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Using Cambridge English Teacher for Continuing Professional Development
Fiona Barker
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Fill in the gapsAn effective ____________ stems from
effective p_____, p_____ and p_____.
An effective language school stems from effective people, policies and practices.
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Workshop Aims• To explore how online communities can help
teaching staff to develop their skills, knowledge and other aspects of their CPD.
• To present the rationale and look together at the range of resources on offer in Cambridge English Teacher.
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Workshop Aims 2• To consider which resources would be of
most benefit in your context.
• To suggest ways in which we can improve what is currently on offer.
• To consider what can be done to involve more teachers and institutions in online communities.
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Cambridge English Language Assessment
• Exam board offering a range of ESOL language tests and teaching qualifications
• A unique approach to teaching, learning and assessing English, driven by world-class research and continuous innovation
• Committed to:• educational excellence• language learning that benefits society
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Overview1. Benefits and challenges of CPD for
language education2. Using online materials for CPD: rationale
and our experiences 3. Case study: Cambridge English Teacher4. Linking online CPD to existing
frameworks & professional associations 5. What’s next?
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1. Benefits and challenges of CPD for language education
What’s our view of CPD?
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Activity 1: Think of one word that describes CPD
engagement
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CPD involves …
www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm
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How does CPD benefit language education?
1. Who are the stakeholders?
2. What benefits does CPD bring to key stakeholders?
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Contexts & usesof educational outcomesInputs to education
Curriculum
Teaching & learning
Internal & external
assessments
Qualifications
Educational system
Who goes here?
And here?
Activity 2: Stakeholders in language education
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StudentsTeachersDirectors of StudiesSchool managersExam boardsTest writersExaminers Receiving institutionsFuture employersGovernment agenciesProfessional bodiesTest administratorsMaterials writersPublishersetc.
Students Parents/familiesTeachersDirectors of StudiesSchool managersReceiving institutions EmployersExaminersGovernment agenciesProfessional bodiesAcademic researchersTest writersExaminersetc.
Educational system
Inputs to education
Curriculum
Teaching & learning
Internal &external
assessments
Qualifications
Educational System
Stakeholders
Contexts & usesof educational outcomes
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Activity 3: Benefits of CPDWhat benefits does successful CPD bring to one or more of these groups?
– Teachers
– DOS
– Management
– Language school chains
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Benefits of successful CPD
– Teachers: career revitalisation, progression, promotion …
– DOS: motivated staff with up-to date skills & knowledge, peer support …
– Management: identifying staff for promotion, aiding recruitment, retention, cost effectiveness …
– Language school chains: comparable training across multiple sites, publicity …
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Activity 4: What are the main challenges to providing or undertaking CPD?
1. Management/DOS: Providing CPD
2. Staff: Undertaking CPD
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What are the main challenges to providing or undertaking CPD?
1. Management: Providing CPD– expense, access, technology,
motivation/inclination, keeping track, following up on staff …
2. Staff: Undertaking CPD– time management, motivation,
following up, peer pressure
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Defining CPD and its benefits for language education: Summary
In section 1 we:1.Considered key words to do with CPD.2.Thought about key stakeholder groups in
language education. 3.Suggested some of the benefits and
challenges of CPD for management, staff and more widely.
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Any questions or comments?
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2. Using online materials for CPD
• Rationale
• Our experiences
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A rationale for CPDSuccessful CPD:• Gives schools a competitive advantage• Complements formal teaching qualifications• What else?
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Activity 5: Your experience of online professional developmentWhat types of online materials have you used
for your own PD?
What motivated you to use them?
Did they offer everything you needed at the time? If not, what would have improved them?
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Our experience of online PDOnline materials: • blogs / wikis / discussion forums / VLEs /
subscription or free websites / courses / webinars ...
Motivation: • requirement / recommendation / stumbled
upon …Improvements:• accessibility / accurate / up to date …
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Using online materials for CPD: Summary
• We considered how online CPD might help a language school or training organisation.
• We reflected on our own use of online materials and communities for PD, thinking about why we used such materials.
• We started to think about how they could be improved.
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Any questions or comments?
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3. Case study: Cambridge English Teacher
• Cambridge English Teacher delivers online PD to English language teachers around the world.
• Collaborative initiative with Cambridge University Press to raise English teaching standards worldwide through:• Increasing expertise through PD and career
development• Easy, affordable access - anytime, anywhere• Cambridge English quality
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Online Professional Development Community • Courses • Webinars• Articles• Access to • Discussion forums• User profiles
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What membership options are available?• Two types of membership:
– Institutional– Teacher
Institutional Membership:• Continuously develops your teachers’ skills and expertise • Online training fits around busy schedules • Recruitment opportunities • Every teacher receives the benefits of Teacher Membership.
