There¡¯s the saying, ¡°There are two types of teachers with 20 years of teaching experience: the first are those with 20 years of experience and the second are those with one year¡¯s experience repeated 20 times.¡±
Some believe most teachers want to be the first kind of teacher ¨C constantly evolving throughout their careers ¨C rather than repeating the same classes. Additionally, taking professional development courses can help us reach these new heights.
Doctors, engineers, lawyers and other professionals regularly have to seek training opportunities. This enables them to keep up to date with the latest technologies, innovations and changes in the wider world. It could be argued that teachers are no different.
There are several benefits to continued professional training for teachers. For instance, there¡¯s always something new to learn as developments are happening regularly in the world of ELT. Whether it¡¯s innovations in ed-tech, new research into how we learn languages or a new pedagogy, certain courses can help bring you up to speed with these!
Undertaking further training will help you to deepen your knowledge and widen your expertise. So rather than simply repeating the same method of teaching a grammar point over again, you¡¯ll learn new approaches. In turn, you¡¯ll be better equipped to find the tools that work to help your students reach their learning goals.
Another great thing about professional development is that it can lead to career progression and promotion. There are a number of courses that you can take to develop not only skills for teaching, but other roles in the ELT industry.
For example, you can train to become a director of studies, specialize in business or academic English, or enter ELT publishing or management. There are many options to explore through further education!
To be the best teachers we can be, it's important to be aware of new trends in the field of ELT. Some of the latest ones include:
Gaining popularity in recent years, hybrid learning is an approach to teaching. Specifically, it involves some students attending class in person, while others join the class virtually from home. This means that teachers must be prepared to simultaneously teach both students in person and online.
A flipped classroom means students are introduced to content at home. Often teachers introduce this via videos and then practice working through the new knowledge in class. This is the opposite of the more traditional method where they are given new content at school, and complete assignments independently at home.
One method of teaching that has become more common is bite-sized learning. For example, breaking down information into smaller chunks instead of having learners listen to long, uninterrupted sessions, and this helps students absorb information and keeps them engaged.
If you¡¯re not already familiar with these, there are lots of professional development courses that teach you how to use them in your classroom.
So what courses can you take? Here are some of the most common courses you can take for English language teaching.
If you¡¯re unable to take a formal course, sharing ideas with colleagues is a great way to create professional development opportunities. You could exchange lesson plans and ask for feedback or input. There are plenty of podcasts, webinars and social media groups for teachers where you can find great tips and ideas from fellow teachers worldwide.
Whichever route you decide, remember that learning is a lifelong journey ¨C not only for your students but for yourself too! There are always new things to discover that will help you develop as a teacher.
In the fast-paced world of business, there is one undeniable fact that holds true: employees are the key to success. Their commitment and expertise propel organizations towards their objectives, which is why investing in a learning culture is essential. The advantages are numerous and include improved staff retention, increased productivity and the goal of higher employee engagement.
You may have heard the term learning management system (LMS) at work or perhaps during your time in education. For many, this throws out images of clunky, outdated systems that clumsily distribute course materials and are tough to use.?But that is no longer the case. Modern LMS's are far more user-friendly, and it's time to relearn what you thought you knew about these tools.?
In this ultimate guide, we will look at everything you need to know about learning management systems and why they are so beneficial.?
is a digital platform or (SaaS) solution that is used to create, organize and distribute online courses.?
The idea is that these LMS platforms offer one central place for users to manage and access courses and learning materials. Depending on the user, this could be anything from self-paced e-courses to classroom training.?
This can help facilitate a range of training, studying and skills development, as well as assessments, exams and certification management.?
There are many great uses for learning management systems but these are used primarily by businesses and educational establishments. Here are some of the most common use cases for these platforms:?
HR and management - The HR and management team might implement these across the business to help with learning and development and make sure that organizational goals are being hit
Employee onboarding - Those starting a new job may be given training via an LMS; this can make the onboarding process much quicker and simpler?
Compliance training - Lots of roles require compliance training, for example health and safety training, and this is a great way for businesses to stay up to date and ensure everyone complies with regulations?
Customer support - Some businesses use learning management systems to onboard customers or clients. This might include sharing user manuals and product guides. Plus, sales professionals might also use them to train new partners or clients in using their services or platforms.?
Classroom learning - Lecturers and teachers can create and share course materials and align content and tests from one place. These can also be used to put a twist on traditional classroom learning.?
Blended learning - Schools, colleges and universities may use these for online lessons and blended learning, particularly for remote students?
Volunteer training - Charities and non-profits may also use an LMS to educate volunteers and keep them motivated about the cause?
Of course, these platforms can and will be used in other ways, but these are some of the most common and beneficial uses for LMS's.?
In most cases, learning management systems will have two primary user groups: administrators and learners.??
Administrators are the people who create, manage and deliver e-learning. They may use these platforms to upload their own learning materials, or they may select courses and materials from an existing list given by the provider.
On the other hand, learners are the professionals or students who will use these platforms to train, study and gain new skills. Many modern LMS's allow multiple learners to train or access materials at the same time.
However, there is a third and final group that we have yet to mention: the parents of students using LMS's, particularly outside of school hours. In some cases, parents may have access to these systems to support students, track their progress or look at feedback from the teacher.?
There are a variety of learning management systems out there and some are more advanced than others. That being said, many modern platforms will share similar features to ensure they stay competitive. Some of these key features may include:?
Authoring tools that allow administrators to upload or build their own courses
Access to subject matter experts who can contribute to learning and development activities?
Automated workflows that allow for the creation of personalized learning journeys
A resources library that holds all relevant learning materials, such as guides, video clips and courses
Quizzes and surveys for a more fun and engaging way to assess learners?
Compliance features, such as automatic reminders that notify learners when it is time to retrain?
Certificates and diplomas that give learners recognition as they study and meet their targets?
Insights and analysis for individual progress and results, allowing administrators to identify gaps or areas where support is needed
Compatibility with mobile devices for studying on the go?
Integrations with other internal systems and software?
This is by no means a complete list and different platforms will have different functionality. However, these are some of the most common and beneficial features of many modern LMSs.
First and foremost, an LMS can be an excellent way for businesses to save time and money on training.?
Of course there is an initial investment in the platform, but training can be expensive and time-consuming, particularly if it must take place in a location outside of the workplace.?Therefore, this can be the more cost-effective solution. Not to mention, the materials are quick to access and can save time and effort.?
These platforms are an excellent way to ensure that all mandatory training is completed on time and to the highest standard. For example, industry-specific training such as fire safety or cybersecurity training.?
Administrators can access data and insights into their employee's learning. This can be a great way to see where more support is needed and to identify any skills gaps that need to be filled.?Similarly, teachers can get to grips with how well their students are doing and if they need extra help in any subjects or areas.
Whether in school or the workplace, LMS's can be a great way to improve the learning process. It allows users to study and access learning materials from one accessible location.?Plus, through a multimedia approach, they can use guides, videos and more to help them learn. This can ensure they engage with the materials and stay motivated.?
Finally, an LMS can make communication between students, teachers, employees and employers far simpler. For example, automated reminders keep everyone in the loop and ensure all training is completed on time.?But more than that, there is one central place to communicate, review feedback and access the same materials.?
In a previous blog, we shared some?strange English phrases that might have left you with some questions. The English language is full of peculiar phrases that can even confuse fluent speakers. In today's post, we'll take a look at a few more such phrases to help you expand your repertoire.
