Professional Development in Integrating Technology for Settlement Language Training

Doctors Phil Hubbard and Greg Kessler have been leading international lights in the world of Technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) for many years. From their academic positions at Stanford University and Ohio University respectively, they have each contributed as teacher trainers and authors to the theory and practice of online and blended language training. New Language Solutions, Inc. was very pleased to offer this opportunity for Canadian settlement language training professionals to gain Phil and Greg’s insights into better practices. In this one-hour webinar, Greg discussed innovative uses of technology for student engagement. Phil took ‘a deeper dive’ into listening in the digital age, drawing from research and practice along with examples from his Stanford listening and vocabulary course. Teachers were introduced to tools and strategies to help their students work effectively with online listening experiences outside of class, and they were provided with a link to the Stanford course notes for further exploration.

Introducing MANSO’s Childcare Assistant EAL Curriculum (CLB 3-5)

This webinar explored the newly launched Childcare Assistant EAL Curriculum developed by the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO). The curriculum was designed for newcomers at CLB 3, 4, and 5 who have different levels of interest in, and experience with, early childhood education as a career. The writers and developers of the materials, Stella Wang, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Eman Ghanem, Solomon College, and Linda Manimtim, Red River College Polytech walked us through a brief overview of the development of this EAL curriculum. Following this, they shared content from the curriculum, delving into the four topic areas, Getting a Job as a CCA, Performing Daily Tasks at a Childcare Centre, Workplace Communication, and Workplace Culture, allowing time for discussion and questions. The webinar concluded with a question and answer session.