Skye Playsted Thursday 14 May 2020 When we think of the term ‘culture’, it can be easy to focus on concrete elements such as art, music, clothing or food. However,…
ELTons would like to invite you and your networks to nominate those from across the English language teaching community around the world who inspire you and others. You can find out more and make a submission on the ELTons website by Friday 29 May, 23.59 (UK time).
Now more than ever, it’s important to recognise and celebrate people who have made a lasting and extraordinary impact on teaching and learning. Who do you think should win the ELTons award for outstanding achievement in English language teaching?
Nominations for the British Council ELTons Outstanding Achievement Award are encouraged from all nationalities, cultural or ethnic backgrounds, genders and first languages, and can include well-known leaders to typically unsung heroes.
We would like to hear who for you has:
Click here to visit https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/eltons-outstanding-achievement-award-2020 for further information.
The ideas compiled here are from teacher comments and discussions during a number of professional learning sessions that VicTESOL has run since the move to online and remote learning began. The teachers who participated were from primary and secondary schools and from the adult education sector.
Like the teachers in this session, we hope the ideas and resources in this list help you to also feel more confident about supporting EAL learners remotely. This list includes the positives (what’s working), some challenges, tips, strategies and resources. We hope you find them both useful for, and affirming of your experiences and practices. Thank you to all the participants for sharing their ideas and to the session facilitators for compiling them.
Online discussion forum and mini-presentations
Tuesday 5 May & Thursday 7 May, 4:00-5:45pm
VicTESOL provided an online space for teachers to come together to discuss their experience of teaching and supporting EAL students remotely during the COVID-19 crisis.
The session began with a number of mini-presentations with presenters sharing what they have implemented so far and their reflections on the experience of remote teaching and learning. This was followed by small group discussions between participants in which there was an opportunity for participants to share their experience and also hear what other teachers are implementing, sharing tips and advice for future learning. Librarian Jennifer Peck from the Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC) then presented some of their multilingual and EAL online resources.
Click here to access the information shared by Jennifer Peck from the Languages and Multicultural Education Resource Centre (LMERC).
Click here to view the ideas and the resource list compiled from teacher comments and discussions during these professional learning sessions.
Click here to join the teacher discussion forum on Facebook ‘LBOTE Families and home learning’. Click here to access further information on the VicTESOL website about this discussion group.
Click here to access information relating to the Department resources.
To download an edited PDF of powerpoint:
To download the resource links page:
Victoria Butterfield, Voula MacKenzie, Heena Sharma, Panayiota Kai
The Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program of the Victorian School of Languages (VSL)
Tuesday 28 April, 4-5pm
Online Webinar
Are you faced with the challenge of teaching your EAL students online during the COVID-19 crisis?
This session provided practical strategies for teaching EAL online, followed by a Q and A session with a panel of expert primary and secondary EAL teachers who work with the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program.
Participants learnt tips and strategies for the effective use of videoconferencing to teach EAL learners. Examples were shown of how engaging lessons can be conducted online for F-10 EAL learners at all levels.
This professional learning session focused on working with EAL students who have access to videoconferencing software at home.
About the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program [VNAP]
The Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program supports new arrival EAL students using video conferencing sessions delivered through a distance education model at the Victorian School of Languages (VSL). The Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program (VNAP) is specifically for newly-arrived EAL learners in remote country schools who cannot access an English Language School or English Language Centre.
Victoria Butterfield is co-coordinator and a teacher in the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program (VNAP). She is a highly accomplished EAL teacher who has taught in English Language Schools and Centres in Victoria for the past twelve years. Since 2017, Victoria has taught in the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program to support newly-arrived EAL learners and teachers in regional Victoria.
Voula MacKenzie is an experienced EAL, Information Technology and Humanities teacher, who has taught in Victorian secondary schools, English Language centres and most recently at the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program (Distance Education) hosted at the Victorian School of languages campus in Thornbury. Since 2014, Voula has led the development of the Virtual EAL program, which began as a pilot project, and is now an established program with 65 students throughout rural Victoria. Voula co-coordinates the program.
Heena Sharma is a generalist teacher specialising in EAL. She has worked in government Primary schools for over 15 years and in collaboration with Panayiota Kai teaching EAL. Heena Sharma joined the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program team in 2017.
Panayiota Kai is a generalist teacher specialising in Languages and EAL. She has taught in government Primary and Secondary schools for over 20 years. Panayiota has worked as an EAL Coach, trained EAL Leaders and offered PD on EAL issues. Panayiota has been part of the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program as Curriculum Co-ordinator since 2015.
Are you concerned about your LBOTE students accessing schoolwork at home because their families come from different language backgrounds or parents do not speak English?
Do you have questions about how you can engage parents so that students can learn more effectively at home?
Click here to join the discussion.
Read the April VicTESOL eBulletin online now.
Click here to read online.
And if you would like to subscribe to receive future updates please click here.
In collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in Canberra, ATESOL ACT is hosting a fantastic virtual tour of the NPG this Thursday 23rd April from 2 – 3pm.
The tour has been specially arranged to suit EALD teachers in the school and adult sectors. It explores the theme of identity through the NPG’s wonderful collection of paintings of Australians from many different walks of life and achievements.
ATESOL ACT invites you and your colleagues to join us. The event is FREE for all ACTA association members, including from interstate (and $30 for non-members). Booking is essential.
To book for this event, please visit: atesolact.org.au/events
Due to COVID-19 uncertainty, the ACTA International Conference has been rescheduled to 2021:
28 – 30 September 2021
Hilton Hotel, Brisbane
For more information, go to https://actaconference.com/
To register please visit: https://actaconference.com/registration/
Thank you to all VicTESOL members for supporting VicTESOL- this enables the association to provide opportunities for professional learning, networking and access to information & resources relating to the TESOL sector. As all 2019 memberships have now expired (on 31 March 2020), we encourage you to renew your membership!
Being a member of VicTESOL is full of advantages. Not only are you supporting English language teaching, learning and multicultural education but you have access to a wide array and network of professional development sessions and industry contacts.
Benefits of VicTESOL Membership–
Thank you to members who have already renewed their membership for 2020!
VicTESOL appreciates your ongoing support, especially during these uncertain times.
If you would like to join or renew, but are having financial difficulties, please contact us to discuss.
If your need to update your membership details before you renew please click here.
