, we're going to be talking about the data, but can you start, first of all, by explaining to listeners what the Global Education Monitoring Report actually is, and its purpose? is supported by MacKillop Seasons JE: And the theme this year, this particular edition, was technology in education. You collected data from more than 200 countries. I'm interested on the timing and the demographics of that. So, first of all, when did the data collection take place and who were the participants? And then, I was thinking, you know, 200 countries, that's a massive undertaking. , whose Seasons for Life project supports schools with loss and grief following a suicide and other loss event.
Thanks for downloading this podcast from Teacher - I'm Jo Earp. At the end of last month we brought you news of the release of UNESCO's 2023 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, Technology in Education: A tool on whose terms? This major international report draws on analysis of over 200 education systems, highlighting the benefits, opportunities and the challenges of technology in education. In this episode I'm joined by GEM Report Director Manos Antoninis to discuss the 6 key messages delivered by the team, including what governments, systems and schools should be thinking about when planning to bring technology into the classroom. So, let's dive in.

Manos Antoninis: Thank you for the invitation. The Global Education Monitoring report was established in 2002, so it has a history of more than 20 years, to monitor progress on education in the International Development agenda. At the time that was called Education for All. These were targets set for 2015. And it is quite an unusual publication because it is an editorially independent report - of which there are not that many in this field - that is hosted and published by UNESCO. So, there was a kind of relationship of mutual trust that UNESCO could continue playing the monitoring function that it has, but it would assign responsibility for the publication of a quasi-annual report to an editorially independent team.

This experiment in 2015 was kind of rewarded by this time a global mandate from the world's governments to continue monitoring progress, this time in the new development agenda - the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, and in particular SDG4 [Sustainable Development Goal 4] (the education goal), all the way to 2030. And we produce a report that usually has 2 parts, because our mandate is twin: to monitor progress on education, and that means quantitative monitoring of the indicators that are in the SDG4 framework; but also monitor the implementation of national and international strategies to achieve SDG4 - and that is with the objective of holding all partners to account for the commitments they made at the beginning of this process. And that's why every report has a theme that follows one of these set of strategies that are identified in the road map for achieving SDG4, it's called The Framework for Action.
JE: Thank you, and I'll put a link into the podcast transcript, which is on the Teacher website for those who want to have a look there. I'll also put link into the full report, the full Before we dive in then, I want to read this overview from the report. It says: 'The adoption of digital technology has resulted in many changes in education and learning, yet it is debatable whether technology has transformed education, as many claim. The application of digital technology varies by community and socioeconomic level, by teacher willingness and preparedness, by education level and by country income. Except in the most technologically advanced countries, computers and devices are not used in classrooms on a large scale. Moreover, evidence is mixed on its impact. The short- and long-term costs of using digital technology appear to be significantly underestimated. The most disadvantaged are typically denied the opportunity to benefit.' So, I just wanted to read that to give listeners a bit of a context to that. In that Summary Report, that I mentioned, you've identified 6 key messages, and the first one is: Good, impartial evidence on the impact of education technology is in short supply. What have you found on this point? GEM 2023 Report - that's got a wealth of information, there's lots of examples from around the world. There's also a summary version - although that one is still 34 pages, so it really does have some great insights in there! So, I'd recommend that as well.
MA: I mean, first of all, as I mentioned, the report has 2 parts and the monitoring part (the more quantitative, hard quantitative part), there's a process behind that that has been going on for 20 years. The main source of the comparative data is the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, but we also use several additional sources of information to inform our global audiences of progress towards SDG4.
JE: And, as you say, it changes so quickly and by the time you've done that evaluation ... but like you say, again, you'd at least hope that there was some thought going into, or questioning of: What is the impact of this? What is the evidence behind this? I want to talk about access and equity. That's a big theme running throughout the report, obviously, and that's the second key message that: Technology offers an education lifeline for millions, but excludes many more. And this is something again, throughout the report, that's kind of that tendency to look at just the challenges, but there are some positives here, but there are also the negatives, aren't there?
But when it came to the issue of technology, apart from the classic literature reviews that we do and selected background papers that also contribute to the evidence base, it's been now 3 report cycles that we also collect additional information through what we call the PEER [Profiles Enhancing Education Reviews] website, and I will explain that in a second.

Essentially, we realised that even though the report usually covers about 150-200 pages of material on a theme, still there was a bias. Many countries are covered much more than others - for all sorts of historic political, economic, curiosity reasons. Other countries are left out and we felt that we really needed to fill that gap. So, we started a process whereby on the theme of the report we prepared, from our team (in a few cases with external collaborators), country profiles on selected issues or upon laws and policies that address this particular theme. And then we compile the information in selected indicators that give us a bit of a sense for that point in time. What is the global status? How is the world moving? We can disaggregate that by region and by country income group to give a general sense.

We don't report yet this information by country because, as you rightly said, it is the massive amount of information collection. It is always possible that countries may contest individual conclusions we reach for their own country. We don't want to enter into that particular challenge. We just want to give a general sense of where the world is going, and, so far, this has served us well. In any case, information is available on our PEER website, which is at https://education-profiles.org/

MA: OK, first of all, it's good that you remind the audience that this is a global report. We cover countries from those that your audience may find it hard to believe, have no schools with electricity, to of course countries that already are applying - maybe on an experimental, but maybe on a wider basis - facial recognition technology in classrooms. So, we have all the extremes and it's of course quite difficult for us to strike the right balance and convey messages that can apply to all these countries.

In terms of the evidence, it's true that our report generally tends to deal with themes that are relatively established - we know we have a good evidence base and a clear sense of how they contribute to the achievement of the global education goal. Technology is not one of those. Technology is evolving rapidly, and every product is estimated to have a life cycle of about 3 years, then there's a new cycle. And of course, there are multiple technologies with very limited time therefore to evaluate, and with concerns that the main providers of evidence are the providers of technology itself - and that generates some concerns as to the impartiality of the evidence.

I think the one thing that is particularly striking, is that we found hardly any evidence that governments have units that evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of technology. Perhaps one of the rare examples of not exactly one would say an evaluation unit, but at least a repository, is that of the Clearing House of the United States, of the Federal Government. And an investigative report evaluated that there were about more than 10,000 products and applications listed, of which only 2% had some evidence that they were moderately effective.
JE: And just that, as you mentioned earlier, the divide - the huge divide between some countries and schools who are using adaptive technology and high bandwidths and so on, and then you've got huge chunks of countries that do not even have access to electricity, let alone devices. The third key message that you make in that summary report is (and you've touched on this): Some education technology can improve some types of learning in some contexts. So, what does the evidence say here?
That, in itself, I think should serve as a signal. Of course, it's very clear that it's impossible for every government to have such a unit because the costs of setting it up are high. But one would expect a bit more collective action on the side of the largest users of technology - which is governments around the world - some common actions and some more lesson sharing, and some more process, not just leaving it to academic research, which inevitably sometimes may be focusing on relatively narrower issues.

I think that's one of the problems we encountered. Often the questions of research are, let's say, formulated in a rather narrow way. You know, a very specific product, a very specific target group, a very specific learning outcome. And yes, we do find evidence that in such tightly controlled environments, yes, there is some moderately positive impact. But the repercussions of technology much broader, and we could not find good evidence that really looks at all of these repercussions at a broader scale. Because, as we know, technology today is ubiquitous and it's difficult to identify precisely what is the contribution that technology is making.

MA: Well, again, it depends how we define technology. There is a tendency, and in fact I could make a small diversion. The report inevitably focuses on the impact of digital technology on education, but the theme of technology is much broader, and the report also covers the impact of other technologies. For instance, not ICTs but construction, energy, transport - these also have impact. It also covers, only one chapter - even though it is as important, if not more important than the question of the impact of technology in education - the impact of education on technology, and that is perhaps the one issue that is the elephant in the room. Because without education, you cannot achieve technological development.

But, leaving that aside and returning to the question of access to technology, there's no question that technology has offered multiple advantages to student populations. Australia, of course, is one of the examples of countries that have applied distance education technology for its remote populations for decades with success, with many lessons learned and shared all over the world. Other countries have also benefited and continue to benefit for their remote populations through low-tech approaches; based on radio, for instance, or television.

There is, of course the very particular group of learners with disabilities, for whom technology is more than just a lifeline. It completely changes their interface with learning opportunities. And we know that people who are starved for time and other resources also can continue being adult learners through the help of technology, and there are several examples of that kind. Of course, the peak was the opportunity that technology afforded us all during COVID-19.

However, COVID-19 is also to some extent the unravelling of what technology is offering to some and not to others. And we know for sure that at least one-third of people on the planet did not have any opportunity for any type of distance education technology. But even among those who did, there were wide disparities in terms of the and quality of the connection that they had, in terms of the support and resources they could have at home, the availability of devices that could facilitate the learning.

And these are issues that continue existing because always the technology is advancing, the requirements become higher and higher, and they're always people who are left behind. So, I think there's a wide consensus that the digital divide is a major concern.

Of course, we know also that education and technology need not be limited to distance education. The question is: What is happening in the classroom? And there, there are other issues here. Technology, in principle, offers a promise for some types of learning - I think it's important to stress, always, some types of learning - for those who may be lacking sufficient support at home and maybe getting extra support by teachers in the classroom. But there's not that much evidence to prove the point that this is indeed happening, and I think that's another point that the report is making.

MA: Yes, I think it is an important message. There is a tendency, again mainly by technology providers, to present technology as a blanket positive solution to all problems of education. And yet, technology, generally speaking, has not been developed for education purposes. What we often see is people who are quite optimistic about the potential - and that's why this report struggled, because we're not really used to talking about the potential things, we try to look at proof and evidence that things are working in particular ways. So that has, time and again, proven to be false promises of transformation. You mentioned at the beginning, the issue of the fact that education has not yet been transformed. We used the evidence from one of the main comparative learning achievement surveys - the 2019 TIMSS [Trends in International Mathematics and Science], which is focusing on science and mathematics in, mainly upper-middle- and high-income countries. And there we found that only 10% of learners had at least one hour of exposure to the use of computers in the science and mathematics classes in grade 8. Australia was, of course, one of the exceptions because it was one of the top 3 countries that were using technology in classrooms, alongside a couple of Scandinavian countries.
We'll be back with more from my chat with Manos Antoninis after this quick message from our sponsor. You're listening to a podcast from JE: The next key message is certainly something that's featuring heavily in discussions around AI at the moment, and I find this area fascinating, and it plays into that point that you were making about digital literacy, information literacy. Where is the content coming from? Who's regulating that? Your message is: Online content has grown without enough regulation of quality control or diversity. Can you give some examples of what this might look like for K-12 education? Teacher magazine, supported by MacKillop Seasons, whose Seasons for Life project supports young people affected by suicide and other loss events throughout Australia. Free for Australian high schools and based on the strong evidence-base of the Seasons for Growth change, loss and grief education programs, the Seasons for Life project builds wellbeing, resilience, social and emotional coping skills, and strengthens supportive relationships.
But, overall, we see that technology has not yet been integrated in a systematic way around the world. And probably that is a matter of cost. The investment that it takes to make that happen, probably a matter of training the teachers. It's probably a realisation, I think that's the most important thing, of the huge steps that would need to be made in pedagogy, because that has been the classic of problem of most technology interventions - there has been an emphasis on digital inputs and yet very limited thinking behind: How do these inputs work in practice? How do they need to change the way a classroom is organised and managed, the assignments are given, and so on?

And I think that's where the education systems struggle, because they have not made that investment, yet, that necessary supplementary investment. And it looks as if, often, people are moving a bit in the dark, and that's why we don't even have the research that would be needed to support an investment in that direction that would be systematic, organised. Again, the examples of countries that have done that systematically are very limited. And we found, to our surprise, that even some of the most advanced in that respect have really only done a patchwork of individual interventions that work in particular subjects or in particular grades, or in particular ... there hasn't been no systematic attempt to digitalise education internally. And that's because, I would presume, that governments are not yet convinced. They like to think of the need to transform their societies in a digital direction, but they haven't thought through the implications of that for education.

JE: This, you mention in the report about, for example, you know this idea of some countries just bringing in the tech, thinking about the tech, not thinking about the teachers, not thinking about the students, not particularly thinking about what the outcomes are going to be. And one of the cases you mentioned is of I think it's Peru, isn't it, where they brought in a one-to-one laptop program, but they didn't essentially train the teachers in it. And so obviously, that had not much impact on student outcomes. Like I say, it's interesting what's happening around the world. Interesting that you haven't found anybody doing that really effectively and consistently. OK, the next area then I want to talk about is the pace of change. We've touched on this as well, about how quickly products evolve; the difficulty, I think, for students and teachers as well, and then of course systems in trying to keep up with and adapt to how quickly technology is developing. What are the findings around that key message?

MA: I think there is an important divide that the report tries to bring up. The report is not sceptical about the usefulness and importance of technology. Every learner should be exposed to technology, should learn about technology. There's a chapter on digital skills, and the report makes an appeal for all governments to think through, carefully, what it means to be digitally literate and have the right competencies to navigate the digital world. We find, for instance, the risk there because there's a tendency - again, often led by commercial providers - to narrow down digital skills to individual, specific competencies that are related to the world of work, but quite narrowly defined, often leading to some certification that is also offered at a price.

We stress the importance of the approach that European countries have taken in defining digital competencies for citizenship and thinking more broadly about what one needs to have to be able to do that; and it's also important, in the sense that, if you dig deeply, what you find is that, ultimately, learners who have better reading and mathematics skills are far less likely to be, for instance, duped by phishing emails or misinformation on the web. So, it's interesting that if you dig down, you ultimately find that to be a digital citizen, ultimately, you need to be well educated, you need to have the foundations that ultimately lead you to develop the competencies and skills that help you navigate the digital world. So, and overemphasis on technical skills is potentially misleading and diverges away from the real purpose of education.

But I mentioned that the report is, of course, in favour of a good discussion on how to teach students about technology. It's linked a little bit to that other relationship I mentioned - how education can affect the technology, rather than how technology affects education. But teaching students about technology - and we also know that students tend to know more about it than teachers or their parents for sure - is different to insisting that teaching needs to be done through technology. And that is a clear distinction that is, of course, somehow difficult to convince policymakers about. And technology providers like to see the 2 as one. But that would be a mistake because there are many ways to teach about technology; and as I mentioned before, we have a relatively limited proof, because of the constant changing of products that are being offered as solutions. Whereas we know for sure that no product offers a solution, the solution is pedagogy.

The solution is how you teach, how you integrate different types of resources and how you facilitate the flow, critical flow of information and the exchange between teachers on their experiences, building confidence, being clear about things that do not work, having a say in decisions being taken, not being offered packages of such solutions that are externally imposed and not sufficiently consulted.
JE: It certainly prompted a lot of discussion. I've just got one final question, actually, which I was thinking about. There are lots of - I want to make the point that there are lots of really positive impacts that you mentioned in the report, it's not all sort of doom and gloom. There are some focuses on the challenges there and, like you say, there's a tendency to do that and ring the alarm bell. My final question is then: What are you hoping for in terms of the impact of this report, and the separate country profiles as well that we talked about? What would you like to see happening now in terms of policy and school discussion?
So, the report is basically trying to make 4 recommendations in that respect, asking policymakers before they apply technology - and we don't go into the specifics of any individual technology because it would be unfair, given the amount of technologies that exist - to ask these 4 questions: Is the technology appropriate? That means is it context specific and is it leading to improved it learning?; Is it equitable? As we just discussed before; Is it scalable? Because many of the examples, as I was saying, are very narrowly construed and when you really need to scale them up, you need to be fully aware of the total cost and the evidence behind that; And fourth, is it sustainable? And that is not just economically sustainable but also socially sustainable. We know of all the difficult side effects that threatened wellbeing, safety and privacy, for instance, but also environmentally sustainable. Because, if everyone in the world jumps on technology today, if that's what we're aspiring for, the implications in terms of energy and materials are quite vast, and I don't think anyone has stopped for a moment to think what it is that we're asking for.

MA: I think that this message was perhaps more related to the non-English speaking world, which is the majority, but the types of resources that are available globally these days are dominated by English language providers. And that, in itself, or, you know, maybe some of them are translated, but the translation of a resource does not make it necessarily context relevant. And I think it is an alarm bell that we ring.

We launched by the way the report in Uruguay, Uruguay has been considered as one of the countries that have championed the use of technology. It originally fell into the same category as Peru. It invested in one laptop per child. It realised very soon that it had failed, even though huge political stakes had been placed there. But rather than abandon the effort, they did try to say 'OK, what can we do to correct, improve the situation?' It's not that education has been digitalised, but they have introduced, selectively, platforms that try to keep it more context specific. And I think they have been trying to reverse engineer a little bit. And they call that 'digital sovereignty'.
JE: Well, there's plenty of food for thought there. It's been a fascinating discussion. It's been great speaking with you today. Manos Antoninis, thank you so much for sharing your expertise with Teacher.
It's an interesting term, because these days we like to think of more multilateral solutions and not think of country specific interests or isolationism, but I think digital sovereignty in their definition is more interesting because essentially it tries to ask 'OK, all these externally available resources, what can they do for our learners? How relevant are they?' And I think very few countries have gone down that route. Yes, there's a wealth of information at the tip of our fingers for all learners, regardless of the language we speak (and of course, English is becoming ever more spread and understood by millions and billions) but, still, for the vast majority of learners, English language resources are not relevant.

And there needs to be a process whereby countries study what is available and don't just have repositories where you can find them, but start curating, thinking through what is really relevant, what needs to be produced in country and how this is going to improve learning, etcetera. This is a very, very long process and I think very few countries have embarked on that path.
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JE: That's fascinating. And it has impacts as well on research and evaluation and, yeah, the publishing language of that and the accessibility and the opportunities for people to do research, other than in English. The final key message then in the summary report, as I mentioned there are 6, is: Technology is often bought plug a gap (I think there will be a lot of people nodding their heads there, a lot of teachers and leaders out there, nodding their heads) with no view to long-term costs, and this is not just a financial cost, it also includes cost to children's wellbeing. And that's the message actually that's really grabbed the headlines from this report, isn't it, the recommendation that all schools should ban smartphones. Can you comment a little bit on the long-term financial cost aspect? You've kind of touched on that earlier. And then also on the smartphones, what you think about that?

MA: I mean, the report has a history of being interested and primarily concerned with the world's poorest countries and our cost implications relate to them. Because, still, in the international development agenda, and among financiers, they still desire to invest in technology. And so we basically remind these stakeholders that we have estimated that, for countries to achieve the national SDG4 targets - this is a process that the GEM reports has been working on with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, to encourage countries to set national targets for selected SDG4 for indicators; that's a very, very important process that other sectors don't have, targets for 2025 and 2030 - and we have estimated that these 80 low- and lower-middle-income countries face a financing gap of almost $100 billion per year between now and 2030 to achieve their national targets.

Investment in technology, depending on the scenario; a scenario that is very, very meek - offline solutions for low-income countries and school connectivity for lower-middle-income countries - would add, essentially, another 50% to that cost. And we have, so far, found no evidence that any of that cost could substitute any of the resources that are currently missing. Maybe potentially some savings, more savings in textbooks could be made if we had the resources online, but given the difficulty of people being online - and therefore the continuing importance of printed textbooks for these learners - even that potential saving is not likely to come anytime soon.

So, we do a raise the alarm in that respect, that we need to be very cautious in how much we invest when children lack teachers, they lack teaching and learning materials, they lack classrooms that are in conditions that are suitable and appropriate for learning, before we invest in other, more advanced perhaps approaches to teaching and learning.

