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Project News
An IRCC Contract Amendment for LearnIT2teach
New Language Solutions is pleased to announce an amendment signed in January to our agreement with IRCC. This agreement enables the LearnIT2teach Project to move ahead with the development of an augmented Moodle learning management system solution for teachers and learners. Enhancements to be rolled out by the end of March 2020 include:
- An electronic portfolio solution in Moodle;
- Single sign in to both EduLINC and Tutela, creating close integration with Tutela and the learning resources available there;
- Enabling of online distance training in addition to blended;
- A Moodle LMS for Clic, the French equivalent of LINC.
http://learnit2teach.ca/wpnew/an-ircc-contract-amendment-for-learnit2teach/
IRCC CFP 2019
The LearnIT2teach Project would be pleased to offer a Letter of Support for IRCC CFP 2019 proposals by a LINC provider which has demonstrated local adoption of eduLINC blended learning. Please contact admin@learnit2teach.ca with your request.
LearnIT2teach Publications
Two new publications were recently released by LearnIT2teach:
New Mentors
The LearnIT2teach team welcomes Jen Artan and Bonnie Sibley, our newest project mentors in Ontario and British Columbia, respectively.
Web News
Here’s How to Learn Languages Faster Using Netflix
Trying to make yourself a more well-rounded person, but can’t quit the Netflix binge? Don’t worry; there’s a shortcut. Thanks to a Google Chrome extension that’s been gaining buzz, it’s now possible to Netflix while reading subtitles in both your native language and the language you want to learn at the same time. ...
https://decider.com/2019/02/25/netflix-language-learning-app/
Evaluating robots as teachers or partners in language learning exercises
Researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden have carried out a study exploring the effects of using physical robots to assist humans during vocabulary learning exercises. ... The findings collected by Wik and his colleagues highlight the potential benefits of using robots as partners during language learning exercises. ...
https://techxplore.com/news/2019-02-robots-teachers-partners-language.html
Talk to Me: Using Chat Bots for Learning
As texting and online messaging have become the norm, our learners have also become more accustomed to communicating via written message. Basic online chat tools require a human to operate them, and this generally requires almost as much people-resources as operating a traditional call center. However, advances in AI chat technology have seen the use of chat bots becoming more and more widespread. These advances and the increasing frequency of chat bots will mean more chat bots in L&D in the years to come. ...
https://www.td.org/insights/talk-to-me-using-chat-bots-for-learning
Formerly illiterate Syrian refugees learning English to become Canadian citizens
Fatum Ibrahim is pointing to her nose and smiling ear-to-ear. "Nose," she proudly pronounces, eager to demonstrate her expanding English vocabulary. Three years ago, a day shy of Valentine's Day, 36-year old Ibrahim and seven family members landed in Surrey, B.C., as part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's signature Syrian Refugee Initiative. She didn't know a word of English, nor could she read or write in her native Arabic. … Despite taking language classes four days a week, she has a long way to go to meet the English-language requirement for Canadian citizenship.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/formerly-illiterate-syrian-refugees-learning-english-to-become-canadian-citizens-1.4280655
Number of ‘English language learners’ doubles in Durham schools
The Durham District School Board has seen the number of newcomer “English language learners” in its classrooms double in the past four years. Numbers have jumped from 780 in fall 2014, to 1,504 in fall 2018. The numbers represent students who have arrived in Canada in the past four years and are learning to speak English. ...
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/02/05/number-of-english-language-learners-doubles-in-durhan-schools.html
Naativ Language Learning Platform Stands Out With Technology and Experiential Learning
Headquartered in the U.S., Naativ is a new, English-As-A-Second-Language (ESL) online platform where every instructor is professionally trained in education and is a native-born American English speaking teacher. Even the curriculum is American English, developed by a group of American educators, many of whom created programs for globally-recognized companies such as Dell and who have written for such established publications as US News. ...
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/naativ-language-learning-platform-stands-out-with-technology-and-experiential-learning-300781674.html
Blogs
Nine ways to use emojis in the English classroom
Through trial, error and mild emoji-obsession, Colm Boyd, a materials writer and British Council teacher in Barcelona, has produced these tips for English language teachers. ... There are over 2,000 emojis – ration them in your lesson... These activities work best when the class has a limited selection of emojis – perhaps 20 to 30.
https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/emojis-english-language-classroom
How to Differentiate Instruction (Without Losing Your Mind)
Instructional expert and esteemed blogger Larry Ferlazzo wants you to know: Differentiation isn't as hard as you might think. In an animated video published by Education Week this fall, he explained that differentiating instruction is really about getting to know your students and being flexible with the ways they demonstrate their learning. It is not, in fact, about spending your evenings planning a separate lesson for each student. ... The goal with differentiation is to make any single lesson accessible to all students. ...
