This document summarizes the Plan Ceibal en Inglés project in Uruguay which uses a new model for teaching English in primary schools. The key aspects of the model are: 1) One English lesson is taught remotely each week by a video conference teacher (RT) while two follow up practice lessons are led by a local classroom teacher (CT). 2) The RT and CT work as a team, coordinating lesson plans and materials. They communicate weekly to ensure continuity across the three lessons. 3) Evaluation tests showed that students in the program performed similarly or better than those in traditional English classes, demonstrating the effectiveness of the new remote teaching model.

1. Graham Stanley
graham.stanley@britishcouncil.org
Gricelda Martinez
Valentina Dubini
New
Primary
English
Classroom
Model

2. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Content
• Part 1 – Background to the project
Graham Stanley, British Council
• Part 2 – Working with remote teachers
Gricelda Martinez, Classroom Teacher
• Part 3 – The road to empowerment:
Teacher mentoring in Ceibal en Ingles
Valentina Dubini, Plan Ceibal Mentor
• Q&A from the audience

3. New Primary English
Classroom Model
BRITISH COUNCIL
• The British Council is the UK’s official
organisation for cultural and educational
relations
• We are a not-for-profit organisation.
• We are present on six continents and
over 100 countries, bringing international
opportunity to life, every day
• Our purpose is to create a friendly
knowledge and understanding between
the people of the UK and other countries
• We do this through making a positive
contribution to the countries we work
with, and making a lasting difference to
the UK’s international standing, prosperity
and security.

4. The Plan Ceibal en Inglés project in
Uruguay is at the vanguard of a
new way of teaching English in the
primary classroom. One lesson is
taught remotely, with the English
teacher beamed into the classroom
via video-conferencing and then
there are two follow-up practice
lessons, facilitated by a classroom
teacher (CT) who does not
necessarily speak much English.
New Primary English
Classroom Model

5. Use of technology in only one innovation of Ceibal en Inglés
The real innovation is in the team teaching between CT & RT
New Primary English
Classroom Model

6. New Primary English
Classroom Model
BACKGROUND
• 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 children & 16,000
teachers had 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
Plan Ceibal

7. New Primary English
Classroom Model
• 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
Ceibal English

8. New Primary English
Classroom Model
• 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: 1,000 classes
• March 2014 expansion: 2,100
classes
• June 2015: Universal access 3,300
classes (c. 85,000+ learners)
http://uruguay.britishcouncil.org
Ceibal English

9. New Primary English
Classroom Model
3 x 45 minutes per wk.
Lesson A – RT via VC
Lessons B & C – CT
Team Teaching
Weekly coordination
between RT ^ CT
CTs learning English through
online self-access course
Remote Classes

10. Philippines
Uruguay
the experience
of being a
remote teacher
Argentina

11. https://vimeo.com/126996354

12. New ways of working / new place to work

14. Plan of
Teaching
Points
Remote
Teaching
Centre
British Council
Montevideo
2015

15. Remote Teaching Centre
British Council
Buenos Aires

16. Challenge of team teaching at a distance

17. Coordination
Weekly meeting between
RT and CT in Spanish
Both need to agree on
what is going to happen
in classes A, B and C
CT reports on progress
Teachers coordinate via:-
• VC
• Skype
• Telephone
• Google hangouts
• Whatsapp, SMS, Email

18. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Detailed lesson plans
for classes A, B & C
Coordination allows CTs to
do the B & C practice lessons
even though they do not know
much (any) English
Materials

20. New skillset required for teachers
New Primary English
Classroom Model

21. The importance of
‘camera presence’
RT Maria Eugenia

22. New Primary English
Classroom Model
RT Daisy & CT Omar
The importance of teamwork
CT Maria Ines Cuadrado
CT Andres Amilivia
RT Mariela Masuyama

23. Intercultural communication

25. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Supporting teachers

26. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Supporting CTs and RTs: face-to-face training

27. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Supporting CTs and RTs: online training and observation

30. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Sharing student work
Between classes

31. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Submitting student work

32. New Primary English
Classroom Model

33. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Correcting student work

34. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Results: Assessment and Evaluation: Impact Test
August 2013 (baseline)
and
December 2013
Aims:
Evaluate differences:-
Pilot groups
March 2013 groups
July 2013 groups
Groups not studying English
grammar/vocab test only
Excluded children studying English outside
school

35. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Results: Assessment and Evaluation: Impact Test 2013
Average scores by grade and time of test

36. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Results: Assessment and Evaluation: Adaptive Test 2014
All 4th, 5th & 6th grade students studying English
Programa Escuelas Grupos %
Ceibal en Inglés 383 2.128 64
Segundas Lenguas 269 1.181 36
Total 652 3.309 100

37. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Results: Assessment and Evaluation: Adaptive Test 2014
Example test items
Mira la foto y completa la oración con la opción correcta.
I can’t move my ___________. I hurt myself playing tennis.
A arm
B knee
C leg
Completa la oración con la opción correcta.
This is my dog. It __________ in a kennel
A Sleeps
B Sleep
C sleeping

38. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Results: Assessment and Evaluation: Adaptive Test 2014
0 “dog”
1 “is browm is short”
“el dog es mols, have tail , eyes blak , les gusta nadar y saltar”
2 “It is a brown dog is eating more food likes meat. is the old boy has a cachoro. can sleep inside
and out.”
“this is tito tito is brown is large Hall has eyes blak short legs you like run”
3 “this is dog it is brow body, has got four legs , one tail, one black nose, big two black eyes , small
two ears.”
“my pet is big she name is yago she is brow she like run and est she dont like fly she like meat she
doesent fish”
4 “luna is my dog He is grey and withe He is 18 years old He can swim bomb and fight He bomb
fight and run He likes football the dosen`t like eating He hates cat I LOVE MY DOG :)”
“his has got two black eyes,four short legs and one tail short he like fish he doesn't like
watermelon it can run,swim and jump it can't walk”
5 “This is my pet. Its name is Choncho and it is brown. It has four legs and in my opinion is the best
dog in the world. It is seven years old and was born in Montevideo. Its favorite food is the meat
and the milk. It likes walking on the beach and doesn't like the storm. It have a little house in the
garden of my house. It is very inteligent, I love my pet!”

39. New Primary English
Classroom Model
Results: Assessment and Evaluation: Adaptive Test 2014
%
26%
30%
40%
3%
%
27%
30%
38%
5%
A0 A1- A1+ A2- A2+
En % de alumnos que hicieron la prueba
Ceibal en Inglés Segundas Lenguas
 56% of the Ceibal en Inglés students reached A1 compared to 57% of Segundas Lenguas.
 43% of students in both programmes reached A2.

40. “It is not easy, but in some magical
way RTs become part of the school
staff, they are one more of the
special teachers who come every
week to do face to face gym or any
other activity, students adapt to
working with them, and we all
reach a pedagogical agreement:
RT-students-CT. “
Gricelda Martínez-CT 6th grade-
Escuela 71 de Tacuarembó.
New Primary English
Classroom Model

41. Remote teaching, distance
learning, team teaching or
blended learning?
Thank you!
Graham Stanley
graham.Stanley@britishcouncil.org