Since 2004, the E-Teacher Program has offered graduate level courses via distance education conducted by select U.S. universities. Participants use innovative distance learning technology to interact with U.S. experts. The program covers costs of tuition and course materials, which are sent from the university directly to each participant.
In general, each course lasts from 10-12 weeks and takes approximately 10 hours per week of a participant’s time. Participants who successfully complete any of the courses receive a certificate from the university that administers the course.
Preferred candidates will have the following qualifications:
- Have not participated in an E-Teacher course before;
- Are leaders or potential leaders in education, teacher trainers, or teachers who are working, or plan to work, with the subject covered by the course;
- Are in a position to relay and share the information and knowledge gained from the course;
- Are highly motivated individuals, dedicated to their own professional development, and willing and to share the knowledge gained with colleagues through workshops or professional presentations;
- Are willing and able to cope with U.S. university graduate level intensive academic work, i.e., have advanced level reading and writing skills, roughly equivalent to a minimum TOEFL score of 550;
- Have a good command of the necessary vocabulary for the topic of the course;
- Have a general understanding of and familiarity with technical terms in English relating to computers, the Internet, and web browsers;
- Have the ability to navigate in Windows and create a Word document;
- Have the ability to type in English well enough to submit written assignment in a timely manner; and
- Have regular access to e-mail and the Internet.
The current courses are:
Assessment for English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
Offered by University of Maryland, Baltimore County, English Language Center
This 10-week course is designed to introduce the participants to the theory and practice of foreign language assessment and testing. Participants will learn about the differences between assessment and testing, and how they can be used to make effective decisions to support teaching and learning. They will learn important concepts to consider when developing assessment and tests, — such as validity, reliability, and practicality — as well as different kinds of assessment and tests (e.g. formative, summative, diagnostic, proficiency, achievement, product oriented, process-oriented, and alternative assessments). They will develop skills to assess ESL/EFL learner’s performance in the four areas and content areas. They will learn to develop test specifications, develop items, analyze and edit items, and put together a final assessment instrument that is reliable, valid, and useful. They will gain experience developing rubrics to assist with grading and scoring and make the assessment process transparent to all stakeholders.
Building Teaching Skills Through the Interactive Web
Offered by University of Oregon, Linguistics/American English Institute (http://aei.uoregon.edu/ )
This 10-week course is designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the theory and applied use of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) principles in the EFL classroom. This course strives to (1) model innovative online teaching practices; (2) improve understanding of and actively engage in the analysis and systematic adoption of innovative materials and tools for English Language Teaching (ELT); (3) offer opportunities for EFL educators to observe and analyze real-world application of such new materials and practices; (4) provide educators with support and problem-solving mechanisms as they implement new materials and practices in their teaching; and (5) provide “train-the-trainer” techniques so that participants can move forward with concrete dissemination plans.
Critical Thinking in the EFL Curriculum
Offered by University of Oregon, Linguistics/American English Institute (http://aei.uoregon.edu/ )
This 10-week course is designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the theory and applied use of critical thinking principles and practices in the EFL classroom by engaging in the following types of activities:
- reading and discussing professional information and articles in order to develop a deeper understanding of current topics in language pedagogy as they relate to general critical thinking skills;
- identifying, evaluating, and selecting web-based materials and tools for use in the classroom;
- interacting with colleagues regionally and internationally who share similar pedagogical interests;
- creating classroom materials and projects that demonstrate an understanding of course topics; and
- adapting and enhancing existing materials so that they are culturally and age appropriate for their schools’ local curriculum.
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Best Practice
Offered by University of Oregon, Linguistics/American English Institute (http://aei.uoregon.edu/ )
This 10-week course is designed to develop participants’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward designing, implementing, and evaluating ESP courses based on best practices in the field. New and experienced ESP practitioners are welcome from all areas of the ELT field. The course will address the need for training in English for Specific Purposes to promote education and economic development at the local and national levels.
Methods I: Survey of Best Practices in TESOL
Offered by University of Maryland, Baltimore County, English Language Center
This course is designed to provide participants with current methodologies associated with teaching English language learners (ELL’s)of different ages in various learning contexts. Participants will discuss and practice a wide variety of strategies and techniques for teaching English to speakers of other languages. While exploring best practices for teaching listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, participants will learn how to create an effective and communicative language classroom for all ELL’s. In addition, participants will examine best practices in teaching English in the 21st century, and how the use of English incorporates modern technologies.
Methods II: Developing EFL Literacy Through Project-Based Learning
Offered by University of Maryland, Baltimore County, English Language Center
Using a ‘reality TV-style’ case-studies approach, participants in this 10-week course will observe one or more real world language classes at regular intervals over an extended period of time. Video crews will visit pre-selected classes on a weekly basis over the course of a term and capture classroom events as they unfold in a naturalistic manner. These classes will focus on developing skills in English as a Second Language (e.g. reading, writing, and grammar) using an integrated skills approach and incorporating aspects of content-based instruction and project-based learning. Participants will have many opportunities to engage in focused and contrastive analysis of classroom practices in videos, with ongoing guidance in developing appropriate application of observed techniques in their local EFL teaching environments. Real-time classroom video footage will be available each week to log the unfolding drama of these learning events on the YouTube-UO web site: http://www.youtube.com/uoregon .
Teaching English to Young Learners
Offered by University of Maryland, Baltimore County, English Language Center
This 10-week course is designed to introduce participants to the theory and practice of teaching young learners in the EFL classroom. The course will investigate approaches for teaching language within a meaningful context as well as the different techniques for making language input more comprehensible and encouraging student participation. Participants will look at the major principles that govern language teaching based on the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
