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Teaching with Ellii

Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

<h1>&ldquo;So, what&rsquo;s your story?&rdquo;</h1>

<p>How does one even begin? I suppose the context would be the biggest factor here, and, of course, your audience.</p>

<p>Are you giving some background information to a job interviewer? Are you getting to know your new colleagues in a lunchtime meeting? Maybe you&rsquo;re on a first date.</p>

<p>As educators, we know how critical it is to consider all of these elements (e.g., audience, tone, purpose) when telling a story. Storytelling is one of the things I enjoy teaching the most, actually, because it affords me the opportunity to see&nbsp;students&#39; wheels turning and to be there for some of my learners&rsquo; aha moments.</p>

<p>Storytelling skills take practice to develop and hone. We can sometimes neglect these skills in favor of more functional types of writing&mdash;like the essay or email (though these also contain an element of storytelling).</p>

<p>While equipping students with traditional skills remains crucial, there&#39;s an increasing recognition of the importance of fostering 21st-century skills to prepare them for an uncertain future. Among these skills, storytelling stands out as a powerful tool that not only engages learners, but also nurtures their creativity.</p>

<h2>Storytelling: An age-old art</h2>

<p>Storytelling is as old as humanity itself. Long before the advent of the written word, our ancestors communicated knowledge, culture, and experiences through stories. It&#39;s a fundamental aspect of the human experience, deeply ingrained in our DNA. And in the 21st century, storytelling remains a cornerstone of effective communication and education.</p>

<h2>Enter AI: A double-edged sword</h2>

<p>Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation have revolutionized many aspects of our lives. From virtual assistants to self-driving cars, AI is everywhere. While such technological&nbsp;advancements offer previously unimagined convenience and efficiency, they also raise concerns about the future of human work. As educators, we must prepare our students for a job market that is constantly evolving and increasingly dependent on AI.</p>

<h2>Why storytelling matters</h2>

<p><strong>Creativity:</strong> Storytelling encourages students to think creatively. When crafting a story, they have to imagine characters, settings, and plots. This imaginative process keeps their creative faculties sharp and active.</p>

<p><strong>Emotional Intelligence: </strong>Stories often revolve around characters and their emotions. By engaging with stories, students develop empathy and emotional intelligence, skills that are essential in the real world, where they&#39;ll interact with diverse people and cultures. One lesson that I particularly love is&nbsp;called <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4193-think-inside-the-box">Think inside the Box.</a> This &ldquo;wordless&rdquo; story, while developed for younger learners, leaves it up to the student to decide what the characters are communicating.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Critical Thinking: </strong>Analyzing stories helps students sharpen their&nbsp;critical thinking skills. They learn to question motives, dissect plot twists, and evaluate outcomes. These skills are invaluable when navigating the complexities of today&#39;s world. Our <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/detective-series-1">Detective Series</a>&nbsp;is one resource that helps improve critical thinking skills.</p>

<p><strong>Effective Communication: </strong>Storytelling develops&nbsp;students&#39; ability to express ideas clearly and persuasively. In a world saturated with information, effective communication is a highly sought-after skill. Ellii&#39;s <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/discussion-starters">Discussion Starters</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/mini-debates">Mini-Debates</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;a good place to start honing these skills.</p>

<p><strong>Adaptability:</strong> Being able to adapt to life circumstances and reinvent yourself has never been a more important skill. Stories often revolve around overcoming challenges and change. Through storytelling, students learn that change is not something to be feared, but rather something to be embraced and navigated.</p>

<h2>Incorporating storytelling in the classroom</h2>

<p><strong>Digital Storytelling:</strong><em> </em>Leverage technology to enable students to create multimedia stories. They can combine text, images, audio, and video to craft compelling narratives. Our <a href="https://ellii.com/resources/photo-prompts">Photo Prompts</a> section can help launch creative ideas and debate, especially our new Photo Feuds&nbsp;prompts. Our <a href="https://ellii.com/media/videos/silent-clips">Silent Clips</a>&nbsp;videos could also be used as storytelling prompts.</p>

<p><strong>Storytelling Workshops: </strong>Organize storytelling workshops or invite guest storytellers to inspire and guide your students. If they can&#39;t come in person, many would love to present virtually.</p>

