To –ing or not to –ing……that is today’s question!

One of my students asked me last month why we use the –ing form for blogging, networking, computing…..Good question! My answer? Because technology is constantly changing and plus usually these actions are constant, happen often, plus they are amusing but can be annoying – so we use the present continuous form….

On Wednesday 18 January, #ELTchatters wished each other a Happy New Year and got their teeth into a very stimulating chat. As language teachers, do we find these social networking platforms and services amusing or annoying???

Our students are already using a wide-range of social network sites and teachers are beginning to familiarize themselves with such sites, to keep up with technology but more importantly, to discuss and exchange ideas and develop as teachers. We read and write blogs, visit forums, develop Nings and Wikis, all of which are constantly changing and being updated. The #ELTchat itself is proof of this….it’s fast, furious, fun and educational! We have joined ther World of Technology, for good or for bad? By the way, did you know that if Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest country in the world???!!!

So in the ELT world, here are the main themes from the discussion.

Advantages:

• There will be more pro chatters tonight as most members are keen SN users.
• #ELTCHAT is one of the major advantages of SNs for teachers.
• SNs have radically changed teachers’ lives. We will never feel alone again.
• Facebook has become a professionally developing site rather than just a social network.
• SN has revolutionized the way we think and opened wider perspectives.
• SNs are global and 24/7.
• SNs should be harnessed by 21 century teachers with enthusiasm.
• Use Facebook for personal contacts and Google+ for PD.
• SNs are an extension of staffroom chats with links, banter and discussions. ‘Virtual staffroom”.
• #ELTchat is great as it is an ‘outer of class collaboration’ discussion, as few teachers in the workplace know how to collaborate.
• SNs create friends which lead to face to face meetings.
• Share worksheets/mind maps for students, time-saving.
• Twitter tags can inform parents’ of students’ progress.
• Non-native teachers are also exposed to real language in the modern world.
• SNs, like Twitter and #ELTchat are energizing! Plus, through #ElTchat, you find more people to follow! So, start following!!!

Disadvantages:

• All SNs are time-consuming.
• Some teachers find SNs too daunting to tackle.
• SNs can become addictive. They can take over your life, leaving little time for family and friends. Knowing when to stop is crucial – try to switch off!
• Replication of themes from one SN to another is annoying.
• Students become obsessed in finding their teachers on FB and intrude in teachers’private lives.
• Privacy issues with FB AND Twitter – do not accept people you don’t know or protected accounts on Twitter.
• Tweetdeck often has technical problems.

Mentioned sites, platforms and services worth checking out:

• http://www.edmod Secure Social Networking for Teachers
• http://moodle.org/Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is a Free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites
• http://www.blackboard.com/  Blackboard helps clients enrich all aspects of the education experience by engaging and assessing learners, making their daily lives more convenient and …
• http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/ is a free online collaborative education platform that allows students and teachers to transcend the boundaries of their physical classroom to engage in an online collaborative learning environment.
• http://bloggerindraft.blogspot.com/2011/08/introducing-google-scribe-in-blogger.html-an aid to write your blog!
• http://aplanet-project.org/ Autonomous Personal Learning Networks For Teachers
• http://www.scoop.it/t/interactive-teaching-and-learningExploration of engaging learning spaces and technologies that support them.
• http://www.evernote.com/ Remember everything!
• http://www.diigo.com/ To collect, highlight and remember those bookmarks!

The chat went on to discuss the issue of coping with lack of time and organizing information and links shared. This lead to a variety of suggestions for bookmarking and who prefers Twitter, FB, Google+. Everyone had their own opinion! A blog challenge was proposed:

@esolcourses: Best method for organizing #ELTchat bookmarks! Choose one and demo!

As ever, there were some great links shared:

• http://t.cohttp://evasimkesyan.edublogs.org/2012/01/18/evo-digitalstorytelling4kids-and-the-tool-of-the-week//JBbayIuc
• http://learningfundamentals.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Focus.jpg  How to focus in times of distraction. Excellent mind map presentation!
• http://cybraryman.com/facebook.html

All you need to know about SN s and your students.

