How to Train Teachers to Use ICT for ELT

The need for ICT training for teachers

The ELT profession is gradually coming to terms with the growing influence of ICT on teaching, and many teachers are already working innovatively with computers. However, others are struggling to find a role for them. What is clear is that there is a need for teachers to be trained in how to exploit computers for language teaching and in the technical skills necessary. In this article I will describe a course in ICT training for teachers of English. I will look at the methodological principles underpinning the course, and the syllabus content to which the principles are applied. The description is based on a two or three week intensive course, 21 hours per week input time.

Key training approaches

A key methodological principle of the course is loop input whereby participants experience the content via methods they could use with their own students. For example, in order to exploit MS PowerPoint for project work, participants will need to know: (a) how to technically manipulate the software, (b) how to set up and stage project work and (c) how to incorporate the teaching of PowerPoint skills within the project process. The trainer promotes the acquisition of these three skill areas by having participants do their own project and then reflect on the experience. The reflection process can be broken down into stages: Participants describe from memory what they did, they then consider the rationale for each stage, and finally they critically evaluate the experience in terms of its appropriacy to their own teaching context.

Teachers will, in some cases, have to teacher their learners the computer skills necessary to complete such projects. This will be a relatively new area for them. In this course, participants experience a combination of technical training approaches: demonstration using LDC-projected examples, hard-copy instructional material and problem solving tasks. They then evaluate the appropriateness of these approaches to their own contexts.

The course includes two 'You choose' sessions whereby participants choose what they want to work on for that session. For example, one participant might choose to work on 'understanding Windows, the mouse and file management', whilst another might choose 'practising HTML'. Furthermore, because many of the instructions are paper -based, participants can progress at their own pace. More challenging tasks can be handed out to those participants who make quick progress. No-one is kept waiting 'twiddling their thumbs'. Such an approach takes account of mixed ability and many participants immediately see the relevance of this to their own classrooms.

I have found that skills are best acquired if they are presented and practised through relevant contexts. For example, the skills of cutting and pasting, inserting images and using text boxes are practised by having participants produce material which could be used by their students. Figure One shows an example of this:

Fig One

This example, created by a participant, is an innovative response to a sample previously provided by the trainer, through which the participant has been able to activate her creativity and existing methodological expertise. The example illustrates another key feature of the course: project work. Participants engage in a process which results in products. The course intends that participants produce at least three finished products: a group website posted on the net; a group PowerPoint presentation recorded onto CD ROM; and a word processing activity like the one above. One further point about 'electronic projects' is that participants will need advice on how the technology fits into the project process.

The other key principles of the course are negotiation and evaluation. Negotiation occurs at the pre-course stage. Sample timetables are emailed to prospective participants as part of a Newsgroup. Participants negotiate content between themselves and then inform the course director who refines the amendments. Negotiation also occurs at the end of the first week when deciding on content for the subsequent weeks, and throughout subsequent weeks when participants are constantly consulted on whether they wish to expand, contract, add or omit previously agreed components. There are three tiers of evaluation. Participants evaluate material, for example, how useful a website or a set of instructional materials might be for their students. They evaluate the methodology in terms of its appropriacy to their own classrooms. The key question here is, 'Could you do this with your students? Why? Why not?'. Finally they evaluate the standard of training provided by the trainers.

Syllabus Content

Classifying websites

This component distinguishes between content-based websites, language-based websites and teacher resource websites. Content-based sites comprise the limitless number of information-providing sites; for example, The International Movie Database - www.imdb.com;. General knowledge CD ROMs such as Microsoft Music Central and Encarta Atlas are also content-based in nature. Language-based sites are those which hold language games and activities, on-line dictionaries, grammars and concordancers; for example www.bellenglish.com; www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html. Such sites make methodological demands on teachers which are different from the content-based sites. Teacher resource sites are those which point towards other sites. Some provide downloadable lesson plans. Such sites include: http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/links/; http://www.english-to-go.com/.

Evaluation, exploitation and integration of sites.

Having surveyed and classified a range of websites, participants brainstorm criteria needed to evaluate them. They then consider how sites can be exploited for language and skills development through experiencing, observing and reflecting on 'web-based' lessons, identifying flexible methodological frameworks and designing their own web-based lessons with reference to the frameworks.

Exploiting CD ROMs

The CD ROMs referred to in this component are those which have been developed with language learning in mind; for example the Longman Grammar ROM, the Reward CD ROM, and Q Connect English. A similar process to the one above is adopted: survey, evaluation, experiencing lessons first-hand, reflection, and lesson design. In addition participants are asked to consider how to select and integrate portions of CD ROMs into the taught timetable so as to work towards achieving desired learning outcomes and to promote not only student-computer interactivity but also student-student interaction.

