Written by Reza Mazloom-Farzaghy, Accreditation Services Manager, TESL Ontario
Hi there. My name is Reza Mazloom-Farzaghy. I am the TESL Ontario Accreditation Services Manager. I am also an OCELT. Do you know what OCELT stands for? We see OCELT in email signatures, resumes, title slides of presentation decks, and presenter biographies quite often these days, which is excellent for our profession! The OCELT professional designation acknowledges the professional status of certified practitioners and enhances their professional prestige as members of a dynamic ESL community. If you are an OCELT but haven’t started using your professional designation yet, or if you are not an OCELT but are planning to start the application process soon, this blog post may encourage you to start today!
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Written by Reza Mazloom-Farzaghy, Accreditation Services Manager – TESL Ontario
Hard to believe, but TESL Ontario is turning 50 this year! Throughout the years, the association has made great strides in the area of setting professional standards for certification of English language educators. We invite you to join us for a look back on the history of certification at TESL Ontario.
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In Part 1 of this two-part series, you were introduced to three of the TESL ON Board members who have completed one year of service. In Part 2, we dig deeper into their responses about their perspectives as Board members.
What have you learned from your fellow Board members in the last year?
Cecilia: Where do I start? Everyone is truly focused on the continued strengthening of the organization and to share their individual talents to make this happen. We have only Zoomed since I joined but I have felt welcomed from the very first time we met. New members are matched with a mentor who we can call on anytime and that’s reflective of the spirit of collaboration that exists within the Board and our organization as a whole. David Hezell, past Chair and treasurer, became my mentor and that helped me to transition to my current role as treasurer.
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The Blog Team had the opportunity to interview three TESL Ontario Board members who were appointed one year ago. Following is Part 1 of a two-part blog series in which the members reflect upon their experiences thus far. Part 2 will be posted Wednesday, January 5.
Cecilia Aponte-de-Hanna, M.A, OCELT, OCT
Cecilia continues to be a very active member of TESL Ontario. Her commitment to second language education along with her experience and skill set led her to her current role as a TESL Ontario Board Member and most recently Board treasurer.
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As the year 2021 wraps up, the Blog Admin Team want to wish everyone a restful holiday and the very best for the new year! We hope you enjoy our look back at some of our favourite blog posts from 2021.
Happy Holidays! Beth, Jessica, Claire, Elyse, Sarah, & Gordon
Enhancing Reading Comprehension II: Structured Experience Techniques
In this post Gonul offers some great ideas on how to get the most out of text readings in the classroom. Pre-reading activities and discussions are valuable ways to help students make sense of what they’re reading, grasp the core message of the text, and more easily draw on the information presented. The great thing about structured-experience techniques is that the students can be more hands-on in their efforts, while the teacher is there to provide guidance if needed. Continue reading
Post by Dave Fraser
TESL Ontario’s 49th annual conference, Forging Ahead: Building New Normals Together, will be here in no time! The conference, taking place November 3-5, will once again be held virtually this year.
Why should you make time in your calendar to attend? We’re glad you asked!
Post by Marlaina Riggio and Vanessa Nino
On June 29, 2021 we gathered on twitter to discuss alternative assessments and interactive activities for ELT. The guest moderator of the evening was Marlaina Riggio (@MarlainaTweets). You can also connect with Marlaina through LinkedIn.
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Article by Dave Fraser
Plans are well underway for TESL Ontario’s Annual Conference, “Forging Ahead: Building New Normals Together,” to be held virtually in November 2021. We are looking forward to providing a creative, informative and exciting program of sessions covering a wide range of topics that span the entire TESL sector!
The TESL Ontario Annual Conference is an amazing opportunity for you to share your knowledge, expertise and experience with your peers and to make a valuable contribution to the TESL Ontario community and beyond. We welcome your thought-provoking, practical, experiential and innovative presentation submissions for this year’s conference Continue reading
Post by Stephanie Leutner and Vanessa Nino
On May 28, 2021 interested individuals gathered on Twitter to discuss digital literacy and Google Education Apps for ESL. The guest moderator of the evening was Stephanie Leutner (@leutner_s). Stephanie has been teaching ESL/EFL and designing curriculum for 20+ years, in Canada and overseas. She is a Level 2 Google Certified teaching-with-technology junkie.
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