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8142721/Social-networking-teachers-blame-Facebook-and-Twitter-for-pupils-poor-grades.html
• http://educationland.wordpress.com/my-worksheets/http://educationland.wordpress.com/worksheets/http:/www.facebook.com/pages/Education-Land/221436857914023http:/t.co/gzX8zGIR   Share worksheet and ideas!

That’s the summary folks! I would like to add that I didn’t mention specific names on the summary as so many people commented on this chat, so there is  something from everyone!! Thanks for another energy-boosting, informative chat!

Happy Social Networking!!!

Sharon Noseley has been teaching English to all ages and levels for the past 15 years in Greece and the UK. She currently works in a school in a village close to Athens and starts her day with a Pre –junior class and ends the day with Business English – such is the variety of life! She believes no matter what the age or level – motivation and dedication to the teaching profession are essential ingredients to language acquisition.

Sharon has attended the Cambridge DELTA course at  CELT Athens and has completed her Module 2 assessment. She has taught multi-cultural classes, on a voluntary basis, at CELT Athens and teaches Academic English at the DMU in Leicester, UK in the summer.

She tries to keep up with technology and appreciates the support of her PLN through #ELTchat and on-line seminars and once she has finished with her DELTA Modules 1 & 3 work, would love to start a blog to help new teachers to get involved with Social Networking in order to develop and feel supported by someone who understands and can support them.

She is @shaznosel on Twitter

Sharon Nosely- Kallandzhs on Facebook

These are the first fifteen minutes or so of a 60 minute lesson observed by our CELTA trainees early on during their course and aims to demonstrate a very important and basic set of teaching skills.

E.g.

• Eliciting
• Drilling
• Distributing talk
• Using a variety of teaching aids
• Getting the students active and engaged

…. and much more

I hope you have enjoyed watching this great teacher.

Marisa Constantinides

This post may upset you but it is based on fact, not fiction. It first appeared in a local ELT publication and it is based on the evidence of a *notesbook and the learner’s testimony about the methods this teacher used to get him through to the First Certificate. Three failed attempts later, this teacher decided her schedule (at about 30 Euros per hour) was too full to keep teaching this hopeless case and so he fell into the clutches of one of our Diploma trainees who was sure to undo all the good work done up to that point.

The material included IS NOT a fabrication. Neither is the teacher mentioned in the article which follows a creature of a fertile imagination. She is very real and, indeed, has a name, but, for obvious reasons, her identity cannot be disclosed. Italics indicate text written in her own hand and an asterisk (*) any errors in the original.

Some useful pointers gleaned from the Grammar section of her student’s “notes book”

Grammar Teaching

If + present  =  futureRepetition is clearly the mother of learning . So, in order to learn those unruly conditionals, her student was asked to copy the  “formula” for  each type of conditional ten times, like this

How could a student fail to learn them?

The passive voice, on the other hand, a well- known headache for teachers and learners alike, is ideally dealt with through illustrative example and, of course contrast or transformations exercises (sic) with the active voice.  Here are a couple of examples for you to treasure and copy:

Present continuous

Indeed, what a useful phrase to have up your sleeve when , in answer to the question:

Admittedly, this might prove a somewhat  difficult answer to deliver with your mouth full, but not impossible if you are well versed in the passive voice.

At the same time you manage to indicate that you don’t have a clue as to what has happened to the rest of the sweets and who they are being eaten by…

The newly-formed future continuous of the passive voice follows on:

Future continuous

Similarly, instead of accusing someone in the active voice: “You will be stealing a house”  (indicating, too, the regularity of such an occurrence), you can let them know  in no uncertain terms that you well aware of how they will be spending their time , as they have done this often enough in the past! Other houses must have been removed from their foundations and taken to other places and you, in interests of thematic fronting – or is it end-weighting? – would much rather express this interesting comment using the new passive future continuous.