<p><strong>Cross-Disciplinary Approach: </strong>Encourage students to apply storytelling in various subjects, from science to history. This interdisciplinary approach enhances their problem-solving abilities.</p>

<p><strong>Peer Feedback:</strong> Foster a culture of constructive feedback where students share and critique each other&#39;s stories. This enhances their communication skills and helps them learn from one another. Give students something to <em>listen for </em>in each story&nbsp;and then report back.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Real-World Application: </strong>Connect storytelling to real-world scenarios. For instance, challenge students to come up with stories around social issues or entrepreneurship, encouraging them to think about solutions creatively.</p>

<h2>As the story unfolds...</h2>

<p>As educators, it&#39;s our responsibility to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Storytelling is a powerful tool in this endeavor. It keeps creativity alive, nurtures essential skills, and equips students to thrive in the current&nbsp;world&nbsp;and in the world that is about to be changed forever by AI. By embracing storytelling in our classrooms, we empower our students to become not just consumers of technology, but also creators and innovators who shape the future.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Stories We Tell

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Tour around the ELT conference circuit as our team shares conference highlights and session reviews.

Conferences

<p>TESL Toronto&#39;s TOSCON 2023 was not just an event&mdash;it was also a celebration of the dedication and passion that teachers bring to their classrooms every day. For me, it was a reminder that, as educators, we have the ability to shape the lives of our students and&nbsp;empower them to develop their own voices within their communities as they learn to communicate effectively.</p>

<h1>Plenary speaker: Antoinette Gagn&eacute;</h1>

<p>The conference&nbsp;highlighted the evolving nature of English language teaching. Antoinette Gagn&eacute;&#39;s keynote address shed light on the sociocultural, emotional, multilingual, multimodal, and technological turns that are shaping the English language learning landscape in Canada.</p>

<p>It reminded us that effective teaching goes beyond linguistic skills, encompassing cultural understanding, emotional intelligence, and the integration of various modes of communication. What I loved most about her plenary session was the opportunity to interact and connect with other participants&nbsp;as well as her capacity to ask thought-provoking questions of her audience.</p>

<p>Gagn&eacute; highlighted the &ldquo;affective turn&rdquo; that underscores the importance of emotional intelligence in education.</p>

<p><img alt="strategies and practices for implementing the affective turn" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3234/content_IMG-3650__1_.jpg" /></p>

<h1>Connecting at Ellii&#39;s booth</h1>

<p>As a representative of Ellii, I was inspired by the enthusiasm of teachers as they shared their experiences and the innovative ways they are implementing our platform. The updates in the <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/introducing-elliis-lesson-planner">Lesson Planner</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/feature-releases-platform-updates-2023">student onboarding</a> process have generated excitement and opened up new possibilities for enhanced language instruction.</p>

<p>The nature of education and learning is evolving, and it&rsquo;s refreshing to see the willingness of educators to embrace technology and find ways to use it to meet the needs of their students.</p>

<p><img alt="Ellii Booth TOSCON 2023" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3233/content_TOSCON_2023.jpeg" /></p>

<h1>Workshops &amp; presentations&nbsp;</h1>

<p>The workshops and presentations offered at TOSCON provided a fantastic selection of practical strategies and ideas for educators to implement in their classrooms. From rethinking digital citizenship techniques (John Allan) to the integration of authentic materials, from blended to hyflex teaching (Tehreem Nathaniel), each session offered valuable insights that could be immediately applied to improve the learning experiences of students. The diverse range of topics ensured that attendees could find sessions that catered to their specific interests and professional development goals.</p>

<p>Beyond the knowledge gained and skills acquired, TOSCON fostered a sense of community and collaboration. The connections made and conversations we had during the conference were invaluable.&nbsp;</p>

<h1>Getting noticed in TO</h1>

<p>On a lighter note, I couldn&#39;t help but chuckle at a rather unexpected experience during my time in Toronto. As I strolled through the bustling streets of the city, proudly sporting my Ellii T-shirt, something amusing happened. I was recognized by a random teacher (who hadn&rsquo;t been at the conference). She spotted the logo on my shirt and exclaimed, &quot;Hey, you&#39;re from Ellii!&quot; For a brief moment, I felt like a celebrity, basking in the limelight of the English language teaching world. Who knew that a simple T-shirt could turn an ordinary stroll down Yonge Street into a moment of fame?</p>

