Susana Galante Interconnected

Promoting a culture of learning in which learning is a process and feedback helps students grow along this process.

Students who see feedback *before* their grade become more proficient learners. 💯

Learn more about the research: https://edut.to/3S6TLLB

Excellent article by Taruna Goel on the difference between interactivity and engagement, which are often wrongly used interchangeably.

In a Linkedin post, Goel's quotes Richard E. Mayer ❤️and says that in his book, "Multimedia Learning" (2009), Mayer talks about two kinds of active learning: – behavioral activity and cognitive activity and describes how research on learning shows that meaningful learning depends on the learner’s cognitive activity during learning rather than on the learner’s behavioral activity during learning.

In her blog, she writes: "While it is good to use interactivities at the right time for the right reason, it's also important to design learning experiences that are engaging and foster a sense of community and connection among learners. Activities like hands-on application in real work, case studies, role-plays, discussion forums, collaborative projects, and feedback and coaching can help to build engagement and create a more dynamic learning environment.
Interactivity can give learners something to do - swiping, clicking, dragging, dropping - whereas engagement gives them something to think about, apply, change, value. When used, it is the quality (not quantity) of interactivities that can help support learner engagement."

Eventually, it all comes down to the effective design of the learning experiences. This requires the ability of the teacher to make the right decisions to achieve the pedagogical goals she/he has set for a specific context.

Interactivity Versus Engagement in Learning A blog designed for learning and for sharing what I learn. "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." - Socrates

This is a great read, especially as it cautions us not to be swept by the hype around AI and rush to judgements. This resonates with my thoughts about all the noise we hear on this. We know so little about it. There is the need to explore and learn, especially so that we, as educators, will be able to use it in a critical way with humans as the focus. This implies finding ways to use it as a support, rather than a substitute (in which students are isolated each with their private tutor), for activities fostering critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and empathy.

COMMENTARY: AI in schools: Let’s not rush to judgment We need to experiment and learn more before we proclaim artificial intelligence as a savior or the apocalypse for education.

A key element of : empathy
No need for agreement or action, as says. It requires seeing the person in front of you, and understanding he/she has a unique path. It is all about curiosity and willingness.

A new call for proposals for our newsletter.📢
The main theme is "Tech-Enhanced Pedagogy for Equity and Critical Thinking in the AI Era"
Do you want your article to be one of the contributions in this upcoming issue? ✨️
See the editorial guidelines in the first comment.✔️
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.💬

Are you passionate about language teaching, linguistics, and technology?
We want to hear from you!
📚 Whether you're a language enthusiast, teacher, academic, researcher, or language learner, we invite you to contribute to our upcoming newsletter.
Share your insights, discoveries, or experiences related to
Tech-Enhanced Pedagogy for Equity and Critical Thinking in the AI Era.
Have a look at the editorial guidelines: bit.ly/465vQSu.
For any questions or submitting your article: [email protected]
Contributions for the upcoming issue will be received until
25th of September 2024.

Words matter. Susan David encourages us to find the exact word that describes our feelings, thus going beyond the umbrella word.
Let's help students describe their emotions more precisely for more effective communication, and for themselves to understand what they are experimenting.
(SEL)

Always happy to keep fostering what I am most passionate about- Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL )- Yesterday I gave a mini talk on this at the first event of the series called The Floor is Yours event, in which members of the Iatefl LTSIG committee shared insights and expertise. My choice for this talk was obvious. I have devoted the last 15 years of my professional career to advancing through cross-cultural that have engaged and connected classes from all corners of the world, and within Israel too.