Quite clearly, those of you who have read the famous Dell Hymes article (1976), which defines communicative competence, will find yourselves completely out of your depth here. According to D.Hymes (opus cited), communication entails silly details such as:

“Whether and to what degree something is:

1.       formally possible

2.       feasible in virtue of the means of implementation available

3.       appropriate in relation to a context in which it is used and evaluated

4.       in fact done,  actually performed and what this doing entails”

Vocabulary Teaching                                         

This  is, needless to say, taught in the most effective way known to teacher, i.e. through extensive vocabulary lists prepared in the teacher’s own hand( lest the student make some awful mistake) with useful notes and explications.

e.g.

Composition Writing:   A Unique System

With hands shaking with envy, I type these lines about the definitive “Plan-Link” system of preparing students for the composition paper of the FCE exam. The advice is simple yet effective and we have copied this “recipe for success” from the cover page of the  composition section as it was written by the teacher herself – for the benefit of this hopeless student:

  Plan-Link outline written by the Teacher  (click to enlarge)

A marked composition following the suggested outline

Feedback  &  Written work

The role of feedback and correction is crucial to the system. Indeed , mere  underlining, or using error correction codes,  such as most of you are sure to do is not sufficient.

The teacher must suggest, add and improve, thus enriching the student’s repertoire with a rich sampling of natural, accurate and authentic language.

Here is a sampling of additions and  “improvements”  to student plans & “incomplete ” paragraphs in the student’s compositions:

  What follows is the method ‘in action’ …

A composition  based on the Plan-Link outline above with comments and mark. I hope you can read  the scanned original.

          
Corrected homework

As some of you may have run out of ideas about what composition topics to assign to your students in preparation for these examinations, here is an anthology given by The Private Teacher to be used in the famous Plan-Link way. Inside information suggests that she has a direct “Plan-Link” line to UCLES, whom (as she lets her students know), she regularly advises and helps with ideas for the examinations. This must be so. If you are short of ideas for compositions yourself, here are a few written out for her private student:

You may have already noted the high emphasis placed on the “discuss about it” (sic) type of composition; indeed, it seems to fall in so neatly with the plan-link outline, that we are not surprised to see its frequency.

Already we have had numerous requests to invite our private teacher to run guest speaker workshops on the famous “Plan-Link” system.   Unfortunately her schedule is so fully booked with “privates” at a minimal charge of what by now would be app. 30 euros per hour, that not only is she unable to comply, but she has had to turn students down (!), including the 24 year old student. This hopelessly lazy individual was abandoned, after failing for the third time, and he has now fallen into the hands of one of our past RSA Diploma trainees who will surely undo all the good work done so far…

You don’t believe me!                                   

Yes, you think I have made it all up!

Sadly, I haven’t. The evidence does not lie and, believe me, it was sometimes hard to decide what to pick and what to leave out!

This article has been obviously written tongue-in-cheek, though it may sometimes read a lot more sharper…

A lot of shoddy private tuition is going on all around us and the ‘client’ is totally unprotected! Most of the teachers I  know do some hours of private tuition, mainly because their hourly pay is not enough to live on.

Some charge reasonable rates, some charge the earth. How many, however, can and do deliver the goods? How many prepare their lessons properly? The usual comment I hear is that private lessons do not need preparation (!!!)

And since the ‘client’ does not have any way of checking either the teacher’s linguistic knowledge/performance, or their technical know-how (methodology), a lot of teachers are paid a lot of money for services of very dubious quality.

By the way, if you have hated this article, sorry, but I have not been able to apply the “Plan-Link” outline, so I shall attempt now to include something  to show for it in the last few lines.

It is now time for  “A look into the future” and the best possible ‘look’  I could think of is the following composition topic gleaned from this teacher’s collection:

“Give some suggestions in order to improve the teaching in your country”( sic)

Is it possible that we might be having the same thoughts?  I leave it with you to think about what the future may hold for FCE candidates if they get this kind of instruction.

Some extremely serious issues arise out of this. How can the ‘client’ learner, whether adult or the parent of a younger learner, be protected against such appalling teaching? And the question of appalling teaching is not at least supported by a good knowledge of the language! It’s exacerbated by an equally appalling knowledge and ability to use the teacher’s subject matter, the English language!