Web terminology and searching an browser

Much English ICT terminology may be unfamiliar to non-native speaker teachers of English, even though they may understand the terms in their own language. For example, a surfer is a person who browses or surfs the Net, but a browser might not be a person at all! Unless you're looking for a book in a bookshop. And what are you doing on that computer at the moment? Bruising? Ouch! Is an address the same as a URL? What’s the difference between a search engine and an ISP? On the other hand, some participants may not be fully familiar with function of these Web tools. Consequently there is a need for training in understanding the basic concepts of the Internet, in how to manipulate the web for information retrieval in English - and in English for computing purposes. This component deals with the above issues, focussing on understanding browser interfaces in English, using search engines, and bookmarking favourite websites.

Electronic Projects using Microsoft PowerPoint

This component considers how PowerPoint projects are organised and developed. In fact, the process is virtually the same as it would be for conventional projects: How one starts a project, how responsibility and content is negotiated, how new language is introduced, how the process is timetabled and evaluated, and how the technology is taught. The process of acquiring new computer skills is more meaningful if participants can appreciate the practical use to which the skills can be put. For this reason, training is focussed on the skills necessary for participants to produce an agreed product. These skills include: creating hyperlinks, recording and inserting audio files, inserting graphics and video clips, creating custom animations, slide transitions, formatting backgrounds and fonts.

Creating Websites

Participants work with a simple web editor such as MS FrontPage Express towards producing a co-ordinated product to be uploaded onto the Internet. Skills covered, implications for pedagogy and modes of training are similar to those for PowerPoint. In addition participants are trained in how to integrate other media into websites: audio and video using avi and wav file recorders, real audio files and MP3 files; and image scanning and editing. Participants are also trained in how to add frames, and how to modify design using HTML

Web tools for designing language practice activities

Participants are trained in how to author their own language practice activities using two programmes: Hot Potatoes - http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/halfbaked; and Clic - www.xtec.es . The former enables teachers to create crosswords, jumbled sentence games, drag and drop matching tasks and others. The latter produces word searches, drag and drop puzzles, and word association games. These activities are saved as HTML pages and hyperlinked to the website project. Participants also discuss how such software can be used by students to create language practice tasks for their peers, in the same way that we often ask learners to prepare comprehension questions about a text which they pass on to their partner to answer.

Downloading, Uploading, Zipping and Unzipping!

Certain pieces of software, often referred to as 'plug ins' are necessary to enhance the performance of a website. Common audio plug ins are: Real Player and Real Producer and Simple MP3 Maker. They usually have to be downloaded, often in compressed (or zipped) format. This component provides practice in downloading software, zipping or unzipping using winzip, uploading or hanging your website in cyberspace for the first time by using 'File Transfer Protocol ' software (FTP) such as ws_ftp le or ftp works.

Exploiting Applications

This element illustrates how MS Word and MS Excel can be used to generate language practice activities. For example, MS Word is an ideal tool for developing grammatical knowledge and practising writing skills through, for example, text expansion or reorganisation activities. MS Excel is an ideal tool for presenting the results of classroom surveys through charts and accompanying descriptions. Participants experience integrated lessons using each application, reflect on the aims and the staging, and critically analyse the applicability of such tasks to their own contexts. Finally participants brainstorm new ideas.

Email in the classroom

This component illustrates how email can be used to encourage written communication between students within the same class. As with MS Word and Excel, participants experience a lesson. For example, a student designs a robot using MS Draw, writes a description of it, emails the description to a designated classmate who then reproduces the same robot. The two learners then compare the drawings. Once again, the experience is followed by reflective evaluation and adaptation.

Word processing projects

Participants are shown a language practice activity which could either be produced by students themselves, by the teacher to be printed out and used with students in hard-copy form, or used with students on screen using MS Word's drag and drop facility. See figure One. Participants are then trained in the procedures needed to produce similar worksheets before producing their own worksheets.

Using eGroups for synchronous chat, surveys and email simulations.

eGroups can be found at the site www.egroups.com. At his website you can create personalised newsgroups in which membership is controlled. This enables the tutor - or the group co-ordinator to set up controlled simulations with pre-arranged contacts in other countries (who also subscribe - with their students - to the same site). This component gives practical suggestions for simulations, lets participants sample parts of a simulation and then brainstorms other suggestions for simulations. In addition participants investigate and evaluate the potential of chat and online surveys.

Where is all this leading?

This course does three things. Firstly it prepares teachers to handle the convergence of language learning and computer learning; that is, learning English through computers and computers through English. The main value of convergence hangs on the need for students to produce products, for example, as I have described, oral presentations accompanied by PowerPoint displays. Secondly it trains teachers to train their learners in the conventions and use of electronic communication such as email and chat, the assumption being that language will be acquired for this medium (and indeed for wider use) through practice in it. Thirdly, it trains teachers to use the electronic text (oral or aural) of websites and CD ROMs as the context through which new language is presented and practised.

One key assumption behind each of these areas is that they are there to embelish an existing syllabus, where that syllabus is relatively linear and where the students need some kind of break from its normality. A second assumption is that, on the whole, the teacher remains responsible for controlling the input of language. The course conveniently avoids the fact that, as well as being a key source of linguistic input, the technology itself has the potential to liberate the learner into becoming responsible for determining his/her own syllabus. Where does this leave the teacher? In fact, in a surprisingly strong position. But that is the subject of another teacher training course.