5 Team Takeaways From InnovateELT 2019
It’s time to wrap up another InnovateELT conference! We listened to your feedback and aimed to create an event that had more impact, started more conversations, and led to more innovations than ever before.
Tim Gifford
An argument for equal voices in ELT
At a time when the public is more focused on the benefits of diversity and equality, is the ELT industry in danger of looking old-fashioned and exclusive? We look at the benefits of a diverse and equal workplace and examine what’s being said in the ELT sphere.
ELTjam at IATEFL 2019
We are delighted to announce that we have three sessions at IATEFL 2019. We’ll also be taking part in a panel discussion. Come and find out more in our latest blog post!
Inclusivity: Another look at Special Educational Needs with Martin Bloomfield
In follow up to our article Talking about dyslexia: making ELT more inclusive, we spoke with York Associates trainer Martin Bloomfield about dyslexia, SEN and the challenges for publishers and teachers.
Get ready for InnovateELT 2019 with these four workshops
We are pleased to announce the four pre-conference workshops for InnovateELT 2019. From Content Marketing and Learner Experience Design (LX) to STEM and Pron – there really is something for everyone. Read on to find out more!
The secret to successful app development
Thinking about releasing your own mobile app, but have no idea where to start? Here’s some advice from our tech partner Nils Millahn on how to work with app development agencies to build a mobile app that will take your business to the next level!
5 EdTech startups that started shaping the way we learn in 2018
2018 has been a year full of innovative ideas brought to us by EdTech startups: virtual reality adventures, DIY drones and karaoke audiobooks have popped up on the scene, promising to transform the way we learn.
Using Typeform in ELT
Can disruptive technology bring an edge to your ELT academy marketing? Can you bring a service aimed at startups into your classroom and make things even more engaging for your students?
Let’s explore how language schools, publishers and teachers can improve their services, classes and get better feedback with Typeform.
Scott Thornbury at iELT18: ‘No pain, no gain’ & ‘All work and no play’
Here’s a look back at the two talks Scott Thornbury gave at InnovateELT in May 2018 about fun in the ELT classroom. We hope they’ll get you thinking about how affective factors impact on learning; give you a sense of how to combine both the serious and the pleasurable and leave you with a more finely-tuned capacity to assess the claims of certain content merchandisers. All the slides are embedded throughout the videos so you won’t miss a thing.
The future of curricula design: knowledge vs. intelligence
Is it possible we’re about to see a big change in the way we approach curricula design? In a world where Artificial Intelligence (AI) machines can access, deliver and learn an almost infinite amount of information in a matter of milliseconds, does it really make sense to be teaching students facts and figures? The ascent … Read more
Talking about dyslexia: making ELT more inclusive
Dyslexia affects up to ten per cent of people in the UK and it is one of the most well known and researched learning difficulties. Yet, many teachers, publishers and digital product teams still feel ill-equipped to cater for dyslexic students. A 2016 survey of state-funded schools in England by the National Education Union found … Read more
5 tips for choosing & using video in ELT by ITN Productions
During the “Making Effective Use of Video in ELT” pre-conference event at this year’s InnovateELT, ITN Productions shared some practical ideas for creating activities and lesson plans using video which teachers could start using in their classes immediately. This included the five key questions you need to ask when choosing a video for your class.
Online tutoring: disruption, risks and opportunities
The accessibility, individuality and flexibility of online tutoring is pulling more and more language learners away from face-to-face modes of learning. But what does this shift away from the classroom mean for teachers, learners and the ELT industry?
InnovateEdTech sessions: Harriet Ballantyne & Doug Belshaw
Here’s another look at some of the excellent talks from last year’s Innovate EdTech conference. First, we hear from Harriet Ballantyne, who talks about how to manage and develop online communities through learning apps, as well as the importance of gathering feedback from learners and acting on it. Then, Doug Belshaw gives us some great insight into developing digital literacies and shows how we can demonstrate achievement online with Open Badges.
ELT and the future of the internet
We analyse some of the main themes in the recent internet trends report compiled by venture capitalist, Mary Meeker, and take a look at how we can apply them to the ELT industry.
2Ts in a Pod: InnovateELT podcast
2Ts in a Pod is a podcast for English learners and teachers alike with each episode focusing on a different theme. The podcast is hosted by Tim Warre and Katy Wright. Tim and Katy joined us at the InnovateELT conference in Barcelona last month and spoke to a selection of speakers and delegates, including Scott Thornbury and our very own Jo Sayers. Check out the interviews here.
All we need is fun? A review of InnovateELT 2018
When I saw the word “fun” in the title of this year’s Innovate conference, I’ll admit I was skeptical. It reminded me of an article I’d read a few months previously entitled, ‘Millennials Don’t Want Fun; They Want You To Lead Better’, which got me thinking: if we replaced ‘millennials’ with ‘students’ and ‘lead’ with ‘teach’, would that be a fair reflection of the needs of our students today? Moreover, could we extend this viewpoint to incorporate teachers, namely that they also don’t want fun at conferences, and instead want their practices to be challenged?
Learning, design and sustainable development
“For an activity to be engaging, it needs to be meaningful; for that meaning to endure, it needs to be memorable.”
Zahra Davidson and her work with Enrol Yourself is challenging our vision of lifelong learning. This award-winning social enterprise has been exploring the potential of peer groups to maximise individual and collective progress. Zahra shared her thoughts on the future of learning and assessment at the IATEFL event ELTjam co-organised with Cambridge Assessment English.
Big data, trust and the future of language assessment
“Educators and examiners perform an array of functions that, as far as I’m concerned, make them irreplaceable.”
During the recent IATEFL conference in Brighton, ELTjam and Cambridge Assessment English hosted a series of talks exploring the future of learning and assessment. Below is the transcript of the talk given by Pamela Baxter, the Director of Cambridge Exams Publishing.
InnovateEdTech sessions: Ed Jones & Caroline Thiriau
There were a number of fascinating and insightful workshops during last year’s Innovate EdTech conference. Here are two of the many excellent sessions that were recorded during the event.
In the first presentation by Ed Jones of Cambridge Assessment English you’ll get a peek into the intriguing world of User Experience (UX) and see how it impacts reading comprehension. Caroline Thiriau from Cambridge University Press gives a publisher’s perspective and explains how data analysis can enrich our understanding of online learning.