We, of course, as you say, mentioned and have an entire chapter on the need for regulation for a range of impacts on wellbeing, privacy and safety. The issue of the mobile phones attracted perhaps excessive interest compared to, as you understood from this conversation, the very wide range of topics we covered. It seemed to have touched a raw nerve. It's true, we identify that a large number of teachers are concerned and affected; they believe that the presence of phones in the classroom is distracting. There is also some academic evidence that is emerging that suggests that the presence of phones has a negative impact on learning.

Again, one should not be applying a blanket approach. Some people argue well, yes, in poor countries, having a mobile phone and resources accessible could be helpful given that other resources are not available at all. That's also possible. But for countries where people do have access to phones widely, which is the majority, there seems to be a consensus that the presence of the phone in the classroom is a problem. In fact, we don't make an explicit recommendation on the ban. We simply make the recommendation that any investment technology should improve learning. Now, if there's evidence accumulating that having phones in the classroom does not improve learning, then indirectly that can lead to this conclusion. But we know that countries differ far too much in how they conceive bans. There are some countries that are a bit more, let's say, authoritarian - they like the concept of having a law that bans and then everyone follows. There are many countries where decisions are taken at the school level, and schools ultimately have the decision what to do or not to do. So, I think we're very, very clear about that.

But the reactions that we have found all over the world has taken us by surprise, because it suggested that that was an issue that needed to be higher on the agenda, and we're happy that that it has led to these discussions.

MA: I think our preference would just be to help policymakers reflect. The report starts with 7 case studies from different parts of the world. Some are well known champions, like I mentioned Uruguay, or Estonia, for instance. But there are also other countries: there's Egypt, Rwanda, Nepal, Samoa, Singapore. Examples all over the world that seem to suggest that technology is seen by policymakers as a signal of an intent to bring progress to education.

And what we're trying to say is that, not all that shines is gold. Yes, we are embarking on digital transformation in so many ways. The discussions on AI accelerate even though we retain some scepticism how much that is applicable to education, despite what is being said or how much that could change. The policymakers need to pause and ask these 4 fundamental questions, which we have found their absence. There's an enthusiasm to apply the latest gadget or the latest technology, but no enthusiasm to invest in the research that will prove that any of these tools are useful. And that's what is reflected in the title of the report, the report is called Technology and education: A tool on whose terms?

We have to see technology as a tool that can be applied well or can be applied poorly. That discussion is missing, and we would like to see it. And, on whose terms, it's the terms of the learner - technology should be applied in the learners' and the teachers' best interests, it should not be imposed as a solution of doubtful applicability in quality. So, to the extent, that as part of our launch in our campaign, which is called #TechOnOurTerms, these discussions can be had, then of course we would be very happy about the impact of the report.

MA: Thank you so much for inviting me.

That's all for this episode. If you want to keep listening, you can access more than 280 Teacher podcast episodes from our archive at teachermagazine.com, or wherever you get your podcasts from. Before you go, I have a quick favour to ask - please take a few moments to review our podcast; it helps other people like you to find it and it's a big support to the Teacher team. Thanks.

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Global Education Episode 22: Technology in education - a tool on...

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In this episode I'm joined by Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report Director Manos Antoninis to discuss the 6 key messages in the major international study Technology in Education: A tool on whose terms?

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https://bridge.edu/tefl/blog/taking-advantage-of-global-elt-associations-online-offerings/

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BridgeUniverse - TEFL Blog, News, Tips & Resources

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By Shelynn Riel
February 13, 2023

Since ELT is a global industry, it's common for teachers to travel the world and teach in various contexts. However, despite forming part of a global industry, English teachers often struggle to connect with one another to share experiences, challenges and successes. Teachers frequently express the feeling of existing on islands.

Claudia María Uribe, Treasurer of the non-profit professional organization ASOCOPI (Ascociación Colombiana de Profesores de Inglés) of Colombia, South America, says "The idea of our association is to get all teachers of English in Colombia together to feel that they belong."

English language teacher associations act as a buoy for stranded teachers, guiding them safely back to the shore of like-minded individuals.

English language teacher associations take on many forms, from massive international associations like TESOL and IATEFL to country associations like the English Language Teachers' Association of Montenegro (ELTAM), with fewer than 300 members but with a mighty purpose nonetheless.

We interviewed over a dozen ELT associations, representing the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. Conversations with association representatives primarily explored the association's role in maintaining standards for the teaching of English in their respective corners of the world, as well as current and upcoming professional development (PD) offerings for their members.
This article will examine how ELT associations around the world took advantage of the pandemic's silver lining - newfound global connectivity - and how English teachers everywhere can continue to reap the benefits of associations' innovation during an unprecedented time.
The role of ELT associations

Uniting teachers under a common cause - the shared fervor of learning and teaching English - associations foster community and facilitate the interconnectedness that one would expect in a global industry.

ELT associations play a vital role in policy development and advocate on behalf of language learners in their respective communities. They serve as a nexus, connecting stakeholders (such as community organizations, policy-makers and families) and spearheading advocacy efforts that lead to increased equity and efficacy in the education of English learners.

Of course, ELT associations also deserve recognition for their role in teacher development, which usually extends beyond annual conferences, events that are most likely to draw attention from the press. In fact, ELT associations often serve as an important source of continuing professional development (CPD) in many contexts.

Jelena Spasić, the International Coordinator of ELTA Serbia, explains the system for ongoing professional learning in Serbia, which mandates that teachers collect twenty points of professional development every three years, and how ELTA Serbia supports teachers in meeting that goal with their seminar offerings, accredited by the Ministry of Education. "In 2023 we are going to have a seminar based on the competencies for the use of the Common European Framework, and another one about enhancing and developing the thinking skills of students through teaching foreign languages," Spasić shared.

Kaithie Ramírez-Correa, Vice President of ASOCOPI, says with regard to PD offerings: "We are trying to listen to the voices of all those rural teachers, elementary teachers or public school teachers that in Colombia are often forgotten." Their recently-developed Certificate Course on Academic Writing is set to begin in February 2023.

Weathering the storm: supporting teachers through a global pandemic

Teachers in city centers, outskirts and rural areas alike all felt the sting of the transition to online learning. Though governing entities within districts and school administration tried to support their teachers in the transition, local and regional associations proved the real MVPs. Instead of cowering at the challenge, teacher associations stepped up to support teachers in ways that administrations couldn't, pivoting to address members' needs at the start of the pandemic.

Some ELT associations felt pressure to become overnight authorities to best serve their constituents.

Spasić of ELTA Serbia reflects back on the moment when the pandemic broke out and schools in Serbia were forced to close down and move instruction online. "We had managed to organize, I think it was within two or three weeks, the first training for the teachers who wanted to use the Zoom platform for their online classes." One of Spasić's colleagues, an ELTA member, gave a free workshop explaining how Zoom works and key features to use in instruction.

"Digitalization has come to stay, and helping teachers to acquire the skills to use with their learners is our prime objective."

This first offering attracted a lot of attention, so much so that Zoom crashed. "We basically had to close down the application process because it exceeded 500 applicants," she recalls. They repeated this training several times to accommodate members who couldn't join the first session.

Ita Ndifon, President of CAMELTA (Cameroon English and Literature Teachers' Association), shares that their support of teachers began with community reflection. "It started with members sharing how the pandemic was lived in their different schools," he says. From there, support extended to teachers who were helping learners who still had to prepare for public exams.

Once the more pressing issues were covered, training became more focused on developing virtual teaching competencies. "Digitalization has come to stay, and helping teachers to acquire the skills to use with their learners is our prime objective," states Ndifon, citing both in-person and online training sessions as avenues of support for teachers.

Rob Dickey, former President (2001-2002) of KOTESOL (Korea TESOL) and current Sponsorship Committee Chair, states that the KOTESOL Facebook group was an "early savior." At the start of the pandemic, KOTESOL members created a special group on Facebook that focused on learning Zoom. Separate from the main group, which has close to 4,000 members, the Zoom-specific group "grew to more than 550 members across the globe, and has been cited in books by folks not in Korea," Dickey shares. Access to social media groups and resources shared therewithin is not limited to members.

Presenters during a BridgeUniverse Summit session entitled "Secrets to Success as an Online English Teacher." Bridge held a number of virtual summits during and after the pandemic.

Alan Goh, Head of Business Development for RELC (Regional Language Centre), located in Singapore, says the organization "rushed into creating many types of training for lecturers to provide online learning, including online training and self-help guides." RELC is a project supported by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization ( SEAMO), which is "dedicated to the development of language education in the region and promotes international cooperation among language professionals" (RELC website).

Throughout the course of the pandemic, RELC implemented e-learning platforms for all of their courses, some of which are entirely online and open to the greater ELT community. "While some lecturers already had competencies in online or remote teaching in some areas - live streaming, facilitating discussions in a digital platform and providing assessment and receiving feedback - much background preparation still had to be done to get academic staff, students and infrastructure ready for lessons to transition seamlessly into online learning," says Goh.

Leila Afkhami, Founder of Teach for Iran, an organization that provides teacher development in Iran and in neighboring countries, recalls having to start from scratch. "I had a lot of sessions about how to teach online," she says. "Believe me, nobody even knew what Google Jamboard was."

The work didn't end once teachers were "online." Astute ELT leaders recognized that transitioning teachers to the virtual space wouldn't be enough - there needed to be ongoing support.

"Even now, three years after recording those classes, they are still being used in the classroom..."

Afkhami talks about how her organization created a Telegram channel called "Teachers Support" as a communication hub for English teachers in Iran and beyond. More than 1,500 members have access to resources covering a variety of topics, including classroom management, positive discipline and choice theory, action research, teacher burnout and more. "Every day, we post and teachers discuss with each other," Afkhami says. She reiterates that it's not just Iranian teachers in the group - anyone can join this space.

Ramírez-Correa of ASOCOPI remembers how they were forced to open spaces online. "It was the first decision we made, to offer weekly webinars," citing the decision as ambitious but necessary. At the end of the year, they decided to offer webinars on a monthly basis, continuing their support but being realistic about their bandwidth. ASOCOPI webinars are archived and accessible to non-members as well.

Other ELT associations we spoke to felt up to the task - in many ways, the pandemic simply fast-tracked changes for which the foundation had already been laid.

Sarah Sahr, Head of Education and Events at TESOL International Association, says, "Being a global association, so much of our member benefit was already online pre-pandemic. Our communities of practice have always been online global communities where members are able to communicate with each other through virtual conversations and discussion boards." Sahr lists webinars, self-study options, online courses and certificate and leadership programs that already existed pre-pandemic. "We were already looking at how to put more of our conferences online," she adds.

Regardless of how "ready" they felt, support from ELT associations proved instrumental in easing the transition to online learning, and governments acknowledged that they couldn't do it alone.

ELTAM was asked by the country's Ministry of Education to create and make available not only English lessons but lessons for all subject areas.

ELTAM board member Marija Bojic says ELTAM members "created presentations and filmed video lessons for all the children in the country that were published online and on TV." Since their initial release, the Ministry of Education has created a website to house the lessons.

This massive task continues to pay off. When schools in Montenegro were evacuated due to a bomb threat, everyone was suddenly back online for a number of days. Dragana Radoman, President of ELTAM, says that she received a number of appreciation emails for the work the association did. She says, "Even now, three years after recording those classes, they are still being used in the classroom and sent to kids as an option. If you are not in a classroom, you have an online lesson that you can watch and do the tasks."

ELT webinars and conferences are increasingly held online, allowing educators to connect with one another from across the globe.

The rise (and reign) of virtual offerings

While the overwhelming majority of ELT association representatives echo the sentiment that they're happy to "be out of the woods," most also acknowledged the silver lining: The pandemic forced professional organizations to think outside the box in terms of their offerings.

Karen Terrell, Board Member-at-Large for GATESOL (Georgia, USA) shares her appreciation of how the pandemic "made these institutions who are used to running on a more traditional track think more creatively."

Though the learning curve tested the open-mindedness and patience of ELT leaders, many reported feeling proud of what they were able to accomplish in unprecedented times.

Terrell talks about how GATESOL launched a professional learning series last year via Zoom. "They were unsure about how that was going to work out, and it turned out to be the best thing ever. Actually, it even boosted membership," she says. Terrell shares that GATESOL's online events, including one about the language of self-advocacy, taking place mid-April, could undoubtedly serve a wider audience.

The emergence of hybrid conferences

Several associations saw their newly acquired tech skills as a way to leverage current in-person offerings, supplementing "crown jewel" events - like annual conferences - through a hybrid approach.

Drew Fagan, Maryland TESOL President, says that "prior to 2020, the annual conference was always in person. This notion of a virtual component didn't even come to mind." But, after witnessing the success of an entirely virtual conference in 2021, Fagan doesn't see the association "ever going back to 100% in-person programming in the future."

Fagan shares that people who never came to any of the other conferences made it to the events with a hybrid component. He adds, "The notion of hybridity really opens up the possibility of having people statewide and beyond come together."

Maryland TESOL's most recent conference, titled "Interlacing the Local and the Global," modeled what interconnectivity means. Derya Kulavuz-Onal, Vice President of Maryland TESOL, says, "We wanted the conference to be a space for reflection of all those things that are happening globally. Our students learn English and then go out of our classrooms, so what we teach to them has an impact at the global level. So, to reflect that, we had to do a hybrid conference."

Kulavuz-Onal says that having a hybrid approach allowed people to connect from other parts of the United States, as well as other countries like Korea, Japan, China and Turkey. She, like many other ELT leaders, believes that hybridity supports PD that is "more inclusive and accessible."

"The notion of hybridity really opens up the possibility of having people statewide and beyond come together."

Maryland TESOL's annual conference is scheduled for November 11, 2023 and will offer in-person concurrent sessions and a number of pre-recorded presentations.

TESOL International Association proved a great role model for other associations in the way they handled the evolution of the PD landscape. In 2022, they experimented with a hybrid event, with the in-person and virtual components happening simultaneously.

Amber Kelleher, TESOL's Executive Director, says of the annual convention, "We tried something in 2022, we made some tweaks, and we're trying a different approach for 2023."

This year, there will essentially be two separate conferences, one in person in Portland from March 21-24, and one online on TESOL's learning management system on April 3-4. Kelleher says attendees can expect both live and pre-recorded content for the virtual convention, and for all the content to be different between the two events.

GATESOL also got creative with structuring their annual conference. Terrell shares that the last annual conference was held in person over the course of three days, each day in a different city in Georgia. Going forward, she says they're not going to do three because it proved taxing for the board, but that they will split the conference between two locations for the upcoming year.

Their next annual conference, taking place on October 26- 27, will be held at the University of Georgia and Georgia Southen University, and will again incorporate virtual components. "We're going to follow the model of TESOL International and have that third completely virtual piece a bit later," Terrell says, allowing a broader audience to participate.

KOTESOL's 2023 International Conference, titled "Advancing Collaboration: Exchanges Among Scholars, Instructors and Students," will take place April 29-30, with a physical venue in Seoul, Korea and with asynchronous online sessions that will be available for a month following the conference.

Dickey reflects on how people miss the interpersonal connections and socialization that happen when everyone is under one roof. He says, "More than ever, we will be providing seating for folks who want to use their personal devices to access online materials and online (recorded) sessions during the scheduled conference hours." This attention to space will serve as a way to bridge the digital divide and honor this year's conference theme of exchange.

Bridge staff at a former TESOL Conference in Colombia. Many ELT associations are offering hybrid events now, with both in-person and virtual components.

Casting a wide net: online conferences and events

While it appears that most organizations have either reverted back to in-person events or are embracing a hybrid approach, ELT professionals can still benefit from participating in fully online events.

The British Council will host BBELT 2023 (Best and Brightest in ELT) February 17-18. Over the course of two days, participants will be able to choose from plenary sessions, keynote sessions, academic presentations and workshops, forums and more, all "designed to introduce the latest trends and ideas in English Language Teaching (ELT)" (BBELT website). Participants will also be able to attend the exhibition hall and peruse recently developed resources.

The conference theme, "Moving Forward, Learning Together," will encourage attendees to reflect on their experiences over the last few years and consider how those experiences can inform the future. BBELT is a regional conference most appropriate for ELT professionals, including teachers, teacher educators, program coordinators, material developers, publishers and other stakeholders, in the Americas.

On March 3, 2023, BALEAP (the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes) will host a one-day PIM (Professional Issues Meeting) entitled "EAP for a More Sustainable World." This event will attempt to answer the following question: How can EAP (English for academic purposes) contribute to teaching and learning for a fairer, fitter future?

Featured at this event will be experts in education for sustainable development (ESD). Anyone who teaches ESP with a concentration in sustainable development would benefit, as would students interested in the cause, among other global citizens.

ELT leaders remind us: it's not just about conferences

This increased digital activity quickly became something to celebrate across the globe, increasing accessibility for educators in more rural locales, educators who have physical disabilities and teachers whose schedules simply cannot accommodate another in-person event, and connecting ELT professionals to PD opportunities across the globe without leaving the comfort of their homes.

When it comes to CPD, one size does not fit all. ELT associations recognize this truth and have taken advantage of cyberspace to offer greater variety in terms of professional learning opportunities.

"Having members all over the world, I think we've been able to be more inclusive and accessible than ever before."

Nasiba Mirpochoeva, Director of NGO public organization Durakhshi Marifat in Tajikistan, an implementing partner of the U.S. Embassy's sponsored project English Without Borders Network (EWB), shares how successful their Thursday Webinar Series has been.

Every Thursday, English Without Borders Tajikistan presents a new topic related to teacher development. "We are building the EWB Network by expanding the community, which enables capacity-building and connectivity of English teachers in the country and beyond," Mirpochoeva says. Anyone can view the archived webinars, and upcoming offerings are detailed on their Facebook page.

Dr. Müzeyyen Nazlı Güngör, INGED Turkiye Board Member, shares how the non-profit organization remains committed to supporting teachers, despite financial limitations. "After the pandemic, we cannot fulfill our face-to-face seminars or workshops. We have gone fully online, and all our professional development opportunities such as bi-annual conferences, workshops and talks are on our YouTube page."

TESOL International Association takes pride in its free offerings, including the TESOL Resource Center and its YouTube channel. "Having members all over the world, I think we've been able to be more inclusive and accessible than ever before," remarks Kelleher.

"TESOL Resource center is where individuals can share resources, classroom materials and lesson plans, and many of those are available to non-members, as well as to members to download. You'll also find past convention keynote addresses that you can watch," says TESOL Head of Operations, Juliet Mason. On the YouTube channel, individuals can find Community of Practice and TESOL webinar recordings, all available on-demand.

Bridge's Expert Series webinars offer virtual continuing professional development opportunities for teachers. The clip above comes from a webinar on incorporating 21st-century skills into Business English. Teachers can check out upcoming webinars and access recordings of past events here.

How teachers can take CPD into their own hands

Over the last few years, teachers have had a chance to "choose their own adventure" in their professional learning journey. The sharp increase in offerings and formats continues to give teachers the opportunity to self-assess based on their knowledge of their own needs and interests and plan accordingly.

Ndifon, of CAMELTA, supports this notion of individualized PD plans. "We want to encourage teachers on ongoing, especially participatory, action research, that will go a long way to enrich their teaching and learning process."

Special interest groups (SIGs) can also be useful in developing professional interests and finding one's ELT family.

Maryland TESOL, which will be doing one of the "best affiliates" presentations at the TESOL Convention around their newly developed mentorship program, decided to pour more time and energy into their SIGs and regional chapters over the pandemic.

"We created new interest sections for specific areas of the state that were historically not being addressed," Fagan says, adding that it's important that "everyone in the state has a voice."

And connecting has never been easier.

Kathleen Fernandez, Executive Director of New Jersey TESOL/ Bilingual Education ( NJTESOL/NJBE) mentions that maintaining regular meetings of country chapters has been important for the association. "Previous to the pandemic, the chapters met in person, and now they meet virtually," Fernandez says.

