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Project News
TESL Basics for Language Volunteers (TBLV) Showcased in the Pathways to Prosperity's Promising Practices
Language volunteers are often called upon to assist instructors in ESL/FSL classes to help newcomers learn and improve their English or French speaking skills. TBLV is a seven-week online training course designed to give these volunteers the tools and training they need to teach English to newcomers effectively. L’AFIB is the French version of TBLV, which prepares French-speaking volunteers to teach French to newcomers. The program meets several outcomes across multiple parties: Language volunteers who take the course gain a better understanding of teaching English or French as a second language. In turn, newcomer clients receive better support and make faster progress in learning the intended language. Instructors who use language volunteers in their LINC/CLIC classrooms save time and can better meet learners’ needs. Finally, program managers experience less turnover in volunteers because the volunteers who have undergone the training are more motivated to continue their work.
https://youtu.be/7zpGdj5VIyM?si=haoK3wf6OUnjqmzY (Video)
https://tinyurl.com/8xfu5ekw (PDF)
New Avenue Learning Leadership Course Begins on May 10, 2025
The Avenue Leadership Training for Managers & Lead Teachers has been refreshed and remodeled into two structured courses, each spanning 8 weekly units. Designed to help participants build skills as lead teachers or managers, the program facilitates peer-to-peer learning within a community of LINC, CLIC, or Ontario ALT educators. Through videos, readings, audio podcasts, and discussion forums, participants will explore key topics such as the Avenue Standards for Technology-enhanced Language Learning (TELL), Universal Design for Learning, and the SAMR model. The course also emphasizes innovation and leadership principles, guiding educators in developing a strategic plan to enhance learning technology adoption and improve teaching and learning practices. Those who complete all units will earn an Avenue Learning Leadership Certificate, further solidifying their role as educational technology leaders.
https://avenue.ca/new-avenue-learning-leadership-course-begins-may-10-2025
Avenue Webinars
Upcoming:
Delivering engaging synchronous sessions in Avenue
Thursday, April 17, 2025 4PM ET
Marijke Geurts and Dori Tarjan, project mentors and developers, will demonstrate tips and ideas for planning and creating engaging videoconferencing sessions in Avenue. They will present best practices for structuring lessons, using breakout rooms, whiteboards, shared notes and the chat features of BBB. Join us to learn practical strategies to enhance engagement, increase learner participation and tackle common challenges.
Register at this link: https://forms.gle/XNxv7hNyaPWBdiCVA
Teaching speaking skills online using Avenue resources
Thursday, April 24, 2025 4PM ET
Margaret Stasiak, Avenue e-content developer, will provide ideas, strategies and sample activities that can help learners develop accuracy and fluency in speaking. The focus of the webinar is on teaching in virtual classrooms, Stage 1 learners. This webinar is part of a series focused on better practices in teaching with Avenue.
Register at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdx8vE6P_hCLoMOgGVprZmfdhvlbI_rWjaceqvYJudEr0yQfw/viewform?usp=dialog
Recent Avenue Webinar recording:
Creating a course template using Avenue's tools and resources (March 27, 2025)
In this webinar, Margaret Stasiak demonstrated Avenue's templates available in CourseBuilder (in the course request form) and discussed how an organizational template could be built by modifying the CourseBuilder options and customizing tools and content. She also highlighted the benefits of having a standardized template for all courses delivered by a service provider. This webinar targeted program administrators/managers, but instructors were also welcome to attend.
https://youtu.be/1FJqHIjph1s?si=-SMW8ru5lkqCa5WC
Avenue Instructor Better Practices Video Series - Episode 3
Introducing Avenue to low CLB level learners
In this video, you will learn about some practical strategies for using Avenue content in classes at low CLB levels, ranging from ESL Literacy and CLB 1 to CLB 3. This video is part of a series of videos on better practices in teaching with Avenue by Margaret Stasiak.
https://youtu.be/oCjaVAZAxw0
Partner News
New eUnits from NLOC
The National LINC Online Curriculum Project is thrilled to share that almost all CLB 3, 4 and 5 eLearning units are now available on Avenue’s course builder! There are 50 available right now, with an additional 20+ eUnits becoming available shortly. Simply log in with your credentials to the Avenue LMS, using the navigation bar on the left of the Classroom page to access the course builder. Preview any of the NLOC eLearning units, and request them to you course(s). You’ll receive access shortly after.
All eLearning units are accessible, CLB-aligned and PBLA compatible, covering digital literacy and critical skills. Each can be used as self-directed (asynchronous), blended, or in-person (synchronous).
All eLearning unit titles can be previewed here. Those titles that are not yet live will be available in a few days.
Don’t forget to start by watching the Overview Video for the NLOC Courseware, made especially for instructors! You can also request this on the course builder. Lastly, an Orientation to the NLOC Courseware for Learners can also be requested to dive in with your learners. Happy teaching!
