Developing online teaching skills
Many language teachers want to use up-to-date online technology in their teaching, because they recognize the many benefits of using online tools for their students, including enabling students to become autonomous learners, work collaboratively, reflect on their learning and enjoy learning. This ties in with the research which shows that using online technologies can help teachers foster interaction and collaboration. Moreover, it is also in line with a number of policy documents, which single out digital competences and communication in the mother tongue and foreign languages as key competences for every citizen of the knowledge society (The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, 2006), and stress the need of teachers’ use of online technologies (Lisbon strategy). In a survey conducted among teachers (members of ECML countries), teachers identified the need to receive both face-to-face and online hands-on training in using online tools, which would combine technical aspects as well as pedagogical considerations on how to implement the tool within the classroom.
Objective
The aim of this initiative is to offer training on the use of one or several of the following tools in a variety of different language teaching settings: wikis, forums, blogs, surveys, audio-conferencing, Audacity®, podcasting, YouTube, quizzes, the Moodle platform. The settings can vary from classroom teaching to distance learning, blended tuition and online courses.
The workshops will focus on two aspects: using the tool in teaching and cascading training to other interested teachers and trainers. In effect, the participants will become experts in pedagogic implementation of ICT tools able to provide training to other teachers and trainers in the member state country, both face-to-face and on-line using the DOTS Moodle platform (http://moodle.dots.ecml.at ).
A project on this theme is also featured here.
Target groups
• secondary school and tertiary teachers;
• teacher trainers;
• part-time language teachers;
• language mediators.
Envisaged result and impact of the ECML training and consultancy
The immediate result/benefit will be that the participating education professionals become aware of the pedagogical and technological issues involved in using the particular tool(s) in language teaching, and are able to set up a learning activity involving the use of the tool(s) which fits with their teaching context.
Participants, supported through the community of practice (http://moodle.dots.ecml.at/), will be able to cascade their knowledge to their colleagues both online (using the translation of the training activities) and face-to-face.
LEADING TO: Enhanced efficient use of modern technologies in language education in the member states (upper secondary and tertiary).
Team
Mateusz-Milan Stanojević (coordinator), University of Zagreb, Croatia;
Ursula Stickler, The Open University, United Kingdom;
Martina Emke, b.i.b International College, Germany;
Regine Hampel, The Open University, United Kingdom;
Pauline Ernest, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain;
Joseph Hopkins, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain;
Aline Germain-Rutherford, Middlebury College, USA