PROFESSIONAL DEVOPMENT EXPERIENCE
&
USEFUL WEBSITES
The goals:
- To find an introductory course on CALL.
- To find viable options for professional development.
The data collection methods:
- Internet search.
- E-mailing
- Telephone
Outcome:
- Information about a program that is offered by Middle East Technical University.
Future action:
- Application to the program after receiving the graduate degree.
DISTANCE LEARNING AND TEACHER EDUCATION
The focus of this paper is on distance teacher education via electronic media. The points I would like to touch on are:
· A brief introduction on use of technology in education
· A sample on-line teacher training course in Turkey.
· The advantages and disadvantages of e-education as related to teacher development.
Computers and the Internet are used in every field of education. Teachers need to be aware of this fact. Probably the best way of getting to know more about technology and long distance education is to be a part of it, and teacher education offers a good range of possibilities for experienced and inexperienced teachers, for teachers who have used this technology before and for those who haven’t.
Online courses
Online courses now exist, and have started to be favored by some universities all around the world. In these courses, computer-mediated communication (CMC), both synchronic and asynchronic is used to deliver the course content. Distance education is considered to be state-of-the-art courses run by the more avant-garde universities.
A sample from Turkey:
Middle East Technical University offers a course on e-learning leading to a certificate.
The program lasts 6 months and the course period is divided into two terms. Classes are held on line via asynchronic communication. But the first class in each term is held face to face.
Course goal: to enable participants to use information technologies in education.
Application requirement:
candidates must :
Be working in an educational institute or in human resources departments
Be a final year university student or a university graduate
Be computer literate.( not advanced: word processor, internet, browsing)
Course content:
First term:
1-Developing e-learning techniques:
Introduction to web technologies and techniques for e-learning design
2-Learning and basics of teaching
Basic learning approaches (behaviorist, cognitive)
Adult learning
Multiple intelligence theory
Computer assisted learning
3-E-learning course design.
Principles and techniques for designing e-learning activities.
Teaching strategies suitable for e-learning environment
Designing and developing tools and procedures for e-learning
Second term:
1- Developing advanced e-learning techniques.
Technologies needed for e-learning design.
Web technologies
New standards in e-learning all over the world.
2- E-learning project management.
Strategies for founding and running an e-learning system.
Process of preparing and delivering e-learning.
Legal procedures related to e-learning and publication rights.
3- E-learning management and evaluation. This course consists of following subjects:
Communication in e-learning environment
Student behavior management
Types of assessment in e-learning
Evaluation of student and course success.
Program fee: 3.000,000,000TL. (in 2005)
How to apply:
You can apply on-line at http://eders.ii.metu.edu.tr/kayit.htm
Contact information:
Ebru Madanoğlu
Tel: (0312) 426 85 00
Fax: (0312) 427 20 07
Fax: (0312) 427 20 07
Ziya Karakaya ( one of the instructers)
e-mail: info@arc-int.com.tr
E-Mail: ziya@atilim.edu.tr Tel: +90 312 5868345 Fax: +90 312 5868091 Office: H-12 Web Page: http://ceng.atilim.edu.tr/ziya
ADVANTAGES OF LONG DISTANCE TEACHER EDUCATION
Long distance teacher education offers several advantages. Participants can work at their own pace and time. This is invaluable for teachers who have other commitments such as a family, a job or several jobs. It also provides individualized learning and can thus be very learner-centered. The wide range of materials available through multimedia promotes various learning styles. Finally, it can be considered inexpensive as you do not worry about travelling and accommodation costs.
DISADVANTAGES OF LONG DISTANCE TEACHER EDUCATION
Probably the most obvious disadvantage is the feeling of isolation and hence demotivation students may feel after some time. Some people are not used to individualized learning and some teachers might find it hard to keep up with the assignments when tutors and classmates are far away. Many people feel that socializing is an integral part of the learning process and that exchanging e-mail messages or even chat rooms or virtual conferencing does not make up for it.
An obvious drawback is the fact that a certain degree of computer literacy and experience with the use of a keyboard is expected and probably necessary.
CONCLUSION:
Despite technological advances, the human being remains largely unchanged and is likely to remain so. However, language teachers ought to be as up-to-date as possible when it comes to the use of multimedia and the Internet. Probably the best way of doing this is by getting involved in some sort of distance learning environment so that teachers gain an insider’s perspective. This should result in more research carried out so that some sort of methodological and pedagogical view will make the new media more useful and beneficial for learners.
WEBSITE SEARCH
Using websites for accessing information is a popular way. I have some favorite websites that I visit when I need information on ELT. Here is a list of web pages I find very useful.
http://www.tesol.net/neteach.html at this website you can subscribe to Neteach list server. NETEACH-L is a list for international teachers of English as a second or foreign language to discuss Internet-assisted teaching & learning. At last count, the list had over 400 members. This is an excellent place to share ideas. The teachers in the list are willing to tell where you can find particular information on the Internet. Besides that, web page has 494 links to resources in 56 categories.
Websites for articles:
http://iteslj.org/ The Internet TESL Journal. One of the most useful sites for teachers that we have come across. Includes teaching techniques, lesson plans and articles.
http://www.hltmag.co.uk Humanizing Language Teaching. Another very good site for teachers with articles covering a large range of areas of interest for language teachers.
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/ A teacher community site from the British Council: ideas, tips and lesson plans.
http://developingteachers.com Tips and articles for teachers.
Professional associations
www.britishcouncil.org the United Kingdom's international organization for educational and cultural relations.
www.tesol.org Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. is the International education association.
www.iatefl.org/newhome.asp The International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language.
October 12, 2005
Methodology
No comments:
Post a Comment