Design and Evaluation of Training Programs - Week 1

Introduction: Hello and welcome to the first week of the course Design and Evaluation of Training Progams and Workshops. Today we will do several activities to get to know each other better, review the syllabus and expectations for the course, and begin our journey by trying to identify key issues in language teacher training and development.

Task 1: This or That

Let's play a little game to get to know each other better. Spin the wheel and make a choice between the two options. Say which one you prefer and why. You have to choose one. Don't sit on the fence!

Spin the Wheel

Task 2: Organize the Text

Click the link and go to your assigned tab in the document. Rearrange the text by copy/pasting the phrases from Column B into Column A to make a coherent text. Be ready to share your text and reason for organizing it in that way.

Group Document: CLICK HERE

Task 3: Previous Experiences with T&D

Discuss the following questions with your teacher and partners.

What experiences have you had being trained (teacher training or other contexts)?
What was/were the purpose(s) of that training?
How effective was that training?
How did you learn to teach?
How much of what you know about teaching came as a result of training?
Where did the rest of it come from? How do you know?
What experience have you had training others?
What was the context?
How was it similar to teaching? How was it different?
If you have done a lot of training, how did you become a trainer? How did you learn to train?
How did/could you get better at training?

Task 4: Defining our Terms

Discuss the following questions with your partners...

What is your definition of these terms? What ideas, associations, and connotations do these terms bring to mind for you?

Training
Development

CLICK HERE to view a dictionary definition for "Training" and HERE for "Development". }
What are your reactions to these definitions?
How do the definitions of these words from a general context apply to your conceptions of training and professional development from the specific context of teacher education? In what ways do they not apply?
What questions do these "common sense" definitions raise?

Task 5: Outlining Key Issues in T&D

Task 6: The Future of Professional Development

In a recent conference, three of the leading writers of ELT teacher training and development literature were asked to give their predictions for the future of professional development in the field. Watch your assiged video and take notes. Be ready to share the following with the class.

Summarize: What were the speakers main points?
React: What do you think about what they said?
Connect: What implications might this have for how we approach issues related to training and developing the techers we work with?

Jack C. Richards