Many parents commit their children into the hands of the ‘young lady/man next door’ to or private tutoring in English, for convenience’s sake, ‘S/He’s cheap’, ‘It costs me more to cart my child back and forth to the language centre’, and so on and so forth. In the long run, with many unqualified and irresponsible teachers abroad, this can prove to be a most expensive option…

I really don’t know what else to say.   Am I being too harsh?

A teacher should know about their subject 

What do you think?  Do you believe that a sound knowledge of pedagogy forgives poor knowledge and linguistic proficiency?

I would really like to know what you think because it is a question which comes up a lot and worries  me very very often in my line of work.

Reference  

Hymes, D., 1976, On Communicative Competence, in Pride, J., Sociolinguistics, Penguin Education

About the Author

Marisa Constantinides is a teacher, teacher trainer and author; she is the Director of CELT Athens, a Teacher Development Centre offering courses  from Introductory to post-graduate  Cambridge RSA Diplomas in TEFL. Marisa has worked with teachers in the private and state sector for many years and is an RSA Diploma holder (DTEFLA) herself; she also holds an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Reading.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

By Alexandra Koukoumialou (@AlexandraKouk) and Dina Dobrou (@DinaDobrou)

#ELTchatters gathered on 9th November to discuss wikis.

As usual a wealth of ideas and links were shared. But let’s just start by defining what a wiki is:

A wiki ( /ˈwɪki/) is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked webpages via a webbrowser. (Adapted from wikipedia)

For the more visual reader, a video by Commoncraft showing an example of what a wiki is and can do:

Wikis or  other collaborative software? What is available?

In our attempt to define wikis, questions were raised and suggestions were put forward about other Web2.0 tools that can be used for online collaboration. Let’s see which ones were introduced:

• @dreadnought001: which online tools do people use for wikis? I like wallwisher wikispaces linoit
• @dalecoulter: Hope I’m not veering off in another direction, but, Wiki or moodle?
• @bethcagnol: Would Edmodo qualify as a Wiki subgroup? My students have been contributing which is why I ask.
• @Marisa_C: There are many different types of wikis,  but pbworks and wikispaces are the most popular
• @DinaDobrou: I’ve only used PBworks but wikispaces looks more fun, at least for YLs. Reminds me of Glogster a bit.
• @dreadnought001: Maybe I’m stretching def. of wiki. Use wallwisher 4 Ss to summarise learning, b’storm round topic.
• @sandymillin: If you’ve ever used wikipedia, you’ve used a wiki. You can allow students to edit/add pages too.
• @dreadnought001: generally found wikis to be more successful than blogs or social media in class. Something very solid and concrete about them!
• @Marisa_C: I am still looking for the ideal wiki tho which has an inbuilt Discussion Forum – wikispaces is better  here but 1 on every page?

Who uses Wikis with whom

So, what type of class should we use wikis with? The consensus was “all and any”, really: YLs, adults, exam prep, immigrants / workers, online / blended.

While discussing the whys and how-tos, four categories emerged of who uses wikis and with whom, briefly mentioned hereunder.

Here are some of the points mentioned:

Teachers for students

@cerirhiannon: setting one up at the moment to support an exam prep class – going to use it to record info, tips, strategies, model answers by Ss

Students for students

@vale360: wikis are very versatile, great for project work, allowing learners to grow virtual space organically without linear rigidity

Teachers for other teachers

@Marisa_C: I think teachers in a school should create materials sharing wikis – I do this with my co-tutors for CELTA and DELTA

Teacher trainers for trainee teachers

@Marisa_C: I use it with celta and it’s good cos they’ re also learning a bit about edtech – can use with own ss later

Why/how do teachers use them?

We then went into the nitty gritty of wikis, that is, how to use them and why. It was agreed that wikis provide learners with lots of opportunities to practise reading and writing but also to collaborate and become more independent. They also serve as a great place to store material accessible even after a course is over.

