Plan Ceibal English is a project in Uruguay that provides English language education to primary school students using video conferencing technology. It began as a pilot program in 2012 reaching 1,000 students. By 2015, it aims to provide English classes to up to 120,000 students in 4,800 classes across the country. The program utilizes remote teachers who teach classes via video conference as well as local classroom teachers who teach additional classes. Both teachers receive training. Evaluations show students and teachers have had positive reactions to the program, though expansion and quality control present ongoing challenges.

1. Plan Ceibal English in Uruguay
Graham Stanley
Project manager, Plan Ceibal English
graham.stanley@britishcouncil.org
http://gisig.iatefl.org/event/
webinar for the
18th
May 2014
http://www.slideshare.net/bcgstanley

2. The British Council
• The British Council works in 6 continents and 110 countries,
with the aim of bringing high quality English materials to
every learner or teacher who wants them.
• We have 2,400 staff teaching English directly to more than
350,000 students and trainee teachers a year in over 80
centres, partnership branches and on English projects around
the world.
http://uruguay.britishcouncil.org/

3. Uruguay
• Population 3.3 million
• 1/3 population live in
Montevideo
• GDP US$ 13,000 per
capita
• 19 Departments
• PISA score for reading
426 (average 493); Brasil :
412; Argentina 398;)
• Board of Public Education
(Administración Nacional
de Educación Pública –
ANEP) responsible for
education policy

4. Plan Ceibal overview (1/2)
• Plan Ceibal is a Uruguayan project, developed by MEC, the
Uruguayan Ministry of Education and Culture; ANTEL, the
National Telecommunications company (Administración
Nacional de Telecomunicaciones); ANEP, the Board of Public
Education (Administración Nacional de Educación Pública);
and LATU (Laboratorio Tecnológico del Uruguay).
http://www.ceibal.edu.uy

5. Plan Ceibal overview
• Started 2007 with distribution of XO-1 laptops (ceibalitas)
• By 2009 Uruguay became first country in world to have given
one laptop to every primary school student
• By 2009 350,000 kids & 16,000 teachers received ceibalitas
• No cost wireless Internet connection in all state schools
• Fiber optic connections progressively replacing these
• Video conferencing equipment being installed in all schools
http://www.ceibal.edu.uy

6. Plan Ceibal overview (2/2)
• Started 2007 with distribution of XO-1 laptops (ceibalitas)
• By 2009 Uruguay became first country in world to have given
one laptop to every primary school student
• By 2009 350,000 kids & 16,000 teachers received ceibalitas
• No cost wireless Internet connection in all state schools
• Fiber optic connections progressively replacing these
• Video conferencing equipment being installed in all schools
http://www.ceibal.edu.uy

7. Plan Ceibal Jan 2013 review
• 570,000 laptops distributed by 2012 (all students & teachers)
• 4-year TCO (Total cost of ownership) $100 per year per child
including laptops, internet costs, administrative costs, fiber
optic costs, robotics, planned VC facilities, portal and LMS
platform as well as digital resources for many subjects, initial
training for teachers.
• Focus on quality implementation
• Recommended focus on core priorities: increasing high school
graduation rates; Mathematics; Literacy (Spanish & English)
http://www.ceibal.org.uy/docs/FULLAN-Ceibal-English.pdf

8. Ceibal English project overview
• In 2012 the British Council was selected by Plan Ceibal to
project manage Ceibal en Inglés (Ceibal English), delivering
remote teaching via video conferencing in Uruguayan primary
schools.
• Goal = provide access to English language learning to primary
students (grades 4-6) and their teachers all over Uruguay.
• Because of a lack of trained/qualified English teachers, Ceibal
English uses remote teachers (RTs) via video conferencing
• Additionally, classroom teachers (CTs) are taught English via
moderator-supported English course (LearnEnglish Pathways)
http://uruguay.britishcouncil.org/en/ceibal-en-ingles

9. Ceibal English project plan
• Proof of concept pilot phase 2012 -
20 primary schools; 1,000 Year 4
learners (aged 10-11)
• March 2013 expansion: +500 classes;
96 schools; Years 4,5 & 6
• July 2013 expansion: +500 classes
• March 2014 expansion: +1000 classes
• By July 2015: Total of up to 4,800
classes (c. 120,000 learners)
http://uruguay.britishcouncil.org/en/ceibal-en-ingles

10. Ceibal English classes
3 x 45 minutes per wk.
Lesson A – RT via VC
Lessons B & C – CT
Detailed scripted lesson
plans for A, B & C
Team Teaching
RT & CT have weekly
coordination in Spanish

11. Remote Teachers (RTs)
Remote Teaching (RT) providers in:
•Uruguay (Montevideo)
•Argentina (Buenos Aires, Cordoba)
•Mexico (Mexico City)
•Colombia (Bogota)
•Philippines (Cebu)
•Conduct Class A remotely
•Experienced/Qualified ELTs
•Online self-access course for RTs
•Quality mangers

12. Classroom Teachers (CTs)
• Conduct Classes B & C
• Volunteer to be part of the
programme
• Small payment for participation
• 1 day Orientation Course
• Self-access online training course
• Technical support
• Pedagogic support (Mentors)
• Most have CEFR A0 level English
• Learning English through self-
access course (LearnEnglish
Pathways) with moderator
support

13. Coordination:
the key to successful remote team teaching

14. Lesson Plans
Classes A, B & C

15. Materials
Student
work

16. Evaluation
Learning to learn
Blended
learning

17. LearnEnglish
Pathways

18. Teacher
training

19. Strengths
• Unique whole solution
• Underlying infrastructure
already rolled out
• VC technology already tried
and tested
• No shortage of CT volunteers
• Positive reaction (children,
teachers, society)
• General support (government,
parents, society)

20. Challenges
• Establishing methodology
(Classes A, B & C)
• Correcting written work
• Ongoing quality control
• Expanding to Montevideo
• Expansion to all primary
schools
• Long term sustainability

21. Classroom
Teacher Survey

22. Classroom
Teacher Survey

23. Classroom
Teacher Survey

24. Achievement
Tests

25. Achievement
Tests

26. Achievement
Tests

27. Thank you!
Graham Stanley
graham.stanley@britishcouncil.org

28. References
• Banegas, D.L. (2013) ‘ELT through videoconferencing in primary schools in Uruguay: first steps’, Innovation
in Language Learning and Teaching Volume 07 Issue 02. http://bit.ly/19oEzil
• British Council Uruguay – Plan Ceibal, http://uruguay.britishcouncil.org/en/ceibal-en-ingles
• Fullan, M; Watson, N & Anderson, S (2013) Ceibal: Next Steps – Final Report
http://www.ceibal.org.uy/docs/FULLAN-Ceibal-English.pdf
•

Innovations in ELT (Oct 2013) Interview about Plan Ceibal English (podcast), English Agenda
http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/content/englishagenda-podcast-15th-october-2013

OECD (2010), PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) 2009 Results: Executive Summary)
http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/46619703.pdf

Plan Ceibal evaluation reports (including report on Ceibal English in 2013)
http://www.ceibal.edu.uy/art%C3%ADculo/noticias/institucionales/EVALUACION

Stanley (2013-14), 'Ceibal English' http://blog-efl.blogspot.com/2013/11/ceibal-english-blog-posts.html

Woods, P (2014) Teleprescence teaching in Uruguayan Primary Schools :
http://www.slideshare.net/rphwoods/telepresence-teaching-in-uruguayan-primary-schools-the-ceibal-english-project