Korean Job Discussion Forums

spyro25 · Joined: 23 Nov 2004

I'm currently writing another MA assignment, this time on teacher education. I am comparing teacher training with teacher education.

The gist of teacher training is that it is a set of skills or techniques taught as a 'craft' or 'applied science' approach with little or no focus on the teacher him/herself and what he/she brings to the table in terms of experience, attitudes towards language learning / teaching and teaching contexts such as country, dominant teaching theories and so on. TEFL certs such as the CELTA or I-to-I cert fall under this category

For teacher education, training is primarily situated around the teacher himself, using his or her prior experience and context to shape what will be taught on the course, guiding the trainee to rethink and reframe his or her experiences into their teaching practice - in effect constantly re-writing the trainees attitudes, beliefs and approaches to language teaching. The SIT tesol cert is a good example of this.

I'm just doing a quick straw poll of your TEFL/TESOL certs. Were they a set of skills, techniques, routines and methods to help you in your day to day job, or were they a means to change your existing practices through reflection and mediation?

Hope you can help a fellow teacher out! Please just check yes or no in the poll box, and if possible (but not necessary) please give me the name of the company you got your cert from. Thanks in advance for your help.

Bear256 · Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Location: Anacortes, Washington USA

I got my first one from ITTT and my second from KEI - TEFL and The Institute of Online Education

boyne11 · Joined: 08 Jul 2007

I am also getting it from KEI-TEFL and The Institute of Online Education in August.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

The issue of effective education/training is a current topic among educators in practically every field of study. Your poll suggests the question is resolved simple by determining whether or not a course is reflective (self-focused with a heavy emphasis on theory more likely to be used for academic pursuits) or applied (classroom/student focused providing tools and methodologies for those who would like to take what they learn from the course and use it right away in their place of employment).

I am not sure what is intended by the question, but both types of instructional methodologies are needed in the scope of education or training as your phrased it...

The idea of promoting a program because it will allow some students to use the credit they receive from a program like CELTA/SIT or others for academic credit to a university for further study is appealing to those who take a course for this reason. This is why many of the programs like those you mentioned base the majority of their work on research with a heavy emphasis on reading articles and writing lengthy papers.

On the other hand, programs offering people the opportunity to take what they receive from the course and apply it directly to the instruction of language in the classroom is just as important for people who want to receive training for that purpose. Courses like TEFL/TESOL/TESL and others have this goal for instruction in mind.

You might consider re-writing your question or your description of the two types you are polling because you are biasing between the two (either intentionally or unintentionally)...Initially, you say programs like TEFL/TESOL and others are

Zark · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:09 pm Post subject:

I'd go for, "Was it effective?" - did it teach you what you needed to know to do a good job?

As an experienced tefl-teacher-trainer, I find the whole "reflective" thing to be a bit, uh, yawnnnnn - sleepy.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

Zark

Zark · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:37 pm Post subject:

Actually - www.TEFLBootCamp.com IS free!

But no certificate, no tutoring - just good information.

It is compilation of my teacher training years.

But, otherwise, I agree with you 100%.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

Actually, I have visited your website several times myself to see some of the things you had to say regarding classroom mangagement...Your site is informative and offers a great deal of information...Having 23 years of professional teaching experience myself, I am always trying to find something else to add to my background...Thanks for the comments, and I am sure there are people who could benefit from your program simply for the knowledge...

BTW, Zark and I do not know each other, so I am not trying to plug or advertise his website...BUT it really is a good place to visit for information...

spyro25 · Joined: 23 Nov 2004

what i meant in my question is to what extent did your 'training' course have a reflective element - giving the teacher the tools they needed to begin the reflective process, as opposed to a training course which did not. what i am looking for is evidence of the reflective process within 'training' courses. apologies if the question was unclear, i guess i did it in a hurry. most of us when we take a tesol cert are not even thinking about joining a teacher education program - we wish to take a 'training' program to build up our skills. i am interested if, in the process of that training program, there was any opportunity to focus on the teacher's personal experiences and begin the move towards a change in attitudes of the teachers beliefs / practices in this way, or was it a passive process whereby the teacher acted as an empty cup with the skills / techniques to be poured into it.

have to go i have a class but i'll come back to answer any further questions you have of this poll. thanks for the votes and advice so far.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

Thanks for the clarification...That puts your questions into perspective...I have a camp to run off to, but I will post more comments and suggestions when I return in a day or two...