JAROSŁAW KRAJKA
TRAINING ONLINE TEACHERS OF
ENGLISH THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO
ONLINE LEARNING
ONLINE CLASSROOM
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teacher
students
equipment
syllabus
ONLINE TEACHER OF ENGLISH
• having computer skills and being able to teach them
• able to solve technical problems
• as skilled as his students or more
• knowing some webpublishing
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innovative and creative to guide students to make websites
• confident in the use of computers and the knowledge of the Net
• extremely well-prepared for the lesson
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having a clear and detailed plan what to do, together with
alternative offline tasks
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giving clear and precise instructions
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aware of benefits and dangers of online instruction
REASONS FOR INTRODUCING ICT TO
TRAINING TEACHERS OF ENGLISH
• using computers and Information Technology is one of the requirements of
teachers’ professional development (awans zawodowy nauczyciela)
• headmasters expect teachers to conduct lessons in a computer lab/Internet
lab, as Internet labs are in most schools and because of demographic
decrease it is possible to have other classes than computer science there
• computers and the Web are extremely powerful factors in motivating
students to learn
• websites are a good source of varied, authentic, recent and interactive
materials
• the Internet offers new possibilities for communication between students
from different countries (email, chat, videoconferencing, collaborative
website creating)
• incorporating online instruction allows the teacher to adopt a crosscurricular approach, to teach other subjects through English
ICT TRAINING
• developing basic computer skills (ECDL
requirements):
– file management, word-processing,
spreadsheets, databases, presentation software,
searching and retrieving information from the
Internet, operating email software
• applying technology in teaching English:
– teaching language skills with the Internet, online
lessons, ELT software, chat, email, computer
project work, finding and preparing materials
for classroom use
RUNNING A COURSE: PRESERVICE VS. IN-SERVICE
• Pre-service: regular weekly meetings, students
used to doing homework assignments, possible to
assign reading, younger trainees
• In-service: two three-day sessions of 20 hrs each,
impossible to assign reading, difficult to force
trainees to do homework, older trainees, physical
fatigue (afternoons or weekends), varied level of
computer skills
PRE-SERVICE TRAINING SELECTED TEACHER TRAINING
COLLEGES: BYDGOSZCZ
• 15 computers in a lab, limited self-access
(2hrs/week)
• 2hrs/week on first year of computer classes (wordprocessing, operating email, basic webpublishing,
educational software)
PRE-SERVICE TRAINING SELECTED TEACHER TRAINING
COLLEGES: BIAŁYSTOK
• self-access Internet lab, most workstations out-ofdate, a few with good fibreoptic connection
• until last year 1 semester on first year (wordprocessing) and 1 semester on third year (Internet,
webpublishing, searching and evaluating online
materials)
• at present no ICT classes, waiting for funds to start
them again
PRE-SERVICE TRAINING SELECTED TEACHER TRAINING
COLLEGES: KRAKÓW
• 4 workstations for students, including 2 with
Internet access
• no classes in ICT
• plans for ICT classes with basic computer training
and elements of CALL in hired labs out of the
college
PRE-SERVICE TRAINING SELECTED TEACHER TRAINING
COLLEGES: PRZEMYŚL
• computer lab with 12 workstations, fast Internet
connection, self-access on 4 workstations in a
library reading room
• 2 hrs/week on second year (2 semesters), including
word-processing, searching the Net, evaluating
online materials, operating email, discussion lists
PRE-SERVICE TRAINING SELECTED TEACHER TRAINING
COLLEGES: LUBLIN
• two workstations in a library reading room (to be
shared with students of the English Department of
UMCS)
• no classes in ICT
NKJO STUDENTS AND ICT RESULTS OF A POLL
• A poll among 43 students of the second year from NKJO
Przemyśl and NKJO Lublin
• 76,74% use a computer either at home, work or college
• 51,16% have an email account, but 30% of them checks it
less often than once a fortnight
• 4,55% are a member of a discussion group
• 22,73% use email to send files
• 4,65% have their own website
• 50% use Internet news services
• 35% use Internet journals
• 65% use WWW to find materials for classroom use
• 22,50% use chat to communicate with others
NKJO STUDENTS AND ICT RESULTS OF A POLL
• 6,98% think that studies should include classes in computer
use only, 6,98% that classes in using technology in teaching
only, 86,05% that in both these areas
• Percentages of students supporting:
• file management: 34,89%
• word-processing: 51,16%
• spreadsheets: 16,27%
• databases: 25,58%
• presentation software: 32,56%
• searching the Internet: 76,74%
• operating email software: 48,84%
