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Special Event: Virtual MINI-TOSCON
Overcoming Learners' Affective Barriers with Asynchronous Information Communication Technology
When: Saturday, June 6, 2020 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Presenter: Katina Deichsel
Webinar Description:
For anyone who has tried to learn in an environment where the language of communication is not native to the individual, the process and outcome are often influenced by affective and psychological factors, including anxiety and inhibition. Through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), learners can learn in environments that incorporate differentiated instruction that create equitable learning opportunities unavailable in traditional, face-to-face classrooms.
Though ICT offers learners new avenues to increase their confidence in communicating in English, asynchronous technology specifically offers the added value of a time lag. This allows learners to review the material, engage with the concepts, craft a response, and revise their response(s) based on their own readiness.
The presenter will show how the inclusion of asynchronous ICT can increase participant confidence, motivation, and engagement with the program content and concepts to enhance learning outcomes.
From this webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Differentiate between the affordances of synchronous and asynchronous ICT,
- Name asynchronous ICTs that can be used in learning/teaching environments,
- Provide strategies for how learners with varying digital literacy levels can engage with asynchronous ICT.
Webinar Type: Technology
Categories: Technology, lesson planning/ideas, blended teaching/learning, online teaching/learning
Participant Level: Moderate level
After six years of working as a curriculum developer and program facilitator of bridging programs for internationally educated professionals, Katina has returned to complete her M.Ed at Ontario Tech University. Katina's research focus is on the role of digital literacy in current education and work environments, to create bridging programs that get participants working in their relevant fields.
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
AFTER YOU REGISTER, download the two files shown at the bottom of the event listing. The first provides an overview of the webinar and references. The second has interactive links to G Suite, Padlet, Answer Garden, and Flipgrid. The presenter invites you to contribute to these, before and during the presentation. Check it out, add ideas, comment on others' ideas, add images, GIFs, colour, to personalize.
Special Event: Virtual MINI-TOSCON
Intercultural and Plurilingual Language Teaching: What, Why, and How
When: Saturday, June 6, 2020 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Presenters: Alanna Carter & Rebecca Schmor
Webinar Description:
Are you interested in expanding your repertoire of intercultural teaching ideas? Are you keen to develop or adapt culturally inclusive activities for your classroom? If so, join us to learn more about teaching at the intersection of language and culture.
Our presenters will explore:
- What an intercultural and plurilingual language learning environment may look like, particularly in the Canadian context,
- Why teachers have a responsibility to engage with culture in sensitive and safe ways in the language classroom, where culture can be considered the “fifth skill”,
- How classroom activities such as “Teach Your Language”, “Intercultural Communication Styles”, or “The Cultural Iceberg” can provide intercultural and plurilingual learning opportunities.
Come ready with your thoughts, experiences, and ideas about intercultural language teaching. Look forward to a lively Q & A period. A collaborative resource, based on webinar discussions, will be developed and made available.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Lesson planning/ideas, culture, intercultural learning, plurilingual teaching
Participant Level: All levels
Alanna Carter is an English language instructor at the Real Institute at Ryerson University. She has worked on a range of curriculum development projects for various stakeholders and student populations. Her interests include helping international students adjust to Canadian culture and fostering diverse learning environments.
Rebecca Schmor is an academic English instructor at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies. She has studied, worked, and travelled in more than 20 countries, and has taught English, German, and Spanish at a variety of language institutions. She is passionate about language education and intercultural communication.
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Special Event: Virtual TESL Peel / Halton / Etobicoke Spring PD Event
ZOOMing Ahead – Tips and Tricks
When: Sunday, June 21, 2020 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Presenter: Catherine (Kate) Maven, OCELT
Webinar Description:
With the ‘new normal’, have you found yourself unexpectedly teaching online for the first time? Or maybe online teaching is not new to you, but you’re always open to new ideas? Are you wondering if there are easier or better ways to do things on Zoom? If so, join us for this webinar.
If you've started using Zoom for online teaching or meeting with clients, you may be frustrated with its limitations or else wondering if you're doing something wrong (Well, spoiler alert! - maybe It's not YOU. Zoom IS kind of BUGGY.)
Our presenter will show you some of the tricks she’s learned for getting the most out of a Zoom meeting. During this webinar, you'll learn how to:
- Share audio when you Share Screen (2 ways),
- Switch your Shared Screen without exiting Share!