"We want to encourage teachers on ongoing, especially participatory, action research, that will go a long way to enrich their teaching and learning process."

Annie Park, Exhibition and Sponsorship Officer of IATEFL, says that "SIGs have produced and executed more online webinars and events using Zoom, YouTube and Facebook Live, and continue to share resources with our members."

IATEFL will hold its 56th International Conference & Exhibition April 18-21 in Harrogate, United Kingdom. The IATEFL conference draws thousands of ELT professionals from around the globe and boasts over 500 academic sessions and events.

In a trying time, ELTAs have proven themselves to be astute industry leaders, pivoting and piloting to reach even the most marginalized educators in their regions. And, while this is strongly positive, it's possible to feel overwhelmed by the myriad of professional learning opportunities available in this digital era.

Here are a few questions an educator can ask themselves as they sift through the CPD offerings out there:

What specifically are you looking to improve in your practice?

What is your purpose? Are you looking to socialize? Learn about new theories and trends in the industry? Connect with potential mentors or other collaborators? Find a textbook for a new course you are teaching?

What offerings exist within your community of practice that are relevant to you? What is missing that you might find elsewhere?

Are there any regions of the world that you would like to learn more about? Are you interested in teaching in another country? If so, does that country have any online communities you could join?

How much time do you have to commit to CPD? What financial resources do you have to commit to this? What format works best for your current lifestyle (online, in person, self-paced asynchronous)?

Despite myriad challenges and uncertainty around future programming, ELTAs responded to a global pandemic with innovation and grace, steadfast in their mission to support members. And now, more than ever before, global English language teachers have the ability to not only take advantage of resources borne from associations' efforts but also connect with colleagues all over the world, truly embracing what it means to be a part of a global industry.

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More Connected Than Ever: Taking Advantage of Global ELT Associations' Online Offerings - BridgeUniverse - TEFL Blog, News, Tips & Resources

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Now, more than ever before, global English language teachers have the ability to not only take advantage of virtual resources borne from ELT associations' efforts but also connect with colleagues all over the world, truly embracing what it means to be a part of a global industry.

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Presenter(s): Jeanne Perrett

We want our very young students to enjoy their first years of learning English. We want them to feel happy and confident in the classroom, and to cooperate well with each other.

In this session we will focus on practical ideas and teaching tips for how we can organise and manage a class of young learners. We will look at ideas for circle time, games, miming, using their books and workbooks, singing and chanting, and simple craft work.

Presenter(s): Donatella Fitzgerald

By teaching young learners' values we can help them develop better, find their place in society and improve their social skills.

In this practical workshop we will look at how themes in the fictional worlds of Disney stories can provide a springboard to teaching key values and Global Citizenship in an engaging way in the English Language Classroom. We will also look at how young learners can relate these values to their own lives. Ideas and activities to use in class will be used from the new Disney Kids Readers and My Disney Stars and Friends.

Presenter(s): Rachel Wilson

Using readers in the young learner classroom often gets put in the "nice to do if there's time" category. However, there is compelling evidence to show that placing reading-in all its forms-at the heart of the learning experience in the primary years, can have a life-long positive impact on a child.

In this webinar, Rachel will be discussing the importance of building a reading habit from a young age, and showing how to use readers in the classroom with the help of the Disney Kids Readers.

Presenter(s): Kasia Janitz-De La Rue

In this session, we will look at some key elements of successful lessons with very young learners: motivation, children working well together and simplicity. Examples will come from Pearson's new pre-primary series My Disney Stars and Friends.

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Presenter(s): Jeanne Perrett We want our very young students to enjoy their first years of learning English. We want them to feel happy and confident in the classroom, and to cooperate well with each other. In this session we will focus on practical ideas and teaching tips for how we can organise and manage a class of young learners.

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http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolslwis/issues/2022-09-26/email.html

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LEADERSHIP UPDATES

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Elena Taylor, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
Sidury Christiansen, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
Svetlana Koltovskaia, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK, USA

The SLW News co-editors Elena Taylor, Sidury Christiansen, and Svetlana Koltovskaia welcome readers to this issue, provide an overview of the articles, and invite readers to share their research and teaching ideas with the newsletter readership. Read More

ARTICLES

Jimalee Sowell, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA

BOOK REVIEWS

This volume explores research containing a diverse range of perspectives from scholars as well as practitioners on English language teaching. The authors draw on empirical research and classroom experience that provides insights into the benefits of second language creative writing for language proficiency, and student autonomy. Read More

ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY

SLW News is soliciting articles on second language writing (SLW) theory, research, and pedagogy in all ESL/EFL settings. Consider sharing your ideas with SLW colleagues by submitting a piece for the next issue. Read More

In This Issue

Tools

WRITE FOR SLW NEWS!

We welcome articles focusing on a wide range of L2 writing topics. Consider writing a report about a session you attended at TESOL 2022 or an article about L2 writing theory, research, or pedagogy. The deadline for the next issue of SLW News is January 10. See the submission guidelines for more information.

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LEADERSHIP UPDATES LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Elena Taylor, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA Sidury Christiansen, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA Svetlana Koltovskaia, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK, USA The SLW News co-editors Elena Taylor, Sidury Christiansen, and Svetlana Koltovskaia welcome readers to this issue, provide an overview of the articles, and invite readers to share their research and teaching ideas with the newsletter readership.

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The post wasn't very serious, and as I note, I've never set foot in Korea in my life. That said, it was, like much on here, just me thinking out loud. I posted it when I'd just started using twitter and I remember someone writing that the post was racist or discriminatory or something like that, and promptly blocking me.

I was quite alarmed by this reaction and thought perhaps twitter wasn't the place for me. Around that time, Michael Griffin who back then had some amazing number of followers, (like 700 or something!) retweeted the post and engaged with me about it. I think a lot of people on twitter have had the experience of being encouraged by Mike and I'm grateful to him.

Anyway, as time went by the post (5th most viewed of all time) started to look less and less at home on this blog. So I asked Mike to write a rebuttal of it and I'm really please to add him to the roster of guest bloggers on Evidence Based EFL.

One of the first times I read this blog (which I later came to know and love) was a provocatively titled post " If you are interested in reading one man's thoughts about teaching English in Korea and why there used to be many complaints please read on. I want to be clear that this is truly just based on my own thoughts and experiences and is much more Is Korea the worst place to teach English ?" I should mention the post was about South Korea (the Republic of Korea) and not North Korea (the...ahem Democratic People's of Korea). I'd guess that North Korea is among the worst places on earth to do much of anything. If you are interested in learning more about teaching in North Korea I can recommend the (in my view at least) flawed but interesting book, which the New York Times called " anecdata than any sort of evidence-based anything. I'd also like to offer the usual caveats about generalizations. Please feel free to imagine the words "sometimes" or "typically" into any sentences that jump out at you as a step too far towards a generalization. Also, in this post I write about the experience and situation related to "native speakers" which it should be noted is actually a very small minority of those teaching English in South Korea. I am also just focusing on the private sector (which means I'm not focusing on public schools or tertiary education). Without You There Is No Us

My first full-time (I hesitate to use the word "real") job was at a small family-run language school in South Korea (hereafter Korea) way back when. In the era I started, (before the 2002 World Cup) I considered the private education system to be something like the Wild West. Young folks from all over the world (well, actually, not from all over the world, just from the 7 countries deemed to be populated enough by "Native-speakers" of English) were seduced by the chance of quick, stress-free, and easy riches. There were extremely low barriers to entry which might partially answer Russell's question about why so many teachers went to Korea in the first place. Korea was in the midst of a push for globalization (and in the aftermath of a financial crisis) and English skills often made a major difference in an extremely competitive job market. Further, the testing and thus teaching (hello washback!) had previously been laser focused on grammar and reading/writing and now there was a sudden push for speaking and listening skills. The belief was that native speakers could fill this gap and thus teachers were hired by the planeload. The idea was that "free-talking" with "native speakers" would be the panacea for any and all ills related to English education.

and it was easy for hagwon owners to make a bunch of money without caring much about what they were doing. I often thought if it was not English education it could be a coffee shop, software, plastics, or some other trend. So, we had a case of easy money with a lack of sincere competition or a desire to change. Hagwon owners were not always known as the most scrupulous people around and the boom period helped keep them afloat. hagwon owners were hiring inexperienced teachers to teach English to students who didn't really know what they needed to learn (among those who were not forced by their parents to go to class.) That doesn't sound like a recipe for success does it? For good measure we can add in cultural differences and language barriers to the mix. Again, those involved were not always life-long teachers or managers but rather people quite new to it. I think there was also the element of hagwon owners sort of resenting their "cash cows" who they didn't value as professionals but rather hired just based on their native tongues and not their skills or knowledge. Many of those hired to teach were not only working full-time for the first time in their lives but were also living abroad (and with the exclusion of college, maybe living away from home for the first time.) Since these teachers were given limited training and very little in the way of support it's no wonder there were so many problems. The element of making a quick buck was also present for language schools (hagwon) and their owners. I got the sense many hagwon owners rushed into the business without much interest, knowledge, or acumen related to running a business or educating people. Korea was gripped by English Fever

To my view, in the past, Korean students of English were not very sophisticated consumers of English education. They knew that English was important and accordingly spent time and money in various directions in order to get a leg up on the completion. So, there was a situation where inexperienced and ill-equipped

I think there were bound to be disagreements and challenges. If we squint a bit we can see these as growing pains in an industry that was growing rapidly without a chance to consider where it was going. There were certainly a lot of mismatched incentives and goals.

Readers with a keen eye for detail will have noticed I used the past tense above. I don't want to paint an overly rosy picture but I do believe things have changed for the better. I think much of what I wrote above is actually in the past. I don't think things are perfect but I think they are not as bad as the past or as bad as South Korea's lingering reputation for TEFLers. I truly believe the industry as well as the parties involved has matured.

In the 2012 post mentioned above Russell wondered why he was hearing and finding so many horror stories about teaching in Korea. My simple thought is and was that those who are generally happy and fine with things and getting on with their life don't have the energy, time, or inclination to get on Dave's ESL café (or wherever) and bitch about a whole country or the private education system of a nation they find themselves in. I'd also posit that perhaps the availability bias was at work and the emotionally charged and scary nature of some reported experiences in Korea made them stick out and thus be more memorable. Hopefully with the changes and development I've alluded above to the horror stories will become just another memory.

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The post wasn't very serious, and as I note, I've never set foot in Korea in my life. That said, it was, like much on here, just me thinking out loud. I posted it when I'd just started using twitter and I remember someone writing that the post was racist or discriminatory or something like that, and promptly blocking me.

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Project Gutenberg's bookshelves are hand-curated collections of eBooks that have similar topics. Bookshelf listings were created by volunteers, and many have not been updated or may otherwise be incomplete.

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Project Gutenberg's bookshelves are hand-curated collections of eBooks that have similar topics. Bookshelf listings were created by volunteers, and many have not been updated or may otherwise be incomplete. Following a server upgrade in 2020, bookshelf listings are presented in the "flat" display below. Previously, there was a hierarchy, which has not yet been recreated.

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You may not alter these materials, sell them, or upload them-either in full or in part-to a different server or learning management system. How simple is that!

Photocopying for students or linking to materials at this site doesnot require my permission.

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To access the Teacher Trainer Journal click on the link to the journal below. The first time you open the link you may see a site map. Click on continue and this will disappear and you will continue to the flip book version of the journal.

When you have opened the journal you can scroll back and forward through the journal pages. Any links in the articles or the references can also be accessed. If you are looking for the archive go to the menu on the top right hand side of the page. For the time being, more recent issues of the journal are directly available at the bottom of this page in PDF format.

I am very pleased to welcome you to the latest issue of the new digital The Pilgrims Teacher Training Journal.

In this issue we have a strong international representation reflecting an important ethos of the journal: we can understand and continue to learn about good practice from different contexts and share that experience based on good evidence from our different realities. Through this, we can develop a global understanding of good practice in teacher education. Our different realities in this edition once again cross a number of countries and regions - India, Germany, Poland, Turkey and UK. Though we continue to have contributions on different themes, an essential connecting theme for the journal is understanding ways of effective learning. Chaz Pugliese, our Director of Education and Teacher Training at Pilgrims has commented on how his relationship with his guitar teacher has positively contributed to his learning of the guitar and to a greater understanding of how, in all learning, we need to take responsibility for ourselves. I would like to share a similar story about my own current learning. For various reasons, I have come to driving lessons at a later stage of life. I am working on this with someone who prefers not to be called a driving instructor. His approach is, of course, to support me with "technical knowledge and understanding" in learning all about the car and driving. However, he sees our relationship and rapport as the most important factors in supporting me and embedding the skills I need. He sees his role as primarily to find ways to help me learn. I think applying this approach to education, whether for teachers or teacher educators, is so important in understanding learning processes. Of course, teachers and teacher educators need to know their subject to the highest level of expertise - however, learning is a complex process that takes time and involves many ways of learning. The essential ingredient for me in ensuring learning can happen is this relationship between the "educator and the learner". Of course, we are all learners, and we can and do learn from each from each other in this process. And as part of this is how the learner begins and continues to take ownership of their own learning. This is a main purpose of The Pilgrims Teacher Trainer Journal. We would welcome contributions in future issues of the journal on your personal learning stories and on what has been most supportive for you.

For this edition, The Pilgrims Teacher Training Journal continues to be free to access, as is the whole back digital archive going back to 2006. We are keeping a few recent editions on the website home page with the rest of the archive available through the website when you access the flip book version. We are still planning changes and watch this space for news that will be available on our website https://pilgrimsttj.com and through the usual social media channels.

We hope you find this very much another content rich edition as we intend every edition to be so. The journal continues to be intended to be YOUR VOICE in reflecting and sharing global ideas on teacher education. In doing this, sometimes an article may seem to be a little controversial and though we strive for everything to be evidence-informed, this also means there may be strong personal views on a topic. We believe that The Pilgrims Teacher Trainer Journal should be a space for this. And, of course, we welcome debate and would very much welcome any responses to articles that we publish.

As mentioned above, as always, we welcome contributions for the journal, and these can be sent to me at phil.dexter@pilgrimsttj.com at any time for future publication. We have a style guide for contributors and it's best if you can follow this before submitting a contribution. If you are submitting a contribution based on research, it's important that you have the necessary permissions from anyone who has contributed to any research data. Please contact me for further information and details are also available on the website.

phil.dexter@pilgrimsttj.com

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LEAD: Learn - Experiment - Apply - Develop Pilgrims HLT Magazine Email contact British Council iatefl To access the Teacher Trainer Journal click on the link to the journal below. The first time you open the link you may see a site map. Click on continue and this will disappear and you will continue to...

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http://old.hltmag.co.uk/sep01/mart1.htm

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Humanising Language Teaching
Year 3; Issue 5; September 2001

Humanising the Coursebook

Brian Tomlinson
Leeds Metropolitan University

Page 1 of 1

Introduction

My first and most dramatic attempt to humanise a coursebook took place one wintry night in Liverpool thirty five years ago. As a very young teacher of a night school class of underpriviledged under-achievers I could take the tedium no more. I ordered the class to line up along the window with their middle-class, middle of the road course books in their right hands. We opened the windows and, on the command "throw", they threw their coursebooks away. Now we had no irrelevant materials for the English class. So, instead the students brought their own. Soon we had a lot of comics and magazines and even one or two books as well. Then we had a lot of fun devising activities together that involved the students in doing things that connected to themselves.

In my thirty four years of teaching English since that dramatic act of defiance in Liverpool I've suffered countless other coursebooks (including some I've written myself) which have needed humanising because they didn't engage the learners I was using them with and because they didn't manage to connect with the learners' lives. Sometimes it wasn't the coursebook's fault; the books were potentially humanistic (including, I hope, some of those written by myself) but they didn't match the psychological and sociological realities of my particular groups of learners. Often though, it was the fault of the coursebooks because they didn't sufficiently take into account the resources of the learner as a human being. Many of these coursebooks concentrated on the linguistic and analytical aspects of language learning and failed to tap the human being's potential for multi-dimensional processing. That is, they made insufficient use of the learners' ability to learn through doing things physically, to learn through feeling emotion, to learn through experiencing things in the mind. They didn't acknowledge that for human beings the most important factor in learning is affect (Arnold 1999; Schumann 1999). In order to achieve effective and durable learning, language learners need to relax, feel at ease, develop self-confidence and self-esteem, develop positive attitudes towards the learning experience and be involved intellectually, aesthetically and emotionally (Tomlinson 1998a). They also need to make use of their experience of life, their interests and enthusiasms, their views, attitudes and feelings and, above all, their capacity to make meaningful connections in their minds. Not many coursebooks encourage them to do this. Instead, many of them use an interrogative approach which continually underestimates and questions the ability of the learners, and which often results in diminishment and loss of self-esteem for the learner and a minimalising of opportunities for effective learning.

I hope from reading this Introduction it's becoming clear that what I mean by a humanistic coursebook is one which respects its users as human beings and helps them to exploit their capacity for learning through meaningful experience. I hope it's also becoming clear that by humanising the coursebook I mean adding activities which help to make the language learning process a more affective and relevant experience.

Humanising Without the Coursebook

One way of humanising a coursebook is for the teacher to replace sections of it with more humanistic materials which involve the learners in gaining and reflecting on experience. Or, as with my Liverpool example, for the teacher to take the drastic step of replacing the coursebook altogether. This was a step which I also took with a class of handicraft teachers at a primary teacher training college in Vanuatu. They were a class of women with at least ten tears experience of apparently failing to learn English formally and with no confidence at all in their ability to use English for communication. No coursebook ever written could have helped them (unless it had been written for that class alone) and I soon decided to replace the book we'd been allocated. Instead I told them that they were each going to write a novel. They were asked to thing of an environment they knew well and to develop a story situated in it. When they'd recovered from their shock they set about the task and then spent every English lesson for the term writing their novels, whilst I made myself available as an informant and supporter. In true Melanesian style they read each others work in progress and made helpful suggestions. They quickly gained confidence and self-esteem and soon they were illustrating their books with the beautiful drawings which they all seemed capable of and 'publishing' them in elaborate and attractive ways. I'm not claiming that by the end of term their English had miraculously improved but they'd all written, revised and 'published' books which were at least sixty pages long. Even if they hadn't acquired much English (though I'm sure they did) they'd done something in English which they were proud of; and they'd gained far more confidence and self-esteem than all their coursebooks put together had ever given them.

Perhaps the best example of partial replacement I've experienced was a teacher in a high school in Jakarta who asked her class if they liked their coursebook. Of course, in typical Indonesian fashion, they told her what they thought she wanted to hear and were unanimous in their praise of the book. However, she persisted and eventually persuaded them to tell her what they really thought of the book. It seems that they found it very boring and, in particular, disliked the dull reading texts which seemed to have no connection with their lives. The teacher's response was to divide the class into twelve groups and to give Group 1 responsibility for finding something interesting for the class to read in English. Group 1 spent the week searching Jakarta for a text which could engage their peers and on the Friday they delivered it to the teacher. On the Monday she used the text for the reading class and then challenged Group 2 to find an equally interesting text for the following week. This procedure continued for the whole of the semester with the students finding the texts and the teacher supplying a variety of potentially engaging activities. The next semester the teacher told the class they responsible not only for finding interesting texts but for developing the activities and for 'teaching' the reading lesson on the Monday. Each Friday, a group showed their text and activities to the teacher and she gave them some advice for their lesson on the Monday. This procedure continued for the whole semester with the teacher sitting in the back of the students' class whilst they gained confidence and enjoyment connected to their lives (an experience similar to that of Jensen and Hermer (1998: 191) who found that "the pupils are the best collaborators in a performance-based learning environment. They even find and devise exercises and games themselves, research situations and texts.").