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2019/02/how_to_differentiate_instruction_without_losing_your_mind.html
26 Ways That Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Transforming Education for the Better
I was having a conversation with an old school teacher who thinks that AI is ruining education. They challenged me to name 5 ways that artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education for the better, and instead, I came up with 26. Here they are. …
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/26-ways-that-artificial-intelligence-ai-is-transforming-education-for-the-better/
Technology and Ethics in Education
Education and technology are in a new and often exhilarating partnership that continues to grow as new edtech players pop up around the world. But as edtech grows, it runs the risk of becoming disengaged from educators and turning a solution into a new problem. Technology has set education on the course of its most significant experiment ever ...
https://www.thetechedvocate.org/technology-and-ethics-in-education/
Jobs
e-Facilitator, Job Opportunity (PART-TIME)
English Online is hiring a part-time e-Facilitator based in Winnipeg, MB, to support online self-directed learners. It’s a one-year contract starting April 1, 2019, with a possibility of extension (subject to funding). ...
http://myenglishonline.ca/careers/
Online English Teacher
We're a community of educators and students, who together bring the English language to life. Our immersive online teaching platform provides students with tools for their future and educators with an opportunity to broaden their experience and influence today. ...
https://www.naativ.com/
Professional Development
LearnIT2teach Annotated Bibliography New Resource: The Needs Analysis, Design, Development, and Evaluation of the ‘English Pronunciation Guide: An ESL Teachers’ Guide to Pronunciation Teaching Using Online Resources’
This article describes the development of a guide to teaching pronunciation for ESL instructors. According to the authors, pronunciation is often neglected in the classroom because many instructors do not receive sufficient preparation in pronunciation instruction. To address this gap, program coordinators and instructors at Brigham Young University developed a free online annotated index to selected pronunciation-instruction videos and other helpful resources. The guide is intended as a practical support for ESL instructors.
http://bib.learnit2teach.ca/blog/the-needs-analysis-design-development-and-evaluation-of-the-english-pronunciation-guide-an-esl-teachers-guide-to-pronunciation-teaching-using-online-resources/
Poodll assignments in Moodle – a great tool for language learning
Poodll assignment submissions and feedback in Moodle are great tools for second language learning. ... Poodll is a set of open-source plugins that add audio (and video) functionality to Moodle. Poodll allows students to submit audio assignments and receive audio feedback from their teachers. This focus on spoken language makes it a great tool for second language learning.. ...
https://www.elearningworld.org/poodll-assignments-in-moodle-and-second-language-learning/
Eighth International Conference on Task-Based Language Teaching (August 19-21, 2019)
Under the auspices of the International Association for Task-Based Language Teaching, the 2019 TBLT Conference will bring together scholars and educators to the beautiful campus of Carleton University, located in Canada’s capital.. ...
https://carleton.ca/tblt/
Learning Effect of Implicit Learning in Joining-in-type Robot-assisted Language Learning System
The introduction of robots into language learning systems has been highly useful, especially in motivating learners to engage in the learning process and in letting human learners converse in more realistic conversational situations. This paper describes a novel robot-assisted language learning system that induces the human learner into a triad conversation with two robots through which he or she improves practical communication skills in various conversational situations. ...
https://online-journals.org/index.php/i-jet/article/view/9212
e-Resource Corner
Real World Assessment Task Bank (to Support PBLA)
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has developed a bank of “real world” assessment tasks for use by publicly-funded ESL and LINC programs. The project development team included 22 OCDSB ESL/LINC Instructors, 2 PBLA Leads, and over 190 Instructors who piloted the tasks from over 70 organizations across Canada. The tasks are available for download at ... [from Tutela]
https://tutela.ca/Resource_29565
PBLA Practice Guidelines 2019
The updated PBLA Practice Guidelines 2019 and introduction are now available. This document replaces Emerging Practice Guidelines (2017) and PBLA Guide for Teachers and Programs (2014).
https://pblapg.language.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/PBLA-Practice-Guidelines-2019_978-1-897100-78-3-RA.pdf
Job Readiness Tool
The Job Readiness Tool is designed to assess newcomers’ job search plan and provide feedback to better prepare them to enter the Canadian work environment. Once job seekers take a quiz, they receive a customized report with next steps and additional resources. Get job ready!
https://jobreadiness.settlement.org/
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