- Use the Whiteboard,
- Set the SETTINGS,
- Kick out any lurkers who are piggybacking on your video lessons,
- Share Files in Chat,
- Manage Breakout Rooms for conversation (time limit, move participants automatically, etc.)
Anticipate an active Q&A session at the end of the webinar. The presenter will make her slides available to you, after the webinar.
Webinar Type: Technology
Categories: Technology, online teaching/learning
Participant Level: Beginner level
Kate Maven has taught adult LINC/ESL for more than 30 years. She has a Master of Arts in English from McMaster University. She has received excellent evaluations for her TESL Ontario and affiliate workshops since she began presenting in 2009. In 2019, she published “101 Secrets of Canadian Culture” and its companion Teacher’s Workbook.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EnglishMaven
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-maven-5ba03033/
Blog: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6657773150195056640/
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Special Event: Virtual TESL Peel / Halton / Etobicoke Spring PD Event
Mindfulness - An Approach to Relaxation
When: Sunday, June 21, 2020 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Presenter: Anjum Karimi, OCELT
Webinar Description:
Are you feeling stressed out? Do you find it difficult to strike a work/life balance? Do you feel that there’s an information overload in today’s virtual work environment which makes it challenging to manage time? If yes, join us for this webinar to learn about the mindfulness attitudes to relax and enhance productivity.
You will learn how to:
- maximize your time by living in the present moment,
- meditate for overall mental and physical health,
- look at life from a different perspective, and
- take short and powerful breaks to rejuvenate and recharge.
The presenter will introduce you to mindful meditation and breathing exercises to enhance focus and reduce stress.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Health, mental health
Participant Level: No previous knowledge required.
Anjum Karimi has more than 10 years of experience in LINC/ESL/ELT teaching stream. She is a LINC 2 instructor at Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services, and a TESL methodology instructor at Canadian College of Educators. She has volunteered with the Peel/Halton/Etobicoke executive board for 10 years, as the membership secretary and as affiliate representative. She has been practicing mindfulness and meditation from a very early age and has found it to be extremely effective in creating a positive approach to life.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjumkarimi/
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Reading and Presenting Circles
When: Thursday, July 16, 2020 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Presenter: Sherry Hejazi, OCELT
Webinar Description:
Are you faced with students who freeze at the thought of doing a presentation? In group activities, do you wonder how to assure that all learners do their share? Are you looking for new ways to develop learners’ critical thinking skills? If so, this webinar will be of interest to you.
Many students have years of experience and vast knowledge in their areas of expertise, yet when it comes to communicating the simplest thoughts and ideas, they often seem to be challenged. Confidence and language barriers could be the two biggest reasons behind this challenge.
Our presenter developed ‘Reading & Presenting Circles’, to provide students with more opportunities to present, without making it an official presentation task. With courses being moved online, this format has still proven to be successful. Our presenter will share details of the design, including the range of skills incorporated in the design, and mode of assessment.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Technology, listening, speaking, literacy, assessment, presentation skills
Participant Level: All levels
Sherry Hejazi teaches English, ESL, occupation-specific language training, and research and report writing at a post-secondary level. She is an OCT and OCELT certified instructor with a Master of Education from York University. Sherry is passionate about incorporating diverse instructional strategies that benefit students with various learning abilities. She is interested in researching and implementing various EdTech tools in developing and instructing various courses, enhancing student engagement and student agency. She is a TESL Ontario blog contributor.
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Creating Digital Classes Using Google Classroom
When: Sunday, July 26, 2020 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenter: Rabia Rashid, OCELT
Webinar Description:
Have you considered teaching online in the expanding digital age? Are you the eager teacher who wants to teach online but is intimidated by the unknown of online classrooms? If you are that close to your goal to start teaching online, then this webinar is the first step to your call.
This webinar will walk you through creating Google Classroom and use of the Google apps. The presenter will show you step by step how to create Google Classrooms by inviting students with simple instructions to your CLB 3+ classrooms.
The presentation will also include:
- creating and assigning tasks,
- making rubrics,
- grading and giving individual feedback, and
- gathering artifacts for PBLA.
Webinar Type: Technology
Categories: Technology, classroom management, organization, PBLA, instructional design, blended teaching/learning, online teaching/learning
Participant Level: All levels
Rabia has more than 20 years of experience teaching ESL, of which five years is in adult newcomers in LINC and ESL settings. Currently working full time with the Peel District School Board, she has a Master of Education from the University of Toronto in Adult Education. As an adult educator, she has taught learners of all ages, in classroom and online. She is determined to change the mindset about teaching and learning in the evolving digital age, encouraging her students to use digital platforms for productive self-progression. She is a volunteer moderator with the TESL Ontario webinar team.
