|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Knedliki
Joined: 08 May 2015
Posts: 160
|
 Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 9:07 am Post subject: |
 |
|
I can't imagine reputable employers taking this kind of thing seriously. They sound more like a marketing gimmick to entice people into becoming students later on (fee paying students).
A bit like supermarkets offering discounted gas/petrol to get you in the shop. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 11:46 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Knedliki wrote: |
I can't imagine reputable employers taking this kind of thing seriously. They sound more like a marketing gimmick to entice people into becoming students later on (fee paying students).
A bit like supermarkets offering discounted gas/petrol to get you in the shop. |
A bit like the promise of adventure and fun lure people to sign up for vanilla TEFL certs? Or just as reputable employers require a 120-hour, non-academic TESOL cert for employment/visa purposes?
Keep in mind, MOOCs are designed and facilitated by professors from education heavies such as Harvard, Berkeley, MIT, Stanford, Georgetown U, etc. For example, see this list of edX academic partners. Considering how tough it is to get into these universities, MOOCs definitely aren't a gimmick to entice students to enroll in a BA or MA degree program. Their purpose is to create open online learning experiences to anyone who wants to learn.
The courses aren't flaky. For example, take a look at the edX course, Introduction to Family Engagement in Education. The instructor is a Senior Lecturer on Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Faculty Director of the Education Policy and Management Master’s Program. Once successfully completed, the learner can receive a certification of completion from HarvardX to go along with his/her new knowledge and strategies. It doesn't entail credits toward a degree at Harvard, but that's not the purpose of professional development and most continuing education courses.
Prior to transitioning to teaching, I worked in every level of government in the US and in corporate. Courses are commonly offered through learning and development departments within HR, and employees are encouraged to sign up for those that interest them and boost their skills and knowledge. (My employers funded a good chunk of two master's degrees.) Not surprising, many reputable US employers find MOOCs as valuable training opportunities for employee professional development and continuing ed, especially since employers benefit from it as well.
See:
DOE Endorses Duke MOOCs for Teacher Professional Development
How MOOCs Will Revolutionize Corporate Learning and Development
. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mikalina
Joined: 03 May 2011
Posts: 140
Location: Home (said in a Joe90 voice)
|
| Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 12:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
As a practical example:
Many jobs are appearing now in state schools in England which are on the periphery of teaching or are a blend of the two: family liaison officer; inclusion officer, etc. Sometimes these jobs are part esl teaching where the relationship with the family of the child with english as their second language is instrumental to a successful outcome.
This particular prof. dev. course would at least show that you were interested in this area of work and were willing to do research to support your application.
Jobs in TEFL are very thin on the ground in England so this would actually get you through the door. The jobs are not brilliantly paid as compared with teaching (PGCE) but better than a lot of TEFL stuff. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mtswabey
Joined: 22 Jun 2017
Posts: 1
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 10:50 am Post subject: Exploring the World of English Language Teaching MOOC |
|
|
Exploring the World of English Language Teaching is a MOOC, a free online course, produced by Cambridge English which starts next week on Monday 3 July. It’s available for free to anyone who chooses to sign up.
Here's the link to sign up for the course https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/explore-elt/4/welcome
The intro video is also available on the Cambridge English You Tube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GNcIHQz0JU
The course is designed for anyone who may be considering teaching English and would like to get a taste of what being an English language teacher is like and the skills you need to be a successful English language teacher. The course can also be used as pre-course preparation for a CELTA course or other TEFL course.
Give it a try! It's interactive and you'll meet a lot of like-minded people both with and without experience of teaching English who share their ideas and experiences. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 12:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Since we're on the topic of TESOL...
Coursera offers TESOL Courses and Specializations. The comprehensive TESOL specialization is 150 hours over 6 months and was designed by Arizona State University. It's online, so it obviously entails videotaped teaching demos for the capstone, which isn't as effective as supervised/observed teaching practice with students. But that's more of a negative for someone new to teaching.
However, the "meat" of the program is worth a look for those who want to get a good foundation in TESOL or refresh their skills and knowledge. Of note, the individual courses are the same content that make up the specialization. For example, if you want to learn how to design lesson plans, that course can be taken as a standalone. Additionally, there are plenty of reviews from learners who have recently completed the courses. 
For those interested, Arizona State University's Teach English Now! Lesson Design and Assessment module has the following videos that are free to view and give a taste of what's covered in Week 1 of this particular course on Coursera:
Source: https://www.coursera.org/learn/lesson-design
* Disclaimer: I have not taken the course nor have reviewed it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
|
| Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 5:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Who doesn't like things that are low cost or free? 
If you're abroad but hold a valid public library card from the US, UK, Australia, or Canada, you're probably eligible to use lynda.com's extensive selection of online courses free of charge. See How to use lynda.com for free from your local library. If you don't have a library card, check with your alma mater; students, faculty, and alumni likely have unlimited access to lynda.com as well.
It's also worth seeing what other freebies your uni has to offer. For example, mine offers the full version of Office 2016 as a standalone product and the online version, Office 365, at no cost to alumni. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