<h1>Final thoughts</h1>

<p>As I left the conference, I carried with me a renewed sense of purpose and a deep appreciation for the transformative power of education. TOSCON reminded me that as English language teachers, we have the privilege of not only teaching a language but also empowering individuals to express themselves, connect with others, and succeed in an increasingly globalized world.</p>


Reconnecting at TOSCON

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<h2>CLB, PBLA, LINC &amp;&nbsp;Ellii&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Hi,&nbsp;I&#39;m Jen Artan! Since I came on board the Ellii team more than a year ago, I&rsquo;ve been&nbsp;helping to&nbsp;develop <strong>LINC</strong> materials for our content library. I&#39;ve also been working&nbsp;to ensure that our resources are calibrated to the correct Canadian Language Benchmark&nbsp;<strong>(CLB)</strong> levels&nbsp;and that there is a wide range of competencies and skills represented in our database. &nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Jen Artan from Ellii" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/3123/content_Headshot_Jen_Ellii.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Jen Artan, Ellii&#39;s CLB Materials Writer &amp; Presenter</p>

<p>As the resident CLB specialist at Ellii, I&rsquo;m working on creating a curated set of materials aligned with the most popular and common LINC modules. For this task, I&rsquo;ve been combing through the massive number of resources that Ellii has in order to identify the most relevant and practical skill-building, skill-using, and real-world resources for our LINC classrooms. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Watch for these special collections to come out this spring. I will be sending out a LINC-themed newsletter as well.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Helpful links</h2>

<p>In the meantime, you can use the following links to help you find content developed with&nbsp;the Canadian classroom in mind:</p>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/linc">LINC Themes Collection</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/clb-competencies" target="_blank">CLB Competencies Collection</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://ellii.com/collections/nations-regions/o-canada" target="_blank">Canada Collection</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://help.ellii.com/article/62-how-to-find-clb-content">How to Find &amp; Filter CLB Content</a></li>
</ul>

<h2>Office hours</h2>

<p>Welcome to my &quot;office space.&quot;&nbsp;Feel free to reach out to me via email at jennifer@ellii.com. You can also use&nbsp;the space below if you have any ideas, suggestions, or comments. You can&nbsp;let me know what you&#39;d like me to include in a quarterly CLB newsletter or what you&#39;d like me to cover in&nbsp;a CLB webinar.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


CLB Office Hours

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<p>Over the last few years, Canadian LINC teachers have demonstrated tremendous <strong>resilience</strong> and <strong>adaptability</strong> in challenging situations. They have gracefully navigated shifting learning environments and&nbsp;pivoted when necessary without seeming to miss a beat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In my conversations this past year with LINC teachers and administrators at in-person and virtual conferences,&nbsp;such as <a href="https://www.teslontario.org/content/tesl-toronto-t4t">TESL Toronto&nbsp;T4T</a>, <a href="https://www.tesllondon.ca/">TESL London</a>, <a href="https://bridge.edu/tefl/blog/summit/Summit-Schedule">BridgeUniverse Summit</a>, and <a href="https://cesba.com/">CESBA</a>, I&rsquo;ve been able to get a feel for what teachers consider their most pressing professional development needs.</p>

<ol>
	<li><strong>Communities of practice.</strong>&nbsp;The need to have frequent, ongoing professional networks and connections, whether they be online or in person, is prevalent among educators.</li>
	<li><strong>Technology KSAs.&nbsp;</strong>Knowledge, skills, and abilities related to educational technology still top the list of teacher PD pursuits.</li>
	<li><strong>Learner-engagement strategies.</strong> Teachers in blended learning environments have noted a kind of learner online fatigue setting in&nbsp;and are looking for ways to mitigate&nbsp;it.</li>
</ol>

<h1>Communities of practice<strong>&nbsp;</strong></h1>

<p><strong>Connecting</strong> and <strong>collaborating</strong> have taken on deeper significance as of late, given what we know about <a href="https://oeb.global/oeb-insights/communities-of-practice-indispensable-support-for-todays-educators/">personal growth and mental health</a>. More and more teachers work remotely&nbsp;or in blended classrooms. Being part of an engaged community of practice means staying connected and on top of what&rsquo;s important and relevant in the field. It means teachers&nbsp;feel&nbsp;less isolated when they are part of an active in-person or virtual community of practice.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>Networking and collaboration are of huge importance. Little can be gained from repeating existing practices; we need to move forward, to progress. Doing the same things over and over and expecting different outcomes is simply not plausible.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ndash;Dr. Sandra Kučina Softić, EDEN (European Distance and E-Learning Network) president</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Finding ways to get involved</h2>

