IATEFL Conference 2016 - Day 3

 Friday 15 April

Creating an online teacher training course
by

Deirdre Cijffers (Cambridge University Press)

The talk that Deirdre gave explores the challenges facing teachers who are beginning to deliver blended learning courses using Cambridge University Press publications. She shared findings from research conducted with teachers doing a Cambridge online training course at the start of their semester to see how effective this kind of training can be and to establish criteria for creating practical teacher-participant centred training.

She explains that online teacher training should cover the following categories like challenge, context, response, approach, results, data and feedback. The challenges for teachers are various like - functionality, methodology, self-perception, integrating technology without losing focus on effective teaching and putting the puzzle pieces together in a way that makes sense for them and their students.

Also regarding the approach to the teacher, there are two main questions to be concerned
1. What is the experience of the teacher who is using the digital materials?
2. Assumptions:

• Teachers are intelligent
• Teachers are busy

An inductive story means that the sample teacher is a person like you who is put in a situation with a challenge and has to give a certain feedback on the Cambridge LMS. The data obtained show that 77% improved test scores and 83% improved 'can do' response.

My impression from this talk is that Deirdre is the extraordinary professional ELT trainer who is yet to be heard of in the ELT world 

IATEFL Conference 2016 - Day 2

Thursday 14 April

ELTJ Signature Event

This house believes that teacher training is a waste of time

Many people assume that a training course is an important - even essential - preparation for professional English language teaching. But does training really help....or is it just a waste of time and money? Should we call a halt to teacher training? 

The two speakers with the opposed views were 

the fabulous Peter Grundy and the pretty shy Penny Ur

Chair: Graham Hall

 

I really enjoyed the debate, listening to the two extraordinary and outstanding teachers giving their opposed arguments to the ever lasting question is the teacher training a waste of time or not

Penny Ur is one of my favourite persons from the ELT world and 

Peter Grundy with his way of presenting the ideas and his special laugh, from this point on is 

the number one in my ELT world

IATEFL Conference 2016 - Day 1

Wednesday 13 April

Jim Scrivener

The naive teacher walks into a classroom

"I have a suspicion that much guidance for teachers tends to obscure more than it illuminates. I  will suggest that training could be improved by initially only exploring some very simple, basic ideas. For example, in a listening lesson, get them to listen as much as possible. Help them (push them) towards understanding more." 

 In his wonderful talk Jim explains that being a teacher comes from the heart not from the insitutional titles and asks the teachers to think for themselves -

 Are you a complicator or a simplifier?

 

 

  A wonderful teacher in his wonderful speech explains that being a great teacher and still remain naive in the hearth and eager to learn and help others is not something beyond us but within us

https://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2016/interview/interview-jim-scrivener