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Remote Teaching
The document discusses the effectiveness and implementation of remote language teaching, particularly focusing on the Ceibal en Inglés program in Uruguay, which provides English classes to students in under-resourced areas. It outlines the structure of the program, the collaboration required between remote teachers and local classroom teachers, and the positive outcomes observed in student performance across various socio-economic contexts. Key factors for success include regular coordination, mutual respect, and specific skills related to remote teaching.
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Remote Teaching
- 1. What makes agood remote teacher? Gabriela Kaplan Graham Stanley gkaplan@ceibal.edu.uy graham.stanley@britishcouncil.org Plan Ceibal British Council
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- 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgeydfRCtHI Ceibal en Inglés– An Introduction
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- 5. What is RemoteLanguage Teaching? • Synchronous (i.e. in real time) interactive online meetings of teachers and learners through videoconferencing (VC) in order to learn and practise a language • Context specific (low cost/high cost varieties adaptable to available infrastructure and local contexts) • Teachers and learners can be anywhere there is Internet access
- 6. Why use Remote LanguageTeaching? To solve the problem of the shortage of English teachers across the country. To bridge the social divide and give opportunities to children and teachers who otherwise would be excluded. To provide teachers and trainers to places and people where there are problems with supply. To offer new opportunities for teachers to work in an interesting and different way.
- 7. RLT in context:Ceibal en Ingles • 3,000 weekly classes of 80,000 9-11 yr-olds in 650 primary schools • Project is now in its 5th year and starting to show results • Purpose-made VC equipment and dedicated fibre-optic lines • High-definition visuals / zooming and panning / reliable See 4 minutes of a Plan Ceibal class in action: https://vimeo.com/126996354
- 8. How is itdone? • 1x45 minute class for groups of up to 25 children delivered by remote teacher (Lesson A) • Followed by 2x45 minute practice sessions (Lessons B & C) delivered by local classroom • Relationship between remote teacher and local classroom teacher are key to the success of this project.
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- 12. Student performance 59.4%students reached an A2 level in VRG and 37.7% reached A2 in L
- 13. Comparison of programmes Reults were similar in the two programmes (VC & F2F)
- 14. Development of results Student performance in the test is improving over time
- 15. Results: VRG 6thgrade by socio-economic context Results are improving in all socio-economic contexts The difference between high and low critical context school students has decreased since 2014 44.0% 47.0% 52.2% 55.7% 70.4% 52.7% 58.5% 63.1% 69.8% 77.8% 69.2% 71.1% 72.8% 77.3% 83.2% 71.6% 72.9% 78.2% 82.2% 87.8% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0% Nivel 1 más crítico Nivel 2 Nivel 3 Nivel 4 Nivel 5 menos crítico (En % de alumnos de 6º que obtuvieron A2 o +) 2014 2015 2016 2017
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- 17. What have wediscovered? • Team teaching. For the programme to be effective, RTs and CTs need to work closely together. Research has shown how best to facilitate this: regular coordination, language used and mutual respect are the key factors. • RT skills. Many factors look similar to what is required in good f2f primary teaching. Other factors are special to remote teaching: use of technology, body language and voice, camera presence, relationship building at a distance, e-moderation skills • Recuitment. We interview via Skype to get a feel for the online presence of the RT and to make sure they are not phased by technology. However, first and foremost, the RTs need to be good with primary
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Editor's Notes
- #2 What makes a good remote teacher? Remote language teaching is the practice of teaching a language live online through videoconferencing. In Uruguay, the British Council has been working in partnership with Plan Ceibal to cater for the lack of trained and qualified English language teachers in the country, project managing the remote teaching of 80,000 primary schoolchildren aged 8- 11. During the last 5 years, we have learned a lot about what makes a good remote teacher, and in this presentation, I will share some findings that are also supported by the publication Remote Language Teaching (British Council, 2019), a book of research and case studies. Biodata (75 words) Graham Stanley the British Council’s English for Education Systems Lead for the Americas and was previously responsible for managing the Ceibal en Ingles programme in Uruguay in partnership with Plan Ceibal. This programme uses videoconferencing to teach 80,000+ primary students English. He is author of ´Language learning and Technology' (CUP, 2013) and co-author of 'Digital Play' (Delta, 2013). Gabriela Kaplan has worked in teacher education for more than 20 years. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Universidad de la República-Uruguay; a B.A. in English from London University; and an M.A. in the Humanities issued by the University of California. She co-designed Ceibal en Inglés when she worked at Políticas Lingüísticas at the National Board of Education (ANEP) in Uruguay, and is General Coordinator of the programme at Plan Ceibal.