My first steps in the field were made as a "teacherpreneur" in High School looking for innovative ways to provide opportunities for to my students, while breaking down classroom walls. The rest is history and includes many highlights that I'm proud of, such as founding and managing the Hangouts for Negotiation project for Arab and Jewish high school students from different schools in Israel supported by Google and the US State Department; or writing a vision statement (after conducting research) for the internationalization of Higher Education for the largest teacher training college- shared with all Higher Ed institutions and featured by the Council of Higher Education- and also writing a handbook with guidelines on COIL for educators published by Kibbutzim College; or setting up a partnership between Ort Kiryat Bialik and Ort Marseille, engaging students in COIL for 2 years and then leading a delegation of students to France to meet our partners; or coaching teachers, lecturers and pre-service teachers doing virtual exchanges (as COIL coordinator, consultant, pedagogical advisor), etc.).

Above all, I have never stopped connecting my own classes (either in High School or Higher Ed) with others as part of my pedagogical beliefs and my adherence to a approach , that is socially embedded, student-driven and prepares students for the realities of work and life in general. I have met such amazing colleagues along these years and have made such wonderful friends- Rich De Stefano, Evelyne Zarhi, Kari Kristensen, Dr Beth Ritter Guth, Dr Shea Kerkhoff, Rebecca Botts- to mention but a few. The seeds have been planted. And all of us, , will never stop doing so, regardless of how infinitely despairing and excruciatingly painful the reality is.

👉*Intercultural learning is a developmental process throughout life that involves increasing the complexity of our mindset and experience of cultural differences and similarity . Monocultural mindsets are characterized by denial or polarization.*

Have you engaged classes in virtual exchanges? Please, share your experiences or insights. Let's connect and keep connecting students to a world of learning!

A sneak peek at my latest article 👀, published in the recent issue of the Iatefl LTSIG newsletter. This issue focuses on , a topic I have been highly interested in (as some of you may have noticed in my posts here ☺️) and have promoted in my work for a long time.

I first became captivated by it when I read articles by Mayer and Moreno and learned about the multimedia theory of learning in one of my MA courses in Educational Technologies at Haifa University. Then I was also greatly inspired by a classmate, who has become a friend, Inbal Gildin (an expert in visual literacy, and not only... =))). Research shows that people learn more effectively from a combination of images and words than from words alone. However, the way words and images are combined is crucial❗️ And it is not a matter of using any visual representation or as many images as possible, as some people may wrongly assume. Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning can be a good starting point for focus.🔍

The article I wrote focuses on how multimodal tasks contribute to cross-cultural dialogue and 🤝, which is my passion. The world is multimodal, digital, and multicultural, so virtual exchanges that include multimodal tasks are an excellent way to prepare students for the real world beyond classroom walls.🌍

Are you a member of our sig? You can find this article and others written by a lineup of excellent authors featured in this issue.📄 Contact me or Maria Diakou if you want to contribute an article in the upcoming issues.

I am thrilled to share that the new issue of the Iatefl LTSIG newsletter was published yesterday, and all our members can now enjoy it! It is a beautiful baby!🥰 It is such a joy to see the fruits of the hard work put into this edition by Maria Diakou and I being shared with our readers.
The current issue focuses on , an extremely relevant topic in today's world. However, its understanding often remains at a superficial level, and the benefits of effective implementation may be missed. This issue aims to delve deeper into the subject. It also contains articles on other topics relevant to , and reports on talks from from our roving reporter.
Our authors come from a variety of backgrounds, providing a wide spectrum of insights. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all of them for their contributions, which have made this issue truly valuable.🙏✨⭐️
Dear readers, we want to hear from you! Your feedback is highly appreciated. There is a link to a feedback form in my letter as Editor in Chief, where you can voice your thoughts.🗣 Also, stay tuned for a call for proposals for the next issue, which will be published soon. Watch this space!

For a positive learning environment, it is necessary to create an atmosphere where learning collaboratively is the norm. Trust is gradually built. Mistakes are allowed, questions are asked, and taking risks is encouraged. Students interact with their peers and not only with the teacher.

Substance and critical thinking skills are not valued enough. I fully agree with the message below. As I see it, "fireworks" and good PR or networking skills are overvalued. What do you think?

