When ESL Meets Escape Rooms
When: Thursday, June 20, 2019 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Presenter: Marlaina Riggio, OCELT
Webinar Description:
Are you seeking a unique way to engage and inspire your language learners with ESL content in the classroom? Well, look no further! In this webinar, participants will explore the benefits of classroom-based escape rooms.
This method is not only a great way to synthesize information, but also helps learners develop their critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Applying this innovative strategy in ESL has the power to raise learner’s interest, check their comprehension of course material, and refine their English language skills.
The webinar will address:
- the concept of escape rooms
- teacher-constructed escape rooms
- student-created escape rooms (low to high level)
- peer and self evaluations
The presenter will share her evaluation forms/rubric for this activity.
Webinar Type: Technology, at a moderate skill level
Categories: Technology, lesson planning, lesson ideas
Marlaina Riggio 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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlaina-riggio-748456182/
* Tutela account required before registering
Improving Pronunciation Using Icebreakers, Warmups, and Short Activities
When: Thursday, June 27, 2019 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Presenter: Mary Ritter
Webinar Description:
English language learners are “frequently misinterpreted as rude, abrupt, or disinterested solely because of the prosodics of their speech” (Celce-Murcia, 1996). Indeed, target-like articulation and prosody continue to be an obstacle even in advanced classes. Teachers often perceive teaching and assessing pronunciation, though, as difficult (Burgess & Spencer, 2000).
This presenter will share a number of short interactive exercises that encourage students to pay attention to vowel sounds, final consonants, word stress, and prosody. Moreover, because they align easily with the communicative approach in teaching, these exercises work well not just in speaking classes, but even in many reading and writing classes.
During this webinar, the presenter will introduce:
- an ice-breaker that targets the pronunciation of consonant blends
- an introduction exercise that requires the mastery of the stress patterns of other participants’ names
- a warm-up that combines alliteration with improv to practice initial consonants
- a paired exercise that requires both speaker and listener to distinguish commonly-mispronounced vowels
- an intonation exercise in which emotions are expressed through the focus words of given sentences
You will consider how to adapt these exercises to different levels of proficiency or themed units in curricula. By the end of this webinar, it is expected that you will have gained the ability to use short, interactive exercises to improve your students' pronunciation. The presenter will share some examples for use in your lesson planning.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Listening, pronunciation, lesson planning, lesson ideas
Participant Level: All levels
Mary Ritter teaches ESL, English for Academic Purposes, and English for Specific Purposes in the American Language Institute at New York University in Manhattan. The recent winner of an NYU-SPS Teaching Excellence Award, she specializes in teaching listening and speaking, pronunciation, intercultural communication, and presentation skills. Her current favourite course to teach is Improv for English.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-k-ritter-83b17669/
* Tutela account required before registering
Enhance Your Materials With H5P
When: Wednesday, July 17, 2019 @ 7 pm
Presenter: John Allan
Webinar Description:
This is an introduction to the power and utility of the H5P (HTML 5 Packager) resource. H5P allows instructors to create a variety of contemporary learning objects that will be interactive and engaging for language learners.
There are over 30 kinds of learning objects that can be made by this online tool. It works within WordPress, Moodle (edulinc/LearnIT2teach) and BrightSpace or as a standalone tool on the H5P server.
During this session exemplars will be demonstrated, a complete build of an H5P learning object will be shown, and relevant support systems will be provided.
Webinar Type: TechKnow
TechKnow webinars are one hour, in two segments:
- 40-45 min presentation, supported by slides
- 15-20 min for attendees’ questions
Priority will be given to questions submitted in advance. Members can submit relevant questions up to one day before the webinar.
Email questions to webinar@teslontario.org, showing the webinar title in the subject line.
Categories: Technology, instructional design, blended teaching/learning, online teaching/learning
Participant Level: Beginner level
John Allan is a teacher, teacher trainer, author, blogger, and an instructional developer with 25+ years of experience in the U.S.A., Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. His focus on applications of education technologies has resulted a wide variety of training materials and in-class learning opportunities. He is a frequent presenter at education conferences, webinars, and workshops.