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Teacher Membership• Join a community of over 30,000 language
teachers• Free course on joining – and every year when
renewing – with discounts on further courses• Webinars, talks and articles from educational
experts • Certificates of completion/participation for courses
and webinars• Recruitment opportunities.
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Online opportunities with CETRegistered guest users have access to:
•1 course (free Grammar for Teachers: Language Awareness course)
•Resources
•Events (webinars etc..)
•Discussions
•More is available to subscribers
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Quick site tour
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Courses
Currently 14 self-study courses (around 10 hours each)
Certificate from Cambridge • Add to portfolio/CV
1 included in every year of membership (can purchase more)
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Current courses
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Resources
Articles
Knowledge library• Continuous access• Industry leaders
Growing
Videos & webinars
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Latest resources
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Sample resource
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Events
• Webinars – participate and/or watch recordings
• Information about forthcoming Cambridge Days and national and international conferences
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Upcoming events
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Webinars
Every two weeks - provides ongoing engagement for the community
Lead by teaching experts- participants can interact with leading figures
Can be watched again afterwards
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Recent webinars
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Discussions
Any member can start or add to a discussion forum
- 30,000 peers- teaching and assessment experts
Private discussions can be held with institutional membership
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Some discussions
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Activity 6Which components of Cambridge Englishteacher would be particularly relevant to one of these teacher’s needs and interests? Why?
1)a new teacher2)an experienced teacher who needs new motivation3)an experienced and enthusiastic teacher4)a teacher concerned about their language skills
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Relevance of Cambridge English Teacher1) new teacher
2) experienced teacher needing motivation
3) experienced & enthusiastic teacher
4) teacher concerned about language skills
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More features for membersJournal
Messaging through Inbox
Invite / Contacts
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Additional features for institutional members (including their teachers)
• Private Community (20+ users)• Upload specific content e.g. documents or event
information • Messaging to your staff• Communication and Collaboration
• Multi-site institutions or groups of schools• Management and review of your staff’s use
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Launched this month…Recruitment
• Post unlimited job adverts within each membership year
• Search talented candidates and view their profiles
• Verify applicants’ Cambridge English teaching qualifications
• Receive applications and requests from job-seekers through the site
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Cambridge English Teacher: Summary
• We have looked at the range of resources currently available in this online community.
• We considered how these resources would help teachers at different career stages.
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Any questions or comments?
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4. Linking online CPD to existing frameworks & professional associations
Why should we invest in online CPD?
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Cambridge English Teacher could help your institution to meet EAQUALS’ inspection criteria4.13 – Support and Guidance for Teachers• Access to courses & resources • Access to forums
• private institutional forums • site-wide ones to draw on the expertise of others• course-specific forums.
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4.15. Professional development review of teaching staff• Academic managers can use Cambridge
English Teacher to:• recommend specific sets of development materials
to teachers with different needs. • select from around 100 resources (articles,
webinar recordings etc.)• purchase specific courses for individuals or groups
of teachers.
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8.29 Training and professional development• All members have access to a Journal in their
profile – this can be used for reflection on any specific actions, courses of study and their application in the classroom
• Managers can produce reports on course progress, and, if their teachers allow it, they can access their teachers’ profiles to look at all courses taken, qualifications listed etc.
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9.32 Information available to staff about the institution
• Institutional members can add documents, videos, discussion threads etc… which could include information about their school or company.
• They can also communicate through announcements to their teachers, and through the internal Inbox system.
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To sum up, Cambridge English Teacher offers:
Development– Courses– Webinars– Resources– Discussions– Profiles
Management– Cost-effective CPD– Control: manage and
review staff use– Personalised private
community and branding
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Worldwide use
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Don’t forget to visit our Teacher Support website
• Information about all of our assessments and teaching qualifications.
• Teaching resources for each part of each exam.
• More features to support teachers.
www.teachers.cambridgeenglish.org
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4. Linking online CPD to existing frameworks & professional associations: Summary
• We considered why it’s worth investing in online CPD.
• We found out how online CPD can help institutions to achieve accreditation from professional associations.
• We saw how many countries already have users of Cambridge English Teacher.
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5. What’s next?• New developments are planned for
Cambridge English Teacher – watch this space!
• We would welcome your ideas for:• How can we improve what is currently on
offer?• What can be done to involve more teachers in
similar online CPD communities?
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Two final thoughts …
• The best teachers never stop learning.
• The best schools never stop investing.
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LinksAbcya word clouds:
www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htmCambridge English home page:
www.cambridgeenglish.orgCambridge English Teacher Support
www.teachers.cambridgeenglish.orgCambridge English Teacher:
www.CambridgeEnglishTeacher.orgOverview of EAQUALS Standards and Assessment
Criteria, last accessed 16/04/13 from http://clients.squareeye.net/uploads/eaquals2011/documents/Overview_of_EAQUALS_standards_and_assessment_criteria.pdf
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