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Project News
Avenue Teacher Account and Course Migration Request Form
IRCC’s new national web portal for settlement language training will be available to teachers in August 17 and to learners in September. EduLINC teachers who want to use Avenue must fill out this form to request a user account and, as needed, request the migration of their EduLINC course(s) to Avenue.
https://forms.gle/MYjiiPu7JLDpTixQ8
Avenue Update
In this webinar recorded on June 26, Jim Edgar provides an overview of Avenue, discusses important timelines, and gives a brief demonstration of the web portal and learning management system. The portal is still under development and its innovative new features, such as an ePortfolio, are not shown.
https://youtu.be/NjEE6yYgWXA
What is the Digital Divide and what does it mean for our learners?
The lack of learner access to the Internet and information technology has long been a concern to professionals in the settlement language training sector. The opportunity for newcomers to engage with information technology is essential to successful adaptation to life in Canada in 2020. Now the suspension of face-to-face classes and the need to support learners with online distance solutions has amplified the importance to our clients of access to smart devices and the Internet. We’ve put together this infographic to clarify the difference between equitable access and non-access.
http://learnit2teach.ca/wpnew/what-is-the-digital-divide-and-what-does-it-mean-for-our-learners/
Web News
Teachers feel exhausted, isolated and worried about safety for fall: survey
After nearly three months of remote learning, teachers are exhausted, isolated and deeply concerned about safety protocols for next fall, according to survey results released by the Alberta Teachers’ Association on Tuesday. The ATA says that while teachers have been agile in their response to the COVID-19 crisis and the transition from in-class learning to online, the stresses of the pandemic have had a profound effect. ...
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/teachers-feel-exhausted-isolated-and-worried-about-safety-for-fall-survey
COVID: 19: Learning English has become more challenging during pandemic shutdown
Learning a new language is challenging enough. But for thousands of immigrants in London, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the task that much harder, forcing newcomers, teachers and service providers to reimagine teaching in an age of social distancing and online learning. ...
https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/learning-english-has-become-more-challenging-during-pandemic-shutdown
Archway English classes for newscomers go online during pandemic
70 per cent of students joined remote and virtual classrooms in Abbotsford ... English language learners in the Archway Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program have completed their school year amid COVID-19 through remote learning and online classes. ...
https://www.abbynews.com/community/archway-english-classes-for-newscomers-go-online-during-pandemic/
Demand for online learning services soars during pandemic
... As the coronavirus pandemic forces many to hunker down at home, a growing number of people have turned to online learning resources like MasterClass, the Great Courses and Mango Languages. The Toronto and Vancouver public libraries say patrons have flocked to the online learning services they offer. ...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/online-learning-services-covid-19-1.5591100
Elephant in the Zoom: Coronavirus-related language goes viral
Okay, Zoomer. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere on this Blursday, so go pour yourself a quarantini and take a break from feeling like a Zoombie. It’s time to de-stress from all the Rona-related doomscrolling you’ve been doing while being covedient and self-isolating. If you’ve used some of these terms in recent weeks, then congratulations: You’re becoming fluent in Corona-speak....
https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/culture/2020/05/31/corona-speak-Virus-related-language-goes-viral/stories/20200531002
Online learning, now at an all-time high, signals a new future for education
The coronavirus pandemic is radically shifting the global economy, transforming workplaces, community spaces, and education. According to the World Economic Forum, more than 1.2 billion children in 186 countries have been impacted by school closures due to COVID-19. And overall education online--including virtual classrooms, language apps, online tutoring, or online education software--has also surged during the pandemic, ...
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/online-learning-now-at-an-all-time-high-signals-a-new-future-for-education/
With schools shuttered, learning lags and students left behind, Reuters survey shows
A Reuters survey of nearly 60 school districts across the country provides hard evidence confirming parents’ fears: Distance learning is no substitute for in-class teaching, with students missing classes, meals and hands-on instruction. ....
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/health-coronavirus-usa-schools/
Blogs
Students deserve to choose distance learning after the pandemic ends
... Even after the transition back to in-person classes, McGill should maintain distance learning as an option whenever possible. ... During the pandemic, some students have found online learning to be more conducive to learning than traditional education. Students can watch lectures at their own pace and stop recordings for more time to process the information. Some have raised concerns about cheating, but cheating could be prevented if professors adapt exams to the new medium. ...
http://www.mcgilltribune.com/opinion/students-deserve-to-choose-distance-learning-after-the-pandemic-ends/
Tips for Virtual Teaching and Remote Learning
The current surge in distance learning will have long-term effects on education worldwide ... Because of technology’s influence on careers of the future, 21st century education requires powerful and flexible solutions of blended learning. This means combining digital materials and online interactions with traditional classroom teaching methods. ... Here are some tips for all remote teaching situations: ...
https://www.languagemagazine.com/2020/06/11/tips-for-virtual-teaching-and-remote-learning/
Are You a Victim of Zoom Fatigue?
