1. Distance learning and professional development

2. Outline of the session How has the way we learn changed? Distance learning – an overview Technology in distance learning Professional development through distance learning

3. Learning - What has changed? Pen and paper Book Blackboard Library Playground, staffroom Computer PDF, internet IWB Internet Online activities Online chat

4. Distance Learning Is it really that new? Is there no contact with the teacher? And will I never see my fellow students? Advantages? –Flexibility –No commuting –Choice of schools and courses –Lower cost Disadvantages?

5. Use of technology Synchronous Telephone Webinars Web conferences Videoconferences Internet radio Online chats Asynchronous Email CD DVD Forums eBooks Recorded video

6. What subjects can you study and at what level? Huge range of subjects Undergraduate Postgraduate Professional development

7. What is professional development? Characteristics of professional development Changes that professional development brings Further study

8. ELT Advantage Online professional development for English Language Teachers http://elt.heinle.com/eltadvantage Courses approved by TESOL Learn from experts in the field 19 different areas of study

9. ELT Advantage Assessing Language Ability in Young Learners Content-based Instruction for Language Learners An Introduction to Teaching English to Young learners Teaching Vocabulary Teaching Lexically Making the most of Learner Dictionaries Teaching EFL/ESL Reading

10. Pursuing Professional Development What is professional development? Why it is important for teachers? Practical advice How to incorporate into daily life

11. What is Professional Development?

12. Training or Development Training vs Development –Training: ‘the acquisition of a particular set of skills to complete a specific task’ Curtis, Andy –Development, in contrast, does not have fixed and pre-determined start and end points –Product vs Process

13. Teacher Development ‘Teacher development’ is a term used in the literature to describe a process of continual intellectual, experimental, and attitudinal growth of teachers Dale Lange, 1990

14. ‘…continued growth both before and throughout a career "the intent here is to suggest that teachers continue to evolve in the use, adaptation, and application of their art and craft" Dale Lange, 1990

15. 1.Growth: intellectual, experimental, attitudinal 2.Time periods: Before, during, and after (continuous) 3.Activity Types: Use, adaptation, and application

16. Teaching: Art or Craft?

17. More on professional development… Continuous process –A beginning but no end –Constant and lifelong Growth – the body metaphor –Intellect = head – conscious, deliberate thoughts –Experience = hand – accumulated wisdom based on 3 sets of learning: learning from mistakes, from our successes, from each other –Attitude = heart – values, beliefs, behaviours

18. Characteristics of Professional Development Awareness Stepping back to get a better view Decision making Choice making Responsiveness Flexibility Change-oriented

19. Areas of Change UnderstandingOf our actions and motives and the actions and motives of others UnderstandingOf our actions and motives and the actions and motives of others BeliefsAbout language, teaching and learning PerceptionsOf the purpose and reasons for our thoughts and actions AttitudeIn terms of how open we are to different ways of being and seeing AwarenessOf the opportunities and the constraints within us and around us

20. Why is Professional Development Important

21. Why is professional development important? Acquisition of new knowledge and updating current knowledge New ways of teaching and learning New technology Classroom-based problem-solving Avoiding ‘routinization’ through variety and creativity Changes in the context and setting Promotion and income Empowerment Burnout prevention Networking

22. What next?

23. Questions? http://elt.heinle.com http://elt.heinle.com/eltadvantage www.twitter.com/HeinleELT