<p>Take advantage of&nbsp;social media. Find out about relevant learning opportunities and take part in them. For example, I stumbled across an excellent <a href="https://bridge.edu/tefl/blog/webinars/">BridgeUniverse webinar</a> recently on 21st-century skills and was able to connect with teachers and publishers globally. Sometimes these incidental meetings prove to be fruitful and serendipitous.</p>

<p>Don&rsquo;t leave it all up to chance, though. Make your connections intentional.&nbsp;Schedule time each morning, every evening, or whenever you have a few moments, and make it part of your routine. Take 20 minutes a day to browse social media, comment, contribute, and make note of the events that are <strong>relevant</strong>, <strong>interesting</strong>, and <strong>practical</strong> to your teaching.</p>

<p>Connect in person whenever you realistically can. Conversations, laughter, and the<em> </em>hey-I-didn&rsquo;t-know-you-were-going-to-be-here<em> </em>type of run-ins can&nbsp;lead to strengthening relationships in your community. TESL Ontario is having an in-person conference day this fall; the other two days will continue to be virtual. I am eagerly anticipating the in-person connections.</p>

<p>I recall the last TESL Ontario in-person&nbsp;conference, where I found myself&nbsp;sitting by a giant open fireplace and having excited t&ecirc;te-&agrave;-t&ecirc;tes with fellow teachers and administrators. We were deeply engrossed in stimulating conversations, which often included&nbsp;laughter. There was&nbsp;one heated and exciting debate over <a href="https://www.languagehumanities.org/what-is-the-input-hypothesis.htm">Stephen Krashen&#39;s input hypothesis</a>, and there was even an impromptu reflection on Canadian culture mishaps. This all started as a would-you-rather icebreaker&mdash;would you rather come face-to-face with an angry beaver&nbsp;or a mild-mannered moose? I mean, come on!&nbsp;Where else would we be able to ponder these quintessential Canadian dilemmas?</p>

<p>Communities of practice need to be tended, cultivated, and intentionally pursued. Online&nbsp;or in person, teachers need to find&nbsp;ways to refuel, reconnect, inspire, and be inspired. These connections can help improve a teacher&rsquo;s confidence and foster more positive mental health.</p>

<h1>Technology KSAs&nbsp;</h1>

<p>Given the pace of educational technology innovation, teachers and students alike can feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. Who has the time to test out different quiz applications and&nbsp;alternative LMSs&nbsp;or find the perfect forum discussion board?&nbsp;</p>

<p>The recent buzz about AI in education has not gone unnoticed.&nbsp;AI-themed workshops have been offered at recent conferences since teachers now need to grapple with how to deal with this new phenomenon. While <a href="https://app.ellii.com/lesson/4468-ai-generated-content">AI-generated content</a> isn&#39;t about to replace teachers, it will have an impact.&nbsp;It&#39;s just too early to know the extent of that impact at this time.</p>

<h2>Tip</h2>

<p>Keep your students&#39; overarching learning objectives in focus. No matter what activity or task you choose, you&#39;ll need to ask yourself how&nbsp;this furthers the real-world learning goal? For example, if you are developing real-world reading skills (such as comprehending information on a university application website), consider using Microsoft&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-use-microsoft-immersive-reader-on-ellii">Immersive Reader</a>&nbsp;to encourage students to engage more deeply with&nbsp;the text, to notice the parts of speech, or even to activate prior knowledge through the L1 translation function.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Be intentional about your technology use. Keep it simple and routine&nbsp;as well as accessible and in line with your learning objectives. Choose one tool per function and use it often.&nbsp;</p>

<h1>Learner-engagement strategies&nbsp;</h1>

<p>&nbsp;<br />
Online learning offers opportunities for working students, students with young&nbsp;children, students with mobility difficulties, and students residing in remote communities. Reaching these marginalized students has never been more important.&nbsp;For teachers working within a blended learning or fully online environment, however, learner engagement continues to be a stress point.&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;</strong> &nbsp;</p>