• @dalecoulter: I wanted to use a wiki-style project to give my learners a space to practise writing, get quick feedback, reduce paper
• @SueAnnan: I use a wiki so that my students can choose which homework they want to work on – learner autonomy-ish.
• @jemjemgardner: I tried to use it to increase communication for exam classes/busy sts.
• @dreadnought001: Use wikis to summarise learning, brainstorm topic, list of rules
• @cerirhiannon: Gonna set it up myself first, inputting student texts from class and then coax the students to contribute -carrot/stick fashion
• @jobethsteel: I use wikis to give homework, share vokis, choose readers, update a list of smartphone apps and websites, comment on the CB, etc
• @SueAnnan: Yes. I have a selection of materials 2 access. I give them their own page too & the wiki informs me when they use it
• @naomishema: So far I use the wiki as a class site. Free and very simple and clear.
• @esra_simsek_: I used it to motivate ss. a platform that they can see their presentation records and photos, having the chance to comment on them
• @naomishema: I teach different levels, easier to adapt the same thing for different levels & all kids at least watch same video
• @DinaDobrou: And we’ll also have a place to store good material for future classes.
• @shaznosel: for me, a wiki would give me experiences/opportunities not available in the classroom..more autonomous/motivating
• @ljp2010: The idea of sts presenting a portfolio of work at the end of a course seems far superior to jumping exam hoops.

What content can Wikis have?

In other words, what kind of material could be uploaded that could prove useful to students? Learner autonomy came top of the list with ideas ranging from creating students own individual pages, to encouraging peer correction.

• @ljp2010: a good place for peer correction of written texts?  Sts put homework on wiki for all to see, not just the teacher
• @SueAnnan: video clips to comment on. Reading comprehensions. Podcasts as catalyst for own writing…
• @Marisa_C: Games pages are usually popular – put all your language games in there
• @Marisa_C: If Ss have their own page they could make their own Portfolios for end of term assessment
• @AlexandraKouk: also, Ss usually love it when they have their own personal page
• @Marisa_C: In the absence of an IWB – take photos of board after brainstorming & Ss put up in wiki – or TP feedback
• @Marisa_C: Can also include a tutorials section on how to use wiki – screencasts or you tube video tutorials if available
• @Marisa_C: I recently made a wiki for our free classes and gave them pages for extra work – so my squares include vocab, pron, listening etc
• @Marisa_C: One thing I tend to include on trainee wikis is sample assignments – does anyone do this with English students?
• @Marisa_C: Wikis are also great to embed screencasts of feedback on homework

How do you organise wikis?

Of course, we didn’t fail to mention how to organise all this fantastic content so as to make it easy for users to browse the wiki and take full advantage of its features.

• @AlexandraKouk: contents section (clearly labelled) & then SS individual pages
• @DinaDobrou: What if we create wikis “per level” instead of “per class”?
• @DinaDobrou: Maybe some of the content could be optional under “Autonomous Learning” and some under “Assignments”?
• @naomishema: instead of wikis by level U can have different colored activites on  same page. I have 4 different levels for a video on 1 page
• @Marisa_C: You can organise your materials by week by topic by level – whichever way is most convenient
• @SueAnnan: re levels- I colour code everything. I colour the sections on the front page so they can find the correct level easily

How do you get Students to jump in?

A wiki would not be considered collaborative without learner participation. At this point many of us felt that since it requires students to spend time outside class it would cause students to avoid anything related to homework – unless, perhaps, they had a say in the choice of content / type of self access work. Lack of tech training was also mentioned to be more of a hindrance than a help.  At the same time, we felt that if left to the learner’s own discretion, a wiki would soon become idle, so it should very much be considered part of the curriculum. Of course, all initial concerns were followed by great ideas to tackle any issues encountered.

