Distance learning and professional development

Outline of the session

• How has the way we learn changed?

• Distance learning – an overview

• Technology in distance learning

• Professional development through distance learning

Learning - What has changed?

• Pen and paper

• Book

• Blackboard • Library • Playground,

staffroom

• Computer

• PDF, internet

• IWB

• Internet

• Online activities• Online chat

Distance Learning• Is it really that new?• Is there no contact with the teacher?• And will I never see my fellow students?• Advantages?

– Flexibility– No commuting– Choice of schools and courses– Lower cost

• Disadvantages?

Use of technology

Synchronous

• Telephone

• Webinars

• Web conferences

• Videoconferences

• Internet radio

• Online chats

Asynchronous

• Email

• CD

• DVD

• Forums

• eBooks

• Recorded video

What subjects can you study and at what level?

• Huge range of subjects

• Undergraduate

• Postgraduate

• Professional development

Professional development

• What is professional development?

• Characteristics of professional development

• Changes that professional development brings

• Further study

ELT Advantage

Online professional development for English Language Teachers

http://elt.heinle.com/eltadvantage

• Courses approved by TESOL

• Learn from experts in the field

• 19 different areas of study

ELT Advantage• Assessing Language Ability in Young Learners• Content-based Instruction for Language

Learners• An Introduction to Teaching English to Young

learners• Teaching Vocabulary• Teaching Lexically• Making the most of Learner Dictionaries • Teaching EFL/ESL Reading

Pursuing Professional Development

• What is professional development?

• Why it is important for teachers?

• Practical advice

• How to incorporate into daily life

What is Professional Development?

Training or Development

• Training vs Development– Training: ‘the acquisition of a particular set of

skills to complete a specific task’ Curtis, Andy

– Development, in contrast, does not have fixed and pre-determined start and end points

– Product vs Process

Teacher Development

‘Teacher development’ is a term used in the literature to describe a process of continual intellectual, experimental, and attitudinal growth of teachers

Dale Lange, 1990

‘…continued growth both before and throughout a career

"the intent here is to suggest that teachers continue to evolve in the use, adaptation, and application of their art and craft"

Dale Lange, 1990

1. Growth: intellectual, experimental, attitudinal

2. Time periods: Before, during, and after (continuous)

3. Activity Types: Use, adaptation, and application

Teaching: Art or Craft?

More on professional development…

• Continuous process– A beginning but no end– Constant and lifelong

• Growth – the body metaphor– Intellect = head – conscious, deliberate thoughts– Experience = hand – accumulated wisdom based on

3 sets of learning: learning from mistakes, from our successes, from each other

– Attitude = heart – values, beliefs, behaviours

Characteristics of Professional Development

• Awareness

• Stepping back to get a better view

• Decision making

• Choice making

• Responsiveness

• Flexibility

• Change-oriented

Areas of Change Understanding Of our actions and motives and the actions and

motives of others

Understanding Of our actions and motives and the actions and motives of others

Beliefs About language, teaching and learning

Perceptions Of the purpose and reasons for our thoughts and actions

Attitude In terms of how open we are to different ways of being and seeing

Awareness Of the opportunities and the constraints within us and around us

Why is Professional Development Important

Why is professional development important?

• Acquisition of new knowledge and updating current knowledge

• New ways of teaching and learning• New technology • Classroom-based problem-solving

Avoiding ‘routinization’ through variety and creativity• Changes in the context and setting• Promotion and income• Empowerment • Burnout prevention• Networking

What next?

Questions?

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http://elt.heinle.com/eltadvantage

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