Options for Online Teacher Training

Leslie Grant and Yvonne Bogard University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

College of Educationhttp://www.uccs.edu/coe

Colorado TESOLOctober, 2008

Overview of PresentationDiscuss and show examples of three main types of considerations when developing online teacher training courses

Course content: How do we make use of technology to enhance course material?Interaction among class: How do we promote interaction in an online class?Making use of technology in course: How do we incorporate what technology has to offer in a meaningful way?

Consideration 1:Bringing Technology into

Course Content

Lectures using PowerPoints/Voice

Lectures/Modules using VideoSample of interview

Sample of teaching

Assignments with links

Sample Lecture using PowerPoint/Voice

Research Questions and Hypothesis Lecture

Using Camtasia for lecture capture and Flash Player to view the file within this PowerPoint presentation.

Free downloads:

Camtasia Studio by Tech Smith – trial/purchase $299 http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?CMP=KgoogleCStmhome&gclid=CLGP9Mbju5YCFQykagodmGArLg

Adobe Flash Player http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash

Sample Lecture using Video:Interview

Sample Lecture using Video:Interview

Interviewing video clip

Sample Lecture using Video:Teaching

Sample Lecture using Video:Teaching

Needs, Instruction, and Evaluation video

(from CURR 5703 Assessment online course)

Sample Assignment with LinkCURR 5713—Language and Linguistics

Field Work Assignment #3: Focus on Dialects 

For this assignment, you’ll work at a computer. Go to http://accent.gmu.edu/. Select Browse. Select English (of course, if you want to play around with other languages, feel free. But for our assignment, you will report on two dialects of English). For starters, listen to these three examples: English 6 (Brooklyn), English 125 (Queensland, Australia), and English 253 (Dublin, Ireland).

Sample Assignment with Link

Consideration 2:Promoting Interaction

DiscussionInitiated by Instructor

Initiated by Students

Rubric

Assignment InteractionPeer reviewed lessons

Sample Discussion Initiated by Instructor

Adapting the content Choose one of the examples for Integrated Units on pages 303-306 and explain how the lesson was adapted for age and proficiency. Would you do anything different if you adapted the lesson for your learners based on age or proficiency? Have you adapted lessons specific to your learners age and proficiency? If yes, please give a brief example.

Sample Discussion Initiated by Students (in Teams)

Background:

Text: Crawford, J. (2004). Educating English learners: Language diversity in the classroom. (5th ed.). L.A., CA: Bilingual Educational Services.

Topic for week: Historical perspectives on language teaching, in particular, bilingual language instruction

Team PostingJack to all:

Interesting reading... I really never knew that there was so much history about bilingual education. I, too, had heard the myth about German almost being the official language here in the States. I didn’t realize that there was really so much discussion in Congress and parents about the want for bilingual ed. Never had I known that there was actually debate over bilingual education and that many people and places were calling for it. This is never mentioned in discussions about ELLs, ESL, or bilingual education…

Team Posting - continuedSo many relations I made to current ideas but still so

different. As I am still digesting it right now, I am sure that it will run through my head often in the days to come. Still as interesting at this is as history, it still has a significance in the politics and practices today... My question is:Do you think that if this sort of “bilingual education and diverse culture of language-history” was brought out into the public eye more often and more frequently that it could have an impact on how ELL politics and policies develop?

Team Response 1

Marcy’s response to Jack:

I hadn't thought of that before, but I think any time we can explain the "why" behind a policy then it (the policy) is more embraceable. I know for myself I'll retain more (actually listen more actively) if I know what the point behind the teaching or training. I, too, learned more about the language history of our country than I'd heard before and I think this information would have an impact on the politics and policies for ELLs.

Team Response 2

Becky’s response to Jack

Yes, I do think the public would respond to it. At least it would make the debate seem more historical, and less like a newfangled idea for bilingual teachers to keep their jobs, as has been portrayed in politics. I think those supporting bilingual education need to step up to the plate with their great arguments, not only this historical one. This book shows they did not respond adequately to their opponents, and the public did not hear the whole story.

Summary of Team’s Discussion

Jack's response to all:

I agree that many times the perspective is just teachers trying to keep their jobs and that the hoops we jump through to give our diverse students what they deserve is more or less teachers just complaining. It seems that this country’s history is still in the making and has not yet been decided on these issues. If we agree that it should be brought out into the public eye more often, than whose responsibility is it to make sure this happens, if anyone’s? I would like to read more about this ‘history’, so I could speak more of it in my own conversations about language learning in our country. I wish more politicians and legislators had to read it too.

Consideration 3:Moving from Course to Technology

Using Wikis - www.wetpaint.com

Using Blogs - www.blogger.com

Using Webquests - www.zunal.com/

Taking a Virtual Fieldtrip

Wikis

Using Wikis for Peer Reviews

Blogs

Using Blogs for Discussions

Webquests

Create a WebQuest to supplement to your Lesson Plan

You will create your own WebQuest with a complete lesson sure to dazzle your potential employers.  

A student’s work, with permission: http://zunal.com/webquest.php?user=14916

My example for my students:

http://zunal.com/webquest.php?user=12424

Virtual Fieldtrips

Louvre Museum Virtual Tour -http://musee.louvre.fr/visite-louvre/index.html?defaultView=entresol.s489.p01&lang=ENG

Tramline (you can also create your own tours- http://www.field-guides.com/trips.htm

Human Anatomy Online - http://www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html

TESOL Members - http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/trc/trc_submission_detail_new.asp?id=793

Ending

Course Home - Rubric-Weekly Discussions

Weekly Discussions (Asynchronous Threaded Discussions) - Your instructor will post a topic each week that may pose a question or statement and ask for your thoughts and opinions. You will need to post your initial response by Thursday each week and respond to at least 2 colleagues' postings by the end of each week (Sunday by midnight). I will participate as well by reading all responses and responding to some. I recommend that you label your responses in such a way that it is easy to see to whom you are responding. For example: Leslie’s Response to Yvonne’s Question.

Quality/Depth and appropriateness of response(s) to prompt …10

Thoughtful responses to at least 2 colleagues' postings…………6

Timeliness of responses …………………………………………4

Total points possible 20

Next

Examples of Responses

1. Example of a well thought out/developed response:

“I believe that in order to know what to take from the different theories you need to first take a step back and evaluate what your beliefs are as a teacher. Then you need see what parts of what theories fit into your beliefs. Once that has been done I believe it is important to just start trying different things. One part of a theory may work with one child but not with another. I believe it is important to remember that just because one idea does not work with one child does not mean it will not work with another child two years down the road. It is also important to keep in mind that sometimes as a teacher it will take more than one try in order to put a theory into practice in a way that works for your classroom. It is important to keep an open mind, to try new things, and sometimes to go back and try old practices.” Used with permission from Shelley Carpinello, 09/14/05

2. Example of an unacceptable response.

What do you think? Looks good. I agree.

Back to presentation

Thanks! Please fill out evals provided.

Our contact info:

Leslie Grant: LGrant@uccs.edu

Yvonne Bogard: YBogard@uccs.edu