Let's give teachers a hand
Marie-Therese Swabey Let’s give a big hand to teachers for their flexibility and resourcefulness! What a year it’s been and haven’t teachers been fantastic?! All over the world teachers turned on a sixpence and moved their classes online, many with little or no training for online teaching. It’s been a steep learning curve for us all and we’ve learnt a lot about technology and about teaching online. In this workshop, we’ll start with a review of some interesting technology teachers can use online to support learning and prepare learners for exams. For example, using the features of different platforms, such as Zoom and Teams, and using digital tools, such as Padlet and Write and Improve, to help learners with listening, speaking and writing tests or using Quizlet for reading, vocabulary and grammar work. Then we’ll talk about next steps and ways to move forward now that we know that online learning is here to stay. There will be a challenge for language testers attending the workshop to think about and discuss ways that they can look after teachers who prepare students to take their exams. We’ll focus on things teachers say they are concerned about when preparing learners for exams in online lessons. For example, accessing materials and resources to prepare learners for tests; planning different types of lessons for different tests; keeping online learners motivated; dealing with connection issues; setting tests; trying to replicate exam conditions for learners who are at home; managing practice tests’ marking and grading learners’ work and assessing learners. We’ll share ideas, experiences and possible solutions to teachers’ problems so that they are better able to support learners to be successful in their exams. Marie Therese Swabey has been involved in English language teaching for more than 30 years as a teacher and a teacher trainer. She is a Joint Chief Assessor for Cambridge CELTA courses providing support to new and existing centres. She is Chief Moderator for CELT-S/CELT-P courses and an item writer for the Cambridge Assessment English TKT and OET exams. She has written materials for teachers and teacher trainers for Cambridge Assessment English and Cambridge University Press, including the Cambridge University Press Grammar for Teachers online course and the Cambridge Assessment English Language for Teaching and CELT-S/CELT-P courses. More recently she has been involved in the development of Cambridge Assessment English online courses for teachers on Future Learn including: Exploring the World of English Language Teaching, Teaching English Online, and the Cambridge English Train the Trainer course. She has been the Lead Educator on a number of these courses working with teachers and teacher trainers from around the world.
Marie-Therese Swabey Let’s give a big hand to teachers for their flexibility and resourcefulness! What a year it’s been and haven’t teachers been fantastic?! All over the world teachers turned on a sixpence and moved their classes online, many with little or no training for online teaching. It’s been a steep learning curve for us all and we’ve learnt a lot about technology and about teaching online. In this workshop, we’ll start with a review of some interesting technology teachers can use online to support learning and prepare learners for exams. For example, using the features of different platforms, such as Zoom and Teams, and using digital tools, such as Padlet and Write and Improve, to help learners with listening, speaking and writing tests or using Quizlet for reading, vocabulary and grammar work. Then we’ll talk about next steps and ways to move forward now that we know that online learning is here to stay. There will be a challenge for language testers attending the workshop to think about and discuss ways that they can look after teachers who prepare students to take their exams. We’ll focus on things teachers say they are concerned about when preparing learners for exams in online lessons. For example, accessing materials and resources to prepare learners for tests; planning different types of lessons for different tests; keeping online learners motivated; dealing with connection issues; setting tests; trying to replicate exam conditions for learners who are at home; managing practice tests’ marking and grading learners’ work and assessing learners. We’ll share ideas, experiences and possible solutions to teachers’ problems so that they are better able to support learners to be successful in their exams. Marie Therese Swabey has been involved in English language teaching for more than 30 years as a teacher and a teacher trainer. She is a Joint Chief Assessor for Cambridge CELTA courses providing support to new and existing centres. She is Chief Moderator for CELT-S/CELT-P courses and an item writer for the Cambridge Assessment English TKT and OET exams. She has written materials for teachers and teacher trainers for Cambridge Assessment English and Cambridge University Press, including the Cambridge University Press Grammar for Teachers online course and the Cambridge Assessment English Language for Teaching and CELT-S/CELT-P courses. More recently she has been involved in the development of Cambridge Assessment English online courses for teachers on Future Learn including: Exploring the World of English Language Teaching, Teaching English Online, and the Cambridge English Train the Trainer course. She has been the Lead Educator on a number of these courses working with teachers and teacher trainers from around the world.