1) Teachers at an IST workshop identified 10 areas of interest in educational research and appropriate ICT tools through group discussions, including enhancing motivation, scaffolding writing skills, and using ICT for a better understanding of grammar. 2) The attendees were divided into two special interest groups to discuss goals, objectives, and actions to address the 10 areas by the end of April. 3) The groups agreed to set up a Yahoo group for better communication and paired members from each SIG to work together on one of the 10 areas.

1. Tuesday, January 7th, 2014
IST Workshop on
Special Interest Groups
Presenting the Final
Outcomes
Compiled by Abdeljallal El Hariri

2. Briefing
After greeting the attendees and
thanking them for responding
positively to the invitation, Mr
Abdellatif Zoubair explained the
rationale behind the meeting and
unveiled the procedure to be adopted.

3. The main agenda
A. Identifying issues of interests:
Individually, teachers brainstormed the main concerns
about how they handled issues related to their daily
practices and the challenges they encountered. Then
they discussed their ideas in trios (groups of three) to
indulge in a plenary in-depth debate after that. The
discussion was thorough and the views were to the
point. Yet, the whole group of teachers had to reach a
consensus eventually. As a result, they limited the
scope of educational research/studies and the
appropriate ICT tools to ten areas

4. The 10 areas
• Enhancing motivation to maximize enjoyable learning
• Scaffolding the writing skill
• Enhancing the High Order Thinking Skills
• Boasting professional development
• Implementing assessment for learning and/or
alternative assessment
• Sustaining the reading skill
• Improving speaking and listening
• Using ICT for a better understanding of grammar
• Using viewing to test comprehension
• Opting for efficient classroom management

5. B. Action Plan
The attendees were divided into two groups
according to their SIGs (Educational research
SIG and ICT for ELT SIG) to discuss their goals
and objectives and the appropriate actions to
be implemented to meet these. They also
agreed on the final outcomes as well as the
deadlines which should not exceed the end of
April 2013.

6. C. The platform for communication
In order for the members of the
SIGs to save time and to avoid
meeting repeatedly, they agreed
to set up a Yahoo group for better
communication.

7. D. SIG- SIG Pairs
Before the closure of the meeting
ten pairs belonging respectively
to the educational studies SIG
and the ICT SIG were formed.
Each pair will deal with one of the
ten areas mentioned earlier.

8. Come on Geese
Upon leaving the room, the
teachers, like in the lesson from
the geese, honked each other
good luck as they would need lots
of it during the coming days.

9. A Final Thought
"When we replace `I' by
`We' even Illness becomes
Wellness."