Other examples of partial replacement from my experience include:

Getting a class of Italian university students to script and record a radio soap opera set in the college they were visiting in England (by giving each small group responsibility for producing an episode)

Helping a multilingual class of intermediate level learners to video their versions of poems, short stories and extracts from novels

Getting classes of high school students in Indonesia to participate in TPR Plus activities involving activities (e.g. collective miming of stories, making of sculptures, painting of murals, cooking of meals etc) which start off with the students following instructions spoken by the teacher but then develop into activities initiated by the students themselves

Encouraging teachers in Indonesia and Japan to get students to develop their own class libraries by staggering into class with a huge cardboard box and inviting the students to come and look at their new class library. Of course, the box was empty and the students were challenged to fill it with reading material which would interest their friends. In many cases, the students quickly filled their box as a result of visits to travel agents, embassies, newspaper offices, publishers and supermarkets. And one enterprising class in Jakarta even looked for English sounding names in the telephone book and then visited houses asking for unwanted books, magazines and newspapers for their libraries.

Encouraging teachers in Japan to give each student in their class a blank cassette and then encouraging them to record something interesting in English for their class Listening Library (one teacher told me a year later that her class had over a thousand cassettes in their Listening Library)

For other ideas for supplementing the coursebook with student-centred, student-initiated activities providing sensory experience of language learning see Jensen and Hermer (1998) who quote a father in Bateson (1972) telling his daughter, "All that syntax and grammar, that's rubbish. Everything rests on the notion that there is such a thing as "just" words but there isn't." They advocate a performance approach which promotes "a full sensory, physical and emotional appreciation of the language" (179) and provide many practical examples of how to achieve their humanistic aims.

Humanising With The Coursebook

Often teachers are obliged to use a coursebook in all their lessons. In such cases they can humanise it by reducing the non-humanistic elements of the book and by expanding and adding to those sections which invite the learners to think, feel and do in order to learn.

Here's an example of such an approach:

1. getting the whole class to act out a version of a coursebook reading text from the teacher's spoken instructions

2. giving them the coursebook text and asking them in groups to find as many differences as they can between the two similar texts within a demanding time limit

3. organising a competition in which the groups take it in turns to articulate a difference without referring back to the text

4. stimulating the groups to develop an extended version of the text in a local context

5. giving the students some of the coursebook activities for homework

Other coursebook based humanistic activities I've used include:

1. Getting students to draw their versions of a reading or listening text before doing the coursebook comprehension activities

2. Getting students in groups to work out what happens in my mime of a text prior to reading it in the coursebook

3. Getting students to dramatise texts they are going to read in the coursebook from my spoken narrative of the text.

4. Giving the students part of a coursebook text and then asking them to complete it themselves before reading the text in the coursebook and doing the associated activities

5. Getting the whole class to write a local version of a coursebook text by inviting them to shout out sentences and later to revise and connect them into a coherent story

6. Giving the students the comprehension questions from the coursebook and getting them to write the text they are based on

7. Getting students to bring photographs to class to represent their local application of a coursebook text or task they've used in a previous lesson

8. Getting students to act out coursebook dialogues in voices appropriate to a given context (e.g. the shop assistant is the customer's ex-boyfriend)

9. Getting students to suggest different contexts for a coursebook dialogue which would change its meaning

10. Getting students in pairs to continue and develop a coursebook dialogue into a dramatic event with each student playing one of the characters

11. Getting students to write the inner speech monologues of characters in a coursebook dialogue (e.g. the outwardly polite shopkeeper who's getting inwardly incensed by the customer who can't make his mind up)

Developing Humanistic Coursebooks
Of course, the ideal scenario for most hard-pressed teachers would be to be able to use a coursebook which is already humanistic. Is it possible to develop coursebooks which are humanistic and which at the same time satisfy the conservative caution of the publishers, as well as the requirements of conventional institutions, curricula and administrators? It is. But it's not easy; and no coursebook can be completely humanistic for all its users because it can't possibly relate directly to each user's life.

Some ways of developing coursebooks which are more humanistic include:

Writing in Large and Varied Teams

Writing a coursebook (and especially a series of coursebooks) can be a long and laborious process. Often the writer(s) start out energised with enthusiasm and ideas but, after making the almost inevitable compromises with the understandably conservative Editor, and after churning out innumerable units with the same format, they start to lose their creative energy. Long before the end of the book/series the writers have changed their main objective to completing the book so that it can start to re-pay them for the tedious time they've devoted to it and so it can give them back their life. One way of stimulating and maintaining creative energy is to write coursebooks quickly in large and varied teams. The team might consist of new and experienced teachers, new and experienced materials writers, a poet, an artist, an applied linguist, a musician, a Chief Examiner and a cartoonist, all pooling their resources and stimulating each other. That's how we wrote a secondary school English coursebook for Namibia (Tomlinson 1995) and how we're writing a series of coursebooks at Bilkent University in Ankara. We wrote the Namibian coursebook with a team of thirty writers in six days. The result was the most imaginative and humanistic coursebook I've ever been involved in, mainly because the short intensive writing period helped generate and maintain energy and the varied interaction with other human beings helped put the focus on the people involved in the learning process rather than on the language being learned.

Using a Text-Driven Approach

The teams in the Namibian project described above started not by selecting a language point but by selecting a potentially engaging text from the resources made available to them. They devised pre-reading or listening activities to help to activate the learners' minds in readiness for connecting the texts to their own lives and they developed post-reading activities aimed at helping the learners to articulate and develop their mental representations of the text. In other words the initial emphasis was on the people experiencing the texts and not on the language in them. Later the writers developed activities focusing on the content of the text and on helping the learners to connect it to their own lives. Then they developed language activities focussing on language features which were salient in the text. Because we'd checked that the texts chosen constituted a representative sample of the main genres and text types it wasn't too surprising that the language features chosen for the activities corresponded very closely with the language features listed in the Syllabus.

In my experience as a writer and facilitator of coursebooks, the text-driven approach described above can be a very effective way of ensuring that a coursebook is humanistic. If the initial focus is on a potentially engaging text it's much more likely that the writer will keep the learners in mind than if the initial focus is on a language item or skill. And it's much easier to develop learning activities to match a text than it is to find an engaging text to match teaching points.

Using a Multi-Dimensional Approach

"A multi-dimensional approach aims to help learners to develop the ability to produce and process an L2 by using their mental resources in ways similar to those they use when communicating in their L1. Doing so not only helps learners to maximise their brain's potential for communicating in an L2 but it also maximises their brain's potential for learning."

(Tomlinson 2000b)

A multi-dimensional approach is based on the principle that using affect, mental imagery and inner speech is what we do during effective language use and what we do during effective and durable learning too. As Berman (1999: 2) says, "we learn best when we see things as part of a recognised pattern, when our imaginations are aroused, when we make natural associations between one idea and another, and when the information appeals to our senses." The procedures which can be used in a coursebook to apply the principles of a multi-dimensional approach (and thus to create a humanistic coursebook) include:

engaging affect (i.e. emotional involvement, positive attitudes towards the learning experience and self-esteem) through activities which involve learners recalling and recounting personal experiences, thinking about and articulating their own attitudes and views and creating their own personal mental representations of what they listen to and read

imaging activities (Tomlinson 1998a) which encourage learners to create mental images whilst processing or producing language (an "overwhelming amount of empirical evidence seems to show that imagery is a remarkably effective mediator of cognitive performance, ranging from short-term memory to creativity" (Kaufman 1996, 77))

inner voice activities which encourage learners to talk to themselves in an L2 inner voice whilst processing and producing language in the L2 (Tomlinson 2000a, 2001)

kinaesthetic activities which involve learners in momentary mental activity before following instructions in the L2 in order to perform physical activities such as playing games, miming stories, making models and cooking meals (Tomlinson 1994b)

process activities which help learners to create a version of a text themselves before reading or listening to the complete text.
Talking to the Learners

The voice of most coursebooks is semi-formal and distant, and matches the stereotype of the knowledge transmitting teacher talking at his learners. The writers reveals very little about their personalities, interests, beliefs and experiences and spend most of the time either telling the learners what to learn, do and say or interrogating them about what they know. It's a very unequal and anti-humanistic relationship which does little to encourage or engage the learner. For example, a recent survey of eight adult EFL coursebooks concluded that the "the voices of the authors are neutral and semi-formal"| (Tomlinson et al 2001: 88); though it did find that two of the courses "managed to be neutral, yet at the same time friendly and supportive" (ibid).

What I'd "like to see materials writers do is to chat to the learners casually in the same way that good teachers do" (in all cultures) "and to try to achieve personal contact with them by revealing their own preferences, interests and opinions" (Tomlinson 1998a: 8-9). There is research evidence that using a personal voice in a textbook can foster deeper and more durable learning (Beck, McKeown and Worthy 1995) and that the best way to achieve this is to include features of orality. The features I would recommend to the coursebook writer are:

Informal discourse features (e.g. contracted forms, ellipsis, informal lexis)

The active rather than the passive voice

Concreteness (e.g. examples, anecdotes)

Inclusiveness (e.g. not signalling intellectual, linguistic or cultural superiority over the learners)

Sharing experiences and opinions

Sometimes including casual redundancies rather than always being concise
Providing Text-Free Generalisable Activities

It's possible to develop a set of generalisable activities (Maley 1998) which can be used with texts selected by the learner from a resource pack of materials, from a library, from the internet or from their own resources. This ensures that the text relates to the learner and is likely to engage them and this is the way I'm writing a coursebook called English from the Web. In this book each unit provides the learners with a set of generalisable pre-reading, whilst-reading and post-reading activities for a particular genre (e.g. sports reports, cartoons, advertisements) and then suggests websites from which the learners can select texts which appeal to them for use with the activities.

Even more humanistic and productive would be an approach which provides generalisable activities in a coursebook plus guidance and stimulus to help the learners write their own texts for use with the activities (either for themselves or for a bank for other learners to select from).
Localising Coursebooks
One of the main reasons why global coursebooks are not normally humanistic is that in trying to cater for everybody they end up engaging nobody. They have to make sure that their content and approach is not unsuitable for any type of learner, that their choice of topics and texts doesn't disadvantage any learners and, above all, that they don't offend or disturb any learners. The result, very often, is a book which presents "a sanitised world which is bland and dull and in which there is very little excitement or disturbance to stimulate the emotions of the learner" (Tomlinson 1998c, 20), a world which is characterised by Wajnryb (1996, 291) in her analysis of two best selling coursebooks as "safe, clean, harmonious, benevolent, undisturned and PG-rated. What is absent is significant jeopardy, face threat, negotiation, implicature and context." Learning a language in such a world can reduce the learner from an individual human being with views, attitudes and emotions to a language learner whose brain is focused narrowly on low-level linguistic decoding.

One way of connecting coursebooks to the real world which the learners live in is obviously to localise them. It's no accident that the two most humanistic coursebooks I know are published for local markets, On Target (1995) for Namibia and Search 8 (1997) for Norway. Unfortunately local coursebooks don't generate as much profit as global coursebooks and, despite a recent trend of producing localised versions of coursebooks, the global coursebook is going to remain the resource used by the majority of learners of English in the world. However, it wouldn't be too difficult to:

provide a bank of texts, tasks and illustrations for the teacher to select from in order to replace or supplement sections of a global coursebook not relevant to their learners

produce global coursebooks with generalisable activities which are supplemented by local photocopiable packs of texts and illustrations

include in the teachers book suggestions for localising the texts and activities in a global coursebook

include activities in a global coursebook in which the learners localise some of the texts and the tasks by modifying them in relation to the world they know Conclusion
Humanistic approaches to language learning can facilitate both language acquisition and personal development. Unfortunately most language learners learn from coursebooks and most coursebooks are not humanistic. However, it's not that difficult to make a coursebook more humanistic and it is possible to develop coursebooks which are both humanistic and profitable. We owe it to our learners to try.

References

Arnold, J (ed.).1999. Affect in Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Bateson, G. 1972. Steps to an Ecology of Mind. Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemology. Chandler Publishing Company.

Beck, I. L., M. G. McKeown and J. Worthy. 1995. 'Giving a text voice can improve students' understanding.' Research Reading Quarterly, 30/2.

Bell, J. and R. Gower. 1991. Intermediate Matters. Harlow: Longman.

Berman, M. 1999. 'The teacher and the wounded healer'. IATEFL Issues. 152: 2-5.

Fenner, A. N. and G. Nordal Pedersen. 1997. Search 8. Oslo: Gyldendal.

Jensen, M. and A. Hermer. 1998. 'Learning by playing: learning foreign languages through the senses' in M. Byram and M. Fleming (eds.). Language Learning in Intercultural Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kaufman, G. 1996. 'The many faces of mental imagery' in C. Cornoldi et al. Stretching the Imagination: Representation and Transformation in Mental Imagery. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Maley, A. 1998. 'Squaring the circle reconciling materials as constraint with materials as empowerment' in B. Tomlinson (ed.).

On Target. 1995. Ministry of Basic Education and Culture. Windhoek: Gamsberg Macmillan.

Schumann, J. A. 1999. 'A neurobiological perspective on affect' in J. Arnold (ed.).

Tomlinson, B. 1994.'TPR' Materials. FOLIO.1/2: 8-10.

Tomlinson, B. 1995. 'Work in progress: textbook projects'. FOLIO, 2/2: 14-17.

Tomlinson, B. 1998a. Materials Development in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tomlinson, B. 1998b. 'Affect and the coursebook.' IATEFL Issues, 145: 20-21. Tomlinson, B. 2000a. 'Talking to yourself: the role of the inner voice in language learning.' Applied Language Learning, 11/1: 123-154. Tomlinson, B. 2000b. 'A multi-dimensional approach.' The Language Teacher Online, 24/07. Tomlinson, B. 2001. The inner voice: a critical factor in language learning. The Journal of the Imagination in Language Learning and Teaching, VI, 26-33. Tomlinson, B., Dat, B, Masuhara, H. & Rubdy, R. 2001. 'EFL courses for adults'. ELT Journal. 55/1: 80-101. H Wajnryb, R. 1996. Death, taxes and jeopardy: systematic omissions in EFL texts, or life was never meant to be an adjacency pair. 9th Educational Conference. Sydney: ELICOS Association.

Brian Tomlinson is Reader in Language Learning and Teaching at Leeds Metropolitan University and the Founder and President of MATSDA (Materials Development Association). He has worked as a curriculum developer and teacher trainer in Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Singapore, Vanuatu and Zambia and has given workshops and presentations in over forty countries. He has also published numerous articles and books, including Discover English, Openings and Materials Development in Language Teaching.

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HLT Magazine (September 2001) - Major Article

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Humanising Language Teaching Year 3; Issue 5; September 2001 Brian Tomlinson Leeds Metropolitan University Page 1 of 1 Introduction My first and most dramatic attempt to humanise a coursebook took place one wintry night in Liverpool thirty five years ago. As a very young teacher of a night school class of underpriviledged under-achievers I could take the tedium no more.

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https://www.youtube.com/c/DrGeoffLindsey/videos

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geofflindsey drgeofflindsey englishspeechservices ssb pronunciation phonetics phonetician phonologist "english after rp" "standard southern british english" ...

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I'm Dr. Geoff Lindsey and I want to share the fascination and fun of speech, language and accents. I studied at University College London and got my PhD at the University of California Los Angeles. I've taught at universities including UCL, Edinburgh and Cambridge, published research in many areas, and worked as a forensic analyst.

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https://elt-resourceful.com/downloadable-lesson-materials/

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Level B1 upwards

Skills: speaking and listening

Language: Question forms (including slightly more complex B1 forms)
elt-resourceful-36-questions-to-fall-in-love
A free downloadable lesson, particularly suitable for Valentine's Day, but usable at any time of the year, about 36 questions which might make you fall in love.

The lesson starts by discussing different views of love, before the students read a short text, giving the background to an experiment where strangers asked these questions to see if they would fall in love.

The students then watch a video of two strangers getting to know each other by asking these questions, and see how they become closer as the interview progresses.

There is then a focus on question forms, looking at some slightly more complex questions. This would be suitable from B1 upwards.

Finally the students choose some of the questions that they are happy to answer, and discuss them in pairs (falling in love definitely not obligatory!)

[NB. Be aware that at around 4.19, Cam gives a couple of examples of swear words. It isn't particularly noticeable, but you might want to stop the video before this.]

Level B1 upwards

Skills: speaking and reading

Language: adjectives. E.g. persuasive, pushy.
elt-resourceful-labels
A free downloadable lesson, built around a viral advertising video which focuses on the idea that women are not treated equally in the workplace, being judged differently from men for doing the same things. The video has no dialogue, just a soundtrack.

The lesson starts by looking at the words used in the video to 'label' men and women. For example, persuasive vs pushy. It would probably work best not to tell the students the topic of the video at this stage. Students then watch the video and answer a couple of simple comprehension questions.

They then go on to read an article about the video, which discusses the issue in more depth, and also how suitable it is to use an advert selling a beauty product to discuss a feminist issue.

Finally the students discuss their own opinion of the message of the video and consider other viral videos they have seen which promote a message.

How a book changed my life

Level: B1 and upwards

Skills: Listening (including bottom up listening skills) and speaking

Language: opinion or comment adverbs (unfortunately, personally, apparently etc)
ELT Resourceful - How a book changed my life
A free downloadable lesson, based on a video from StoryCorps, which tells the true story of Storm Reyes, who grew up poor in a migrant camp in Washington State. Students start by watching the video without sound, which encourages them to make predictions, which they then check on a second viewing. There is then some further comprehension and discussion, before an activity which helps students to develop their listening skills by focusing on the weak forms that are so difficult to hear.

Finally there is a focus on opinion or comment adverbs, before a speaking activity to round up the lesson, about the topic of books and reading.

Why do cats miaow?

Level: B1+/Intermediate and up

Skills: Speaking and listening

Language: vocabulary (animal noises, vocabulary from the audio) and infinitives of purpose (in order (not) to, so as (not) to) and the conjunctions so that and in order that.
ELT Resourceful - Why do cats miaow
A free downloadable lesson, based on a clip from a science-based BBC programme about cats and their behaviour. This clip looks at how cats communicate with each other and with humans. Students start by looking at some of the ways that different languages describe the way that dogs speak, before looking at some common animal sounds in English. Students are then guided through the video, answering a variety of different question types, and learning some more vocabulary from the video. There is then a focus on infinitives of purpose, in order to as so as to, and the conjunctions so that and in order that.

Level: B2/Upper Intermediate and up

Skills: Speaking, reading and listening

Language: idioms (dream come true, like magic, step in the right direction etc) and wish (including wish + would)
ELT Resourceful - Crowdwish
The lesson is about a new online service, CrowdWish, which invites people to post their wishes on their website. Every day people vote on the most popular wish, and CrowdWish will grant it! Students start by discussing some wishes taken from the site, then read a short text about what the site aims to do (so don't tell them at the start of the lesson!) There is then a focus on some useful idioms, before going on to watch a video in which the founder of the site, 'pitches' his idea. The video is fairly complex, but students are simply asked to put the topics they hear in order. Students then look at the grammar used with 'wish', particularly at the use of 'would' when you want someone else to change their behaviour. Finally the students come up with their own wishes and vote on them, like on the site. You could even try and grant the top wish if you're feeling creative..

