RFOT House Rules 1
RFOT House Rules 1
RFOT House Rules 1
Module 1 Overview
Welcome to Ready, Set, Transform! Leading a teacher training workshop vs classroom teaching.
In this module, you will transform your teacher skillset to a trainer skillset that is needed to influence
change through teacher training in your context. At the end of the module, you will fill out a template
while reflecting on a training you gave or attended.
Learning Objectives:
We have created a glossary for you to use as you take the course. In the glossary you will find words and
definitions that will help you in the course tasks. You can find the glossary in the Module 1 Overview on
Canvas.
© 2017 by Arizona Board of Regents. Module 1 Packet for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State
and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of
this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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6b Self-Assess your Reflection
7 Review Cascading New Knowledge 20 minutes
8 Watch a Video 15 minutes
OPTIONAL Task: Start Filling Your Toolbox
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Write a short introduction about yourself. Tell the community:
a) Three (3) activities that you enjoy when you’re not teaching
b) Two (2) facts about your school and/or students
c) Five (5) words you would use to describe professional development (When you think about
professional development, what are the first five words you can think of?)
2. After you post your introduction, find one other person and comment on his or her post. Ask a
question or share some information. Remember that we’re building a community here and that
community depends on your participation! Ready, Set, Go!
Example
Hi everyone! I’m Emilia. When I'm not teaching, I like reading, cooking, and
watching football. I teach in an Intensive English Program at a large American
university. Our students are mostly young adults beginning their academic careers.
However, we often have special programs with groups of teachers, basketball
coaches, or flight attendants who also want to improve their English. When I think
of professional development, the first 5 words that come to mind are informative,
new, conferences, enriching, and overwhelming.
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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Module 1, Task 2: Course Pre-test
Now you will take a pre-test or a diagnostic so we can find out what you know about conducting teacher
trainings. You will only have one attempt for the pre-test. You will not receive a grade for this pre-test.
At the end of the course, you will take a course post-test to measure how much you learned.
Transcript for the video of Emilia and John talking about transforming from teacher to trainer.
Emilia: Hi everyone! Welcome to Week 1 of Ready, Set, Train! We are so glad you
could join us today!
John: Yes, welcome. Emilia and I have been discussing teacher training. Actually, I
have a confession to make.
© 2017 by Arizona Board of Regents. Module 1, Task 4a- Transcript for Transforming from Teacher to Trainer for the AE E-
Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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Emilia: Well, don’t keep us in suspense. What is it?
John: So, as you know, I’ve been teaching for a few years, but I just found out that I’m
going to be conducting a teacher training.
Emilia: Don’t worry, John. Try not to focus on the NUMBER of teachers. Instead, think
about the IMPACT that your training will have. Anyway, that’s why I’m here. I’m going
to walk you through this process and help you to prepare. By the end of this course,
you’ll feel confident and ready for your training. So, how are you feeling now?
John: Well, I must admit, I AM nervous, but I feel better knowing that you’ll be with me
every step of the way. It’s always better if I can work with a mentor, someone I can
share my ideas with and get advice from.
Emilia: Exactly, John. We can learn from each other. No matter how many years of
experience teachers have or how many classes they’ve taught, they can always learn
something new.
John: And that brings up my first question. What is the difference between classroom
teaching and teacher training? I mean, I’m sure that you love being in the classroom,
just as much as I do, but having an audience of colleagues is completely different than
having a classroom full of students.
Emilia: Yes, it is. And you just brought up the main difference-- the audience. You’re
still teaching and preparing lessons, but you’ll design those lessons for your audience
of other teachers.
Emilia: Well, since you’re training adults, your classroom management skills will be
put to use in different ways. In the classroom, you might have to make sure students
stay in their seats.
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John: Oh yes. I've definitely had that issue with my students before. Especially right
before lunchtime.
Emilia: Right. So, you probably won't have that issue in a teaching training, but you
could have a different type of issue. For instance, you might have to make sure that
one teacher doesn’t dominate the discussion.
John: Okay, so I’m still using my classroom management techniques, but I’ll be using
them for different types of issues. Thinking of that, I’ll probably have to change the
way that I speak to my participants. They would respond best to a request or a
question, rather than ordering them to do something.
Emilia: Right. Another point you’ll want to think about is attendance. Sometimes
teacher trainings are required and other times they are voluntary. When they are
voluntary, we get to choose which ones we sign up for.
John: Yes, I love it when we get to choose which ones we go to! I signed up for a
reflective journaling one last year, and I’m still journaling!
Emilia: That’s great! I’m sure you’ve grown as a teacher through that reflective
journaling process. That is the perfect example of a voluntary workshop that you were
motivated to take. But what about when you’re forced to take a teacher training
workshop?