- #3 Gs In Uy example of technology applied to primary classroom as a practical solution that has been allowed to develop and mature – BC & PC actively collecting research data in order to implement changes to the prog (classroom or programme level) to improve results and experience. 95 % of classes in urban schools of 4th, 5th & 6th grade of Primary have English classes. 73 % of these students learn English through videoconferencing. 64 % of these students now leave primary education with a level approaching A2 (CEFR). Let’s now watch an introductory video featuring a school teacher and children in Tacuarembo, in the north west of Uruguay.
- #5 GS
- #6 GK ‘Remote language teaching’ is the practice of teaching a language live online through videoconferencing (VC). Usually combined (blended learning) with asynchronous use of a Learning Management System (LMS) e.g. Moodle, Schoology, etc. RLT is an example of applying technology to language teaching and learning with an eye to what Stephen Bax in 2003 called “normalisation” (http://www.tesl-ej.org/ej36/f1.pdf) i.e. the technology should as far as possible disappear, to become invisible. In Uruguay, when RLT works well, particularly when you have a skilled RT, we have observed that this is what happens. The ss forget that the teacher is not physically in the classroom
- #7 GK & GS What reasons are there for implementing a RLT programme?
- #8 GS The British Council in partnership with Plan Ceibal in Uruguay project manages the remote teaching of 80,000 primary state schoolchildren aged 8-11. Remote teachers in the Uruguay, Argentina, the Philippines and the UK use high-end VC equipment to teach 3,500 lessons per week to schools across the country, providing access to English to students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to learn the language. The technology is used as a bridge between teacher and students and the teachers replicate as far as possible the interaction found in a face-to-face young learner lesson. In addition, the remote teacher (RT) works closely with a local classroom teacher (CT), who facilitates language practice after the weekly remote lesson is taught.
- #9 GK The British Council in partnership with Plan Ceibal in Uruguay project manages the remote teaching of 80,000 primary state schoolchildren aged 8-11. Remote teachers in the Uruguay, Argentina, the Philippines and the UK use high-end VC equipment to teach 3,500 lessons per week to schools across the country, providing access to English to students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to learn the language. The technology is used as a bridge between teacher and students and the teachers replicate as far as possible the interaction found in a face-to-face young learner lesson. In addition, the remote teacher (RT) works closely with a local classroom teacher (CT), who facilitates language practice after the weekly remote lesson is taught.
- #10 Curriculum details
- #11 GS In tandem with the teaching, research has been undertaken during the last two years, looking at the differences and similarities of remote teaching with face-to-face teaching, and exploring the impact on all areas of language teaching and learning. This includes:- - Design and development of the curriculum, lesson plans and materials design - Skills required by teachers and how that affects recruitment - Continuous professional development (CPD). - Team teaching. For the programme to be effective, RT and CT need to work closely together. Data has been collected from RTs and CTs that shows best practice working as a team. - Managing online teaching quality. Teachers are observed and given support and guidance on improving the quality of their lessons. - Assessment of students through a computer-based adaptive test. An annual test shows the results of those students learning online and face-to-face are similar.
- #12 GS An overview of the assessment of children learning English in Uruguay 2013-2017
- #13 Skip An overview of the assessment of children learning English in Uruguay 2013-2017
- #14 GS An overview of the assessment of children learning English in Uruguay 2013-2017
- #15 GS An overview of the assessment of children learning English in Uruguay 2013-2017
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- #17 GS
- #18 GK & GS After 4+ years of observations of teachers, surveys, data collection and constant improvement based on the findings, we have learned a lot about this form of teaching and learning. How can these findings be put into practice?
- #19 GS Case studies have been produced based on interviews with specific teachers such as this one of a classroom teacher (CT) Andres Viera from Tacuarembo in the north of Uruguay. As this example shows, not only are the children learning English, but classroom teachers are learning alongside the children. In the case of Andres, he feels close to realising a personal goal: becoming a teacher of English. Andrés says the experience of English has changed the way he teaches other subjects. He has been able to identify that in English lessons, remote teachers work with a sequence of interrelated concepts which gradually become more complex. This same structure of interrelated units is what he is now incorporating to the teaching of the curricular areas. Also the way he plans his lessons has changed as a result. He now looks for connections between different topics which are essential for a successful acquisition of knowledge and skills. This is an unexpected benefit of Ceibal en Ingles and something that Andrés says he didn’t do before. English has opened doors for Andrés Andrés still cannot afford to attend private English lessons, so LearnEnglish Pathways has opened doors for him - not just the chance to learn English but also the chance to meet colleagues from all over the country, who work in similar and different contexts, When he started with Ceibal en Ingles, he was taking a postgraduate course in Autism and all the materials he had were in English. Luckily, after he started LearnEnglish Pathways, working with the tutors and the course allowed him to read the Autism materials. ‘If it hadn’t been for this, I wouldn’t have been able to pass my specialist degree’ Andrés says.
- #20 GK
- #21 GS GK