Concerns voiced

• @jemjemgardner: I started with them once and then stopped due to lack of interest from sts.
• @esolcourses: I think whatever platform you use (blogs, wikis, wallwisher) it can be a challenge to get sts to participate
• @vbenevolofranca: Used wikispaces with teachers as part online course-difficult for them as well.
• @sandymillin: but if even if it’s not optional, how do you MAKE students participate?
• @cioccas: Working with new arrival migrants & refugees in a part-time class – not everyone has tech and/or time
• @shaznosel: On creating screencasts > not everyone realises there is a screen cast so they don’t bother trying … that’s the problem

Solutions proposed

• @kalinagoenglish: I think “the problem with getting people to be active” is the problem, the desire must come from their understanding of purpose
• @Marisa_C: So Wiki word intergated into the curriculum and not optional
• @shaznosel: yes ..easy to understand and so you are motivated to use it
• @AlexandraKouk: easier to introduce wiki work into an online / blended learning situ than on a purely f2f class? → @cerirhiannon: can help extend f2f beyond the classroom
• @Marisa_C: One very nice way of helping students with wikis is to create some short screencasts to help them find their way
• @Shaunwilden: … people have to chose what works best for them and their sts

What makes a good wiki?

There was a general consensus that it should be easy for students to access, well-organised, nice to look at with lots of colour and it should definitely include games.

Here are some specific points mentioned:

• @naomishema not too cluttered
• @shaunwilden … good navigation (and) …  ease of use: set up for easy access and editing
• @dalecoulter  not overwhelming in terms of content: easy to understand
• @kalinagoenglish efficient (easy to access, navigate & use); effective (reaches the learning goal) + rich content
• @Marisa_C the ideal wiki should have an inbuilt Discussion Forum on every page
• @shaznosel It would offer experiences or opportunities not available in the classroom..more autonomous/motivating
• @ljp2010 … like the idea of letting sts choose the content = motivation

Several pros and cons of using  wikis emerged throughout this quite enthusiastic discussion. This is an attempt to summarise all this input, using the participants own words where possible:

Pros

• foster autonomy in learners
• collect all your materials in one place
• facilitate asynchronous collaboration, especially collaborative writing
• easy to customise: per level, class or student even
• wikis great for project work
• can also be used among Ts in the same school or not,  as a resource / collaboration platform
• encourages peer teaching / learning
• @shaznosel sharing is what learning is all about, so great for ss to be able to do this.
• @SueAnnan As new students join the class, the others show them how to use the wiki
• motivating if set up for easy access / use: Ss can show off their work
• @esra_simsek_see their presentation records and photos, having the chance to comment on them
• @AlexandraKouk u can also let the more tech-minded Ss “decorate” their page as they like
• private, safe environment: encourages sharing
• @esra_simsek_
• s desire to share without feeling critisized
• saves tons of paper
• less work for T once set up
• @DinaDobrou It can cut dwn on the teacher workload (if properly organised)
• ideal for portfolio assessment work
• storage space for materials to be used again
• store good material for future classes.@DinaDobrou
• Ss can have access to it as readers after the course
• @SueAnnan When they leave they become readers instead: they can continue to develop from the new students’ input too
• free of cost
• @Marisa_C most wikis u could have on a free plan too so no cost to employer

Cons

• Learning tech or learning English?
• @kalinagoenglish the question is “is the amount of work (typing, embedding, cr8ng pages) learning tech or learning English?
• Tech involved – ss need to be trained
• @ljp2010I imagine you all train ur sts to use them in class, not just assume they’re young & know how to use them.
• @cerirhiannon training imp w any S
• @kalinagoenglish not convinced (obviously 4 need for students to learn this “tech-skill” over Eng reckon easier = GoogleDocs & blogs
• @Marisa_COne very nice way of helping students with wikis is to create some short screencasts to help them find their way; can also include a tutorials section on how to use wiki – screencasts or you tube video tutorials if availlable
• @Alexandrakouk but they have to be on the front page in huge red letters
• @shaznosel
• or Ss will miss them
• @dreadnought001 my students aren’t very techy but they find wikis easier to manage than blogs, google docs, VLEs I find. Not much training needed.
• too much work for T to set up
• @kalinagoenglish  Not sure that amount of work req’d 4 creating a “good” wiki is really worth it/ that there is enough of a learning experience

Finally, here’s a collection of useful links suggested by participants:

@jobethsteel Watch russell stannard’s vid on how to use wikishttp://t.co/7hySt6cR

@Marisa_C If you want a mega wikis compare tool, please go tohttp://t.co/LVHO2D20 Allows you to choose features and end up with wiki u want

@DinaDobrouA cool business english wiki I used for inspiration!http://t.co/TYOndDc6 @DinaDobrouThis is @ShellTerrell & @ozge’s wiki.http://t.co/GMuFU8VN

@dreadnought001 eg of wiki page from my class (only screenshot cos site private) abt Mike Leigh this one used Google siteshttp://t.co/FjjsLGNF 

Happy Wiki-ing!!!  