• creating websites: 44,19%
NKJO STUDENTS AND ICT RESULTS OF A POLL
• Percentages of students supporting particular
topics in the second module, using technology in
teaching:
• Internet for teaching language skills: 74,42%
• creating and running online lessons: 55,81%
• using email in teaching: 48,84%
• using chat in teaching: 44,19%
• ELT software: 79,07%
PRE-SERVICE TRAINING OF ICT
SKILLS - A PROPOSAL FOR
TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGES
• Training basic computer skills: word-processing,
operating email, discussion lists, searching the Net,
retrieving and evaluating online materials,
presentation software, basic webpublishing
• 2 hrs/week for two semesters on the second year
• relatively free access to computers: computer lab
in certain hours, library reading room all day, ELT
software for use at reading room workstations
IN-SERVICE TRAINING - THE
EXAMPLE OF LUBLIN 2000/01
• a grant course „How to Teach English in the 3rd Millenium”,
with 20 hrs devoted to ICT module (4 hrs computer training,
10 hrs using the Internet in teaching English, 6 hrs ELT
software in teaching) by WODN, INSETT Programme,
Kuratorium Oświaty, for 60 teachers of gimnazjum
• a course „ICT for teachers of English”, 40 hrs in all, 20 hrs for
computer training, 20 hrs for methodology of teaching and
learning with the Internet and computers, by The British
Council, INSETT Programme, WODN, for 70 teachers of all
kinds of schools
• a workshop „Using Computers and the Internet to Create
Matura 2002 Stimulating Material”, 4 hrs, by WODN, for 15
teachers of secondary schools
TEACHERS’ FEEDBACK - A 20HR COURSE
(INTERNET AND ELT SOFTWARE)
• 61,36% of teachers said that there was enough time, 36,36% that
more time was needed for the course
• 100% acquired new skills
• 93,10% will try to apply acquired skills in their teaching in schools
• 90,91% would like to participate in further courses of this kind
• 47,73% said that the contents of the course get grade 5, 45,45%
gave grade 6
• as for specific contents, parts pertaining to the Internet were
evaluated better than parts devoted to software
• computer training part (first 4 hrs) was regarded as too short and
without enough time for practising new skills
• teachers did not object to having to do three pieces of homework
(an online lesson plan, a software review, a design of a class
website and its classroom use)
TEACHERS’ FEEDBACK - A 40HR COURSE
(COMPUTER TRAINING AND INTERNET)
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for 65,57% the course was long enough, for 34,21% it was too short
97,37% acquired new skills
92,11% will try to apply acquired skills in their teaching in schools
94,74% would like to take part in a further ICT course
in the first part file management got the lowest positive feedback
(grade 5 - 49,54%, 6 - 24,32%), while word-processing,
presentation software, emailing, searching and retrieving
information from the Internet were highly evaluated (4 - 25-30%, 5
- 30-37%, 6 - 29-33%)
• in the second part Internet lessons and the Internet for teacher
development got the best marks (for the latter, 6 - 62,46%), email
and chat in teaching got also high marks, the weakest part was ELT
software (5 - 36,84%, 6 - 36,84%)
TEACHER TRAINEES AFTER THE
COURSES
• trainees had to submit homework to get a certificate
• a discussion list has been created, where trainees exchange
views on the subject after the course has ended
• best lesson plans and software reviews have been and will be
published in Teaching English with Technology journal
• trainees have done online lessons and have shared their plans
with other teachers via a discussion list
• trainees have done online lessons for their evaluation lessons
• trainees have created websites for their English class use
• trainees have started keypal exchange projects
IN-SERVICE TRAINING OF ICT SKILLS - A
PROPOSAL FOR THE BRITISH COUNCIL,
INSETT, WODN
• 40 hour course, with 20 hrs for purely computer training and 20
hrs for practical applications of technology in teaching English
• first part conducted in Polish by an Information Technology
specialist, second part in English by an acting English teacher
• first part focuses on most necessary applications (MS Word,
MS PowerPoint, MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook Express)
• both parts end with assignments required to complete the
course
• a website for the course is created, where there are all reference
materials to read, links to follow, where trainees’ works are
published
• a discussion list is created to keep trainees in touch with each
other and the instructor after the course
CONCLUSION
• Pre-service training:
• basic computer skills, popular applications (wordprocessing, email, Internet browser)
• self-access
• using ICT for research, professional development,
writing theses
• In-service training:
• computer training if necessary, focus on practical
applications of technology (Internet lessons, using
email, chat in the classroom, computer project
work, preparing Matura 2002 stimulating material)