With the support of the US Embassy and the Argentine BNCs Network, IICANA will be hosting the third edition of the Teaching Capacity Building initiative, a series of free webinars for EFL teachers presented by ELT specialists that are alumni of US sponsored Professional Development Exchange Programs. They will be sharing their experience and best practices as educators and language teachers in their quest to create environments that support engagement for learning.
The webinars will be delivered on Zoom from May to September 2022. All are Free. Attendees will receive certificates of attendance.
Grab a cup of coffee and join us for a reenergizing experience on Tuesdays, from 2:30 to 3:30 pm, and get inspired to try new approaches!
Motivating Gen Alpha: How Neuropedagogy can provide a guide to unlock students’ internal drive for learning
Teaching has always been a challenge. However, Gen Alpha came to this world to shake the ground and rethink future practices. In this webinar, we will be describing Gen Alpha and linking their traits to strategies from Neuropedagogy so as to succeed in this new world.
Contents:Gen Alpha Description: Traits – Challenges
The Motivation Continuum: from amotivation to wantivation
Neuropedagogy: Brain-based learning and practical tips for online and f2f lessons
Target Audience: elementary and middle school
Romina Marazita
Romina Ariana Marazita has worked at tertiary and university level at Instituto Saenz and UNL (Universidad Nacional del Litoral). Additionally, she runs her own private institute in her home city. Romina received her degree at Universidad de Belgrano as Licenciada en Lengua Inglesa (BA) and a postgraduate degree at the Universidad de Quilmes as a Specialist in Virtual Learning Environments EDEV (E-learning). She also completed her Tesol Certificate through Arizona State University online and has been granted a scholarship at University of Oregon by the US Embassy to complete the ACE program. Romina is also a Neuropsychoeducator. (UBA University / Asociación Educar). She is a Neuropedagogy Educational Consultant and holds a Master’s Degree in Neuropsychology for Learning by Universidad Católica de Murcia, Spain.
Making Learning Accessible for Students with Special Needs
In this webinar, attendees will get some practical advice on creating the necessary conditions for students with special learning needs. Material design, scaffolding, and assessment are three key points discussed in this session. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from other colleagues who might also be struggling when teaching English to students who need special accommodations to make learning happen.
Target Audience: elementary and middle school
Brain Breaks: Increasing Students’ Productivity, Energy and Motivation
Teachers and students alike cannot escape today’s stressful lifestyle. As a teacher, I always try to look for activities and resources that give my students, and me, a break from the routine. I started looking for something innovative to do in my classes, and I learned about brain breaks and their purpose in education. Join me in this webinar to learn about a common practice in American classrooms which has proven to be highly effective in ELL. Be ready to take a brain break yourself!
Target Audience: elementary, middle , high school and higher education teachers.
Laura Giacomini
Laura Giacomini is a graduate teacher from IES en Lenguas Vivas “Juán Ramón Fernández”. She was a graduate teaching assistant in the Language IV course at her alma mater and a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant. She has been teaching English since 2005 in a variety of contexts, in the primary, secondary and college levels. She is currently teaching English at primary schools and facilitating workshops for teachers in Argentina and in the US. She has been giving presentations since 2014 at local and international educational conferences. She has had her work published by the TESOL International Association, TESOL Connections and the English Teaching Forum – A Quarterly Journal for English Teachers by the United States Department of State. She completed the “Best Practices of Online English Language Teaching” certification with TESOL International Association in the spring 2020 semester. In addition, in the fall 2020-2021 semester, Laura successfully participated in the TESOL Certificate: Developing an Online Teaching Program, sponsored by the United States Embassy in Argentina. As U.S. Embassy Alumna, she is a frequent collaborator in different programs. This year she has been selected as one of the Local Engagement Coordinators (LEC) for the TechGirls program in Argentina and she will be working as an English Tutor for the third year in a row in the STEAM Week, Be Inspiring!
