Topics for #ELTchat in March 2017

Hello #ELTchatters!

 

If you haven’t read the announcement of some changes to how we choose topics for #ELTchat, have a look at my previous post.  

Here are all the topics we covered in March 2017 and a small intro for each one reminding #ELTchat users of some of the related posts.

 

This months DJ/Moderator is signing off!

 

 

 

Please, keep suggesting topics on the #ELTchat topics submission form 

 

 

 

 

March 29 #ELTchat topic:

What CAN we take from the myth of learning styles? 

 

 

This will be my last topic on the March 2017 playlist – this DJ is stepping aside for a new one soon!

 

Teresa suggested this last topic of my choice in March:

 

What CAN we take from the myth of learning styles?

 

This ‘myth’ as Teresa Bestwick – @TeresaBestwick on Twitter – calls it has been proved wrong by a number of leading scientists – for an introductory reading please have a look at this page here 

 

And yet, in many of the readings in ELT literature and methods books they are mentioned as gospel truth.

 

Is there something we could gain by following some of this advice however?

 

This promises to be an interesting topic and have not done anything similar on #ELTchat so let’s chat! 

 

 

 

 

N.B. There won’t be a fixed topic next Wednesday evening as all three mods will be in Glasgow attending, presenting or running things big and small in their respective jobs at IATEFL 2017. 

 

Any of us of us online at the time are encouraged to tweet some comments, learnings and slide images from talks we attended so far. 

 

 

 

 

 

March 22 #ELTchat topic:

 

Encouraging Self-Directed Learning

 

The topic has come up in a couple of different ways – self-directed learning by @ElleninEdmonton and @Nafooh1988 who asked for a chat on learner autonomy

 

It is a topic which has been a frequent concern a number of times on our chat and so we have more than one chats on it. Have a look at the transcripts or summaries I have linked below to have a taste of some of the great ideas which have been shared on #ELTchat in the past before you join our chat on Wednesday,

 

Here are the titles, links to transcripts and to summaries where those are available:

 

1. Tips for delegating responsibilities to students – training them for autonomy Transcript Summary (not available)
2. Learner Autonomy: Is it important? If is it, why is it and how can we promote it (should we?) Transcript Summary
3. Ways to develop learner autonomy: tips for learning outside class time. Summary

So why another #ELTchat on the same topic?

 

Good question!!! Well, oftentimes, it’s a good idea to repeat topics that have great importance. The issue of autonomy may be a given in many classrooms but this is not a globally embraced notion and more talk needs to be expended on the concept of learners being the stage managers of their own learning.

 

There are recent trends and echoes of this in Sugatta Mitra’s famous talk.  Here is the summary of a chat on SOLE, and a discussion after Dr Mitra’s presentation at IATEFL 2014

 

• The Future of Learning – Reflections on Sugata Mitra’s Plenary at IATEFL, Transcript Summary

 

The idea of self-directed learning is not necessarily tied to a classroom or even necessarily associated with teaching, so that may be another aspect we could be discussing tomorrow!!!

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

Previous #eltchat topics in March (below)

 

 

 

March 15 #ELTchat topic:  

 

The Best Web 2.0 Tools for Speaking Skills 

 

We have already done several #ELTchats on speaking but only one on Web 2.0 tools and that summary is mostly the tweets 🙂

 

Here it is

 

How can web 2.0 tools help us build rapport with our students and foster their speaking skills? Transcript Summary 

 

We think there are many more tools we could mention and discuss their uses so looking forward to seeing you all online later today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

March 8 #ELTchat (read transcript here and summary pending) 

 

Reading Skills for Advanced & Very Advanced Learners

 

Since we have had at least four or even five different #ELTchats on the topic of reading, but none specifically focussing on advanced reading skills development, I thought it would be a good idea to combine the two topics and develop this area. Here are links to our past chats – do have a look at the blog posts listed below from most recent to oldest. We could write a book about this topic!!!

1. Metacognitive Reading Strategies Transcript Summary
2. Top Down and Bottom Up processing in Reading Transcript Summary (no summary available for this one)
3. How to Exploit Reading Texts Transcript Summary
4. How can we introduce, implement, evaluate an extensive reading programme & convince admins of its value? Transcript Summary
5. How to make the most out of your reading; how to synthesise and make use of it. Transcript Summary
6. Reading aloud: useful or a waste of time? Transcript Summary
7. Extensive reading: why and how? Transcript Summary

On the subject of advanced learners, we haven’t done much so far, only one #ELTchat

 

How to activate passive vocabulary with advanced students Transcript Summary 

So…

Our topic today at 19.00 GMT – Remember to type #ELTchat on all your tweets!!!!

 

 

---

 

 

Your #ELTchat moderator for March

 

 

 

Please, keep suggesting topics on the #ELTchat topics submission form !