Page 10 - ELG2104 Apr Issue 475

INTERVIEW .

Flexibility is key
Flexibility is key

When Covid-19 arrived, ITTC was quick to take its courses online. Chris Bunyan,

its Joint Head of Training, shares how they did it

e had been offering
our Online
DELTA Module 3
Wcourse for six years
already,” says Chris Bunyan,
ITTC’s Joint Head of Training.
“It’s a one-to-one course, with
video consultations with the
DELTA tutor overseeing their
assignment, as well as access
to video webcasts and online
materials, so we already had a few
things in place for going online
when Covid came along.
“Clive Barrow is the owner/
MD of BEET Language Centre,
of which ITTC is a part. He and
others did some research and
came to the conclusion that Zoom
was going to be the right way to go,
and indeed BEET has also been
using it for their hybrid classes
for most of the last year. It allows
us to use our existing interactive
whiteboard technology, as well as
continue to promote very student- all over the world. This has been
centred learning. very popular, and we’re running
“That meant we could move it this summer and at regular
pretty quickly. It also means intervals throughout the year.
that the trainees on our online “After initial misgivings about “We discovered genuine positives feedback has all been excellent,
courses are getting trained in the going online, I think a lot of on the online courses, so we’ll with the Online Teacher Refresher
technology and smartboards that centres have been pleasantly definitely continue this in some Course being 100% positive. Lots
many of them will be using if and surprised. It’s better in some ways, form. We’ve got a face-to-face of people will be happy to get back
when they go back to a physical as we can show certain documents CELTA course in August and a in the physical classroom here
classroom after lockdown. and online resources, and pull parallel course at the same time in Bournemouth, but it won’t be
“We were in the middle of a things up on the screens for online. For the rest of the year they the end of our online training
part-time CELTA when the UK everybody to focus on. The social alternate between online and face- provision.”
lockdown happened, but we had side of online learning is also good. to-face CELTAs, and we’ll see how
seen it coming and had moved the People form genuine bonds with that goes.
course online a couple of weeks tutors and fellow trainees, and on “It is possible to run the Chris Bunyan
before it came into effect. Because CELTA, with their students too. online CELTA input through has been in
of our experience and flexibility, There’s a genuine warmth and the Moodle materials from ELT since
we were quickly able to continue camaraderie that comes through Cambridge Assessment English, 1998 as a
the input online, but that left on courses like this, which are very but we’ve gone with our own teacher, trainer,
teaching practice. Obviously the always very collaborative. sessions and live input. We have director of
candidates hadn’t signed up for an “The feedback from the found that is a benefit, a real studies, assessor
online course, which is why half the candidates has been fantastic, strength, because the same tutors and, along with Lucy Cochrane,
teachers decided they wanted to though the challenge is that we who watch candidates’ teaching makes up the Head of Training
come in during the summer when have to make it very clear to begin practice are doing the input team at ITTC in Bournemouth,
we were able to open safely for face- with what’s involved. We need to sessions. That means we can give part of BEET Language Centre.
to-face teaching, and the other half be very upfront. We do an online them more practice in certain Chris has lived and worked
completed their teaching practice interview, where we begin to play areas, we can demonstrate in eight countries on four
online from various countries. with a bit of the software during the certain techniques, and let them continents, given sessions for
“As well as CELTA, in April last interview, so they get a feel for it. We in on the tips and tricks of how
year we developed our modular let them know about the intensity we’re doing things, so they’re IATEFL, English UK South,
Online Teacher Refresher Course of the course and we ensure that getting tailored input in a very Macmillan, and Saarland
(OTRC), building on our decades on the course we respect the breaks personal, reactive way. University, and has recently
of experience running face-to-face to make sure people get time away “Going forward we’ll certainly developed VocabDice.com, a
Refresher Courses for teachers from from screens during the day. continue online in some form. The vocabulary note-taking app.
10 April 2021