John: That’s definitely something that I’ll think about as I’m planning my training. I
really want my participants to stay motivated.
Emilia: I think you’re a natural, John. Yes, think about how you will design your training
to make the teachers’ lives easier. An important point to remember is that as teachers
we’re often very busy. We’re always lesson planning, grading, and thinking about our
students, even when we’re not in the classroom.
John: Isn’t that the truth? I often find myself writing down lesson plan ideas as I’m
getting ready to go to bed.
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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Emilia: Exactly! So, your goal as a teacher trainer is to give your participants practical
ideas, tools, and activities that will make their lives easier. We all love getting new
ideas, right? Actually, John, I have an excellent article about the teaching toolbox that
will give you something you can use right away in your teacher training.
John: Great! That’s exactly what I’m looking for when I participate in professional
development, but it’s also important to explore ALL of the different reasons why
teachers engage in professional development.
Emilia: To grow as teachers, to learn new things, to present and share new ideas with
colleagues…
John: ...to publish research and tips from our own classroom experience…
John: I feel like I’ve got a good start here. I’m pretty excited that I get to plan the
dream workshop for all of the teachers in my school. It doesn’t feel so scary anymore.
Emilia: I’m glad to hear it. I hope all of our participants are feeling just as comfortable
as you.
John: I’m sure they are. I’m going to get started by reading that article that you
mentioned earlier. I definitely want to find out more about the teaching toolbox.
Emilia: That sounds good. We’ll meet up at the end of this lesson. See you then!
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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Module 1, Task 4a: Comparing Classroom Teaching and Teacher Training
Review the infographic below that describes some differences between the classroom teaching and the
teacher training contexts. After you have read the information go on to the discussion board in Task 4b
and post some examples of these differences.
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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Module 1, Task 4b: Examining differences between classroom teaching and
teacher training
Examining differences between classroom teaching and teacher training (30 minutes)
Now that you have looked at the infographic comparing classroom teaching to teacher training, let's
discuss some of the ideas.
Instructions:
1. The infographic has six different categories of comparison: audience, attendance, assessment, class
length, evaluation, and classroom management. Please choose ONE of these areas and give specific
examples of the differences between classroom teaching and teacher training. You can use your past
experiences or you can imagine what the differences may be as you start thinking about classroom
teaching and teacher training.
I teach elementary-aged students, and one classroom management issue that I have is with one or
two students talking to or distracting other students when they're supposed to be listening to
me. To solve this problem, I have a seating chart or seating arrangement in my class. I also try to
put those students in the front of the classroom close to me.
Classroom management was also important in a teacher training workshop that I attended last
year. One teacher kept trying to dominate the discussion that we were having. Luckily, the teacher
trainer who was in charge of the workshop turned the discussion to other teachers by calling on us,
so we were all able to participate. I think this is an important skill to have: allowing everyone an
opportunity to speak without one or two people dominating discussions.
This is just one example. Remember that you can choose any one of the six areas from the infographic.
3. After you post your example, write a response to one of your peers.
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Module 1, Task 5a: read about "the Teaching Toolbox"
The Teaching Toolbox (30-60 minutes)
Now that you have considered some of the important differences between classroom teaching and
teacher training and heard Emilia and John's thoughts on the topic, let's take a look at the article she
gave John. If you remember they were talking about the importance of giving teachers some practical
skills, ideas, or activities to help their teaching. Sometimes we say teachers collect these ideas in a
toolbox. A toolbox can be a notebook or a file that we use to collect and keep these ideas together.
The study guide below summarizes the article, The Teaching Toolbox: Reconciling Theory, Practice and
Language in a Teacher Training Course by Amber Vanderwoude. Read the study guide to learn about
five activities to use in a training workshop.
You can use this guide to prepare for the quiz in Task 5b and to start filling your own toolbox (in Module
1 Optional Task). You can also use the guide in your future teacher training!
Introduction
The success of teacher training can sometimes be limited. One problem is even if a teacher attends a
training she may continue to teach in the same ways that she was taught. Another problem is when a
teacher uses strategies from a training, but she does not understand the theory behind the strategies. In
The Teaching Toolbox: Reconciling Theory, Practice, and Language in a Teacher Training Course, the
author describes five “toolbox” activities that show how modeling and being explicit help to connect
English teaching theory and practice. Modeling in teacher training involves the trainer using the
methodologies that the participants read about in the training itself. In this way, the participant can
observe an example of how to apply the methodology. Being explicit means that the trainer not only
models the methodologies, but clearly and directly connects what she is doing to the theory behind it.