You've got to have a dream

Level: B1/Intermediate and up

Skills: Speaking and writing

Language: reason and result linkers, adjectives of personality

A free downloadable lesson, based around a Russian advertising video for shampoo. Despite what is aims to sell, the video is actually quite inspiring, with the story of a girl who succeeds against the odds through pure grit and determination. Students start by watching the video and trying to guess what it is trying to advertise (so don't tell them!). There are no words on the video, just images. They then try to reconstruct the story in pairs, watching the video again to check their ideas. The lesson then goes on to focus on a range of linkers used to give reasons or results, make contrasts and show when something happened. Students then work with some vocabulary to describe personality, and then put it all together by writing the story of the video, using the linkers and the vocabulary where appropriate. Finally, there are some quotes about success for them to discuss.
ELT Resourceful - You've got to have a dream
Orangutan asks for help in sign language

Level: B1/Intermediate and up

Skills: speaking and listening

Language: environment vocabulary (e.g. deforestation, consumers, sustainable)
ELT Resourceful - Orangutan asks for help in sign language
The lesson starts with an activity to find out what students know about orangutans. It then moves onto the video, which claims to be a sign language conversation between a deaf American girl and an orangutan. In fact, the video is staged, but it will have more impact if you don't tell students this at first. The video is subtitled and the language until the last section is very straightforward. Students then do a matching exercise on some vocabulary related to the video, before using the words to complete a short text explaining what is happening to orangutans as a result of the cultivation of unsustainable palm oil, and what we can do about it. The lesson ends by asking the students to consider some of the issues.

Level: B1/Intermediate and up

Skills: Reading, speaking, listening and writing

Language: nouns and adjectives (e.g. happy/happiness, grateful/gratitude)
ELT Resourceful-Gratitude
The lesson starts with a short text to introduce the topic and get the students thinking about how people recognise and celebrate gratitude in their cultures. It then moves onto the video, where students watch two people visiting a friend and reading aloud a letter they have written , thanking them for what they have done. There is some focus on vocabulary, and some useful phrases that students could use themselves to say thank you. Finally, the students are asked to write their own thank you letter, which they may or may not choose to actually deliver.

Secrets of a long and happy marriage

Level: Pre-Int/strong A2 upwards

Skills: Listening and speaking (giving advice)

Language: idioms connected with love and marriage, imperatives to give advice
ELT Resourceful - Secrets of a Long and Happy Marriage
The lesson starts with some discussion about marriage before students are asked to give their 'top tips' for a successful marriage. They then watch the video and compare Selma and Kenny's advice with their ideas.

The video is quite easy to follow, though the couple do talk over each other at times (there is a transcript). It's funny and quite touching.

There is then a focus on idioms connected with love and marriage, and then we look at some of the ways Selma and Kenny use imperatives to give advice. Students can then use this language to reformulate their original pieces of advice.

Click on the picture for the audio link.

Level: PreIntermediate/A2 - Upper Intermediate/B2

Skills: Listening (audio not video), speaking (telling a narrative)

Language: Narrative tenses (simple past and past perfect)
ELT Resourceful - A good deed
The lesson starts with a short text giving some background to the Depression of the 1930s, and invites students to think about parallels with the situation in some countries today and what can, or should be done by individuals and governments.

Students then listen to the audio, which is quite short and simple, listening both for gist and specific information.

There is then a focus on narrative tenses, specifically simple past and past perfect. This could work as part of an introduction to past perfect, or as a review at higher levels. Students then try to retell Virginia's story, using tenses appropriately, before going on to tell their own 'good deed' stories.

Try something new for 30 days

Level: PreIntermediate/A2+

Skills: Listening, Speaking

Language: Present Perfect for experience (Have you ever + past participle) and idioms.
ELT Resourceful - Try something new for 30 days
The lesson starts with a quick review of present perfect for experience: Have you ever + past participle?

Students then watch the video (3 minutes), which is quite simply and clearly expressed, looking at what challenges Matt carried out, and the impact these challenges had on his life.

There is a focus on some idiomatic language, and then the lesson concludes by asking students to think of some challenges they'd like to do themselves (and that they'd like to set for the teacher!)

Real Beauty?

Level: B1/Intermediate+

Skills: Listening, Writing (self-descriptions)

Language: Collocations to describe facial features (thick hair, full lips etc)
ELT Resourceful - Real Beauty
The lesson is based around the recent Dove advertisement, showing the huge difference between women's views of their looks and how other see them. The lesson starts by focusing on collocations to describe facial features, such as thick hair, full lips and so on. Students then watch the video and discuss some of the issues raised, including self -esteem, the role of the media,and differences between men and women. More language to describe physical appearance is 'pulled out' of the video, and the lesson ends with students writing detailed descriptions of themselves.

An optional extra that might work well to lighten the class a little is a very funny spoof video, where some men find out that they are actually much uglier than they think they are! The link is in the accompanying notes.

Level: B2/Upper Int+ (good intermediate class could cope)

Skills: Listening (inferring meaning), Reading, Speaking

Language: Ellipsis
ELT Resourceful - Q&A
Joshua, who has Asperger's Syndrome, interviews his mother, giving us insights into what it's like for him to be different from others, and the loving relationship between the two of them. Great for raising awareness of Asperger's and of bullying, and very touching.

The lesson involves listening and inferring meaning, plenty of discussion, and also has a focus on ellipsis, where words are omitted because the meaning is clear.

The Science of Smiling

Level: B1+ Int+ (suitable for lower level IELTS students as well as General English)

Skills: Listening, Reading (summary completion), Speaking

Language: Idioms to describe emotions (e.g. fly off the handle)
ELT Resourceful - The Science of Smiling
This lesson is about why smiling, even when we don't feel much like it, can actually make us happier. The lesson starts with a short video, demonstrating the impact of smiling on the 'miserable' people of Edinburgh. After some brief discussion, the students go on to read a text about the various scientific findings about the emotional impact of smiling. The text and task (summary completion) would be suitable for students preparing for IELTS, especially at a lower level, but is suitable for a General English class as well. Finally, the lesson looks at a lexical set of idioms to describe emotions, and the students are asked to discuss how different situations might make them feel.

The Icing on the Cake

Level: A2+/Pre-Int + (adaptable for higher levels)

Skills: Listening and Speaking

Language: Impersonal pronouns/adverbs (something, anyone, everywhere,nobody etc) and vocabulary to describe positive qualities (ambitious, patient, kind etc)
ELT Resourceful - The Icing on the Cake
The lesson is based around another wonderful animated true story from http://www.storycorps.com. The conversation between a mother and daughter looks back on the family's struggles as poor immigrants to the US, and how the daughter was inspired by her mother's determination. It would work very well with groups of students who have experienced something similar, but is suitable for anyone.

The lead-in task asks students to predict, using pictures of key incidents in the story. The use of pictures makes it suitable for lower level learners, and it could also be done with learners who have literacy issues, by making the follow up questions oral. After watching and listening, students are asked to think about whether they admire the parents in the story (or not), which should lead to some interesting discussion about immigration, the necessity of working versus spending time with children and so on. Then there is a focus on impersonal pronouns/adverbs (something, anything, everyone.nowhere etc) and a discussion task which brings in more vocabulary to describe qualities we'd like to pass onto our children. Again, this could be adapted to lower and higher levels through the choice of vocabulary.

The Chicken Nugget Experiment

Level: At two levels A2+/Pre-Int+ and B2+/Upper Int +

Skills: Listening and Speaking

Language: Vocabulary to discuss junk food (nutritious, saturated fat, obesity). Lower level: Giving opinions, agreeing/disagreeing. Higher Level: Contrast markers (despite, even though, although, however etc)
ELT Resourceful-The Chicken Nugget Experiment-LowerInt ELT Resourceful-The Chicken Nugget Experiment-UpperInt
After a video lead-in, the lesson is based around a video of British chef, Jamie Oliver, demonstrating exactly what does go into cheap chicken nuggets to a group of American children. It's pretty revolting, but the children reckon it's 'awesome'..and there's a surprise at the end.

The lesson is at two levels, Lower Intermediate (A2+) and Upper Intermediate (B2+). The video is quite easy to follow even if students don't understand everything that's being said. Both versions introduce a set of vocabulary for talking about junk food, and both have a variety of discussion tasks and questions. The lower level version also introduces some functional language for giving opinions and agreeing and disagreeing, while the higher level version looks at how to use contrast markers, although, even though, despite etc.

To R.P. Salazar, with love.

Level: B1/Intermediate +

Skills: Listening and Speaking

Language: Different uses of 'like', including 'slang' uses and 'would' and 'used' to for past habits.
ELT Resourceful - To R P Salazar with love
The lesson uses an authentic recording from http://www.storycorps.com, which has also been animated. The lesson focuses on vocabulary and grammar from the recording, and asks students to think about the role of luck or fate in our lives, and whether there really is someone for everyone. The lesson finishes with a speaking activity where students can tell the tale of how they and their partner (or a couple they know) met.
Living without Money
Level: B2/Upper Int + (because of the authentic reading text)

Skills: Reading and speaking

Language: Vocabulary from the text, related to money and to different roles.
ELT Resourceful-Living without Money
Note that the lead-in video is in German, and students should use the subtitles. After the lead-in, students work on vocabulary from the authentic text, related to money and different roles in life. They then look in detail at the reading text before being invited to consider their opinions about Heidemarie's lifestyle, and the bigger question of whether society is too materialistic and whether (and how) it should change.

Level: At three levels, see below.

Skills: Reading, speaking, writing

Language: Relative pronouns and defining relative clauses (for higher level also omiting relative pronoun when it's an object, and reduced relative clauses)
Pre-Int level
Intermediate level
Upper Int level
This lesson starts with a short reading text about a recent event at a coffee shop in Canada, where some-one's kindness in paying for the person behind them led to 288 people passing on the favour to the next in line. The lesson then uses the video above (no words, just music) to extend the idea, before focusing on defining relative clauses. There are three different versions, so that you can either choose the most appropriate for your students, or use all three with mixed level classes. The lesson rounds off by asking students to complete a story, imagining their own chain of events.

Level: Upper Intermediate + Adults and Teens

Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing

Language: Idioms

With a reading text about a real-life Secret Millionaire, who wanted to give something back, this lesson introduces a range of idioms to talk about wealth and poverty and gets students thinking about the gap between rich and poor, the responsibilities of those who are better off, and what it means to have someone who believes in you. There is a focus on strategies for skim reading and the lesson finishes with a writing activity where students write to someone who made a difference in their lives

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Downloadable lesson materials - elt-resourceful

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36 Questions to fall in love Level B1 upwards Skills: speaking and listening Language: Question forms (including slightly more complex B1 forms) elt-resourceful-36-questions-to-fall-in-love A free downloadable lesson, particularly suitable for Valentine's Day, but usable at any time of the year, ... Continue reading →

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https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/enough-with-the-learning-styles-already/

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The notion of "learning styles"-- that teaching to students' preferred learning style will increase learning outcomes-- is one of those persistent " neuromythologies" in education that just won't go away. Studies around the world have found that 90%- 97% of teachers believe that there is an optimal delivery style for each learner. While a number of different learning style models exist-- ranging from 3 to 170 learning styles-- one of the most popular is the " VAK Learning Styles" model. The idea of the VAK model is that students can be tested to learn their dominant learning style-- visual (V), auditory (A), or kinesthetic (K)-- and then students should be taught in a way that best matches that style. Some schools even puts the labels V, A, and K on the shirts of students in the classroom!

This neuromyth persists despite the fact that we know that the brain is massively interconnected, and that common brain functions (particularly in the prefrontal cortex) cut across virtually any act of deliberate learning. Studies have consistently shown that catering to differences in students' preferred learning style does not actually result in any improvement in learning outcomes. On the contrary, there is good reason to believe that optimal learning for everyone involves the opportunity to engage in as many sensory modalities as possible.

Adding to the growing chorus of learning styles skeptics, researchers from Greece investigated whether there was any correspondence between the preferred learning style of the student and the teacher's perception of the learning style of the student. This was important considering that teachers often rely on their own assessment of the learning styles of their students.

Consistent with prior findings, every single teacher in their study believed that teaching tailored to the students' learning style enhance the learning of new information. However, they found zero relationship between the self-assessments of learning styles by the students and the assessments of the teachers. There was also no relationship between the IQ of the student and the teacher's perception of the learning style of the student.

Whatever information teachers are using to identify their students' preferred learning style, it's not actually related to the students' preferred learning style or even the actual intellectual ability of the students!
If Not Learning Styles, Then What?
It has been my personal experience working with teachers that they generally have truly compassionate intentions and really do want to help each individual student flourish in the classroom and beyond. I think the learning styles neuromyth is paved with good intentions, but that still doesn't mean it can't be harmful to students.

For one-- and I know this may sound paradoxical-- but emphasizing learning styles and even "multiple intelligences" in the classroom can foster a fixed mindset, not a growth mindset. This should create quite the cognitive dissonance for teachers who generally love both growth mindset theory and learning styles.

But here's the thing: giving students the message that "It's OK if you're not good at <insert "intelligence" or "learning style" here>, you can still be good at <insert whatever here>" can lead students to give up on cultivating key learning skills that can be developed, to an extent, in everyone. Believe it or not, by promoting a dominant learning styles mentality, we are actually limiting students with self-fulfilling prophecies despite the best intentions.

Also, the findings from this latest study suggest that learning styles are not even readily observable in the school environment by the teachers. Teachers often think they know what's best for the student, but this rarely matches with what the students think is the best thing for themselves. This is quite problematic, because it's possible for students to fall between the cracks because their greatest strengths aren't actually being recognized in the classroom environment.

Of course, this does not mean that we should give up the entire spirit of appreciating individual differences. On the contrary, some individual differences are very important for learning. There are numerous personal characteristics that do show significant correlations with learning outcomes, such as general cognitive ability, intellectual curiosity, social belonging, school identification, self-regulation, effective learning strategies, interest in the subject material, personal goals, background knowledge, and personal life experiences. Understanding these differences and using that information to inform classroom instruction is immensely important. However, custom tailoring instruction to a particular sensory modality is not grounded in what we know about how people actually learn new information across domains.

I truly believe there is much more potential in students than either the students or the teachers often realize, but we if we want to get the best out of all students, we must ground the research in actual evidence, not just what feels right.

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Enough with the "Learning Styles" Already!

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The notion of "learning styles"-- that teaching to students' preferred learning style will increase learning outcomes-- is one of those persistent " neuromythologies" in education that just won't go away. Studies around the world have found that 90%- 97% of teachers believe that there is an optimal delivery style for each learner.

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https://www.techlearning.com/tl-advisor-blog/7-digital-learning-theories-and-models-you-should-know

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(Image credit: Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay )

While pursuing teaching degrees, educators are introduced to various learning theorists and their insights about how people learn best. Some familiar names include Piaget, Bandura, Vygotsky, and Gardner.

Although understanding these learning theories is still important, aspiring educators also need to become familiar with theories, models, and approaches that provide insight on how technology, social media, and the internet impact learning. Digital learning theories and approaches, such as (opens in new tab) , (opens in new tab) , (opens in new tab) , (opens in new tab) , (opens in new tab), Design Thinking (opens in new tab) and (opens in new tab) help teachers develop curricula that gets students to use technology to research, curate, annotate, create, innovate, problem-solve, collaborate, campaign, reform and think critically. These are skills outlined in Shelly Terrell's Hacking Digital Learning Strategies with EdTech Missions (opens in new tab).

Digital learning approaches consider what students are currently doing online and allow teachers to design curricula to help students gain the digital skills they need to thrive in a digitally connected world.

Below are some useful links to discover more about these approaches.

1. The RAT Model
The RAT model is a way of looking at technology and how it has or has not altered instruction. The "R" stands for replacement, and in this mode of instruction technology is just replacing a previous tool for instruction but in no way changing the instructional practices or learning that occurs. The "A" is amplification, which refers to when class instructional practices remain the same but the use of technology increases the lesson's efficiency and effectiveness or reach. The "T" is transformation, and is when technology is used to reinvent certain aspects of instruction in new and innovative ways.

The SAMR model stands for substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition, and looks at four tiers of tech implementation. Educators frequently have a tendency to focus on the first two tiers, essentially converting previous instructional practices into a technological format: for instance, recording a lecture and posting it online, or posting PDFs of previously printed materials. The second two tiers entail using technology to more fundamentally change instruction.
3. The TPACK Framework
TPACK stands for technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge. The framework examines the interplay of three grouped areas of content knowledge (CK), pedagogy (PK), and technology (TK), and explores the ways these areas intersect. While it is often compared to SAMR, these are quite different models, with TPACK being a less linear way of thinking about incorporating technology into teaching.

Bloom's Taxonomy was created by Benjamin Bloom and his collaborators in the 1950s as a framework for categorizing educational goals that is often depicted as a pyramid with each level requiring higher levels of thinking in order to achieve mastery. Over time, the original nouns used by Bloom and colleagues were replaced with active verbs. Now at the base of the pyramid is the word remember, and it builds up in order to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. The new framework has also been updated to incorporate technology.
5. Connectivism
Introduced in 2005 by George Siemens and Stephen Downes, this learning theory holds that students should learn how to combine thoughts, theories, and other information in a useful way. The theory builds on the idea that technology has increased the speed of our access to information, and our constant connectedness should be harnessed to help students make choices about learning, collaborating, and learning from diverse sources, including sources on social media.
6. Design Thinking
Popularized by tech companies, design thinking takes engineering and artistic processes and applies these to other fields, such as education. Using this framework, educators and students can identify challenges, gather information, generate potential solutions, refine ideas, and test solutions. This framework can be helpful for department, school, or team planning, as well as class planning or for individual lessons.
7. Peeragogy
As any educator can tell you, there's nothing quite like peer learning. Peeragogy, also known as paragogy, is a collection of best practices for peer-to-peer learning that seeks to help educators overcome some of the obstacles to effective peer learning such as peers who don't produce useful and/or supportive feedback.

Resources

Challenge: Explore one of these digital learning theories to see how you can make at least one change enhance the way you integrate technology.

The original version of this story was cross posted at teacherrebootcamp.com (opens in new tab)

Shelly Terrell is an education consultant, technology trainer, and author. Read more at teacherrebootcamp.com (opens in new tab)

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7 Digital Learning Theories and Models You Should Know

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(Image credit: Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay ) While pursuing teaching degrees, educators are introduced to various learning theorists and their insights about how people learn best. Some familiar names include Piaget, Bandura, Vygotsky, and Gardner.

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https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/formative-assessment-tools-and-apps

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Formative assessments are crucial for educators to understand their students' grasp of concepts and skills as they work their way through lessons. With this understanding, educators can better direct learners to spend more time practicing and gaining mastery of topics with which they struggle.

The following free assessment tools are some of the best ones for gauging student progress at any point in the curriculum. And in this time of pandemic-disrupted learning, it's critical that all work well for in-person, remote, or blended classes.

Best Free Formative Assessment Tools and Apps

► Assessing Students in Online and Virtual Classrooms

► 20 Sites for Creating Quizzes

► The Challenges of Special Needs Assessments During Remote and Hybrid Learning

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Best Free Formative Assessment Tools and Apps

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The best free formative assessment tools can help teachers track student progress and personalize learning.

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https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/formative-assessment-tools-and-apps

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Formative assessments are crucial for educators to understand their students' grasp of concepts and skills as they work their way through lessons. With this understanding, educators can better direct learners to spend more time practicing and gaining mastery of topics with which they struggle.

The following free assessment tools are some of the best ones for gauging student progress at any point in the curriculum. And in this time of pandemic-disrupted learning, it's critical that all work well for in-person, remote, or blended classes.

Best Free Formative Assessment Tools and Apps

► Assessing Students in Online and Virtual Classrooms

► 20 Sites for Creating Quizzes

► The Challenges of Special Needs Assessments During Remote and Hybrid Learning

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Best Free Formative Assessment Tools and Apps

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The best free formative assessment tools can help teachers track student progress and personalize learning.

