88 Lauren: Refining Our Support for Instructors During the Teams discussion sessions, instructors often share something that they have tried out online or in class. For instance, they might explain how they have overcome a problem such as students having difficulty typing in an address by simply sending them a link. Another instructor might share a new website they have discovered, provide the link, and make suggestions on how to use it. It’s about instructors helping one another find resources and solve problems. They have a lot to share. These are mandatory sessions, so the participation rate is very high. All our approximately 30 daytime instructors, plus coordinators, show up. To better support new instructors who want help in preparing to teach online for the first time, we are creating a set lesson plan to replace our pilot program’s ad hoc approach. I say “set” lesson plans, but it is understood that they would be a starting point and might need to be modified depending on the level at which the instructor will be teaching and any special circumstances that need to be taken into account. We have recently hired a new person to be a Digital Literacy Facilitator. The role was created to offer digital training, guidance, troubleshooting, and support for instructors and students across online, blended, and face-to-face modalities. We are very happy with this development, particularly as it will allow Diana and me to focus more on our regular duties. We are more convinced than ever that there is value in having new instructors see the “back end” of instructional delivery and student support rather than watching it just from a student’s perspective. Whether the new instructor sits in the same room with an experienced instructor to see how a course is delivered and managed, or uses a program like Teams to watch another instructor working in Avenue, seeing things from an instructor’s perspective is very helpful to new instructors in developing effective practices of their own. Technology Standards and Performance Indicators Here are some key ways in which Diana and Lauren’s teaching methods demonstrate how NLS’s standards for technology-enhanced language teaching and learning can be incorporated into TESOL instruction. Standard 1: Using devices and systems skillfully. Understand and use personal and institutional devices, operating systems, and networks to support quality technology-enhanced language teaching and learning. • The digital skills building program – and later the onboarding program – developed by Diana and Lauren as the ECSSD Adult ESL Program transition to online learning had the express purpose of helping instructors acquire new knowledge, strategies, and skills needed to deliver effective online instruction. • On-going assistance in addressing online issues as they arise ensures that instructors are able to solve problems and polish their skills over time. CC-BY-NC-SA 2025 New Language Solutions Avenue Instructor Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning, version 1.2
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