The teaching toolbox can be a notebook, a folder, a computer file, or something else you use to collect
“tools” that could be useful in your teaching. For example, notes on teaching styles, example rubrics,
project and activity ideas, classroom management tips, resources and materials, etc.
The author describes five activities for the teaching toolbox that could be used in a teacher training. In
the activities the trainer models teaching strategies and time for reflection is included to help make
explicit connections to why we use these strategies and how the participants could apply them in their
own teaching. Below you will find planning details for the activities.
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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class.
Steps:
1. Divide participants into groups. One group for each reading or section.
2. Hand out readings to participants (participants in the same group receive the same reading or
section).
3. Participants read their reading or section twice.
4. Participants meet with their “expert group” who read the same reading or section and
summarize, answer questions about their reading, list main points, check for understanding,
review new vocabulary, and practice presenting their reading to other participants.
5. Put participants in new groups with at least one participant who has read each of the different
readings or sections.
6. Participants explain and discuss their reading in the new group.
7. Participants reflect on the activity itself and describe how the jigsaw will support readers in their
own classrooms.
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Materials: vocabulary list
Time: 15-20 minutes
Steps:
1. Divide participants into groups. One group for each vocabulary term on the list.
2. Give each group one term on the list (could be 2-3 terms as necessary depending on length of
list).
3. Participants use textbooks and work with group members to develop an explanation of their
term. Participants also think of an example to show the meaning of the term.
4. Each group presents their term to the rest of the class. Participants in the audience take notes.
5. Participants reflect on the activity itself. Participants think about using it in their own classrooms
and brainstorm topics or vocabulary to use in their lessons.
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6. Collect and create resources that support both content and language.
7. Plan an introduction activity that includes both content and language.
8. Think of an “essential question” (Colombo and Furbush 2009) that places the lesson in
context.
Time: 30-40 minutes
Steps:
1. Give participants the handout on lesson planning and introduce backwards design
Backwards Design: a way of lesson planning that starts with outcomes and assessment and then creates
the lesson presentation/procedure.
2. Divide participants into groups and give each group the mixed-up example lesson. Participants
cut lesson into strips or pieces and organize in the order according to the handout.
3. Post the large copies of the example lesson steps on the board/wall. Give each group one step
of the lesson planning process. One participant from the group selects the example lesson step
that matches their process step to put the example lesson in order. Review and discuss results
as a class.
4. In their groups, participants organize the example lesson again in the order it would be
presented.
5. A different participant (than the one in step 3) from each group selects a step on the board to
put in the lesson presentation order. Review and discuss results as a class (especially differences
between planning and presenting).
6. In their groups participants review steps of the activity and think about how it can be used in
their teaching (ex. instead of a mixed-up lesson plan a mixed-up story could be used).
Conclusion
Successful teacher training uses modeling, discussion, and reflection with the general goal of trying to
give teachers strategies to use in their own classrooms.
Successful teacher training results in the following opportunities:
participants are well supported in their use of English
participants’ content knowledge about language education is increased
participants can apply skills and strategies in their own classrooms
References
(The content in these references is copyrighted, and cannot be adapted, or distributed after the end of this course. It is not Public or Creative
Commons-licensed, and therefore not for public use.)
Colombo, M., and D. Furbush. 2009. Teaching English language learners: Content and language in middle and secondary mainstream
classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Reyneke, M. and M. Uys. “Reinventing the wheel: How to plan a lesson.” Unpublished manuscript, 2011.
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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Module 1, Task 5b: Quiz
Take a Quiz (15 minutes)
After reading about "the Teaching Toolbox" answer the questions to test your understanding. Use the
study guide to help you answer the questions.
Instructions:
1. Complete the template on the following page with your reflection on a professional
development training you gave or attended.
2. Save your answers to use in the future. Either write them down in a notebook or type them in a
document.
3. Submit your responses to the questions for each step in the template.
You must complete this task to continue to the next module. Unfortunately, you will NOT receive
individual feedback on your responses.
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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MODULE 1 Task 6 Reflection
In this assignment, you will use this reflection template to write a reflection on a professional
development training you gave or attended. This assignment will allow you to practice using the
template, which you can continue to use in the future both as a teacher and as a trainer.
STEP 1 Describe
Think of a training you gave or attended. Describe the context of the training:
What was the name and topic of the training?
Were you the trainer?
If you were not the trainer, who was? Describe their title, role in your institution, etc.
(Don’t state their name. Instead describe them, ex. “The trainer was an official from the
ministry of education…”)
Who were the participants? How many participants attended?
Was participation required (by your institution, government, employer, etc.)?