Twitter: @ran2ns2002
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rabiarashid74/
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Special Event: Virtual TESL Windsor Summer PD Event
English and Nature - Making Your Classroom Fly
When: Saturday, July 18, 2020 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Presenter: Nancy Pancheshan, OCELT
Webinar Description:
Are you looking for an integrated project that assesses all areas of language acquisition? Do you want to incorporate nature into your lessons? Do you want to assess all areas of language assessment in one assignment? If so, this presentation will be of interest to you.
The presenter will describe how you can integrate a nature-themed project course into an intensive English language program curriculum for various levels. She will also include an infusion of grammar ideas and real-world tasks.
In this webinar you will learn cross-curricular options for how students can research, learn and present their findings regarding:
- Canadian species,
- Canadian provinces and territories,
- Canadian land regions,
- Canadian habitats and endangered ecosystems, and
- human impacts.
The presenter will provide classroom templates and show samples of marking rubrics.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Technology, listening, pronunciation, organization, grammar, lesson planning/ideas, literacy, health/mental health, PBLA, assessment, instructional design, online teaching/learning, environmental
Participant Level: All levels
For the past 12 years, Nancy Pancheshan has been an English language teacher at Academie Ste Cecile International School in Windsor. She believes learning should be fun and engaging. She utilizes a variety of teaching and learning strategies for student’s mastery of English language acquisition. She has worked on curriculum development projects for various stakeholders and student populations. She has strong interests in supporting international students and fostering environments that encourage appreciation and protection of nature in our local communities.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-pancheshan-b5298972/
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Special Event: Virtual TESL Windsor Summer PD Event
Horticultural Therapy in ESL Lesson Planning
When: Saturday, July 18, 2020 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Presenter: Christina Klein, OCELT
Webinar Description:
What is horticultural therapy? Can your students benefit from horticultural therapy? How can you integrate horticultural therapy into your lesson planning? Perhaps these are questions you’ve never considered. If so, we encourage you to join us to learn more.
Horticultural therapy is defined as a “professionally conducted client-centred treatment modality that utilizes horticultural activities to meet specific therapeutic or rehabilitative goals of its participants”. Evidence-based research has proven that horticultural therapy’s benefits to individuals are wide-reaching, assisting in the well-being in the cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and physiological life areas.
Although a trained horticultural therapist works with clients in a variety of settings (hospitals, long-term care homes, prisons) there are aspects of the outcomes that can be included in classroom settings. You do not need to be a manic gardener to use plant-based material in your classroom.
This webinar will include:
- the key concepts of horticultural therapy,
- the four program modals,
- the five life areas that benefit from horticultural therapy,
- a variety of activities that can be used in the classroom, and
- lesson plans that include CLB outcomes.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Lesson planning/ideas
Participant Level: No previous knowledge required
Christina Klein has degrees in education, religion, and psychology, as well as certification in horticultural therapy. She is on the board of the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association, having held a variety of positions, including three years as the Chair. In her 28 years of teaching she has taught all levels of ESL, from literacy to LINC 7. She is a dedicated TESL Ontario volunteer, having been on the Windsor TESL Board for the past 10 years.
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Crossing the "Rubricon": Designing and Using Effective Rubrics
When: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenters: Donna Pearce, OCELT & Eldon Friesen
Webinar Description:
Rubrics have become a commonly used and widely accepted assessment tool in education, particularly in Western contexts. However, we often don’t stop to think about why we actually use them and how we can maximize their effectiveness. This webinar will focus on three important questions:
Why bother to use rubrics at all?
- to harmonize assessment across multiple sections,
- to serve as a form of criteria to improve inter-rater reliability, and
- to provide clear and useful feedback for learners.
How can we design rubrics for various tasks?
- rubric design for speaking tasks,
- rubric design for writing tasks, and
- rubric design for participation.
How can we ensure that our rubrics are working effectively?
- parallel marking,
- feedback and revision, and
- practice with demo text from handout.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Assessment
Participant Level: All levels
Donna Pearce and Eldon Friesen are Program Development & Quality Assurance Coordinators for ESL Services at Brock University.
Donna also teaches pronunciation for the Goodman School of Business and is the writing mentor for the graduate program in Applied Linguistics/TESL. Her interests include quality assurance in education, innovative pedagogies in language learning, and plurilingualism in ESL instruction.
