iEARN ONLINE Teaching Foreign & Second Languages COURSE

**This course is in English and requires working knowledge of English Language in order to participate

'I've always wanted to have my students working on a big project....now they have a chance to produce something they know can bring long lasting results .Also, I'm sure they are working with something real, which is great. They will be cooperating and will integrate English with other subjects. They have the chance to use Internet and other kinds of technology more effectively and with a clear purpose. I'm glad my students have a chance to use English and be in contact with native speakers. - Isabel Teixeira, Brazil

Overview of the Course

The Internet and the tools available through it have become an extraordinary resource which is there to be used by classroom teachers around the world.

The ESL/EFL area is perhaps the one that gets the most benefits from using the Internet, as it brings an international community together. Using iEARN in your ESL/EFL Classroom will allow you to experiment with the power of doing collaborative online projects while your students practice language skills. Students will be using the language for real communication, with a real audience of international peers around the world.

During this hands-on course you will learn how to analyze and choose an iEARN project that suits your students' level of language skills and interests. You will actually join that project and experiment with your students. By doing this you will learn how to organize your class for cooperative learning. You will also be sharing insights with your colleagues, as well as the instructor, via the iEARN Forums.

Objectives

• To examine the use of ICTs in second/ foreign language learning to create richer learning environments
• To revise communicative language learning theories to be able to analyze the underlying theories when getting involved in collaborative online projects
• To be able to assess the communicative value of online work with classes around the world
• To familiarize participants with examples of iEARN supported projects for the teaching and learning of ESL/EFL.
• To implement an online project with your students. Plan the integration of a long-term iEARN project.

Course Highlights:

• Review of iEARN telecommunications projects which involve students from across the globe in interactive, technology enhanced activities to consider how your students might participate in those projects to practice language skills.
• Participation in electronic discussions of course assignments with your colleagues and instructor, utilizing the iEARN Forums.
• Participation in an iEARN project which fits your ESL/EFL curriculum
• Access to external resources such as websites and references to ESL/EFL materials and projects.

Current Course Facilitators:

Section 1 - Cornelia Platon & Gladys Baya

Section 2 - Doris Wu & Silvana Carnicero

Cornelia Platon

I live in Dej, a small town in the north west of Transylvania, Romania. I have been teaching English in a high school for 13 years now, and I like my job very much. I love children
and I consider that this is a very important quality a teacher should have.

I have been involved in iEARN since 1996 and I may say that my entire life and work style have changed ever since. Since 1997 I have been the iEARN coordinator for Romania, and my iEARN activity can be seen on iEARN Romania's web page: www.iearn.dej.ro Using the computer in my classes and integrating the collaborative projects in the curriculum, made my lessons more interesting and motivated a lot my students to learn English language. I have also participated in many of the European Schoolnet projects, which also gave me a lot of experience and satisfaction. You are welcome to visit my activity in this regard at
http://www.papiu.dej.ro/projects/projects.html

I have also been a participant of the online course. I have taken the Creative Writing/Language Arts course and the ESL course!

Thanks to iEARN and these experiences I have now a lot of friends all over the world, which makes me very happy and proud.

Gladys Baya

I am a teacher of English as a Foreign Language. I was born in Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, and have always lived here. However, as I’m married to a Uruguayan (who also has some relatives in the province of Entre Ríos, a bit to the north of my country), so I feel as if I had lived in other places too!

I have been teaching English for eighteen years now. I have worked with students all ages (from 5-year-olds to a few seniors) and in a wide range of contexts (one-to-one lessons, private language schools, school/training college).At present, I teach a couple of courses at a language school and also work at two Teachers’ Training Colleges, introducing English teachers-to-be to different tools for the teaching of EFL, including ICT and the kind of work we do at iEARN. I first heard about iEARN two years ago, from a friend who opened my eyes to this wonderful community, and I was a participant to the ESL Online course in 2003! My involvement with iEARN has certainly changed my life in all aspects, and I hope it does the same for you!

Silvana Carnicero

I have been working as an EFL teacher for about fourteen years. For the first six years in my teaching career, I worked at a hospital teaching both medical and general English to physicians. In 1998, I started working with adolescents and I really enjoy it. I got an interest in ICT in 2001 when I attended an important conference in Argentina where I live. From that moment onwards, I started trying the different possibilities computers had to improve my lessons.

After I took IEARN course two years ago, my participation in telecollaborative projects began. I took part in two IEARN projects: "The year 1945" and "AIDS beyond my own backyard". Both my students and me learn a lot through these two experiences. Therefore, I would like other teachers to have a try. Nowadays, I am working at a high school and coordinating a school of English. I am also facilitating TELAR online course which is similar to the ESL course but for Spanish speakers. I hope to go on learning a lot about this interesting field.

Doris Wu

I live in Kaohsiung,in the southern part of Taiwan. I have 18 years of teaching English as a Foreign Language, including 7 years in junior high and 11 years in senior high school. In spite of so many years of teaching, I never feel bored about teaching because I truly believe it is worthwhile helping students to explore the world with my guidance in English learning.

To my great joy, many of my students also enjoy their English learning very much in my class. Making sense to my students' learning is my teaching philosophy. With this belief, I find it very important to have my students connect to the world, knowing how to use ICT to improve their learning and from that knowing how to communicate with the world in a positive way. Luckily, iEARN has widened the scope of learning for my students and me.

When I first attended 2001 iEARN Conference in Moscow, I was thrilled to know my teaching quality can be improved!! The warm, understanding and safe learning environment provided in iEARN allows my students to keep in touch with those outside Taiwan. The achievement and growth of my students in the past three years convinces me of my correct decision.
I have participated in several iEARN projects, including Laws of Life, Aqua-Century Project, Teddy Bear project, Year of 1945, and more.

Since 2002, I have also worked as the Country Coordinator of iEARN Taiwan. In my job, I learn more about how to work collaboratively with teachers around the world and also form a team with my fellow teachers to support our students in ICT and language learning. Now it is my great pleasure to invite you to join my wonderful journey in iEARN.

Course Developers: Rosy Aguila, Adriana Vilela, Violeta Tsoneva