Welcome to
Online settlement language training solutions for adult newcomers and teaching professionals.
During the 2020 – 21 fiscal year, New Language Solutions will be piloting and rolling out an enhanced learning technology solution for IRCC-funded language training providers. When live, Avenue.ca will provide:
- An electronic learner portfolio solution in Moodle;
- Single sign in to both EduLINC and Tutela, creating close integration with Tutela and the learning resources available there;
- A virtual space for teachers to store digital resources for future use;
- Attendance tracking—teachers will be able to check how much time each of their learners spend working in their Moodle course;
- A Moodle LMS for Clic, the French equivalent of LINC.
Since 2010, the LearnIT2teach project has supported blended learning through the
hosting and distribution of CLB-aligned courseware, and four-stage training for
LINC professionals on how to use the courseware and adapt it for their learners.
The IRCC-funded language training sector need have no worries about losing
access to what we have been providing LINC professionals for ten years now; the
LearnIT2teach team will continue to:
- Provide Stages 1, 2, 3, 4 of teacher training through a coast-to-coast network of expert mentors and regional partners;
- Partner with TESL Ontario to support PTCT accreditation for Ontario TESL teachers who’ve completed Stages 3 and 4 of the teacher training;
- Create and distribute informal professional development through Tutela webinars and the Twitter feed, articles, and podcasts on our portal;
- Provide online training in Learning Technology Innovation Leadership to sector managers and aspiring lead teachers;
- Apply a strategy for continuous improvement of all our tools and services through evaluation of all we do.
As we move into the 2020-25 funding cycle, the Avenue.ca project will continue to expand in capacity to support PBLA-based settlement language training. The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) and New Language Solutions (NLS) and other service providers will be developing more and more PBLA-aligned courseware, hosted on the Tutela side of Avenue, and available to teachers through the custom courseware builder function in the Avenue Moodle.
MISSION
The mission of The LearnIT2teach Project is to develop learner courseware and provide language educator accredited training and professional development to support the integration and adaptation of immigrants to Canada and contribute to the modernization of settlement language training. To achieve the project mission, we provide Canadian-centric blended resources and delivery tools, and we train language educators to engage immigrant clients using open-source learning technologies.
VISION
Our Vision is a Canadian newcomer population with ready access to information technology to assist their orientation and adaptation to Canada, support the development of their second language skills, and help them build IT foundation skills that will improve their employability and life skills.
A Canadian community of professional teaching practice in the field of technology enhanced language learning (TELL) and immigrant settlement language training where:
- resources are freely shared and language educators collaborate to identify, sustain and improve best practices;
- language educators understand the potential of TELL to support learning and teaching, and where skill with learning technology is a basic professional requirement.
VALUES
We apply these values to what we do:
- Always respect language educator’s needs and capabilities;
- Implement best practices in TELL and the TESOL Technology Standards;
- Innovate constantly in response to a rapidly evolving technical landscape;
- Develop open source learning management software solutions for free distribution to nonprofit educational users;
- Develop and share learning objects aligned to the CLB;
- Encourage other language educators to develop and share their TELL curricula;
- Evaluate to constantly improve our skills, and our knowledge of the needs of both immigrant learners and their language educators.
Furthermore, we support a Canadian TELL Community of Practice for settlement language training professionals by:
- Engagement of the community through creative application of social networking tools suited to the needs and interests of the target training audience;
- Stimulation of thought, discussion, personal reflection, and research and inquiry through webinars, articles, audio podcasts, web videos and face-to-face presentations.