© 2018 by Arizona Board of Regents. MOOC Reflection Template for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S.
Department of State and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, ex cept where
noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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STEP 2 Evaluate
ex. The training included assessments appropriate for the objectives. SA / A / D: _A__
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STEP 3 Reflect
Think about your answers in Step 2 and write an explanation for your agreement or
disagreement. Describe what you might do differently if you gave the training instead of the
trainer (if you were a participant) OR describe what you might do differently if you gave the
training again (if you were the trainer). What have you learned from this reflection that will
help you in designing a future training?
Write 5-10 sentences.
Now that you have submitted your reflection you can complete a self-assessment. In a self-assessment
you review your own work and determine if it needs to be changed or improved.
To do the self-assessment you will use the rubric below.
Instructions:
1. Read the first criteria in the rubric “Description of Context.”
2. Review your work in “Step 1 Describe” of the template. Compare your work in that step to the
description in the rubric criteria. Decide what rating you think your work should receive.
3. Make changes and improvements if needed (that is, if you would rate your work “Good,” what
can you do to make the rating “Excellent”).
4. Repeat the assessment for “Evaluation” and “Reflection.”
The self-assessment is for you to review your own work and determine if you can improve. You will NOT
submit anything for this task.
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Module 1, Task 7: Cascading New Knowledge in Professional Development
Read about and Review Cascading New Knowledge (20 minutes)
If you have taken other courses in the AE E-Teacher program, you are probably already familiar with the
idea of "cascading new knowledge." This idea is that you share what you have learned with others,
especially your peers.
For a review, watch the video "What is cascading? Why cascade – what's in it for me?"
Cascading new knowledge is very important to our course on teacher training. After all, one of the main
objectives of teacher training is sharing knowledge.
In the previous tasks you learned about the "teaching toolbox" and used a template to do a reflection.
Throughout this course we're going to fill our "Training Toolboxes for Cascading New Knowledge" with
our templates, so that we can use them in the future to improve our teaching practice and help others
in their professional development, too. By the end of the course you will be prepared with an action
plan for a teacher training, in which you will share knowledge with your peers and reinforce what you
have learned.
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Below is the transcript for the video: “What is cascading? Why cascade – what’s in it for me?”
Let’s start!
What is ‘cascading’?
You have certainly seen a ‘cascade’ before, “a waterfall descending over a steep, rocky surface”
(dictionary.com). You may have also encountered this word in other contexts, “a cascade of sounds” or
“a cascade of events”, where this word is used metaphorically to refer to something falling or rushing
forward in large quantities. In education, “cascading” is often used to describe a way of sharing
knowledge and experience among professionals. For example, after attending a professional
development event and learning new approaches, some teachers may teach other teachers what they
have learned. In other words, they ‘cascade’ new knowledge.
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Module 1, Task 8: Conclusion
Watch the Video (15 minutes)
In this video, Emilia and John will meet to discuss this module and preview the next module.
Emilia: Hi, everyone and welcome back. We wanted to check in with you to see how
you’re doing.
And I wanted to check in with you, John. How did it go?
John: You know, it went really well. Your advice really helped me to fill out my
reflection template. First, I thought about some of the differences between classroom
teaching and teacher training that we talked about before.
John: Exactly. And that helped me to recognize that I can use all of my teaching
experiences and my participation in professional development workshops to design my
own teacher training workshop.
Emilia: Great! That’s exactly what I hoped would happen. And now you can give that
template to the participants in your teacher training workshop.
Emilia: That’s a great idea. And then your participants can see how describing,
evaluating, and reflecting on our experiences can change your way of thinking and
transform you both as a teacher and a trainer.
© 2017 by Arizona Board of Regents. Module 1, Task 9- Transcript for Module 1 Conclusion for the AE E-Teacher Program,
sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attri bution 4.0
License, except where noted . To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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1
John: Wow. That’s the perfect way of describing it, Emilia. I feel like I have
transformed. Instead of only thinking about the classroom and my students, now I am
also thinking about how I can use my skills and teaching experience to help train other
teachers.
Emilia: I’m so happy to hear that! You’re on your way, John.
Emilia: Yes, in a way. You’re going to find out more specific information about your
participants and about their needs. Then you can use that information to plan your
training especially for your participants.
Emilia: Well, you won’t have to wait very long. It’s all in the next module! See you then.
In each module of this course there will be an optional application task. You do NOT have to complete
these tasks to pass the course and receive a certificate. However, this is an opportunity to try out
something you have learned.
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The first optional application task is to start filling your teaching toolbox and adapt an activity to use in
your teaching or teacher training.
The AE E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by FHI 360, and delivered by ASU.
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