<p>What teachers have said to me is that they want to do more than just reach their students.&nbsp;They want to engage them, motivate them, and inspire them to take control of their learning and&nbsp;develop their own learning pathways.</p>

<p><a href="https://ellii.com/blog/tips-for-developing-students-digital-literacy">Digital literacy</a> continues to be a skill that students need to develop. As I learned at a recent CESBA workshop, many service-providing organizations now have a digital literacy plan in place where digital concerns can be addressed and basic skills built at the outset of students&#39; enrollment in language classes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But it&rsquo;s a long way from having competent keyboard skills to being an engaged and active learner taking part in classroom activities, discussions, and collaborative efforts. Teachers have noted a kind of<a href="https://elearningindustry.com/is-zoom-fatigue-becoming-serious-threat-for-online-learners"> online learning fatigue</a> setting in, though this could also be applied to in-person evening courses that have students who are busy throughout the day, working and taking care of their families.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Ideas to help</h2>

<p>Use resources and activities that are interesting, relevant, and useful to your specific group of students. Find stories and articles that reflect <a href="https://ellii.com/lessons/that-s-news-to-me">current events</a> and pop culture&mdash;things that people are actually talking about.</p>

<h1>Conclusion</h1>

<p>As a teacher myself,&nbsp;I welcome the opportunity to develop a robust community of practice where we can discuss technology KSAs and learner-engagement strategies. Let&rsquo;s talk about what&rsquo;s working, what we can improve, and what we&rsquo;re excited about. Let&rsquo;s take a note from Emily Bryson and <a href="https://ellii.com/blog/sketchnoting-101-supercharged-professional-development-with-visual-notes">sketch it out!</a> &nbsp;Let&rsquo;s meet in person&nbsp;when we can&nbsp;and further strengthen our connections. Let&rsquo;s challenge each other to refine our teaching methods and stay up-to-date on&nbsp;technology in the language classroom. Let&#39;s look for ways&nbsp;we can help inspire and motivate our students to become the best version of themselves that they can be.</p>

<p>And occasionally, let&rsquo;s meet up for a strong cup of coffee, share a few laughs, and then finally make that critical decision&mdash;would you rather have a chance encounter with an angry beaver&nbsp;or a mild-mannered moose? (The answer, of course, has got to be angry beaver. What&rsquo;s the worst thing a beaver can do?)</p>


Rising to the Challenge: Ideas for Canadian LINC Teachers

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<p>At a recent language conference in Quebec (<a href="https://www.speaq.org/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">SPEAQ</a>), I was able to connect with teachers from both ends of the experience spectrum. I talked to teachers&nbsp;who have been in the field since the 1980s&nbsp;and some who were just starting their careers.&nbsp;However, there was one thing we all had in common&mdash;a thirst for knowledge and a desire to improve.</p>

<p>Perhaps it&rsquo;s because for many years I taught a specialized language training course with a major home renovation retailer that I keep returning to the toolbox metaphor, but it just seems like an accurate description. As teachers, we all carry around our tried-and-true resources, whether they&#39;re digital goodies or that dog-eared&nbsp;grammar textbook that we can&#39;t bring ourselves to throw out.</p>

<p>The toolbox we bring into the classroom our first year is fairly light. It&rsquo;s packed with a great deal of theory and observation. That&rsquo;s a good starting point. However, observing a more experienced teacher&rsquo;s classroom is a fantastic way to expand your horizons. It&rsquo;s a tradition that I wish could be extended past the training period.</p>

<h2>Pineapple Charts</h2>

<p>Some K&ndash;12 schools have implemented&nbsp;the system of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/pineapple-charts/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">Pineapple Charts</a>. For this observation technique, teachers let each other know when they&#39;re going to be doing something interesting or innovative in their classroom&nbsp;by adding the day and time of the activity to a chart found in a common area such as the&nbsp;teacher&#39;s lounge, copy room, etc.&nbsp;If an activity catches a&nbsp;colleague&#39;s&nbsp;eye, they&#39;re free&nbsp;to join the class&nbsp;and observe the activity in progress.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Of course, this approach could only work if there were a way to juggle classroom schedules or&nbsp;arrange a supply teacher, but what an amazing way to share meaningful best practices with your staff.</p>

