IATEFL LTSIG Joint Event with the British Council and MATE 1st ICT Conference at Marrakech: 8-11 February 2012

DISTANCE TEACHER TRAINING IN TUNISIA Slaheddine Khlifi. Senior Inspector of English. Tunis. Tunisia. Teacher trainer and ICT trainer trainer, Content developer and online tutor with CENAFFE.(Centre National de Formation des Formateurs en Education) at Carthage, Tunisia. slahkhlifi@gmail.com Website: http://www.englishly.herobo.com/ Website: http://www.anglais.edunet.tn/projects/perso_site/skhlifi/index.htm CENAFFE : http://www.cenaffe.edunet.tn The CENAFFE TEACHER TRAININIG PLATFORM/ E-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: http://www.cenaffe-foad.edunet.tn/ Platforms: Dokeos /eFront /Claroline/Ganesha/Moodle(for more information, please visit moodle.org) Moodle: short for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment.Moodle is learner friendly & cost-effective. To moodle (verb): process of enjoyable tinkering that often leads to growing knowledge, insight and creativity. It applies both to the way Moodle was developed, and to the way we may use it to teach and learn. Components: Learning Environment - Course Content - Teaching/Learning tools - Registered Students - Online tutors Platform Content: The course is divided into workshops which are subdivided into activities. Platform Activities: Assignment-Glossary-Hot Potatoes-Journal-Quiz (A) Synchronous activities: Instant Messaging/Chat/E-mail/Forum/Wiki Authoring software: Hot Potatoes http://hotpot.uvic.ca/ Cmap Tools http://cmap.ihmc.us/ Didapages www.didasystem.com exeLearning http://exelearning.org/wiki Interactions: Tutor-Individual/Tutor-Pair/Tutor-Group/Individual-Individual/Pair-Pair/Group-Group. Module 1: Improving Pedagogic Practices : Section 1 : WHY (3 Workshops)Section 2 : WHAT (2 Workshops)Section 3 : HOW (3 Workshops). This Module deals with 3 topics: What is new in the teaching/ learning environment and the recent methodologies, especially in the new programmes and textbooks. The difference between terms often mistakenly used interchangeably, namely evaluation, assessment, tests and exams together with a fresh look at the summative-formative debate.Understanding project-based learning and its leading features and prerequisites. By the end of this module, participants will be able to: -Activate and reinvest prior and shared knowledge about ICT(Information and Communication Technologies) in teaching.-Define and describe ICT acronyms and terms.-Locate and recognise ICT in the new programmes and textbooks.-Grasp the relation between Education Act, the official programmes and the textbooks.-Conceive of ways of integrating ICT in ELT.-Use and integrate online and offline ICT resources in teaching(through webquests for example).-Assess one's experience in ICT use in class.-Come to an understanding of PBL(Project-Based Learning), its origins, rules of thumb and main features.-Reflect on and assess off-line projects.-Plan, implement and reflect on one's own off-line projects.-Plan and implement online projects.-Evaluate, create and apply formative assessment tools.-Diagnose and remedy students' difficulties.-Discuss issues related to ICT, evaluation, assessment and PBL online.-Use the platform tools and related software and activities.-Interact with peers and tutor online in synchronous and asynchronous modes. Module 2: Teaching And Assessing Reading : Section 1 : WHY ( 2 Workshops) Section 2 : WHAT ( 2 Workshops) Section 3 : HOW (2Workshops). This module deals with the following subtopics of reading: Rationale for Reading/Reading Defined/The Reading Process/Critical Reading/Approaches to Reading/Reading Skills and Strategies/Assessing Reading/ The ReadingLesson/TAVI, TALO and TASP/Strategy Training/Bloom’s Taxonomy. By the end of this module, participants will have developed knowledge, understanding and abilities as listed below: -Take cognizance of the importance of reading across the curriculum. Relate reading to curriculum goals and textbooks. -Grasp the rationale for teaching and testing reading.-Discuss issues related to the teaching/learning of reading online with peers and tutor.-Discuss issues related to the testing system and testing devices as regards reading.-Identify and synthesize reading skills and strategies from the official programmes.-Grasp the relation between Education Act, the official programmes and the textbooks.-Define reading collegially and understand its quintessential aspects.-Analyze and understand the reading process.-Grasp the concept of critical reading and read critically oneself.-Further understand top-down, bottom-up and interactive approaches to reading.-Acquire abilities in developing reading skills and strategies. -Reinvest prior and newly-acquired knowledge and skills related to reading in the production of appropriate reading activities.-Produce structured reading assignments for teaching/testing in accordance with taxonomies.-Create TAVI, TALO and TASP activities for reading classrooms.-Apply strategy training in reading. -Further explore and revisit the topic of reading through a variety of resources.-Get training in mapping software such as Cmap Tools.-Get training in Didapages software to create virtual books and read them.-Use the platform tools and related software and activities efficiently.-Interact with peers and tutor online in synchronous and asynchronous modes.