Alexandra Koukoumialou & Dina Dobrou

Alexandra Koukoumialou has been a teacher of young learners and adults for more than 15 years. She obtained her Cambridge Diploma for Overseas Teachers in 1993 and ran her own private language school for 10 years. She now teaches general andBusiness English and Modern Greek courses at CELT Athens and, as her blog post suggests, occasional CLIL courses!  Alexandra also recently completed her Avalon Certification Course for Teaching Languages in Second Life. Alexandra is also one of the online tutors supporting our Distance Diploma in Translation Courses from and into Greek. Alexandra blogs on Teaching and Learning Languages

She is @AlexandraKouk on Twitter

Dina Dobrou

Dina Dobrou

Dina Dobrou has been a teacher of English for 15 years and also works as a free lance translator. She has the Chartered Institute of Linguists Diploma in Translation and is a Member of the CIoL.  Dina is very keen on her Professional Development and recently obtained her  CELTA Certificate at CELT Athens. She is keen on learning about new technologies and on pursuing a career in TEFL with a particular interest in teaching adults,  exam preparation classes as well as business English and multilingual classes. She has a new blog onair.edublogs.org 

On Twitter – she is @DinaDobrou

I talk to them on Twitter and Facebook every day. We hold organised discussions on Twitter every Wednesday.

But meeting with them in person is a different kind of contact and going to a Conference has this extra value added to it. Making contact on a personal level, forming personal relatioships and networking with teachers from places as far and wide as Brazil, Italy, France, China, Japan, South Africa, the UK & US and so many more, is a fantastic experience!

How many conferences have you atttended in the last couple of years?

I know it’s expensive and sometimes difficult to find free days to attend, but if you can attend at least one conference every year, you will come back inspired and more motivated to continue with the hard task of teaching.

TESOL France

I attended this Conference only a week ago and my head is still buzzing with new ideas and new inspiration. I am also ver happy to have reconnected with many great teachers and to have met some who I only new from our online communications.

I don't know who took this photo of this great PLN but I just love it!

Here are some blog posts inspired by presentations at this recent conference.

The next set of posts has been written by Vicky Loras, a Greek Canadian teacher who lives in Switzerland- have you ever written a blog post after a conference? How do you consolidate and reflect on what you have seen in sessions and presentations?

• TESOL France 30th Colloquium – Day One (#TESOLFr) 
• TESOL France 30th Colloquium – Day Two (#TESOLFr) 
• TESOL France 30th Colloquium – Day Three (#TESOLFr)

Connect with us! 

We are here and willing to share!

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Another great snapshot of my PLN at IATEFL Harrogate - from left, Esra Girkin, Amanda Wilson, Shelly Terrell, me, Petra Pointner, Ozge Karaoglu Ergen , Vicky Saumel - Turkey, UK, US, Greece, Germany, Turkey, Argentina.

Are you thinking of improving your Language Teaching Operation, introducing an innovation or simply, looking for ways to run your school more efficiently? 

 Cambridge has just announced the inclusion of this new specialism for the Cambridge DELTA Module 3 Assignment.

As many of our candidates are Directors of Studies – some even running their own Foreign Language Centre – this specialsim seems ideal as a Module 3 Project to complete the Cambridge DELTA Diploma work, or as a stand alone programme for ELT professionals interested in doing some failry focused research within their own language centre which will help them develop as ELT Managers.

SUPPORT & DIRECT INSTRUCTION FOR THIS PROGRAMME WILL BE BY DISTANCE VIA MOODLE & VIRTUAL CLASSROOM, SO YOU CAN FOLLOW THIS COURSE WHEREVER YOU MAY BE. 