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https://www.barefootteflteacher.com/p/why-when-and-how-to-use-l1-in-the?utm_source=substack&publication_id=1023988&post_id=77549508&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true

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Why, When and How to Use L1 in the Classroom

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Your students’ first language is a valuable teaching tool.

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https://www.modernenglishteacher.com/managing-what-you-can-emotions?utm_source=https%3a%2f%2fnews.pavpub.com%2fpavilionpublishingandmedialz%2f&utm_medium=GatorMail&utm_campaign=Pavilion+ELT+newsletter+18112022&utm_term=How+can+we+manage+emotions%3f&utm_content=216355&gator_td=E9%2bLgpq9dWEjIv00vehF1Y7%2f1%2fUUUHkCYWtjxgZdzzm%2b%2b%2btSQ1wbn0WkdKLBCt%2b7c6BGBerV3z1hHVnhLfspEaKEfIf1xA5jotDm2Vut4eY2jMBVY0HAf3KiRq7eCZu5nueyMIpU0PZYAvY11AqNIMqaOc9fVSQUe8th9Ek%2fUHltM1pEc7UnRRFlfZJLODIK

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Managing what you can: Emotions | PAV ELT

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It’s long been said in business ‘leave your emotions at the door’; however, it is unrealistic to expect emotions to never impact us or our work and families. Being able to manage your emotions both as a teacher or a manager is a very important skill to master.

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https://quillbot.com/summarize

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https://open.substack.com/pub/barefootteflteacher/p/why-when-and-how-to-use-l1-in-the?r=ygcmf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

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Why, When and How to Use L1 in the Classroom

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Your students’ first language is a valuable teaching tool.

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https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/differentiateinstructionthroughmasterylearningwebinar?utm_source=selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_term=&m_i=gOxL%2Bz1CgcEGv23p7JubhwUbhpkcLC0LqKS2E1MQAuVTe%2BMnugInGCBN6UbDpVgT8GTG2w2y6yEaJZO6cwr2kNTjLhV%2BMnhggh&M_BT=6879659112951

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Presented by Thomas Guskey This webinar will explore the use of mastery learning instructional strategies to personalize and differentiate instruction for diverse students.

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https://www.modernenglishteacher.com/assessing-university-students-the-school-of-hard-knocks?utm_source=https%3a%2f%2fnews.pavpub.com%2fpavilionpublishingandmedialz%2f&utm_medium=GatorMail&utm_campaign=MET+-+Sept%2fOct+issue+out+now&utm_term=The+MET+September%2fOctober+issue+is+out+now!&utm_content=216355&gator_td=lSDG0A1avhoxRkQv4vEaHobn7NwFjFBGUiCqIcZQ7NSvktvDQZ5cYj8mxUqeVdQ094We%2fXFZA8fxXKDDSI5VMYjuKf2qahZdSuVf77peNpLCPxBezRfkF%2fxWCpVEohpYjoY1zqkR1oVzpIsq8SckR%2bX%2f%2bAK7vEUiFaDr3wv0cSQ%3d

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What type of home assignment for university students can be regarded as appropriate as well as engaging? How best to ensure students evaluate each other thoughtfully in collaborative tasks? And how to ensure my grading of their texts is unbiased and based on objective criteria?

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https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpmCHL8PnXq9s47GfxcOtK-9xtxQ2AFlo

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-flexudy-and-how-can-it-be-used-to-teach-tips-and-tricks

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What is Flexudy and How Can It Be Used to Teach? Tips & Tricks

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Flexudy is an AI-powered tool for quiz, study and course assistance – but does it work?

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www.eaquals.org

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https://tophonetics.com/

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Hi! Got an English text and want to see how to pronounce it? This online converter of English text to IPA phonetic transcription will translate your English text into its phonetic transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Paste or type your English text in the text field above and click "Show transcription" button (or use [Ctrl+Enter] shortcut from the text input area).

Features:

Choose between British and American* pronunciation. When British option is selected the [r] sound at the end of the word is only voiced if followed by a vowel, which follows British phonetic convention.

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols used.

The structure of the text and sentences in it (line breaks, punctuation marks, etc.) is preserved in phonetic transcription output making it easier to read.

An option to vary pronunciation depending on whether words are in stressed or weak position in the sentence, as in connected speech (checkbox "Show weak forms"). Weak forms are italicized in the output.

Words in CAPS are interpreted as acronyms if the word is not found in the database. Acronym transcriptions will be shown with hyphens between letters.

In addition to commonly used vocabulary the database contains a very substantial amount of place names (including names of countries, their capitals, US states, UK counties), nationalities and popular names.

You can output the text and its phonetic transcription along each other side-by-side or line-by-line to make back-reference to the original text easier. Just tick the appropriate checkbox in the input form.

Where a word has a number of different pronunciations (highlighted in blue in the output) you can select the one that agrees with the context by clicking on it. To see a popup with a list of possible pronunciations move your mouse cursor over the word.
Note that different pronunciations of one word may have different meanings or may represent variations in pronunciation with the same meaning. If unsure which pronunciation is relevant in your particular case, consult a dictionary.

The dictionary database is regularly amended with most popular missing words (shown in red in the output).

The text can be read out loud in browsers with speech synthesis support (Safari, Chrome).

*) American transcriptions are based on the open Carnegie Mellon University Pronouncing Dictionary.

We encourage students of linguistics/phonetics to do their own work during their assignments and remind them that submitting transcriptions produced by this website for academic credit is a breach of academic integrity.

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Hi! Got an English text and want to see how to pronounce it? This online converter of English text to IPA phonetic transcription will translate your English text into its phonetic transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Paste or type your English text in the text field above and click "Show transcription" button (or use [Ctrl+Enter] shortcut from the text input area).

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https://ipa.typeit.org/

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This IPA keyboard allows you to type pronunciations of English words as they appear in major English dictionaries from publishers like Longman, Oxford, etc. Dictionary transcriptions are "phonemic transcriptions". They only give you the broad-strokes view of the pronunciation - just enough to make sure you won't confuse two different words. If you need to represent precise sound qualities (for example, the different quality of p in pot vs. spot) or differences between accents of English, use the full IPA keyboard instead.

After you copy text from the above box and paste it into your word processor or e-mail message, make sure you choose a Unicode font with IPA symbols in your word processor or e-mail application. Otherwise, phonetic symbols may not display correctly.

Recommended IPA fonts available on various platforms:

If some of the symbols don't display correctly, you'll need to download a third-party IPA font.

For help with transcribing, refer to Antimoon's chart with IPA phonetic symbols, example words, and recordings (make sure you read the footnotes).

Notes on specific symbols:

ɪ̈ can be used to represent a "weak ɪ" (as in ), which usually sounds like something between ɪ and ə.

ʊ̈ can be used to represent a "weak ʊ" (as in ), which usually sounds like something between ʊ and ə.

t̬ can be used to indicate places where a "flap t" is normally pronounced in American English. For example, letter can be transcribed /ˈlet̬əʳ/.

can represent an optional ə (schwa) before a syllabic consonant, as in .

ɛ, ɹ, ɚ, ɝ, ɫ and ɾ are not necessary in phonemic transcriptions, but are provided for those who might need them.

If you're learning other languages, check out my other online keyboards, e.g. Russian keyboard, French keyboard, etc.

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Type IPA phonetic symbols - online keyboard

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This IPA keyboard allows you to type pronunciations of English words as they appear in major English dictionaries from publishers like Longman, Oxford, etc. Dictionary transcriptions are "phonemic transcriptions". They only give you the broad-strokes view of the pronunciation - just enough to make sure you won't confuse two different words.

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https://colorvowel.com/

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The Evolution of the Color Vowel Chart

Join Karen Taylor, Shirley Thompson and Robin Barr as they talk with host Jennifer Campion about how the Color Vowel Chart has evolved over the past 20 years. This webinar was recorded live on 11/4/20 and is now available on demand.
Register and Watch for Free

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The Evolution of the Color Vowel Chart Join Karen Taylor, Shirley Thompson and Robin Barr as they talk with host Jennifer Campion about how the Color Vowel Chart has evolved over the past 20 years. This webinar was recorded live on 11/4/20 and is now available on demand.

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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/13/rise-covid-cases-what-we-know-so-far

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s we move into summer, more than two years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the words "new wave" are probably the last thing anyone wants to hear. Yet it is true that recent UK data (as well as data from Florida and other places) indicates that sublineages of the Omicron variant, BA.4 and BA.5, are kicking off a new wave of cases. With the pandemic no longer dominating the news in the way it once did, it's worth taking stock of where we are and what needs to be done.

After all, these variations on Omicron are not more severe, but they do have the capacity to reinfect people, even those who have had a previous version of Omicron. This is further evidence that reaching "herd immunity" (where enough people are vaccinated or infected to stop further circulation) against Covid-19 is probably impossible.

Looking over the past two years, and across different places, a wave of Covid-19 cases every three months seems to be the pattern. So it's not surprising that this is happening again, and we should expect another wave this winter. While the idea of the disease circulating might be anxiety-provoking, we now have a wealth of scientific knowledge and tools to deploy. The focus should be on what these cases mean for long Covid and for hospitalisations. Plus, there's good news: new research indicates Omicron is indeed milder than Delta by a substantial amount in terms of hospitalisations and deaths.

Of course, it would be better to avoid getting Covid-19 once, or repeatedly, given the increasing number of negative health outcomes the disease is linked to. The challenge is how best to do that, balanced against the costs entailed in avoiding Covid completely: the vector for this disease is other humans who we (largely) enjoy seeing, being close to, or must see for work reasons. Humans are social beings, and for many people a large part of our quality of life is mixing with others, as seen by the rapid return to festivals, celebrations and social events.

Forgive me if you'd heard this one before, but masks and ventilation are still important measures we can take. Wearing a medical-grade mask is an effective way of protecting yourself from respiratory infections, especially in crowded settings. That said, we also need to recognise that they are costly, and can be uncomfortable if worn for long stretches of time. In addition, masks interfere with wanting to see people's faces, engage with their emotions and interact at an intimate level; child specialists have raised concerns about the impact on child speech and emotional development. Indoor ventilation is important in reducing transmission. However, ventilation alone is unlikely to stop a wave of infections: you only have to look at Shanghai and the difficulty Chinese authorities there have had in stopping the spread of Omicron in a highly controlled lockdown setting.

The cost-benefit calculation has shifted for many people over time, as other more pressing priorities have taken over. Avoiding infection in 2020 by restricting interactions to certain people and limited settings was understandable, given there were no vaccines or therapies. The cost was high, financially and socially, but waiting for a vaccine meant there was a payoff to being cautious and delaying infection. Analysis from theFinancial Times indicates that for most people in England, Covid-19 has become less lethal than seasonal flu because of the high levels of immunity after vaccination and the reduced severity of Omicron compared with Delta. In 2022, most people want to interact and live life as they see best (in a democracy where freedom is valued), given that disease severity has been blunted with vaccines.

What does this mean for all of us? The UK should be planning to roll out boosters to the entire population this autumn, using an age and risk factor priority scheme (instead of just to people over 75, those in care homes and those with weakened immune systems: these are the people covered by the current spring booster scheme). Antiviral supply should be put in place in pharmacies and GPs, working towards a "test to treat" scheme where soon after testing positive, those who are in vulnerable and elderly groups, for whom vaccines might be less effective, can get access to effective treatment early on.

Another important concern is long Covid, which can cause months of illness and suffering. We still have no clear indication of who is likely to get this condition and who will recover quickly. Here, a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms and treatments is vital. How can we support recovery and rehabilitation? Research has shown that people who were fully vaccinated were half as likely to get long Covid as those who had one or no vaccines.

And what does this mean for winter, when we expect the next wave to hit? While vaccines and antivirals have pushed the hospitalisation rate down, it's equally important to invest in nurses, doctors, hospital staff and beds. After all, the NHS is already stretched this summer. The consequence will be unnecessary and preventable deaths, and staff working in difficult conditions unless the health service gets what it needs.

Public health is about all the factors that help someone live a healthy and happy life. And while strong opinions continue to be voiced on whether we can "live with Covid" or not, the fact is that almost every country on this planet is learning to manage this disease among the plethora of other problems that we face as humans. The situation is complex with no simple fix. No, we haven't solved Covid, but we are getting smarter and better at managing this disease.

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Don't be complacent, another Covid wave is coming. Here's how we can manage it | Devi Sridhar

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s we move into summer, more than two years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the words "new wave" are probably the last thing anyone wants to hear. Yet it is true that recent UK data (as well as data from Florida and other places) indicates that sublineages of the Omicron variant, BA.4 and BA.5, are kicking off a new wave of cases.

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https://www.helblinglanguages.com/int/en/the-photocopiable-resource-series

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Resource books for creative teachers

Great teachers' handbooks with lots of inspiring ideas

A series of resource books with creative activities to copy and use in class.

Aimed at teachers, teacher trainers and trainee teachers

Innovative, ready-to-use materials for learners of different ages, levels and interests

Detailed instructions outline each activity and explain how best to use the materials in class

Written by leading ELT authors

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Resource books for creative teachers Great teachers' handbooks with lots of inspiring ideas A series of resource books with creative activities to copy and use in class.

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IH  Training Day for Academic Manager and Managers

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IH  Training Day for Academic Manager and Managers

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https://twitter.com/IATEFL_LAMSIG/status/1358779240754380807

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The recordings from the recent International House Training Day for Academic Manager and Trainers are now online and available. Includes talks by @sandymillin @adhockley @Shaunwilden https://t.co/TJ2wMq4HEs

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The recordings from the recent International House Training Day for Academic Manager and Trainers are now online and available. Includes talks by @sandymillin @adhockley @Shaunwilden https://t.co/TJ2wMq4HEs

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The recordings from the recent International House Training Day for Academic Manager and Trainers are now online and available. Includes talks by @sandymillin @adhockley @Shaunwilden https://t.co/TJ2wMq4HEs
— LAMSIG (@IATEFL_LAMSIG) February 8, 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
The recordings from the recent International House Training Day for Academic Manager and Trainers are now online and available. Includes talks by @sandymillin @adhockley @Shaunwilden https://t.co/TJ2wMq4HEs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
The recordings from the recent International House Training Day for Academic Manager and Trainers are now online and available. Includes talks by @sandymillin @adhockley @Shaunwilden https://t.co/TJ2wMq4HEs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
The recordings from the recent International House Training Day for Academic Manager and Trainers are now online and available. Includes talks by @sandymillin @adhockley @Shaunwilden https://t.co/TJ2wMq4HEs

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https://teachitsimple.com/blog/nomoreapps

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What I've been reading these weeks - a paraphrase.

"Which extra online tools would you suggest in combination with Zoom for live lessons - even though I'm not sure I'm going to stick with Zoom anyway as someone said Cisco Webex or Microsoft Teams might be better and I want to try all three before making a final decision - I've tried Kahoot and Quizlet for games and quizzes, Mentimeter and Genial.ly for interactive presentations but I was also looking into Miro or Google docs as a whiteboard for collaborative tasks and Padlet for brainstorming and my colleagues suggested LiveWorksheets or Wordwall.net for interactive worksheets but I'm not sure which one is better and sorry what about Loom and FlipGrid for videos because I wanted my students to record themselves doing a presentation and [...]?"

Gasp.

You thought it was finished. But nope, breathe because it goes on like this:

"...oh and by the way, even after I've written incredibly detailed instructions with links and steps my students do not read them and start emailing me asking what to do but I've done all the job wasting my whole weekend on those tutorials and for them it was just a matter of reading so I really can't understand what's wrong with them or with their parents as they just had to... "

Let's stop here because I don't have any oxygen tanks at hand and I think you kind of got the point.

What's wrong with them? Parents and students?

Let's take a look back at what's happening. Mr Covid-19 came to Earth uninvited, disrupting our lives. As teachers, we have been forced to transition from face-to-face to online teaching in a matter of hours. In the best case scenario we know how technology works and we are willing to embrace it or our school provided us with some basic training. Worst-case scenario: we don't know a thing about technology, we can only open and save a Word doc, nobody cared about teaching us what to do and we feel lost.

So far, we've only been taking into account the teachers' perspective but guess what, parents and students' lives have been disrupted too. They, too, might not be tech-savvy. They, too, have had to transition to an online-based routine in a matter of days. They, too, feel overwhelmed and honestly, education might not feel a priority to them right now.

But we know education should always be the priority.

So, to help them and ourselves, we are overcomplicating things for everyone. Spot the problem.

Answer key: we are overcomplicating things. When really, we should try to keep them simple to ensure better teaching and ultimately, better learning.

Well, now you might say: "Ok, thanks a lot but it would be easier if someone gave us the tools and precise instructions on which platforms to use. Instead, we have to experiment to find the perfect option".

Answer: Better tools do not make better teaching. Better use of basic tools on the other hand, can really help.

I've already written a post with the basic platforms teachers should be using. They might not be perfect but they work and especially, they are basic enough for you and your students to start using them quickly and painlessly.

In this post we'll focus on synchronous learning and why you shouldnotbe using anything else besides:

1. a video conference platform - I use Zoom because I think Breakout Rooms* are essential in an EFL class;

2. Power Point as a class' digital worksheet and whiteboard where to show pictures, questions, tasks and yes, board games too ( check here for a thorough tutorial);

3. a browser, in case you want to show some internet-based material such as YouTube videos. I switched from Chrome to Brave because it automatically blocks all ads at the start of videos and on all websites, protecting your privacy, professionalism and making you save internet data.

Yes, that is three tools - or two, as I'm sure you can already use a browser if you're reading this - against the fourteen mentioned at the beginning of the post.

For students and parents, that is one tool only: a video conference platform - we covered LMSs in another article.

Today I'm going to show you how Power Point, a browser and Zoom's basic features are more than enough to have a great live lesson 99% of the times.

How can I show students a worksheet?

Answer: Have the worksheet ready on Power Point, with one task on each slide. No, you do not need to send students any Google Docs file, PDF or anything (please). Just share your screen, show them the questions and they'll be able to note down their answers in the chat box/onto their notebooks.
To learn how to create any possible worksheet type on Power Point, click here.

Yes, but STUDENTS won't have a copy of the worksheet!

Answer: You can post your Power Point presentation on the class' LMS at the end of the lesson together with homework. A good LMS platform is Edmodo.com, we'll cover it in a future post, so stay tuned.

How can I show students a specific set of questions or a language task when in Breakout Rooms*?

* Breakout Rooms is a feature in Zoom which allows you to split students into pairs or groups. However, it's not possible for you to share your screen to all rooms simultaneously and what's in the Main Session's chat box does not show in BR's chat boxes - not cool, I know...

1. Low-tech options (yay!)

students use their coursebook ('"go to page 43, task 2. Discuss in pairs") or

dictate the questions and students write them on their paper notebooks or

allow 2 minutes for students to copy all/some of the questions from your slide.

2. USE each Breakout Room's chat box.

Have your questions ready on Power Point. Copy and paste them in each Breakout Room's chat box.

As you can see from the picture below, this works for many task-types:

discussion-prompts ("Do you think that...?)

but also fill-in tasks ("When I got home it _______ (rain)".)

or even matching (e.g. "1. cat 2.fish

a.it swims b.it doesn't particularly like water").

3. time-saver: STUDENTS RIGHT-CLICK 'COPY'

If you have a large class, to save time you might want to:

paste the questions in the Main Session's chat box before opening Breakout rooms;

ask students to select the questions with their mouse and right click 'copy';

they can paste the questions in the chat box as soon as they enter their Breakout Room.

How can I show students pictures when in Breakout Rooms?

Answer. It really depends on what you're planning to do.

1. JUST don't

For most activities it might actually not be necessary for you to share anything. Students have a good memory and might remember the picture fairly well if you've showed it just before opening breakout rooms.