I worry that there are people who are put in positions of authority because they're good talkers, but they don't have good ideas. It's so easy to confuse schmoozing ability with talent. Someone seems like a good presenter, easy to get along with, and those traits are rewarded. Well, why is that? They're valuable traits, but we put too much of a premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking. ~Susan Cain

(Book [ad]: Quiet The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking https://amzn.to/4dAXWs7)

(Art: Illustration by Javier Jaén)

Tara Harvey, a well-known specialist in intercultural learning frames my feelings and thoughts (also as someone who has devoted years to promoting intercultural dialogue). It is worth taking 4 minutes to read her blog post. Here are some excerpts:
"Lately, as I read the news about campus protests, student encampments, and the various ways universities are handling these responses to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, I keep thinking about the expression: The best time to plant a tree is 100 years ago. The second-best time is now. Of course, I’m not thinking about planting trees, but developing intercultural competence. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Intercultural competence can no longer be viewed as a ‘nice to have’ skill in our world. It’s a ‘must have.’"
"We all need to develop the capacity to navigate deeper differences that make a difference effectively, appropriately, and authentically. That requires an ability to understand and empathize with perspectives and lived experiences that differ from our own—even those with which we may disagree."

Developing Intercultural Competence: If Not Now, When? A blog exploring all things related to intercultural competence, cultural competence, global citizenship, global learning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education.

I had the pleasure to be interviewed again for the Express Publishing's podcast this time in a very informal and brief way. Now I shared how the interview I had given George Kokolas and Virginia Dooley last year served as a source of inspiration for the content and structure of my talk at . It just goes to show how the the podcast contributes to one's own professional development regardless of your role in it (interviewee, audience or interviewer =)). Listen to this special edition of the Teacher's Coffee podcast (see below for the link) with brief interviews to various ELT professionals to get the feeling of the atmosphere there was at the conference in Brighton.

Step into the vibrant atmosphere of in Brighton with us! ✨

As always, this momentous occasion was filled with insightful discussions and enlightening presentations. 📚
Now, you get the chance to experience its pulse with us!

🌟 This special podcast features a panel of ELT experts, each sharing their unique experiences at the conference.
Huge thanks to all the amazing people who generously shared their wisdom with us in Brighton! 🎙️

Tune in:
👉🏼 https://youtu.be/gz8KTM3lQwg
👉🏼 https://www.mixcloud.com/TeachersCoffeeInternational/insights-from-iatefl-2024-teachers-coffee-s07e26/
👉🏼 https://open.spotify.com/episode/685cDh4n8BpSL6il3BalXt?si=laVqHW4iQmCxjwFuD0_y5w

Featuring Dorothy Zemach, Jon Hird, Boelo van der Pool, Sarah Smith, Thom Jones, Rob Howard, Vicky Samuel, Armanda Stroia, Daniel Xerri, Elona Kolaj, Penny Hands, Susana Galante and our author, Jenny Dooley.

Kieran Donaghy talking about at . I always remember his plenary in (held online) on empathy, which was truly unique. This time his talk was on what has been his field of expertise for long- multimodality. Even though many people in ELT now talk about this concept, very few really implement it effectively or know how to promote it among students.

After months of thorough research and preparation (accompanied by doubts about my participation), I finally delivered my talk Focusing on the Basics in an Age of Digital Innovations at the showcase at ! 😅 This talk was of a different sort from the ones I have given on international platforms throughout the years, usually on projects I have initiated or been involved in (a cross-cultural blended collaborative project for Arab and Jewish Israeli students, collaborative online international learning -COIL- and internationalization of Higher Ed, multimodality for virtual exchanges, distance learning and the first virtual English class before Covid times).
This time the topic stemmed from the deep concern I have been feeling for long (as a teacher trainer and Digital Pedagogy coach and consultant) about the hype surrounding the emerging digital developments. As I see it, the focus of the discourse has been mostly mostly on the magic all the new cutting edge tech tools can do while solid digital pedagogy principles that can serve as lenses through which we can make informed decisions may be overlooked. If we remain at a superficial level, all we are innovating is tools rather than pedagogy, and what is worse we are not really preparing students to thrive as adults in an interconnected and constantly evolving world.