Twitter: @mrpottz
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnharoldallan
TESL Ontario Blog posts: http://blog.teslontario.org/author/john-allan
ElearningWorld.org posts: https://www.elearningworld.org/author/jallan
* Tutela account required before registering
Bridging the Cultural Gap
When: Wednesday, July 31, 2019 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenter: Munjeera Jefford
Webinar Description:
In today's political climate, talking about culture in the classroom can be a 'toxic landmine' for some instructors. What role does culture play in the English language classroom, and how can ESL instructors bridge the gap within a multicultural society?
The presenter will introduce the funds of knowledge strategy (see reference below). This strategy recognizes the importance of the out-of-school life experiences of ESL students. Our presenter will explore ways to bring that newcomer knowledge into the classroom. Applying this strategy, the ESL student experience can become more meaningful and authentic, as they share their memories and stories.
This webinar will address:
- The cultural climate within our ESL classrooms
- How we can best address this topic in a respectful way
- Whether any related areas or topics should be avoided
- How we can develop lesson plans and learning environments to foster cultural acceptance and understanding and promote nationalism in a positive way
Reference
González, N., Moll, L. C., & Amanti, C. (Eds.). (2013). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Routledge.
Webinar Type: General
Categories: Classroom management, lesson planning, lesson ideas, social justice, cultural awareness
Participant Level: No previous knowledge required
Munjeera was an instructor and supervisor for more than seven years across the GTA. She has a Master of Education in Leadership and Educational Administration. Her research areas are anti-oppressive education management and post-colonial thought.
* Tutela account required before registering
Using Google Sites for Scaffolding Writing
When: Thursday, August 22, 2019 8:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenter: Ruth Emode
Webinar Description:
Are you interested in creating a customized platform similar to a Learning Management System (LMS), but one that is more user-friendly than Moodle or Blackboard? Have you been wondering how to liven up the monotonous routine of teaching essay writing, especially research papers? If so, this webinar will be of interest to you.
Focused on strategies for intermediate to advanced English-for-Academic-Purposes (EAP) learners, particularly those aiming to start undergraduate degrees, our presenter will demonstrate ways to scaffold the writing process. She will cover from the brainstorming stage to the final draft, with a variety of techniques that engage learners through online tools, hosted on Google Sites or used with Google apps.
Though writing and marking papers can never be completely painless, this webinar will deconstruct the usual stages of writing and reading academic work to help simplify the process and identify where students need guidance. Our presenter will explain the advantages of:
• pre-selected topics • carefully designed handouts for brainstorming and outlining • activities with collocations • collaborative writing • annotating tools • practice videos for final presentations
Knowledge of Google Sites, a platform that allows one to embed a variety of tools and materials directly into the pages for a more accessible website, is not necessary. The basics of Google Sites will be explained, and its possibilities are not limited to writing or higher-level students.
Webinar Type: Technology
Categories: Technology, organization, research writing
Participant Level: No previous knowledge required
Ruth has been an ESL instructor at York University English Language Institute (YUELI) for several years. She is also an ESL professor at George Brown College. She has taught all levels but has more experience teaching students in pathway programs designed for direct entry to university. Ruth has a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Victoria, and a TESL Canada certificate from Victoria International Academy.
* Tutela account required before registering
Using Socrative for Formative Assessments in the Classroom
When: Sunday, September 29, 2019 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Presenter: Afrouz Mobayen, OCELT
Webinar Description:
Do you want to assess students more frequently but find that marking quizzes in large classes can be an issue? Would you like to learn about an effective online assessment tool that automatically marks quizzes and auto-populates results? If so, this webinar will be of interest to you.
In this webinar, the presenter will introduce you to the various uses of Socrative, which is a free online application for creating formative assessments. Join us to learn about the features of this tool and see examples of how it can be used to assess reading skills in ESL classrooms.
If you are not familiar with using technology in the classroom, this tool can be a great start as it is simple and easy to use.
Webinar Type: TechKnow
TechKnow webinars are one hour, in two segments:
- 40-45 min presentation, supported by slides
- 15-20 min for attendees’ questions
Priority will be given to questions submitted in advance. Members can submit relevant questions up to one day before the webinar.
Email questions to webinar@teslontario.org, showing the webinar title in the subject line.
Categories: Technology, assessment
Participant Level: All levels
Afrouz teaches English for Academic Purposes at George Brown College’s School of ESL. She also teaches online courses for McGill’s School of Continuing Studies. Afrouz holds a Master of Education in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development from OISE, University of Toronto.
* Tutela account required before registering