2. Use pictures from your coursebook

"Go to page 51, look at the pictures and answer the questions in pairs".

3. Use authentic material

"Look around you and describe a poster, painting, book cover or photo you have in your house to your partner".

4. Play memory

"You have 10 seconds to look at this picture, then I'll open Breakout Rooms and you and your partner have to write down what you remember. The group with the most detailed description wins".

5. sHARE VIA CHAT

Share a .jpeg/.png file directly from Zoom's chat box. Tip! One student per group - possibly the Tech Savvy - saves it, opens it and shares screen when in Breakout Rooms.

6. share via LMS

Use the class' LMS ( I use Edmodo) to share jpeg/.png files. This makes sense especially when you have a lot of pictures to share, as in the example below. Yes, the LMS is an extra app, but it's an app students should definitely be familiar with as it's where you regularly post assignments and important messages.

Tip! You could even ask your students to have the LMS page already open when they join the lesson.

7. Use AWWAPP

If you really ( but really, really) want to use another app (think about it twice, please) then the web-based whiteboard AwwApp might be a good solution**.

Drag and drop your pictures there, click the green Collaborate button and share the board's URL link using the chat box. Students open the link in their browser and then you can open Breakout Rooms.

**Unlike Padlet/Miro/Jamboard signing up is not required and most of AwwApp's basic features are free. It allows real-time collaboration and the whiteboard can be saved as a jpeg/pdf.

How can I show a video and make sure students can read and answer comprehension questions simultaneously?

Answer: there are three options, the first two are the best if some of your learners are using phones. Whichever option you go for, students can note down their answers onto their notebooks.

1. Power Point

Place both questions and video on a Power Point slide. To learn how to embed videos in a PPT slide, click here.

2. power point + video player

Arrange your windows so that you have the video on one side and questions on Power Point next to/below it.

3. chat box + screen share

Screen Share a video but copy and paste questions from your PPT into the chat box.
Note: avoid this option if some of your learners are using phones as they will have to constantly navigate between the chat box and Zoom's main window - not ideal.

Which digital whiteboard do you recommend? I would like to highlight text and write notes and attach pictures...

Answer. None. I'm a firm believer that you can do it all using Power Point and/or your video conference platform.

1. use Zoom's annotate feature

When sharing your screen, hover on the green ID button, click Annotate and you're ready to go. Please remember that if you stop sharing, annotations get lost (nooo). There's a Save function though, so you could click on that if you want to have a copy of your notes (phew).
Students can also annotate at the same time, great for collaborative tasks (wow).

2. use power point INK feature

Did you know that in Power point you can annotate? Click Review/Start Inking and the annotation bar will appear under Ink Tools.

This is a great option because Annotations don't get lost when you stop sharing your screen and/or change slide. It's also a good alternative if you don't use Zoom and your video conference platform doesn't have an annotate feature.

3. Use AWWAPP

Again, not my first choice but good if:

Go to AwwApp.com, click the green Collaborate button and share the board's URL link using the chat box. Students open the link in their browser

Is playing Kahoot a good way to engage learners?

Absolutely, but using Kahoot during a live online lesson assumes that:

a. Students have an extra device they can use to answer the questions; or they are able to navigate between windows, switching from Zoom to their browser in seconds; or, as explained here, they're able to resize windows on their laptops or to activate the Slide Over function from their iPad.

b. You have quite some time for instructing students on how to access the website and what to do (open the browser, go to this website, insert this code, create a name, oh-no you don't have a smartphone, then resize your windows, oh-no you have an iPad, then activate Slide Over, oh-no you have an Android tablet, then I have no clue).

c. You are willing to take the risk that at least one of your learners will have technical problems and won't be able to access the app, which leads us to point D.

d. You are willing to see those 10+ minutes of lesson going to waste for a controlled practice which should have taken less than 10 minutes anyway if done showing learners a Power Point slide.

Answer: use Kahoot if you really think it adds something valuable to your lesson. I feel I can achieve the same scope using Power Point and Zoom's chat.

By the way, you can create any game you like using Power Point, and in less than 60 seconds. Check this tutorial.

Questions we should ask ourselves before passing another file or another link to our students:

Is there a low-tech way to do this (using the coursebook and/or pen and paper and/or realia)?

Am I exploiting my learners' coursebook to its fullest before adventuring into the Internet's endless possibilities?

Isn't it just easier and quicker to do this myself using Power Point and inspiration from the coursebook?

With this new app/tool/activity/website am I adding something valuable to my lesson or am I just entertaining my students?

Can I do what this app does by creating and showing a Power Point slide?

Can I do this using the video conference platform's chat box?

Am I making the most of the time we have for the lesson? Is this app/activity worth my students' (paid) time?

Wouldn't it be better to set this as an asynchronous activity aka an independent learning task via the class' LMS? - Think about those long readings, writings, interactive games, tests ...

Today we had a look at why we should stop looking for more and more apps each day.

Through Q&As we learned that introducing a new app to your teaching should always be your plan b (even c) and never your first goal.

Through a Checklist we learned that we should all be more intentional about which (and how many) tools we decide to bring into our digital classroom.

Please note that most of the tools mentioned in this article are actually great and well-made so I know why many teachers love using them. But remember, better tools do not make better teaching. Stop feeling obliged to keep up with the latest Edtech trends. Please, please, please, prioritise high-quality activities over high-quality apps.

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Why we should stop looking for apps - Teach it simple

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What I've been reading these weeks - a paraphrase.

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Driving, sustaining and scaling up blended learning practices in higher education institutions: a proposed framework

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Driving, sustaining and scaling up blended learning practices in higher education institutions: a proposed framework

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https://innovationeducation.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42862-019-0002-0

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The process described in the above section resulted in a framework that comprises of seven strategic dimensions: (a) curriculum; (b) vision and policy alignment; (c) infrastructure, facilities, resources, hardware and support; (d) professional development; (e) learning support; (f) partnerships; and (g) research and evaluation (see Fig. 1). These strategic dimensions are believed to be important avenues for the strategic planning of HEIs for BL. Through the consideration of such strategic dimensions, there is more flexibility for HEIs to formulate their own conditions for change, therefore, maximising the learning potential of integrating BL in programmes and courses.

Proposed framework for strategic planning of HEIs for blended learning

Strategic dimension 1: curriculum

Curriculum, in a broad sense, is a systematic and intended packaging of competencies that students need to acquire through organised learning experiences (UNESCO 2016). Curriculum not only gives direction to what will be learned, but also why it is learned and how this learning is facilitated. In higher education, according to Ralph Tyler, four key questions concerning curriculum must be asked: (1) What purpose shall the curriculum serve? (2) What experiences should the institution and its faculty provide to meet these expressed purposes? (3) How might the curriculum be organised most effectively? (4) How can one best determine the outcomes of learning-the purposes and attainment of the curriculum? (Tyler 2013).

Since content knowledge is continuously evolving and new knowledge is rapidly being generated, contemporary curricula can no longer be solely reliant on the transmission of content knowledge from teaching staff to students (Jonassen 2011). Instead, curriculum orientation and design should contribute to a balance between the acquisition of relevant knowledge learners must apply in the context of their lives and the development of twenty- first century competencies (Dede 2010; Pellegrino and Hilton 2013; Trilling and Fadel 2009), their universal toolkit to process, analyse and create the knowledge and cope with the developments of the knowledge economy (Levy and Murnane 2004). The hierarchical Bloom's revised taxonomy of learning domains (Anderson et al. 2001) asserts students need to progress from lower-order receptive cognition, for example, remembering and understanding, to higher-order productive cognition, which includes applying, analysing, evaluating, and lastly, creating.

The concluding stage of formal learning is higher education, which can be regarded as the penultimate institution of a student's educational career in cultivating his/her twenty-first century toolkit (Barnett and Coate 2004). HEIs, as a result, should go beyond the traditional scope of merely delivering content knowledge through PowerPoint presentations, but instead, encouraging higher-order thinking that ultimately develops both academic knowledge and twenty-first century competencies at all three levels of programme, course and classroom. BL, as a tool for realising such outcomes, therefore, must be appropriate pedagogically and may incorporate opportunities for using online tools that scaffold students' learning, to support or to be supported by face-to-face learning.

It is necessary to rethink curriculum matters beyond what is taught, how teaching staff deliver this content, how it is learned, and when and where learning occurs, so that students are assessed in a way that places learning at the centre of educational activities. An essential component of curriculum is assessment, and education in the knowledge era places a high value on creating a system where assessment of learning, used for reporting, selection and accountability, is balanced with assessment for learning, which is mostly employed for interpreting learning processes and seeking learning improvements. Assessment signals to teaching staff and students what is important about the learning, and vice versa. The assessment tasks need to be aligned to the teaching and learning activities so that they valid and meaningful.

In such a system of interrelationships, assessment tasks should be redesigned to take up the opportunities of ICT. For example, students' learning can be supported through formative assessment, to overcome inhibiting circumstances within their learning, including rectifying misconceptions with positive and constructive feedback and providing opportunities to act upon this feedback through the learning process (Shute 2007). Formative assessment, in addition, offers valuable information such as 'feed forward', allowing teaching staff to refine their teaching as necessary (Yorke 2003). BL offers new possibilities for formative assessment, as it allows for timely and personalised responses from teaching staff and peers (Gikandi et al. 2011). For such potential to be materialised, however, teaching staff need to be experienced in a range of online technologies to keep track of student learning progress and offer formative feedback in numerous channels, for example, via e-portfolios or discussion forums in the LMS. In addition, promising BL practice requires teaching staff to identify and carry out suitable assessment approaches and strategies for both face-to-face lessons and online components of learning experiences (Laurillard 2014). Learning that focuses on students' understanding, their ability to reason and to apply knowledge, for example, should include open-ended questions as opposed to commonly used multiple-choice questions, because these exercises require more input from students.

Strategic dimension 2: vision and policy alignment

A vision is a descriptive picture of an HEI's future. Although it may not specify BL explicitly, the vision informs the formulation of policies and practices that drive and support BL. For example, the vision of an institution is to provide all students with access to high-quality teaching and learning. The institution then adopts BL to work towards the realisation of this vision. To support teaching staff to adopt BL in their courses, the institution revises its teaching workload policy to ensure that the workload for face-to-face lessons is similar to online ones, and develops a professional development policy that requires all teaching staff to engage in 50 h of professional development per academic year.

Therefore, in order for HEIs to successfully implement BL, they need a clear vision of BL environments grounded in their underlying philosophies for teaching and learning. Using educational arguments that are clearly articulated and uniformly accepted in support of BL, teaching staff will have the ability to advance the institution's vision and educational philosophy forward and, thus, offer students learning experiences that are more engaging and meaningful. In addition, to make the articulated vision implementable and sustainable, open communication with institution members is important.

Shared vision for blended learning in higher education

HEIs must construct a shared institutional vision on how it can alter ICT-supported learning environments for students to be engaged, as well as develop their twenty-first century competencies (Bates and Sangra 2011). For this to happen, HEIs could begin with envisioning the ultimate aims and outcomes they wish to achieve from institutional, teaching staff and student perspectives (Moskal et al. 2013). The main reasons HEIs adopt BL are often to refine learning outcomes, offer students greater access and flexibility, and improve cost-effectiveness (Graham 2006). However, teaching staff and institutional leaders may prioritise these objectives differently, which can result in counter-productive tension between the two entities. This necessitates the careful consideration and the redesign of learning environments and experiences supported by the determined efforts of all staff within the HEI.

Underlying rationale for teaching and learning in blended learning environments

In the present society, students are often required to have capabilities of the problem identification and the ability to enquire to find solutions (Levy and Murnane 2004). At the core of meaningful learning experiences is student enquiry, which can be fostered by two extricable linked components-reflection and discourse (Garrison 2011). Asynchronous online learning experiences provide students with opportunities to meaningfully reflect on the material they have covered. Campus-based classrooms that have large student-teacher ratios usually do not offer students a condition conducive to reflection. If learning is provided in two modes, and activities are conducted in a planned, pedagogically meaningful manner, these modes work symbiotically to increase learning potential. To put such thinking into practice, BL in higher education must first of all focus on learning, and subsequently, through technology, learning enhancement. Learning outcomes decide how ICT can be adopted to cater to student learning needs.

Reconsidering the role of blended learning in HEIs

HEIs have, since the post-war era, transformed themselves from simply preparing students for academia, that is, to develop, conserve and transmit academic knowledge, to teaching professional knowledge for employment. The information economy and knowledge society of today, however, has shown that HEIs have the responsibility and educational goal to focus on developing students' twenty-first century competencies, which are the set of crucial competencies graduates must hold so to survive and be employed in the knowledge society (Ananiadou and Claro 2009). BL has to be aligned to meet this educational goal.

Additionally, because of new possibilities that are the result of emerging technologies, HEIs and their teaching staff would require to continuously emerge new interpretations of blending and learning, including activity types and the proportion of a course delivered online (Sharpe et al. 2006). In other words, HEIs can adapt and use BL as they see fit and develop their unique approach. For example, the introduction of online virtual laboratories beyond the limits of an HEI's physical laboratory space allows new types of learning opportunities for risk-free, repeatable experimentation and simulation (Diwakar et al. 2015). The flipped teaching is another recent example of BL that reallocates the time between lectures and classroom discussion. In flipped teaching, students access lectures (often video-based) at home to prepare for face-to-face classroom discussions, which facilitate student reflection and enquiry to cultivate deeper thinking, and also support adaptive teaching in a learner-centric paradigm.

The alignment of policy and institutional structure

Policies with an appropriate organisational structure can facilitate organisational change and development (De Freitas and Oliver 2005). HEIs need to articulate their BL master plan, corresponding policies, guidelines and mechanisms aligned with the vision, to encourage their teaching staff to be actively involved in BL. For instance, since freedom and autonomy are essential in motivating teaching staff to innovate (Pink 2011), grassroots BL projects should be allowed to flourish through policies that enable, not inhibit, teaching innovations. Incentives are another important factor because they send an obvious indication to teaching staff of what the HEI appreciates. When teaching staff are aware that actively using BL contributes towards promotion and tenure, or that using BL is a fundamental part of regular staff assessment, there is a greater chance they will fully engage in BL practices. That being said, positive student evaluations also count toward career advancement among teaching staff, and some teaching staff may be reluctant to try a new modality due to an increased risk of receiving negative student evaluations. Teaching staff should, thus, be supported and rewarded for the steps in implementing BL strategies, which might differ significantly from their previous methods of practice. It is also crucial to notice that context, including student population and faculty culture, is a key factor for constructing reasonable and workable policies. It should be understood among teaching staff and institutional leaders that the impact of such policies does not always come quickly, but may be seen over a span of several years of continuous effort.

Institutional advocacy through the establishment of a new institutional structure could lead and support BL initiatives in HEIs (Porter et al. 2014). A BL Steering Committee, for example, that reports to the Provost/Vice-President (Academic or Teaching and Learning), has strategic leadership responsibility to provide oversight for BL initiatives in HEIs. A Coordinating Council, which reports to the Steering Committee, will have the responsibility to facilitate collaboration and oversee the development of shared standards that guide the work undertaken across administrative and academic units. Individual BL advocates or instructional designers may be positioned in each faculty, with the responsibility of guiding suitable BL practices that meet the disciplinary needs of an HEI. In each of these groups, members should have considerable knowledge of the challenges teaching staff face in implementing new learning strategies, as well as the challenges students may have in adopting new learning methods, and understand that meaningful progress in BL implementation will require considerable time and energy at all levels.

Strategic dimension 3: infrastructure, facilities, hardware, resources and support

Integrating BL into existing teaching and learning practices in higher education needs the establishment of an appropriate plan for technological infrastructure, architecture and ongoing operations.

Infrastructure, facilities and hardware

Although the presence of ICT per se is not the motivator for changes to take place, HEI's ICT readiness is still fundamental for the success of BL (Niemiec and Otte 2010). Establishing BL requires conscientious management of physical infrastructure and human resources, supported with adequate financial resources. HEIs should plan cautiously with vendors to ensure they fulfil sufficient capacity and reliability to meet student and teaching staff needs at all times, and should have scalability blueprints to grow the infrastructure as usage and demand increase.

The crucial components of infrastructure, facilities and hardware comprise a campus-wide wireless network, technology-rich learning commons, redesigned classrooms with dynamic layouts and digital learning device ownership schemes for teaching staff and students. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives can facilitate individualised and self-paced learning, as well as collaborative group work among students. Infrastructure and facilities require periodic updates to accommodate evolving teaching methods, and changes in the learning needs of teaching staff and students.

Teaching and learning resources

Teaching staff often individually develop their own teaching and learning resources using online tools, making them available to students. In many HEIs, it is not yet common practice for such resources to be shared among teaching staff or between courses. The resources developed are invaluable materials, additionally having the advantage of being recycled and/or improved upon. Archiving digital assets (e.g., in a repository) is essential to facilitate the sharing and managing of resources (Laurillard 2014). While many HEIs are exploring how a repository may be combined with their own institution-hosted LMSs, so that teaching staff can draw upon archives for course events, the last 3 years have also seen the system offered as a feature of cloud-based LMSs, with reusable educational content from other institutions or the public domain-this can be a strategic asset especially for smaller institutions.

One way to optimise the use of archived course materials is allowing staff in teaching groups to delegate the development of teaching materials; each teacher is responsible for creating materials for specific course topics and then distributing these materials to the group. This facilitates the sharing of resources and, in turn, supports BL within courses. Besides the in-house archived digital assets, Open Educational Resources (OERs), either in the public domain or put into circulation under an open licence, may be employed to relieve shortages of online materials available for blended courses.

Technical and service support

Technical and service support is only adequate if a team of dedicated technicians, and possibly learning technology specialists, with relevant skills and experience are on hand. As the support required usually comprises step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting, it may be necessary, therefore, that team members provide one-to-one support for individual teaching staff to demonstrate what is technologically feasible and how ICT solutions may be utilised in a BL context (Davis and Fill 2007). This can be done in various forms, including telephone support, voicemail with call-back, e-mail, instant messaging, tutorial video, FAQ document, and walk-in service.

Strategic dimension 4: professional development of teaching staff

Crucial to the successful implementation of BL practices is the role of teaching staff (Garrison and Vaughan 2008). Despite being experts in their respective fields, teaching staff may not have the necessary expertise and experience to plan for and implement BL in their courses. The initiation of BL may be a challenge to teaching staff and, as a result, they may need to review their roles in ICT-supported learning environments. Hence, HEIs should be a provider of appropriate continuing professional development (PD) on BL. One-off workshops and seminars are insufficient to adequately support teaching staff in adapting their teaching and learning methods.

PD conditions and measures

Without motivated teaching staff who are dedicated and prepared to learn and adapt their teaching style and methods, it is most likely that BL initiatives in HEIs are likely to fail. "... Teachers have to feel that there is some compelling reason for them to practice differently" (Elmore 1996, p. 24). Hence, to support PD, teaching staff need to be convinced why BL is necessary. Because teaching staff are primarily driven by what is best for students (Porter et al. 2016), it is important that they appreciate how BL can expose new opportunities to enrich their teaching and learning (Vaughan 2007). This involves emphasising the distinction between meaningfully incorporating e-learning technologies in a hybrid delivery mechanism, as compared to simply placing some course content online (Donnelly 2010).

In addition to understanding why BL is a superior educational approach, teaching staff should be equipped with the required technical skills. These may be acquired through workshops available to either all staff or customised to specific faculties/departments. Technical training must be done with caution as programmes with one-size-fits-all training methods-which assume all teaching staff have the same capacity to use technology-pose a higher risk of failure. Evaluations before the PD programme may help trainers to identify differentiated areas for improvement and provide adaptive instruction. Additionally, the subject of these workshops should be frequently reviewed and improved to suit teaching staff's diverse needs for self-development.