Less than a week left for my talk! 😊
And only a few days left for to start!
If you are in Brighton, I will be delighted if you come and join me for my talk at the showcase on Thursday 18th at 11.05.🙂
Where? Empress Room
Abstract: The rapid pace of the emergence of new technologies like AI has evoked both dazzlement and confusion among teachers. I will give an overview of the most solid digital pedagogy principles to help navigate this dynamic landscape. Familiarizing oneself with them can be instrumental in making informed decisions when designing lessons. I will illustrate their implementation and will discuss challenges.

Dear educators, I would like to request your help 🙏 by responding to a poll in the link below. Your responses will be shared as an introduction to the topic of the talk I will give at . Knowing how you feel as educators re the digital innovations that have emerged lately is of great value to me. The responses are anonymous. Thanks!!

Enter the Code to Join & Vote on a Presentation - Mentimeter Enter the code from the Mentimeter presentation to join in and start voting. Make your voice heard!

This more or less sums up the main message of the talk I will give on April 18th at the showcase at in Brighton. In the current hype around digital innovations, and AI in particular, there is too much dazzlement but also confusion among many educators. This worries me greatly. Not only are many teachers being left behind but also students are not really acquiring the necessary skills to thrive in adult life. I believe we need to engage in deeper conversations and reflection with focus on the why or what we want to achieve, and less on the race to keep up with all the flashiest tools or the fireworks, as I call it. What is technology being used for? Will it help me achieve my pedagogical goals? How can these be best achieved?

I’ve said it before (well, for over a decade now) and I’ll say that again - especially with all the buzz around AI promising to 'transform' education.

Don’t focus on cool tools. Don’t be impressed by bells and whistles. Focus on the problems you’re trying to solve in teaching and learning and then figure out whether, and how, (AI) technology can be part of the solution💡🎓

We live in a world in which new beyond reading and writing are necessary. By implementing multimodal instruction, students use more than one channel to process information. According to Mayer's multimodal theory, learning is deeper if text is combined with images in an effective way.
Have you engaged your students in multimodal learning? Have you used AI to do so? Do not miss the opportunity to share ypur work with the Iatefl LTSIG community by writing an article for our newsletter. See our site for guidelines or contact me or Maria Diakou. The deadline for submission is in less than 2 weeks. Looking forward to reading you!✨️🔥

In this excellent article for Education Week, Svetlana Kandybovich from ELT-Cation looks at different ways in which we can use AI tools to support our students.
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-how-to-use-ai-tools-to-support-english-language-learners/2024/03

Helping students develop critical thinking skills and autonomy that will allow them to be active members and contributors of a knowledge building society is our prime responsibility.

Miriam Plotinsky shares strategies for empowering students to grow as thinkers: https://edut.to/3IF9rka

Looking forward to meeting old and new friends in person during a week of amazing professional learning opportunities.
If you are planning to attend the conference, come and say hi or join me for my talk. Here are the details:
TITLE: Focusing on the basics in an era of digital innovations
DAY: Thursday 18 April 2024; TIME: 11:05-11:35
ROOM: Empress - The Grand Hotel

Making connections through concept maps and other types of annoted jottings can lead to deep learning. This is just one example of how (the application of multiple modes, e.g visual and linguistic) can help learn more effectively.
If you have used concept mapping in English lessons or done research on it, remember you are invited to make a contribution to the upcoming issue of the Iatefl LTSIG newsletter focusing on multimodality in . Get in touch for more details.

