Are we preparing teachers to meet the education needs of the 21 st century? (And does anyone care ?)

1. Are we preparing teachers to meet the education needs of the 21st century? (And does anyone care?) Mark Levy APAC ELT Convention 2014 www.britishcouncil.org

2. Is teacher training delivering? (And does anyone care?) Mark Levy APAC ELT Convention 2014 www.britishcouncil.org

3. What it says on the tin: • What are the training needs of English/language teachers? Are they any different from the training needs of teachers of other subjects? Are they any different from the needs of 20 years ago? Whose responsibility is training anyway? • These are some of the questions that we’ll look at in this session with a view to suggesting a core set of training needs for teachers. www.britishcouncil.org

4. So … • What are the training needs of English/language teachers? • Are they any different from the training needs of teachers of other subjects? • Are they any different from the needs of 20 years ago? • Whose responsibility is training anyway? www.britishcouncil.org

5. We live in a time of constant change • Mobility – personal & professional • Shifting identity / multiple identities • Non-linearity of information, of process, of … • Access to divergent thinking, diverse input • Unpredictability • How can teachers contribute to the change when the system holds on to the old model? • Can we expect the 'new world' to behave in the way that the 'old world' was taught? www.britishcouncil.org

6. Motivating Learning (Motivating Teaching) • 28.8 per cent of boys leave school before qualifying. According to data from the Institute for Economic Studies, from a study carried out by Eurostat, 28.8 per cent of boys abandon school in Spain. The number is double the European average. For the girls 20.8 per cent abandon school before. The survey says that during the construction boom many of the students went to work, and therefore left school, but that reason is now past. • (El País 15/5/13) www.britishcouncil.org

7. What do teachers need from training? • “How to Teach”: e.g.: • Classroom & behaviour management - establishing a suitable learning environment & making learning possible, create a climate of thinking & reflection … • How to support learning – motivation, teaching/learning strategies, scaffolding, use of appropriate teaching/support tools … • How to teach specific content & skills - pronunciation, grammar, reading skills …. • How to evaluate & assess learning www.britishcouncil.org

8. What do teachers need from training? • Content (“What to Teach”): e.g.: • Subject specific content – English • Learning skills & strategies - ways to understand, remember, recall, use & apply information • Life skills – team working, initiative, flexibility, adaptability, social & cross-cultural skills, responsibility • 21st century skills www.britishcouncil.org

9. Classroom & behaviour management • Relationships, classroom geography, rules, lesson structure, instructions, voice, pace, variety … • but … www.britishcouncil.org

10. Support for learning: CLIL • Deeper and wider content range than most ELT teaching • Fits better with other school subjects / activities as is about the content, not the language. • Area skills & language skills are developed simultaneously - language is the vehicle: it arises naturally from the discourse context. • Importance of ‘scaffolding’ – guiding learning via focused questions and positive interactions / learning by doing • Catalyst for change - implications for collaboration & team working: a whole school approach is key. www.britishcouncil.org

11. 21st century skills • Ways of thinking. Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and learning • Ways of working. Communication and collaboration • Tools for working. Information and communications technology (ICT) and information literacy • Skills for living in the world. Citizenship, life and career, and personal and social responsibility • Assessment & Teaching of 21st Century Skills – University of Melbourne • (http://atc21s.org/index.php/about/what-are-21st-century-skills/) www.britishcouncil.org

12. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) http://www.p21.org/ www.britishcouncil.org

13. Collaborative Learning : Working Together • SugataMitraexperiments in self-teaching • The PISA 2015 definition of collaborative problem solving: • Collaborative problem solving competency is the capacity of an individual to effectively engage in a process whereby two or more agents attempt to solve a problem by sharing the understanding and effort required to come to a solution. www.britishcouncil.org

14. The role of technology • Adults think of technology as a tool. Young people think of it as a foundation—it underlies everything they do.“ • @marcprensky www.britishcouncil.org

15. 21st century skills: Digital Literacies • (from Hockley, Dudeneyand Pegrum) www.britishcouncil.org

16. 21st century skills: Global Citizenship • “Education for global citizenship is essentially about equipping the young people that we teach for the world they will live in as adults. We don’t know for sure what the world will be like in the future but we can have aspirations and use our expertise to help young people to acquire the necessary outlooks, understandings and skills to realize these hopes.” • British Council online course on Education for Global Citizenship https://connectingclassrooms-learning.britishcouncil.org/ • Schools Online • http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/ www.britishcouncil.org

17. Skills for Global Citizenship www.britishcouncil.org

18. Subject knowledge: What do teachers of English need to know? • How to teach learners to convey & understand (the correct) meaning in English • Speaking: pronunciation (rhythm & word stress) • Writing: process (generating ideas, drafting, revising ..) • Listening: understanding pronunciation features (& engaging your brain not just your ears) • Reading: using context (& engaging your brain not just your eyes) www.britishcouncil.org

19. So … what do you think? • What are the training needs of English/language teachers? • Are they any different from the training needs of teachers of other subjects? • Are they any different from the needs of 20 years ago? • Does the training that is offered cover the 21st century needs of a teacher of/through English? • Whose responsibility is training anyway? www.britishcouncil.org

20. & one last thing • Every kid needs a champion • We’re educators. • We were born to make a difference! • Rita Pierson www.britishcouncil.org

21. Stay in touch • www.britishcouncil.es • Twitter: @esBritish • Facebook: British Council España • mark.levy@britishcouncil.es • Twitter: @MarkLev99 www.britishcouncil.org

22. www.britishcouncil.org

23. Knowledge: the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning. Knowledge is the body of facts, principles, theories and practices that is related to a field of work or study. • Skills: means the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems. • Competencies: means the proven ability to use knowledge and skills in work or study situations and in professional and personal development. One key aspect of a competence is the degree of autonomy and responsibility with which students are able to apply knowledge and skills www.britishcouncil.org

24. Professional Development Framework www.britishcouncil.org

25. Why teach Learning strategies? • Learning strategies are ways to understand, remember, and recall information. • Understand how your students learn (might be different from the way you learn) • Make learning strategies concrete & students aware of (other) learning strategies (research suggest that strategies aren't automatically transferable) • Share the strategies of good language learners • Create a climate of thinking & reflection • Increase self-efficacy • Motivate – by showing students they are responsible for own success www.britishcouncil.org