Category: Higher education

Fresh Beginnings, Blended Learning and FLIPping

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SCAD Language Studio ? Professor Christina Cavage, Human Resources headshot, Fall 2013 ? Photography by Stephanie Krell, courtesy of SCADChristina Cavage

In few professions do you get start over every year, every semester, or quarter.  It’s a wonderful thing, and one of the best parts about teaching.  As we begin anew, it gives us an opportunity to try new techniques, materials, employ those innovative strategies on a fresh group of learners.  It was a few years back that I decided to try something new—blended learning.  Extending my students’ learning experiences has not only proved valuable to their learning, but has allowed me to become the kind of classroom teaching I have always wanted to be.

Some of you may have been following my articles on blended learning and flipping your ESL classroom, some of you may have been decided to make that leap.  For those still on the fence, or wanting to know more, I thought I would review some of the finer points I covered in the last few newsletters. Continue reading →

New from Pearson this fall

Posted on | by Pearson

See what’s new from Pearson this fall. We are excited to show you all of our new titles and new editions of your favorites. From the fourth edition of NorthStar  – now with a fully blended MyEnglishLab – and the new adult video-based program, Project Success, to the third edition of the Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL iBT Test  for exam prep – there is something to meet your classroom needs!

Click here to get up-to-date product information and to see sample units in an instant!

Want to speak to an ELL Specialist? Just go to www.pearsoneltusa.com/specialists

 

 

 

 

Online Reading-Instruction Practice at Multiple Levels

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s_johnsonStefanie Johnson
Instructor, Grossmont College and San Diego Miramar College

Launched this fall is a new online reading lab series from Pearson called MyEnglishLab: Reading. While there are currently Pearson labs for reading, MyEnglishLab: Reading (MELR) is the first one from this publisher geared toward English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students. In contrast to online reading labs for students available through other authors and publishers, these labs come with purchase of the text. It is here that Pearson’s MELR has the clear advantage in that the online component can be used as a supplement with any textbook or as a stand-alone product. As such, MELR provides more practice with various readings and skills practice. MELR is a great tool that is available for four levels and would work in any ESOL course with reading in it. Continue reading →

Take Sneak Peek at our NEW 2015 Pearson AlwaysESL Catalog

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2015_Cat_Cover copy 2015 Pearson AlwaysESL Catalog

In a few days, our new print catalog for 2015 will be available, but we wanted you to be the first to see it online.

The new Pearson AlwaysESL catalog continues to include new product information, pricing, and updated content, as well as feature articles from authors and educators like yourself.

Please take a sneak peek, and feel free to share it with your colleagues!

 

Flipping: Intentional Content

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2014_CCavageChristina Cavage

Are you making a shift? A shift in the way you think about the delivery of course content?  In this month’s newsletter I’d like to focus on the I in FLIP—Intentional Content—my favorite pillar.

Intentional content is all about choosing the best content to be delivered in the classroom, and the best content to be delivered outside of the classroom.  In a typical classroom today, we often teach new language structures or functions in the classroom and assign homework in which students have to apply, evaluate or create with the new language.  However, flipping is all about taking the learning, the new content, outside of the classroom.  Consider Bloom’s Taxonomy for a minute.

Bloom1

We often work on the lower levels of Bloom’s in class: Remembering and Understanding while we leave the Applying, Analyzing and Creating for outside of class.  In a Flipped Classroom, Remembering and Understanding are moved outside of the classroom– leaving room for Creating, Analyzing and Applying in the classroom. You may be thinking, “Don’t students need instructors to explain new structures and concepts?”  Absolutely.  However, many digital tools allow us to do this quite easily.  So, what content should be moved outside of the classroom? What content would benefit students greatly to hear again and again?  In class, we often only have ‘time’ to explain things once or twice.  However, if we moved this outside of the classroom, students could get the repetition so many of them need. Take a look at this video: Next Generation Grammar, 1, Chapter 16 Video

Moving this simple instruction outside of the classroom, allows learners to really engage and interact with the new information in a safe environment, at their own pace.  Additionally, think of all the applying, analyzing and creating that could happen the next class period.  We could have students prepare dialogues where they are comparing one class to another, one place to another.  Or, perhaps, we can have students write a comparison paragraph.  Students can aid one another in the revision of the paragraphs.  You can bring items in and have students compare the items.  The possibilities are endless.

Should all new content be moved outside of the classroom?  Absolutely not!  That again, is where the I comes in.  It must be intentional.  Start small.  Use the wealth of resources that already exist…  Khan Academy, YouTube, TeacherTube, TedEd, MyEnglishLab. Intentionally selecting the best content will not only free up your class time to really apply learning, but it will also greatly benefit your students.  They will develop greater learner autonomy.