Concept maps, sketchnotes, and other annotated jottings can facilitate deeper comprehension of materials than more polished drawings. ✍️

Read more: https://edut.to/3VdQL2o

A call for proposals for one of my favourite conferences!⭐️I participated in the 6th conference in 2017 and can now say it has been one of the best to date. This conference marked the beginning of many more good things to come! I gave a talk called "Preparing for Life in a Multicultural and Interconnected World" at the LTsig strand. I spoke to a large audience and shared a collaborative project for Arab and Jewish teenagers (Hangouts for Negotiation), which I had co-founded and managed in a large school network. Later I wrote a chapter on this unique project for the book edited by Sophia Mavridi (Digital Pedagogy) and Daniel Xerri named "English for 21st Century Skills", published by Express Publishing. On a personal level, I met such amazing professionals from all parts of the world and, above all, wonderful human beings ❤️!! I have been in touch with many of them since then 🙏🙌. The organization of the conference was spotless. I cannot recommend ELT Malta conference enough!

LTSIG is happy to announce a future collaboration with ELT Malta for the13th ELT Malta Conference — Successful Language Learning in a Diverse World
The 13th ELT Malta Conference will be held on 18-19 October 2024.

Speaker proposals for talks and workshops can be submitted until 15 May 2024 by completing the form below.

This conference is being held in partnership with the IATEFL Learning Technologies SIG, which will have its own strand of sessions at the event. If you want your talk or workshop to be considered for inclusion in the LTSIG strand, please indicate this below.

Speaker proposals: https://forms.gle/19wFgz7Sj2dUD2Ey8

For interculturalists:
Here is the summary of a plenary given at the WISE conference by Tara Harvey- one of the leading (and most interesting to me) figures in the intercultural learning world. She shares six paradigm shifts she has observed during the last two decades, focusing on the who, what, where, when, why and the how of intercultural learning.

Six Paradigm Shifts for Intercultural Learning in Higher Education A blog exploring all things related to intercultural competence, cultural competence, global citizenship, global learning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education.

A call for proposals for the next issue of our newsletter. 📢
Do not hesitate to write to us with any question you may have. We accept articles from members and non-members alike.
Looking forward to getting your submissions and creating a newsletter filled with valuable contributions to continue building knowledge together and growing as a community. ✨

Call for Articles for our Newsletter: Exploring Multimodality in EFL
Share Your Insights with the IATEFL LTSIG

Dear LTSIG members and friends,
I hope this email finds you well. Having just finished working on our last Newsletter, I believe that you have all received our Newsletter on AI in your inbox. But we never stop working hard to share the best with our members. So here we are, already starting to work on our new edition of the coming LTSIG Newsletter. As we embark on another exciting year of advancements in the field of Learning Technologies, we are thrilled to announce the general theme for our upcoming Newsletter: "Multimodality in English as a Foreign Language (EFL)." In our pursuit of enriching educational experiences, we believe understanding and incorporating multimodal approaches can significantly enhance language learning in diverse contexts.
We invite all members of the LTSIG to contribute articles that delve into the intersection of technology and multimodality in EFL. Whether you have conducted research, implemented innovative strategies, or have insights to share from your practical experiences, we encourage you to contribute to the collective knowledge of our community.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
Integrating multimedia resources in EFL classrooms
Exploring the impact of visual aids on language acquisition
Assessing the effectiveness of multimodal approaches in language learning
Implementing technology to support multimodal EFL instruction
Case studies highlighting successful multimodal EFL programmes
Your valuable contributions will showcase the diverse expertise within our community and provide valuable insights for educators and practitioners worldwide. The deadline for article submissions is April 5th 2024.
Please submit your articles to [email protected] by the deadline, adhering to our submission guidelines attached to this email and available on our website. We look forward to receiving your submissions and creating a newsletter reflecting the cutting-edge work the LTSIG and colleagues do.
Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing learning technologies in education.
Best regards,
Maria Diakou
LTSIG Coordinator