About the webinar
One of the most frequently cited factors for unsuccessful e-learning is the feeling of isolation, which stems from the lack of classroom interaction which is so familiar to learners and teachers. This presentation shows how this isolation can be prevented if both educators and students/trainees are engaged in online learning. The Teaching for Success online courses have two main characteristics that foster good practices for online teamwork:
- They are closed courses. The reduced number of participants allows moderators and course participants to build an online community in which they feel comfortable and eager to share experiences and ideas.
- They are designed from the constructivist approach. Course participants take responsibility for building their professional development together with other professionals with similar short- and long-term career goals. Testimonials of teachers from previous courses will illustrate the benefits of getting involved in collaborative and constructivist activities.
The focus is on presenting some of the practical ways in which teachers can enhance their online learning through online teamwork:
- Working together in online collaborative activities (forums, synchronous meetings)
- Peer feedback
- Creating a database for sharing materials
- Learning about online collaboration tools that can be used after course completion
- Networking with educators whose teaching contexts are different.
All these tips help teachers become aware of the importance of 21st century skills, not only in the context of demonstrating their value to students but also as support factors for personal and professional development.
About the speakers
Cristiana lives in ClujNapoca, Romania. She has 17 years' experience of teaching all age groups. For the last eight years, she has been working as a freelance teacher trainer, while the last five years have been dedicated to being an online tutor, an online mentor and a materials writer for online courses.
Teo lives and works in ClujNapoca, Romania. She has been teaching English for about 15 years but she also works as a teacher trainer for the British Council. She started working as an emoderator for British Council online courses five years ago and later on, became an ementor. It has been a great experience for her to explore the online environment.