From the Cambridge ESOL Handbook 

Module Three (ELTM) is an alternative to the standard Module Three within the Delta course.

It specifically aims to develop candidates’ knowledge of, and competence in:

• a chosen ELT management specialism

• methods of situation analysis

• design of change proposals

• implementation of change proposals

To achieve these aims, candidates need to:

• research a chosen ELT Management specialism

• understand and use appropriate methods of situation analysis for the chosen specialism in

a specified language teaching operation (LTO)

• design a change proposal to overcome issues identified in the analysis

• design an implementation plan for their change proposal

• synthesise all their learning into a project which can be coherently presented to a third party.

The full syllabus can be downloaded at http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/teaching-awards/delta-modular.html

Module Three (ELTM) is assessed via an extended written assignment.

Candidates must select one of the following specialisms:

• academic management

• human resource management (HRM)

• customer service

• marketing

Candidates who select to do ELTM as their specialism for the Delta Module Three need to have access to a language teaching operation (LTO) e.g. a language school or institution. They also need to consider how they will have access

to the data/information they will need in order to proceed with their proposal. For instance, if they are dealing with ‘Customer Service Management’, they will probably need to have access to customer feedback data, material which may be regarded as commercially sensitive. Candidates may wish to anonymise the name of the selected language teaching operation in order to preserve confidentiality.

Important Announcement

This project will be supported by an ELT Management Specialist, Mr. Andy Hockley, who will be collaborating with CELT Athens in order to support CELT Cambridge DELTA Candidates who wish to take up this specialism, or simply, ELT managers who want to refine their ELT management skills by taking up a  project in which they will be using their own institution for their research and project report.

ABOUT ANDY HOCKLEY 

Andy Hockley is a consultant and trainer with considerable experience of implementing, managing, and consulting on large and small-scale educational projects in a number of different contexts, especially in the area of language teaching.

He has lived and worked (as teacher, trainer, and manager) in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and North America. He has a Master’s degree in International and Intercultural Management as well as extensive experience of language teaching and training language teachers. His particular interest is in the management of language schools and in the management of educational projects.

Andy Hockly is  co-author of “From Teacher to Manager: Managing a Language Teaching Organization” (CUP, 2008) and author of “Educational Management” (Polirom, Romania 2007). He regularly makes presentations and runs workshops at international teacher conferences.

He is currently based in Romania, and among other things, is a trainer on Cambridge ESOL’s International Diploma in Language Teaching Management (a blended learning course for managers which he was instrumental in developing). Andy speaks Spanish, and has a working knowledge of Portuguese, French, and Hungarian.

His Blog “From Teacher to Manager” can be seen here: http://adhockley.wordpress.com/

Dear PLN,

Join our Ning either as a Mentor or a Piloting Teacher       http://aplanet-project.org/

Many of you are aware that since earlier this year,  I have been involved in an EU funded project – aPLaNet - whose aim is to help Foreign Language Teachers develop and maintain their own PLN in an autonomous way. Creating one’s PLN takes time, effort and commitment,  and those of you reading these lines have over and over again proved to me that you have  spent time and energy to build a PLN which, at least as far as I am concerned, has enhanced my training and my teaching.

PLN’s would not be worth their name if they were not also committed to sharing.

Please complete the survey I have embedded below in order to help us help teachers who are still not engaged in social networking for their professional development. Our aim is to identify suitable networks, teacher communities within these networks, and individual teachers who have the will and eagerness to share what they know to enable teachers who are currently not connected, create their own PLN  and keep up with their Professional Development autonomously, passionately and, in the end, benefit their foreign language learners

We would be indebted to you if you spread the word and brought this survey to the notice of your colleagues who have not yet created their own PLN on Facebook, Twitter or Nings as, the aim of this project is to help, mentor and guide them in their first hesitant steps which I am sure you have all experienced.

And do join our Ning either as a Mentor or a Piloting Teacher!

I chose the image of the glue, because Social Networking is what keeps us all connected with each other!

http://aplanet-project.org/

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