Eldon has held various teaching and program administration and development positions in Canada, Mexico, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. His interests include curriculum delivery, testing, assignment specifications, and rubrics.
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Using Sociodramatic Play in ESL Development
When: Sunday, August 30, 2020 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenter: Fernanda Batista, OCELT
Webinar Description:
Are you looking for ways to energize your lessons? Are you curious about including drama, but perhaps feel you don’t have the relevant skills? If so, join us for this webinar.
Sociodramatic play has proven to contribute to communication processes in several ways, including the development of language, imagination, creative expression, self-regulation, inner thought, and socialization. It also paves the way for the development of symbolic activities such as literacy, mathematics, and music. This was evident in children’s classes, but to what extent can it be beneficial to ESL development in teenage and adult learners?
The presenter will discuss sociodramatic play, and in particular Replacement Performance Role-Play. She hopes to encourage instructors to incorporate it in the ESL classroom. By doing so, you can promote interactive and cooperative learning, the understanding of norms of other cultures, practice for real-life experiences, and student participation.
In this webinar, participants can expect to:
- identify the advantages of the use of sociodramatic play in the language classroom,
- recognize the features of Replacement Performance Role-Play that promote all levels of thinking, and
- evaluate how a specific Replacement Performance Role-Play proposal can contribute to ESL development when used in the classroom.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Lesson planning/ideas
Participant Level: No previous knowledge required
Fernanda Batista is a writing and ESL specialist at Ontario Tech University, where she develops and teaches writing programs for ESL students. She has 17 years of ESL teaching experience. She has an MA and PhD degree in Language and Literature from Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Brazil, as well as a Cambridge CELTA, and OCELT designation.
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Energize Online Classes With Virtual Experiences
When: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenter: John Allan, OCELT
Webinar Description:
Are you looking for new content to help hold the attention of your online learners? Are you searching for content that will also hold your interest in online teaching? Is your enthusiasm for online classes starting to lag? If so, join our presenter for a fun and informative hour of learning.
This webinar offers instructors practical ways to introduce new experiences to classes, with virtual experiences. Our presenter will share his experience with the following tools, as well as "How To" guides to share with instructors and students, to reduce adoption of these experiences:
- Expeditions VR Tours.
- Create a VR Tour.
- Expeditions AR Models.
- Google Earth Voyager.
- GeoGuessr.
Webinar Type: Technology
Categories: Technology, lesson planning
Participant Level: Beginner level
John Allan, OCELT, describes himself merely as an educator, but he is being extremely modest. He is a language instructor and an instructional designer, but his educator skills focus not only on his students, but also his peers. He is usually ahead of the crowd in learning new technology, and is dedicated to sharing any new-found skills with fellow educators. He regularly runs training sessions in various areas of technology. He is a dedicated volunteer in many areas of TESL Ontario. He admits to being a pretty good golf caddie too. He is one talented man!
Twitter: @mrpotts
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnharoldallan
Blog: http://blog.teslontario.org/author/john-allan/
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Task-Based Language Teaching: From Tasks and Beyond
When: Sunday, September 27, 2020 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenters: Leo Gomez & Michael Landry
Webinar Description:
Our presenters first presented on task-based language learning (TBLT) for TESL Ontario in 2019.
In this second webinar, the presenters will briefly recap some of the main takeaways from last year’s webinar. The video of the March 31, 2019 webinar can be found by searching ‘Past Events’ on Tutela.
In the current webinar, the presenters will move on to explore the finer points of the task cycle. Using an interactive approach, participants will have an opportunity to work on TBLT lesson design and consider some of the implications identifying task goals, task type, and task roles for students and teachers.
By the end of this webinar, participants should have a solid understanding of how to plan and implement TBLT in their teaching context.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Listening, pronunciation, grammar, lesson planning/ideas, online teaching/learning, task-based education, second-language acquisition
Participant Level: No previous knowledge required
Leo Gomez is a language educator, teacher educator, manager, and materials designer who has been teaching for over 20 years in five different countries. He is the founder of Learn YOUR English. His main interests include teacher education, reflective practice, task-based education, corpus linguistics, reactive teaching, and humanistic teaching.
Leo’s Twitter: @leoxical
Leo’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardo-gomez-3b7a8027/
Michael Landry has worked extensively in Asia and Canada as an academic manager, teacher educator, and university lecturer. He is also a project manager for Learn YOUR English. His research interests include additional language socialization, teaching English for specific academic purposes (ESAP), and instructional and syllabus design.