Zoom has become part of the lexicon of our lives. It is the way many of us meet and teach. In a similar way, we use Google Hangouts and other analogous synchronous meeting apps for live classes and the myriad of meetings that previously populated our workdays. If you are like me, you have three or four Zoom sessions a day. ... Those routine meetings can become anxiety-producing and exhausting. Research is being conducted in real time as we experience the impact of virtual conferencing on a daily basis.. ...
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/are-you-victim-zoom-fatigue
3 tips for first-time remote educators
Whether you’re a classroom teacher now setting work asynchronously via a learning management system like Moodle LMS, or a lecturer who already has some experience teaching online, things are different now. For most of us, teaching or working completely online is a completely unknown world. Or was, because we’ve now been suddenly thrown into it, many with not even a day to plan in advance. Today we’re sharing some tips and considerations for those teaching completely online for the first time. ...
https://moodle.com/news/3-tips-for-first-time-remote-educators/
What Will Schools Do in the Fall? Here Are 4 Possible Scenarios
In a new guide released today by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank New America, the three authors—an instructional designer and two former teachers—lay out four possible scenarios for what school will look like in the 2020-21 school year, ... Below are summaries of the four scenarios the authors lay out. ...
https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-05-27-what-will-schools-do-in-the-fall-here-are-4-possible-scenarios
What Is Best Method For Learning/Teaching EFL?
Let’s open the discussion about a technical specification for the best method of teaching EFL. After this kind of technical specification is defined, we may open competition for those teaching methods which best meet it. ...
https://elearningindustry.com/create-best-methodology-for-learning-teaching-efl
5 Myths About Online Learning During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Despite the constant growth of online learning and its appeal, some learners hesitate to enroll in online courses. One reason for their lack of enthusiasm could be the numerous myths about online learning out there. Here are 5 common myths out there and their truths. ...
https://elearningindustry.com/online-learning-myths-during-covid-19-pandemic
Professional Development
LearnIT2teach Annotated Bibliography New Resource: Fostering Interaction in Synchronous Online Class Sessions with Foreign Language Learners
A short and timely article outlining how one language instructor very quickly developed an online learning environment to enable teaching and learning for beginner German language learners during the current COVID-19 crisis. The instructor made use of Learning Apps and Kahoot to create a lively, interactive class, enabling students to continue their language learning in a fully online setting.
http://bib.learnit2teach.ca/blog/fostering-interaction-in-synchronous-online-class-sessions-with-foreign-language-learners/
Resources for Social Justice and Anti-Racism in the L2 Classroom
... The Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy (CERCLL) shares in the chorus of voices that have risen up to publicly condemn the physical and symbolic forms of violence ... we are compiling a set of resources for language and culture educators. This includes a wide range of materials to read, watch, and listen to, which will help teachers to think about how anti-racist pedagogy might inform their practices. ...
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10_e5jaX-uS_mvun2RqWTCR51zGdFSXGoxhLQQ67ZU9Y/mobilebasic?urp=gmail_link
10 Reasons Why eLearning Loses Students
The article describes the 10 most common reasons why students fail to study online. This post will be helpful for eLearning website owners and anyone involved in online teaching. ...
https://elearningindustry.com/reasons-why-students-fail-study-online
TESOL 2020 - Virtual Convention and English Language Expo
Come together as a global community of English language professionals for the first-ever TESOL 2020 Virtual Convention & English Language Expo, 16–18 July! Using the latest technology and interactive tools from the comfort of your couch, your home office, or wherever you choose, you will be able to: - Grow your professional ELT network; Learn from engaging keynote speakers; Gather research, strategies, and best practices from approximately 100 sessions; Visit our Virtual Expo for information on the latest ELT products and services ...
https://www.tesol.org/conventiononline2020
e-Resource Corner
Student Bill of Rights
We have drafted this Student Bill of Rights for Remote and Digital Work to start a conversation. We –in discussions with students, academics, institutions and other stakeholders – have outlined seven essential rights students should expect while participating in online learning and assessment. ...
https://studenttestingrights.org/
Speak & Improve
This experimental web site uses the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to evaluate a speech sample from any user.
https://speakandimprove.com
Write & Improve
Write & Improve is a free tool for learners of English that marks writing in seconds. It is provided in association with Cambridge English (part of the University of Cambridge).
https://writeandimprove.com/
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