<p>Pineapple Charts were all&nbsp;the rage before COVID. I&#39;m curious to know if teachers have found a way to continue this virtually, or if they have brought it back into their in-person classrooms.</p>

<h2>Sharpening our tools</h2>

<p>As we gain experience, our toolboxes expand. We test out some tools, find some that become our all-purpose, go-to resources, and over time, we discard the ones that are no longer effective.</p>

<p>One such outdated tool springs to mind.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The seasoned teacher might&nbsp;remember the L1 penalty jars.&nbsp;Penalty jars were meant to force learners to use English. Students&nbsp;would have to pay a dime&nbsp;or a quarter&nbsp;if they were &ldquo;caught&rdquo; speaking&nbsp;in another language.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I think back on that approach now&nbsp;and wonder what message we were sending our learners by punishing L1 use. There are more effective ways to encourage use of the target language without having to shame the learner.</p>

<p>My toolbox now includes&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/blog/how-to-use-microsoft-immersive-reader-on-ellii" target="_blank">Microsoft&#39;s Immersive Reader,</a>&nbsp;which is available in all of Ellii&rsquo;s digital reading tasks. This tool enables learners to...</p>

<ul>
	<li>use embedded picture dictionary images</li>
	<li>isolate parts of speech</li>
	<li>listen to the reading</li>
	<li>toggle between the target language and their L1</li>
</ul>

<p>While ultimately the goal is for the learner to not have to depend on a translator, having the immersive reading experience as a set of training wheels can help in the language learning process.</p>

<p>In fact, a recent <a href="https://ontesol.com/blog/how-to-teach-english/l1-in-the-esl-classroom/using-the-mother-tongue-in-the-english-language-classroom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">article</a> on the OnTESOL website states the following:</p>

<blockquote>Research has shown that switching between languages and translation happens instinctively to all language learners, and the L1 is actually an important resource in the second language (L2) learning (Cook, 2001; Woodall, 2002). ... Furthermore, in situations where the students&rsquo; L1 was not even allowed in private spaces and there were punishments for using the mother tongue, Goldstein (2003) found that students simply did not speak, used their L1 quietly, and felt a sense of shame when they were punished for using their own language.</blockquote>

<h2>What&#39;s in your toolbox?</h2>

<p>This past year has been one of renewal and hope. I&#39;ve had the opportunity to overhaul my teaching toolbox&nbsp;and share it with teachers across the country. What are some of your favorite tools?&nbsp;Which ones have started collecting dust (remember the SMART board&nbsp;or &ldquo;clickers&rdquo;?), and what tools are you excited to crack out of their clamshell packaging?</p>

<p>Share your thoughts in the comments below!</p>


Examining Your Teacher Toolbox

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Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

<p>Would you like to be a student in your own class?&nbsp;If Jeyan Babajanova were my teacher, then my answer is a resounding &quot;yes!&quot;.</p>

<p>Babajanova presented at the <a href="https://www.tesol.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">TESOL 2022 convention</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;&ldquo;Project-Based Teaching as a Solution to Low-Resource Contexts.&rdquo;</p>

<p>I attended countless inspirational presentations and keynotes during TESOL 2022, but hers stood out for me.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Project-based learning</strong> works on so many levels with students of all ages, and it&#39;s a teaching/learning method that teachers are passionate about.</p>

<p>This teaching method doesn&rsquo;t come without its challenges, but the benefits of a successful project make the effort worthwhile.</p>

<h2>Challenges of Project-Based Learning</h2>

<p>One of the challenges that Babajanova faced in her teaching context was low motivation<strong> </strong>from the students during the pandemic.</p>

<p>Globally, teachers&nbsp;and students alike faced the same dilemmas: <strong>how to effectively learn and engage in an online environment.</strong></p>

<p>One solution is to find something that drives and motivates students. Find something that intrinsically motivates them to take control of their own learning. The tools are secondary.</p>

<h2>Benefits of Project-Based Learning</h2>

<p>Project-based learning helps students to develop a broad range of skills.</p>

<p>Team-based projects require effective <strong>communication</strong>, <strong>collaboration</strong>, <strong>critical thinking</strong>, and <strong>creativity</strong> (a major theme at&nbsp;the TESOL 2022 conference).</p>

