Fwd: Massive Online Course for English Language Educators
Mohamed Rinos
From: AmCenter, SL <Amcen...@state.gov>
Date: Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 1:24 PM
Subject: Massive Online Course for English Language Educators
To:
Hello ELT Colleagues,
Hurry, Deadline to register is April 7th.
U.S. Department of State to Offer Massive Online Course for English Language Educators
The U.S. Department of State announces the launch of Shaping the Way We Teach English, a massive open online course (MOOC) for English as foreign language (EFL) educators. The ten-week university-level course was developed by the University of Oregon and is currently available on the Coursera platform. By strengthening the quality of English teaching around the world, the Department hopes to open economic opportunities in science, business, technology, and higher education for more of our international partners and offer skills for a better future.
If you haven’t heard of a MOOC before, click here to learn more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/campus-overload/post/what-in-the-world-is-a-mooc/2012/09/24/50751600-0662-11e2-858a-5311df86ab04_blog.html
Designed both for professionals already working in the area of EFL and for those pursuing the field as a career, the MOOC aims to assist EFL educators worldwide in updating and augmenting their teaching methods. When educators employ the teaching methods and technologies learned throughout the course, they improve leaning outcomes for their students and build leadership among their peers.
The Shaping the Way We Teach English MOOC is being offered globally and free of charge. The course is divided into two five-week sessions, with the first scheduled to begin on April 7, 2014. The second five-week session will start on May 12, 2014. Participants are required to be computer literate and able to follow lectures and reading in English without support. The multimedia-rich learning environment of the course gives EFL educators the chance to join others from around the world in a unique learning experience. Those who complete the course will gain expertise in choosing appropriate materials, creating lesson plans, and better evaluating EFL practices.
Select U.S. embassies and consulates will also host facilitated discussions for EFL teachers taking the course as part of the State Department’s “MOOC Camp” initiative. These workshops and discussions will give course participants the chance to collaborate, clarify issues raised in the lectures, and get answers to questions. Facilitators of these MOOC Camp sessions may also conduct supplemental activities related to the current week’s topic.
Course Outline and Enrollment Links
Part 1: The Landscape of English Language Teaching https://www.coursera.org/course/shaping1landscape
Start date April 7th – sign up now!
Week 1: Authentic materials to enhance student motivation
Week 2: Pair and group work for collaborative learning
Week 3: Critical and creative thinking to drive learning
Week 4: Learner feedback and assessment to evaluate student progress
Week 5: Language in context and using content to structure language learning
Part 2: Paths to Success in English Language Teaching https://www.coursera.org/course/shaping2paths
Start date May 12th
Week 1: Integrating skills and using tasks to motivate learners
Week 2: Alternative assessment to demonstrate language ability
Week 3: Incorporating individual learning differences in instruction
Week 4: Effective classroom management
Week 5: Reflective teaching
We encourage you to organize groups of teachers to complete the MOOC in a facilitated environment, if you would like more information please contact us.
BSc (Hons) in Eng, AMIESL
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