News
Vietnam aims to make English a second language for all students by 2035
The Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training held a workshop on March 5 to collect feedback on the draft national scheme designed to gradually introduce English as a second language in schools nationwide.
https://vietnamnet.vn/en/vietnam-aims-to-make-english-a-second-language-for-all-students-by-2035-2377943.html
English declared national language, professors raise doubts
The Crimson White reports on the recent declaration of English as the national language by President Donald Trump. It raises some professors concerns regarding this decision. They argue that such a move may marginalize non-English speakers and overlook the United States' rich linguistic diversity. They emphasize the importance of embracing multiple languages to foster inclusivity and better prepare students for a globalized world. The article also highlights the ongoing debate about language policies and their broader social implications.
https://thecrimsonwhite.com/119978/news/english-declared-national-language-professors-raise-doubts/
10 things AI still struggles with in education–and beyond
With GenAI's potential to revolutionize education it faces significant challenges that should prevent full integration into educational milieus. Biases in GenAI algorithms, ensuring equitable access to GenAI tools, safeguarding data privacy and maintaining human oversight in educational settings are current challenges. The author feels that overcoming these obstacles is crucial for AI to effectively enhance learning experiences and outcomes.
https://www.eschoolnews.com/digital-learning/2025/03/06/ai-struggles-education-beyond/
Blogs
Meaningful Professional Development on AI
The article explores how the SAMR framework can guide educators in integrating AI into their teaching practices, emphasizing that AI should enhance rather than replace human expertise. The author outlines a four-part professional development approach: establishing an AI professional learning community (PLC), facilitating PD sessions, highlighting teacher leaders, and maintaining digital communication through a newsletter. By encouraging experimentation and ethical considerations, this approach supports teachers in responsibly adopting AI while fostering student engagement and AI literacy.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/professional-learning-ai-teachers
What a 30-Day Break From AI Taught Me About My Teaching
James Bedford felt that using AI had become second nature with his teaching. He went cold turkey with his use of AI for a month to give him an opportunity to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. Read on to learn what he learned.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/downsides-using-ai-monthlong-break
12 Tips for Classroom Observations in the Digital Age
In this post "12 Tips for Classroom Observations in the Digital Age," Sarah Hodge offers guidance for conducting effective virtual classroom observations. This includes trips for set up, the observation aspect to focus on and feedback.
https://www.tesol.org/blog/posts/12-tips-for-classroom-observations-in-the-digital-age
Professional Development
New in the Annotated Bibliography:
Exploring attitudes to generative AI in education for English as an additional language (EAL) adult learners
Exploring attitudes to generative AI in education for English as an additional language (EAL) adult learners. This Australian study reports on findings after surveying instructors, leaders and learners in learning programs for adult English as an Additional Language learners around their perceptions of Generative artificial intelligence in these four categories: familiarity with, ease of use, usefulness, attitudes towards using it in school, work and life.
https://tinyurl.com/2f2pty5h
e-Resource Corner
The ALT Text: Accessible Learning with Technology
This resource considers the importance of instructional design for shaping digital accessible learning opportunities, the guidelines and regulations that inform accessible design, identified barriers to accessible learning with technology and tools to support accessibility and eliminate barriers for learners. Educational designers and instructors who can refer to this ebook to enhance digital accessibility for their learners.
https://pressbooks.pub/thealttext
Post-it App, a note-taking app
The 3M Post-it App is helpful for organizing, capturing, and sharing handwritten Post-it Notes. Users can digitize physical Post-it Notes by taking pictures with their mobile devices and then organize them into digital boards. It is available for free. Signing up for an account is not required. It is a valuable tool to organize notes and ideas. For teachers, it can be useful for organizing and sharing notes taken during lessons, as well as organizing them for other occasions. It can also be used for brainstorming or planning in teams. Digitized images can also be included in PowerPoint, Excel, Dropbox, and more.
https://tinyurl.com/5n84eb5d
LibriVox, a free public-domain audiobooks
A substantial collection of literary works in various languages. Volunteers from around the world record audiobook versions of public domain texts, which are then made available for free on the LibriVox website and other platforms. Learners can browse the catalogue by language or genre, search for specific titles or authors, and download audiobooks to listen to offline. As an open-source project, LibriVox relies on volunteer contributions for its content and operations. Users do not need to sign up or have an account to access and download audiobooks from LibriVox. It’s intuitive interface allows listening to recorded audiobooks and downloading them.
https://librivox.org
In Case You Missed it
BigBlueButton's Learning Analytics Dashboard
The BBB Learning Analytics Dashboard offers real-time monitoring, visualization and capture of in-classroom, synchronous learning activities to inform educators, add valuable insight, and facilitate vital learner goal setting, and progress tracking. Be advised that data must be downloaded at the end of each session. It cannot be retrieved later.
https://support.bigbluebutton.org/hc/en-us/articles/19304662953751-Learning-Analytics-Dashboard
Government of Canada's Guide on the use of generative artificial intelligence
This document provides guidance to federal institutions on their use of generative AI tools. This includes instances where federal institutions are deploying these tools. It provides an overview of generative AI, identifies challenges relating to its use, puts forward principles for using it responsibly, and offers policy considerations and best practices. Educators can consider this guide to assist them with crafting their our own AI guidelines.
https://tinyurl.com/36rdz4kd
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New Language Solutions is based in Ottawa, Ontario. We acknowledge that our head office is on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People. Beyond Ottawa, we have staff working in locations across Canada. New Language Solutions is grateful to have the opportunity to work as a guest in communities and territories across the country, and we honour the stewardship of the many Indigenous peoples who have resided on and cared for these lands since time immemorial.
We make our acknowledgement as a sign of respect for all Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, past and present. We accept the true impact of the past and the pain suffered by generations of Indigenous Peoples. As an agency that works to support the integration of newcomers into Canadian society and cultures, we express our commitment to support activities that are inclusive of Indigenous Peoples. We resolve to address a history of injustice to First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.
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