TEYL: Storytelling and its role in developing Critical Thinking Skills
Sharing stories is an exciting, entertaining and integrated way to engage students and to present new language structures and vocabulary. Storytelling allows students to communicate in their second language in authentic ways , to learn about other cultures and experience narration. Narrative follow-up activities can foster critical thinking skills as well as listening, speaking, reading and writing skills while students engage with characters and their actions and make connections between the story, the real world and their lives. Integrated learning through storytelling creates environments that support engagement for learning. In this webinar I will introduce the basis for understanding Storytelling, how to design a ‘Theme-unit’ from a chosen story and some practical tips to develop critical thinking skills and become a storyteller.
Susana Pérez
Susana Pérez is a Language Teacher graduated from Facultad de Lenguas (UNC). She is a Young Adult Literature Program alumna from the University of Michigan and participated in the Access Microscholarship Program of the US Embassy at the Binational Center IICANA in Córdoba. She has taught Language and Literature in a teacher training college and in bilingual secondary schools. She has worked as writer, designer and editor of the Counting Blessing Series to teach English for an EFL program for the primary school. She is currently working at Colegio Santo Tomas where she coordinates the English Program in the Primary School and she teaches English to 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. She is also a storytelling materials designer and crafter.
Enhancing visual literacy through the magic of picture books
How can we empower and equip students with visual literacy skills through literature? We can do it through the implementation of picture books in our lessons. Picture books are considered visual art forms where images and text interact. This workshop will introduce story time by employing a co – constructive approach which aims at both promoting students’ active participation and enhancing visual literacy skills. Practical activities based on the frameworks of Visual Thinking Strategies and the Whole Book Approach will be shared with workshop participants
Discovering and introducing graphic novels in the EFL classroom
When deciding what literature format to include in our lessons, we rarely consider selecting a graphic novel. In this presentation, I will make a case for the implementation of graphic novels in our syllabuses since they can not only increase students’ motivation to read multimodal texts but also improve their visual and critical thinking skills. During this workshop I will try to debunk some common myths about graphic novels, present some benefits of using them and provide guidelines on how to exploit some of their unique features. Resources and graphic novel extracts will be shared with the workshop audience.
Alba Carolina Rioja
Alba Carolina Rioja graduated as a Teacher of English in 2001 at Profesorado Superior de Lenguas Vivas in Salta and obtained her university degree in Teaching English in 2013 at Universidad CAECE. In 2017, she was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to be part of the “Teaching and Excellence Achievement Program” in the USA, where she attended a series of customized professional development courses at Appalachian State University and delivered lessons on cultural issues. In the same year, Fundación Luminis granted her a scholarship as part of its “Formador de Formadores” program to attend the Postgraduate Specialization in Special Didactics at Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Her specialization thesis focuses on how visual literacy can be introduced in EFL lessons as a tool for improving language skills as well as critical thinking skills. As for her work experience, she has been teaching English for seventeen years in various educational contexts. At present she is part of ISICANA’s teaching staff and works at college, tertiary and secondary levels.
Great challenges for great teachers: Fostering engagement in class. PART A
As XXIst century teachers, our roles have meaningfully changed to cater for our students´ needs and interests. During this webinar, participants will learn about a first set of key concepts and current practices related to motivation and engagement in the ELT classroom.
Great challenges for great teachers: Fostering engagement in class. PART B
As XXIst century teachers, our roles have meaningfully changed to cater for our students´ needs and interests. During this webinar, participants will learn about a second and final set of key concepts and current practices related to motivation and engagement in the ELT classroom.
Authentic learning, Curiosity-based learning and Connections-based learning, three pillars in ELT
During this webinar the work of three top-notch educators is going to be presented and connected to ELT. We are going to take a tour over their educational frameworks considering how English Language Teaching and Learning may benefit from applying their principles and values in the class.