Michael’s Twitter: @michaelhlandry
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
Incorporating the Arts in the EAP Classroom
When: Sunday, October 18, 2020 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenter: Mahgol Izadi
Webinar Description:
Do you admire those who bring their artistic talents into the classroom, but feel that you are not sure how to engage them? Are you concerned for students who are uncomfortable when asked to participate? Or maybe you just don’t know where to begin with venturing into incorporating the arts? If so, join us to learn more.
The presenter aims to introduce activities and themes that energize and motivate the class through the arts, while enhancing multicultural awareness. She will discuss why using art is an effective medium for teaching culture, and how it provides intrinsic motivation to study language.
Together you will look at some improv activities with varying levels of verbal engagement that can be used either as icebreakers and classroom energizers, or as supplementary material for reinforcing grammar and vocabulary.
You will also look at cross-cultural communication through the use of creative writing and explore untranslatable words, the use of five senses, and descriptive adjectives, to name a few.
These themes and activities are engagement tools that can be implemented to various degrees, depending on the level, interest, and focus of the class.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Listening, teamwork, improv skills, performance, vocabulary, confidence-building
Participant Level: No previous knowledge required
Mahgol Izadi is an Academic English teacher, art and movement workshop facilitator, and dance fitness instructor. She has a bachelor’s degree in professional writing and a MEd in Second language Education (SLE). She has been an academic instructor for over 13 years and is currently teaching at York University English Language Institute.
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/mahgol-izadi-951013b8
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
MS Teams Tutorial for Teachers
When: Wednesday, October 28, 2020 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenter: Marlaina Riggio, OCELT
Webinar Description:
We’ve moved…online! Is online teaching with MS Teams a new arena for you? Or are you just curious as to what features MS Teams has to offer, and how that compares to other platforms? If so, join us to learn more about MS Teams.
Now more than ever online platforms have become a significant part of our daily lives and work. With MS Teams, you can meet, chat, call, and collaborate, all in one place.
In this webinar, participants will explore the MS Teams platform and the benefits of using it for teaching. You will be introduced to:
- the basic features of the platform,
- building a collaborative classroom, and
- some of the apps integrated within the platform.
Webinar Type: Technology
Categories: Technology, online teaching/learning
Participant Level: No previous knowledge required
Marlaina Riggio began her love affair with teaching over 11 years ago. She currently works in Ottawa as both a full-time English professor at La Cité and a TESL trainer at Algonquin College. After completing her Bachelor of Arts in French Studies in Toronto, she spent two years teaching ESL in South Korea. She then went on to obtain her Master of Education in Second Language Learning from the University of Ottawa. She has also had the pleasure of conducting several pedagogical workshops in Canada, Mexico, and China.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlaina-riggio-748456182/
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.
The importance of Extensive Reading in Language Learning
When: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenter: Gonul Turkdogan, OCELT
Webinar Description:
Why is extensive reading important for language learning? How can students be motivated to read for pleasure? How can instructors enhance a student’s incidental language learning through extensive reading? Join us to learn answers to these questions.
Our presenter will review the basic principles and benefits of extensive reading, which include increased confidence, enjoyment of reading, autonomy, and passive vocabulary building. She will guide you in developing an effective extensive language program, suggest sources for materials, and related lesson activities.
- How intensive reading is different from extensive reading.
- The benefits of extensive reading.
- Which type of motivation, intrinsic or extrinsic, students need for extensive reading.
- The 10 core principles for extensive reading instruction (Day & Bamford, 2002).
- How to introduce extensive reading to the classroom.
- The reasons to persist in the effort to arouse intrinsic motivation for extensive reading.
- How to assess extensive reading.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Literacy, extensive reading
Participant Level: All levels
Gonul Turkdogan has a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics (TESL) and a BA in Sociology with a minor in Women Studies, both from Brock University. Prior to the downturn in international student enrollment caused by the pandemic, Gonul was an ESL instructor at Niagara College, teaching a variety of EAP courses. She is currently the academic drop-in facilitator at the college’s library, as well as a Turkish interpreter for the Canadian Border Service. She previously taught ESL in China and Turkey. Her research interests include extensive reading and second language reading.
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/mahgol-izadi-951013b8
Gonul’s related blog posts:
January, 2020 – http://blog.teslontario.org/the-role-of-extensive-reading-in-language-le...
April, 2020 - http://blog.teslontario.org/extensive-reading-resources/
* Members must be a member of the TESL Ontario group on Tutela.