Tag Archives: online

How teachers can best help adult ESL students with basic English proficiency who are struggling with digital literacy?  


Written by - Setareh Dabbagh

Learning in the age of advanced technology and AI is a great opportunity for both learners and educators. 
Much of the teaching and learning is now being conducted on virtual platforms, which undoubtedly requires users to know how to manage computers, the Internet and technology well. In other words, developing digital literacy now holds a prominent position in education. In this context, as ESL teachers working with various proficiency levels, our job with elementary learners who lack enough digital literacy might require more effort to handle both fronts successfully. We should be mindful of the fact that handling both language learning and digital literacy is quite challenging for learners, and the reasons why some adults are struggling with digital literacy is also important if we want to help them overcome this challenge.  So, in this blog post, I’ll point out why some learners at the basic level are struggling with technology in their learning and suggest how teachers can help them overcome these problems.


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Making Meaning in Online Environments


Written by - Patricia Patel

Let’s face it, teaching in an online learning environment can be difficult when it comes to engaging and motivating learners. This non-traditional learning environment  poses an additional challenge to ensure learners are constructing meaning from the content and deepening their learning and understanding.  

Educators often struggle to help learners make meaningful connections to the content while deepening their understanding within an online learning environment. For this reason, I want to emphasize  the benefits  of discussion boards  in online learning.

Discussion boards can be defined as virtual platforms where learners can interact with their instructor and  peers by posting and responding to  discussion posts. This type of interaction and knowledge building foster a sense of community among students while promoting active learning within an online learning environment. Continue reading →

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ChatGPT Extensions: Make it Your Personal Assistant


Written by - John Allan @mrpottz
Generated by DALL-E 2 with the prompting of John Allan

Whether you’re aware of it or not, the recent release of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots is transforming the way we interact with technology. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, allows anyone to engage with it in a human-like manner to achieve a response. Over the past few months, scores of GPT-powered web apps and browser extensions have appeared due to AI-powered chatbots resulting from the release of the OpenAI’s GPT API (applications programming interface). The API allows apps to work with ChatGPT. This allows software developers to create more powerful applications. The browser extensions described below will help language instructors use ChatGPT more effectively to enhance their lessons and daily digital tasks. 

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Active Learning Strategies for Post-Pandemic Zoom Breakout Rooms


Written by - Sherry Hejazi
Image taken from: Big Stock Photo

Many educators are now familiar with the black screens and mute students on Zoom and its breakout rooms. While having student cameras turned on can certainly have its own merits, the black screens do not necessarily mean that the students cannot or will not contribute. I have found the following three activities helpful in engaging students regardless of having their cameras on or off. 

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Active Learning With Mentimeter


Written by - Sherry Hejazi

“Active learning engages students in the process of learning through activities and/or discussion in class, as opposed to passively listening to an expert” (Freeman et al., 2014).  

One tool that has made active learning more possible in my classes is Mentimeter. 

 Whether we teach a class in person or we teach an online synchronous course, Mentimeter can accommodate engaging large groups of audiences. If we teach a class implementing Bloom’s Taxonomy approach, Mentimeter can be a great tool in developing a successful and engaging lesson.  Continue reading →

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One of Us


Written by - Kevin Slack
Image source: www.bigstockphoto.com

The Setup

We were three months into an online class and just past a spike of on-boarding new learners.  At this point, and counting the newer learners, about half of the class relented to turning their cameras on. It was Monday and I had a new grey tie.  I really wanted to show off my new necktie, so I wore – uncharacteristically – a black shirt.

Learners arrived and turned on their cameras, saying “Good morning.  How was your weekend?  Are you feeling any better?” and all that.  One of the first was a lovely woman, a retired teacher and a dedicated student – one of those learners who is, besides punctual and respectful, eager to please and who quietly but assuredly defends the soundness of the instructor’s pedagogical choices. Let me call her Harmony. 

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A Year in the Life


Written by - Jennifer Hutchison

Source: bigstockphoto.com

It’s been a little over a year since ESL campuses shut their doors. I can’t decide whether it has gone by slowly or quickly. In my personal life, the pandemic has lurched along, one depressing headline after another; endless days without family and friends. However, as a teacher I have been flying through the days by the seat of my pants!

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TESOL’s Electronic Village Online


Written by - John Allan @mrpottz

TESOL EVO logo
From the TESOL EVO

Boost your instruction with Free TESOL courses

Since 2001, the Electronic Village Online (EVO) has offered free, online courses starting in mid-January and finishing in mid-February. Facilitators and organizers volunteer their time and expertise to contribute to our profession.  Participants learn through lecture, activities and peer discussions on relevant TESOL topics.   Course facilitators and participants share fresh perspectives from their diverse experience and expertise. Continue reading →

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Enhance Online Video with H5P’s Interactive Video tool


Written by - John Allan @mrpottz

the H5P logo with the logo of the interactive video tool
Source, H5P remixed.

In Six Tools To Enhance Video Learning,   I posted about using online video in the classroom more efficiently and possibly creatively.  Since then a new education technology development tool, H5P, has emerged.  I have been working on a variety of projects with H5P and feel that it is important for educational developers to consider adopting it as a means for enhancing online video learning events.

HTML 5 Packager, better known as H5P, is a free tool that allows you to create custom learning objects with online video.  H5P’s Interactive Video feature allows developers to overlay resources and interactive features over a video itself.  This optimizes the learners’ video viewing area.  Until now, interactivity with the video occurred under the video, on the play back bar, or as a fly out menu to the left or the right of the video.  Overlain interactivity on a video makes the end-user’s experience intuitive. Items such as comments, true/false questions or links to further information can be strategically positioned over the video and timed to focus attention to specific parts of the video screen. Continue reading →

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Join the conversation November 6th on #CdnELTchat


Written by - teslontario

image source: #CdnELTchatt

If you’re a Twitter user, read on to learn all about how you can join the next #CdnELTchat which takes place tomorrow, November 6th.  Below is a recap of last month’s chat from the #CdnELTchat moderators.

In our personal lives, we use YouTube playlists, Facebook feeds, pins on Pinterest, Instagram feeds, saved tweets on Twitter etc. to save and share videos, news, images and information. With the increase of accessible information and resources online, what can educators and students do to curate content effectively?  Bonnie Jean Nicholas (@EALStories) and Jennifer Chow (@jennifermchow) moderated a #CdnELTchat on “Content Curation” to explore this topic.

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