Gonzalo Díaz
Gonzalo Díaz graduated as a Teacher of English as a foreign language from Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT). Since then, he has worked at public schools, at a teacher training college and has also developed his own private language studio, Hands-On English Studio. So far he has been involved in different global projects (SOS4LoveProject by I love Dyslexia, Global Connect by Happy World Foundation and The school of tomorrow by What if Curiosity-based-learning). With his motto “Teachers never stop learning”, he has participated in a wide array of professional development opportunities, many by the US Department of State. Among those, he highlights having been chosen for the ACE Program from Oregon University specializing in Language Assessment thanks to the US Embassy in Argentina. This opportunity has offered him a wider and deeper view on ELT and bolstered his reflection on what the 21ST Century demands from educators. Keeping himself proactive, he is sharing his learning as part of his own growth as a teacher.
Talk it out! Kick-starting conversations about equity and inclusivity in the EFL class
What’s the best way of talking about gender, identity, language and power relations in the EFL class? This being the preamble to a much broader topic, in this lecture the presenter will share ideas on how to have students engage in reading, speaking and writing activities where the focal point is helping them develop critical thinking skills in the face of the ever-evolving fabric of the society we live in.
Audience: high school teachers, higher education teachers
Modal verbs revisited: Talking about (dis)ability in the EFL class
Teaching and learning about modal verbs in English can surely be a good segue into conversations around socially-sensitive topics such as (dis)ability. In this talk, the presenter will walk the audience through learning scenarios where the students are invited to express performativity in English with a resignified outlook on human physical functionality.
Audience: high school teachers, higher education teachers
TECHNO-FRANKENSTEIN: Revamping the reading experience in the EFL class.
Utilizing different literary genres in the EFL class can help students understand increasing levels of complexity as they learn to read in English. Working with novels such as Frankenstein by Mary Shelley can result in a multimodal learning experience especially if teachers add the strategic use of EdTech. In this talk, the presenter will suggest ways in which both teachers and students can digitally strategize the use of classics in the EFL class to accomplish rewarding reading projects.
Target audience: high school teachers , higher education teachers, language school teachers
Ricardo Martín Ramírez
Ricardo Martín Ramírez is an International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) scholar. He holds an M.A. in English from Washington State University and at present teaches literature classes at UADER (Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos). His main research interests include intersectional literary studies, feminist rhetorics, critical race theory, queer theory and all things EdTech in language instruction.
Picturebooks and Global Citizenship
Learning to become a citizen in the XXI century involves, among many other things, acquiring knowledge that will lead to peace and prosperity for themselves and the planet. Armed with knowledge about sustainable development goals and a good selection of picturebooks, it is possible to teach children how to make an impact on both their local and global realities. In this session, I will introduce some practical ideas about how to use picturebooks to teach young learners English, empathy and citizenship.
Target audience: primary school teachers, pre-service teachers
Ana Cecilia Cad
Ana Cecilia Cad is a Language Teacher and a bachelor in English Language and Literature graduated from Facultad de Lenguas (UNC), where she teaches English Language I and II, and English Phonetics and Phonology II. She also works as a teacher educator in a teaching training college. She holds an MA in Applied Linguistics from Facultad de Lenguas, UNC and is a Fulbright Scholar.
Sky is no longer the limit!
In this webinar attendees will be able to see the variety of features they can use to create appealing, interactive and animated content, learning how to work with one of the most powerful online tools, Genially. Throughout the session they will go through a step-by-step process and they will be shown examples (interactive images, presentations, escape rooms, games, infographics and video presentations) to use for themselves or get inspired by. As a bonus, attendees will get the link to the presentation containing embedded tutorials that have been carefully selected to help them dig a little deeper in the use of every aspect the website has to offer. Using this tool, possibilities are endless and sky…is no longer the limit!
Providing our students with AUTHENTIC opportunities
Using already created materials seems to be the safer choice when teaching a language, especially if we think about beginners. Teachers tend to believe created materials are superior to authentic ones because they have already been built around a graded syllabus. Therefore, working with authentic materials that have not been adapted might be seen as a burden. During this talk, the presenter will show attendees that using real input in class is possible and that it does not mean spending countless hours adapting it to learners´ levels. Authenticity is key when teaching a language, but how do we do it? Join us and get the necessary tools to make it happen!