<p>Babajanova&nbsp;needed to be flexible as her online toolkit was limited. Many sites such as YouTube are blocked in Turkmenistan where she&#39;s located. The key was to work with the tools&nbsp;students already had (such as their smartphones) and to learn ways to leverage the tools they were familiar with in order to do things in a different way.</p>

<h2>How I Use Project-Based Learning in the Classroom</h2>

<p>Project-based learning has been a part of my teaching toolkit for many years now, especially since I started teaching specialized workplace courses for adult newcomers. The projects provide opportunities to use real-world communicative skills, and in the process, students learn some language skills that they need in order to be successful.</p>

<p>One project I remember fondly was my own version of the &ldquo;30 Day Challenge&rdquo; by Matt Cutts.</p>

<p>His original challenge was simple enough: Do something new for 30 days.</p>

<p>Cutts experimented with <strong>creative projects</strong>, such as taking a photo every day, with <strong>health-based projects </strong>such as&nbsp;cycling to work, cutting out sugar, and other activities.</p>

<p>My version was to create small support groups where students would share their challenges and then act as motivational coaches to their team. They met regularly, discussed the benefits and challenges, and offered advice to each other. It was as simple as that.</p>

<p>Students don&rsquo;t look back fondly on their language classes and wax poetic about grammar practice worksheets. They remember the connections they created and the excitement when they discovered something about themselves.</p>

<p><img alt="image of a poster board project" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2269/content_content_project-1.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Student Vision Board Project</p>

<p>One former student told me recently that this challenge had a deep impact on his life.</p>

<p>He challenged himself to find and join a local volleyball team. It was important to him because this was an activity he had enjoyed before coming to Canada. Volleyball connected him to a community and increased his physical activity. His language skills also picked up a great deal as a result.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>10 Tips for Successful Project-Based Learning</h2>

<p>Project-based learning is easier to implement&nbsp;than you might think. Here are 10 tips I learned from TESOL for successful project-based learning&mdash;online and in class.</p>

<ol>
	<li><strong>Involve the students.</strong>&nbsp;Find out what they are interested in learning.</li>
	<li><strong>Create a framework for learning.</strong> How will students demonstrate their learning? What will they do with it? Why is it important for them? What will they get out of it? What&rsquo;s the real-world goal?</li>
	<li><strong>Create a timeframe for tasks and rubrics.</strong> Students need to see what the expectations are for each step or part of the process.</li>
	<li><strong>Figure out what&#39;s in your students&rsquo; toolkits.</strong>&nbsp;What tech tools do they already have access to? What do they still need to learn in order to collaborate and communicate with their group?</li>
	<li><strong>Reporting methods need to be worked out. </strong>This includes receptive skills (e.g., What listening/reading will students need to do?) and productive skills (e.g., How will students demonstrate their learning?&nbsp;Through blogs? Video diaries? Flipgrid?)</li>
	<li><strong>Assign roles, and be clear! </strong>Especially if it&rsquo;s a group project. Consider accountability&mdash;to whom are the students accountable? To themselves, to each other?</li>
	<li><strong>Do it.</strong></li>
	<li><strong>Present findings.</strong> Do a virtual demonstration with another language class or if face-to-face, bring back the presentations in the hallway.&nbsp;If you can, encourage a&nbsp;Q&amp;A session. If virtual, this can be a podcast or a breakout room session.</li>
	<li><strong>Reflect on it.</strong></li>
	<li><strong>Archive it so you can&nbsp;share with future students.</strong></li>
</ol>

<p><img alt="image of a model built by students" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/2268/content_content_Project-2.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Model of our school&#39;s courtyard - Student Renovation Project at TVDSB</p>

<p>This year, TESOL&nbsp;had more than&nbsp;300 presentations. The&nbsp;theme centered around developing student agency and empowering students to interact, engage and communicate.</p>

<p>Project-based learning encourages students to set meaningful goals, collaborate with each other, and then to reflect on their accomplishments.</p>

<div class="white-box">
<h5>Share Your Thoughts</h5>

<p>What projects have you helped&nbsp;design for your students? Let us know in the comments section below.</p>
</div>


VIEWING POSTS BY

Jen Artan

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Takeaways from TESOL 2022: Project-Based Learning