Teacher Education in CALL
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Chapter 14. Designing and Implementing
Collaborative Internet Projects in Siberia
Larissa Olesova, Yakutsk State University, Russia, and Christine Foster Meloni, George Washington University and Northern Virginia Community College, USA
Abstract
The Internet has been a boon to foreign language teachers because it
can unite language learners in any country with native speakers anywhere in the
world. In order to utilize computer technology effectively for pedagogical
purposes, teachers need to have appropriate training. Those in isolated or less
developed regions of the world need additional training that reflects the
circumstances in their particular setting. This chapter focuses on the CALL
training of English language teachers in a very remote area, Yakutia, Siberia.
The teacher training course described here can serve as a model for trainers in
regions with similar challenges. The course, an in-service CALL course entitled
"Teaching with Technology: Designing and Implementing CALL Projects," was
created taking into consideration specific economic, climatic, political, and
educational factors. The 20-hour course consists of both the theoretical and
practical training of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and is
divided into three parts: Computer Basics, Internet Applications, and
Collaborative Internet Projects in EFL. The authors explain the course design,
report the results of two pilot courses, and conclude with a description of the
course’s introduction into the curriculum of Yakutsk State University.
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Updated December 8, 2006