Despite the possible benefits of these measures, it is possible that such workshops could be concerned more with the how to issues of implementation than with developing a deep understanding of the rationale. Therefore, establishing a separate unit for driving BL at central level, for example, Centre for Teaching and Learning, would contribute to lead PD beyond technical skills training. This is because teaching staff need to develop the awareness that PD, in addition to technical competencies development, strengthen their understanding of the paradigmatic shift in the nature of teaching and learning created throughout adopting BL within HEIs. The unit should also offer pedagogical advice and support for BL design, from conception to execution and review, and grant application aid to implement new BL tools or strategies.

Encouraging peer support is a prominent measure of PD (Kwo 2001). Peer support involves a collaborative process with components of help, trust and personal relationship. It may, therefore, be more suitable in addressing teaching staff's individual needs. Teaching staff with experience of BL may model their practices to peers in the course team, department, faculty or HEI. When modelling is combined with peer coaching, it may assist in addressing the hesitation or resistance other teaching staff may have when integrating BL within their courses (Garrison and Vaughan 2008).

An environment that is nurturing and where teaching staff can self-reflect in mutually beneficial relationships can help to lessen the isolation of classroom practices. Fostering Communities of Practice (CoP) (Wenger 2000) may deepen the teaching staff members' understanding particular aspects of the BL paradigm. Group activities with staff members who share a concern and passion for BL can generate new or deeper levels of knowledge. Ultimately, the collective knowledge can be transferred into individual practices.

Reward and incentive schemes act as a necessary contributory condition for PD. Such schemes can include awarding PD grants on a competitive basis to teaching staff who show interest in implementing BL practices. Individuals or teams may propose PD activities with the aim of building communities, developing mentorships or redesigning their course(s) to fully integrate BL. Staff who participate in PD programmes from other PD agencies may be rewarded with subsidies. Teaching staff who have undertaken BL PD programmes or received PD grants and subsidies may, as a direct result, be factored into the staff appraisal system (Odden and Kelley 2002). Non-financial awards such as merits and recognition are another means by which teaching staff can be encouraged (Odden 2001); for teaching staff to be motivated to change, there must be sufficient recognition measures in place.

PD culture

The most important aspect of PD culture is the fundamental understanding that PD is a lifelong process and that teacher knowledge has to be continuously upgraded in order for keeping students engaged in learning (Darling-Hammond and Bransford 2007). Policies and strategies that are supportive and liberal could assist in developing PD culture. One example is the encouragement of sharing BL practices. As a norm, sufficient opportunities must be given for teaching staff-perhaps grouped according to their specific disciplines-to be involved in reflective conversations, constantly and regularly, to review their plan and practice together, to discuss challenging circumstances, to share new BL tools, etc. It should be noted that although ICT practices are often specific to certain disciplines, sharing innovations between disciplines can also help to promote effective BL implementation throughout the HEI. Moreover, well-connected and supportive PD culture can assist teaching staff in developing action plans that shape future practices.

Strategic dimension 5: student learning support

Although there have been claims that today's students would be classed as 'digital natives' (Prensky 2001) whose daily routines could be heavily influenced using technology, more evidences show a contrary reality; studies found that the patterns of access to and adoption of ICTs among students had shown considerable variation (Kennedy et al. 2008). That means, it has to be acknowledged that not all students possess digital devices that can be used for academic purposes. This can hamper their ability to learn in a BL environment. Thus, learning support may start with loaning laptops or tablets to students in need, to bridge this digital divide within an HEI.

Additionally, studies have reported that students often have unbalanced development for using technology to assist in learning because they more often adopt it for entertainment and communication purposes than for constructing and generating knowledge (Duncan-Howell 2012; Wang et al. 2014). To strategically use technological tools for their own learning, students need technical support and educational guidance. They also need appropriate guidance to learn independently and at their own pace, particularly within the online learning environment. One part of the solution might be to introduce BL strategies in a freshman level skills course, or possibly during the orientation period, so that students could ease into what is likely to be an unfamiliar education paradigm. A gradual introduction to BL would also help to reduce unnecessary tension between students and teaching staff. This would, in turn, encourage teaching staff to continue employing the blended approach with greater confidence, as they would be less likely to receive negative evaluations from students who feel they are being forced to change their learning style without adequate guidance or support.

To make such efforts sustainable, student support that is just-in-time and ongoing needs to be freely available in HEIs, so that students can be guided and scaffolded to learn in a BL environment. Dedicated one-stop advisory centres where students can seek assistance, advice and training can be in position at HEIs. These centres can encourage students to grow into active, independent and self-regulated learners by means of sharing sessions and one-to-one coaching with professionally qualified counsellors. It is worth noting that "one size does not fit all", is also applicable to students, whose characteristics and needs are diverse. For example, since there are gender differences in learning strategies (Blum 2005), gender considerations must be acknowledged.

HEIs should still take responsibility to assist in developing students' digital wisdom (Prensky 2011), which goes beyond functional technology skills to describe a richer set of digital behaviours, practices and identities. Such assistance could include training in isolating relevant information from swathes of data and how to ethically use information. To facilitate this, HEIs can organise tutorials on these topics, for example, through the library service.

Strategic dimension 6: partnerships

Experience has shown that facilitating change is a team effort, and no HEI is likely to have everything needed to succeed in change (Hall and Hord 2015). It is often found that HEIs can build mutually beneficial partnerships that tap into each party's expertise and experience (Shubber 2008). Two types of partnership may be built in pursuit of BL: internal and external.

Internal partnerships more often than not involve faculties collaborating with the ICT-support unit and teaching and learning support unit to assist and promote BL practices. Inter-faculty collaboration, for example, sharing resources and best practices across disciplines, should be actively encouraged. This can help to reduce duplication of resources, and further optimise investment at faculty level. The previously mentioned coordinating council could play a key role in building and sustaining such a partnership.

Additionally, globalisation enables HEIs to unite across international borders and work collaboratively to obtain collective aims with regard to sharing technology, research, values or resources in order that best practices in BL are advanced. BL innovations may be more effective when ideas are shared between and among HEIs, for example, via an inter-institutional exchange or within a consortium.

External partnerships may involve consultation and dialogue with government agencies and NGOs to formulate a scalable funding mechanism to secure the financial resources needed to provide full support for BL. HEIs can also work with private-sector companies such as Microsoft, Intel and Apple, or open-source communities such as Moodle. Such partnerships offer HEIs opportunities to explore varying education technologies, with the capability to formulate the direction of future BL practices within the institution and with industry experts. Financial and professional support can be gained from the public- and private sectors attentive to the pedagogical improvement of higher education. Conversely, these entities benefit from research conducted by partner HEIs.

Strategic dimension 7: research and evaluation

BL practices need to be directed and supported by published research and evaluation. Therefore, the need to revise and refine for quality enhancement of teaching and learning in HEIs is ongoing (Fry et al. 2009). Piloted projects should be conducted to try out possibilities and potentials before large-scale implementation is deliberated. This important stage may assist HEIs in identifying and addressing potential complications and, in addition, gauge the feedback of teaching staff members and students to a new initiative before full-scale implementation.

Research and evaluation may also involve analysis of 'big' data from learning analytics (Ferguson 2012) and visualisation to provide evidence on engagement, collaboration and outcomes. This data-informed evidence may hearten additional teaching staff in adopting BL as a feasible learning method and encourage HEI leaders to support BL practices through policy initiatives. Furthermore, it could help HEIs to streamline their BL programmes by identifying effective implementations. Some data could also prove useful from a PD standpoint, in that it would provide individual teaching staff with evidence-based suggestions for enhancing their BL methods.

To better understand promising teaching practices, so that other teaching staff exploring the use of BL in their courses are better informed, case studies (Creswell 2009) could be undertaken by research groups at the institutional level (e.g. Graham and Robison 2007; King and Arnold 2012; Motteram 2006). Through action research (Elliot 1991), teaching staff motivated in BL may document their practices and results. Similar to PD and Policy, incentive schemes that promote and reward academic activities related to BL may also be provided. This would strengthen the research-teaching nexus.

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Driving, sustaining and scaling up blended learning practices in higher education institutions: a proposed framework - Innovation and Education

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Higher education institutions (HEIs) have recognised the role of blended learning (BL) in enhancing teaching and learning quality; many of these institutions have implemented BL initiatives as part of their quality enhancement efforts. Despite these efforts, HEIs face sustainability and scalability challenges and issues.

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https://eltcampus.com/blog/lesson-planning-for-english-language-teachers/?mc_cid=ac5f7f73f6&mc_eid=0024b7d8f1

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Online English Language Teacher Training Courses

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Keys to Approaching Lesson Planning: An Introduction to Basic Lesson Design

Lesson planning is:

Reflecting on your class progress and needs

Reflecting on your teaching strengths and weaknesses

Analysing materials

Rejecting and supplementing, replacing, extending and personalising content

All this activity forms part of planning your lesson.

The things you need to think about when planning an English language lesson are:

How to create a motivation for a task:

Each task has to have a reason and your students need to know why they are doing something and feel a sense of achievement along the way. If a coursebook does not make this clear, you need to consider how you will bridge that gap. What activity or demonstration or presentation will you add to the material or how will you change it? Perhaps you will replace it entirely with something more relevant to your learners.

Explaining the objective of the tasks and the lesson itself helps students feel motivated, orientated and situated.

Timing and pace

How will you mix settlers and stirrers? Consider how you can add time for energetic activity and time for quiet reflection. This will stop the class from dragging, and help to wake people up, as well as give people time to settle and feel comfortable. Time to settle and time to think can be quiet times in a class. Don't be afraid of silence. Important thinking and comprehension are happening!

You also need to give time for production and mental time for preparing to produce language - this could mean giving time for people to write some notes to prepare to speak.

Input, examples, and multiple representations:

What different and stimulating ways can you think of to present a topic and present new language that keeps things fresh and varied? How will you mix movement, different classroom use, or interaction patterns? How will you mix different skills - reading, listening seeing, or doing?

Modeling and checking for understanding:

Giving instructions and checking understanding of new language or the instructions you've just given are key parts of your lesson plan. Showing how to do something, or going through the first part of a task together is always a good way to lead into the task. This stage needs its time and you need to include that time in your plan.

Take time to ask yourself, how will I know my students understand what to do or how to use some new language? How will I test that understanding? What questions can I ask?

From guided practice to independent practice:

Or alternatively, we call this controlled and freer practice. Normally, we work from tasks that are carefully guided and controlled with an emphasis on accurately using the target language, to tasks that are less about accurate use of the new target language and more about fluency and trying things out.

Formal assessment or informal evaluation of the objective:

Throughout the lesson, how will I assess that students are "on task", using the target language and using it the way I want them to? How will I assess that the pace of the class is right? How will I gauge that students are comfortable with the tasks, level, and pace? How will I know that my lesson objective has been met?

Understanding what you are being asked to do when planning a lesson is covered in our module Lesson Planning, which forms part of the CELTA Preparation Course Bundle. In this module we look at what you can expect in an English teacher training course like the CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL when it comes to lesson planning and design.

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Lesson Planning for English Language Teachers - Online English Language Teacher Training Courses

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What are the keys points of English lesson planning? This article is to help orientate CELTA candidates preparing for their CELTA course.

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ELTcpd is professional development podcast for English Language professionals

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ELTcpd is professional development podcast for English Language professionals

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https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ELTcpd

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Hey 👋

Thanks for visiting our page! You can now buy us a hot drink as a way of supporting the show and helping us continue creating professional development podcasts & sessions, as well as posting the best and newest ELT jobs posts.

As you know, our host puts a lot of time and effort into prepping, recording and editing behind the scenes, and a little love and appreciation will go a huge way to sustaining the show and bringing you the best in ELT discussions and professional development.

Thanks for supporting ELTcpd :-)

**If you have an idea for a show or would like to come on for a chat, send us an email: [email protected]**

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ELTcpd is professional development podcast for English Language professionals.

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Hey 👋 Thanks for visiting our page! You can now buy us a hot drink as a way of supporting the show and helping us continue creating professional development podcasts & sessions, as well as posting the best and newest ELT jobs posts.

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https://soundpracticelanguagelearning.com/celtaobservationvideos/

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Online Lesson Observations - Sound Practice Language Learning

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Normally you'd want a lesson to be complete if it were for observation. I was filling in and clarifying some language (causative: have/get someone to do something etc.) to help out a teacher who was responsible for extended controlled and freer practice.

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https://www.english-corpora.org

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http://www.sdkrashen.com/

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Literacy: Free Voluntary Reading

Literacy: Writing

Letters to the Editor

Literacy: Free Voluntary Reading

Bilingual Education

Letters to the Editor

Literacy: Phonemic Awareness and Phonics

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Literacy: Free Voluntary Reading Literacy: Writing Letters to the Editor Literacy: Free Voluntary Reading Bilingual Education Letters to the Editor Literacy: Phonemic Awareness and Phonics

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https://www.worldwildlife.org

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https://eltbuzz.com/video/?categories=beginners

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Beginner Archives - ELT Buzz Video Lessons

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All the videos fit for beginning level students.

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https://www.castledown.com/journals/jaltcall/article/?reference=378

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https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/activate-board-games#child-1494

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Activate Games for Learning American English: Board Games

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The board games are part of the Activate - Games for Learning American English collection. Each game shows the path that the players must follow and the English phrases that the players must produce orally. Each board game has a theme that requires the students to produce certain types of expressions, so they practice a variety of vocabulary, grammatical patterns, and functional meanings.

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https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/show-and-tell-a-video-column-why-do-students-disengage

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"Taylor isn't motivated." How many times have you heard that about a student? It's an explanation for lack of progress that, unfortunately, looks past what might be getting in the student's way.

"I taught it. They didn't learn it." This comment betrays an uninformed view of how learning happens. We have long known that a transmission-of-knowledge model, where students passively receive and then reproduce information, isn't how learning occurs.1

"They just don't care." This kind of reasoning reflects a lack of understanding about the importance of relevance and purpose for learning as a foundation for building from known knowledge to new knowledge.

Too often, we ascribe student barriers to learning in sweeping terms without looking closely at causes. That makes it impossible to see what we might do to make a positive impact. Better to flip the script and examine what's getting in the way of learning, realizing that there are cognitive barriers to effective teaching.

Engagement Tip

Explain the value of learning, increase students' ownership of it, and explore the habits of minds and mindsets to strengthen engagement in the classroom.

Nine Cognitive Barriers...

Drawing on extensive research on how students learn, Chew and Cerbin2 proposed a framework for understanding what might be getting in the way of being able to teach a student effectively. These barriers don't only block students; they represent roadblocks to our own effectiveness. Figure 1 shows the nine cognitive barriers to learning, as well as teaching strategies that aim to overcome them.

...And How to Surmount Them

You can increase the precision of your teaching by aligning your efforts with the barriers you perceive in students. When confronted with a student who isn't making expected progress, resist the urge to focus on outward behaviors alone. Learning struggles that manifest through similar behaviors often have far different root causes. Rather than simply attributing the behavior to disengagement, find out from the student what's getting in the way. Talk with the student about where they're having difficulty-and what's helpful for them-with questions like:

Tell me about a time when you learned something you were interested in learning. What did you do to help yourself?

What's an idea, topic, or project you're doing right now that really interests you?

When you make plans, how do you carry them out?

What do you find to be easy about school? What's more difficult for you?

What learning strategies would you recommend to a future student taking this class?

The idea is to keep the questions open-ended so the student can give you insight into how they perceive themselves as learners. In addition, the student's responses can tell you about whether any ineffective cognitive habits and dispositions are getting in the way. The insights you glean from the conversation can inform your teaching responses.

Gradual Release of Responsibility Instructional Framework

Join Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey for a Virtual Author Workshop series where they will walk you through a deep dive on their groundbreaking work. Seats are limited.

2-part series starts March 14, 2023, 6:30 PM-8:00 PM EDT

In the video accompanying this column, 4th grade teacher Sara Ortega of Chula Vista Elementary School District in California holds a follow-up conference with a student whose comments about her learning had given Sara a glimpse of her student's problematic mental mindset, a barrier that could undermine a teacher's effectiveness. The student seemed to have an externalized belief that it was solely because of the teacher that she'd improved her reading. Sara discusses this with the student to increase her sense of agency, empowering the girl to see her actions as key to reaching her goals. Making these actions explicit will help this girl continue to enact them in her future learning.

Becoming Barrier-Spotters

Let's promise ourselves to not rely on simplistic explains of complex learning barriers that students face. When confronted with outward signs of disengagement, let's dig further to find out what's getting in the way. Effective teachers are strength-spotters who notice what each child brings to the learning community. The best teachers go further to be barrier-spotters-and teach intentionally to remove barriers that can slow student learning.

Show & Tell / Tending to Students' Mindsets

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Show & Tell: A Video Column / Why Do Students Disengage?

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"Taylor isn't motivated." How many times have you heard that about a student? It's an explanation for lack of progress that, unfortunately, looks past what might be getting in the student's way. "I taught it. They didn't learn it." This comment betrays an uninformed view of how learning happens.

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SpeakPipe - receive voice messages from your audience directly on your website.

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SpeakPipe allows your customers, podcast listeners, blog readers and fans to send you voice messages (voicemail) right from a browser without any phone calls.

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https://www.webfx.com/tools/read-able/

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Now that you understand the importance of readability, we'll take a look at a checklist for improving the readability of your content.The next time you add a new page to your website, consider these tips:

Limit the length of your sentences and paragraphs

Most times, readers want to be able to easily skim over the information contained on websites and pick out the main points.

In order for them to be able to do this, you need to keep your sentences and paragraphs relatively short. For the web, optimal line length is between 50-60 characters. And you should generally limit paragraphs to around three sentences.

This will help you to hold the attention of readers and keep them engaged in your content.

Be concise

Keep your writing concise and avoid flowery language that adds unnecessary bulk to your writing.

Readers don't want to sort through a mountain of unnecessary text. Instead, they should be able to easily pick up on the main points of your writing.

By eliminating redundancy and getting right to the point, you can improve the readability of your writing.

Avoid technical language

Unless you're writing to a niche group, avoid using jargon in your content.

This can confuse writers, and they will likely navigate away from your website and search for information that is easier to understand.

Though you want to position yourself as a leader in your field, you don't need to use fancy terminology. In fact, people will respect you more if you present information in a way that is easy for them to digest and understand.

Use lists

Bulleted lists are a great way to present information in a way that is easy to understand. They also make the information stand out on a page and help readers grasp what you're trying to convey. Lists can help people stay focused on your writing by highlighting important information in a way that is easy for them to comprehend.

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WebFX Readability Test Tool tests your work and gives a score using standard readability indicators like Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease, SMOG Index, and more.

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https://inspirassion.com/en/

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https://www.thesaurus.com

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https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1606180.rss

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https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Fi6aRB6aWkbZoC3V2KmIMGELH6XhdVbo?usp=sharing

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https://www.e-lang.co.uk/mackichan/call/🤬/type.html

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Exploring mono milti lingual practices on celta course

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https://www.edugo.ai/webinars?ref=linkedin&fbclid=IwAR07d-sphDPYXk189UuEC8Rd0x3JC-unnD_njXk4dgLZT_bD-RncIrQxMhA

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https://oupeltglobalblog.com/2021/03/15/learning-english-vocabulary-2/?dm_i=1MVU,7BZF7,9ZVW61,TR0NI,1

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https://www.barefootteflteacher.com/blog/using-supplementary-materials-effectively

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https://www.sensationsenglishwebinars.co.uk

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TeachersToolkit Using films to teach English