The DOTS project : Developing Online Teaching Skills
The European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) is an institution of the Europe Council that organizes projects to promote innovation and good practice in teaching and learning of languages . As part of the “Empowering Language Professionals” program (2008-2011), a team of specialists in language teaching from universities of UK, Spain, Germany, Croatia and Canada (with Edul@b’s members Pauline Ernest and Joseph Hopkins) has recently completed a project entitled “Developing online teaching skills (DOTS)”.
“DOTS” team, led by Dr. Ursula Stickler (Open University, UK), has created a “training kit ” which includes material for self- training language teachers who want to incorporate ICT in the classroom. Located on a Moodle platform, “DOTS” presents 30 activities to teach languages, using wikis, forums, blogs, audio-conferences, podcasts and YouTube, among others. It also offers suggestions for reflection activities and collaborative tools to share experiences of self-training and facilitate the professional development of participants.
“DOTS” was presented (along with 22 other projects) in the closing conference of the 3rd project program, which took place in September 2011 at the headquarters of the ECML in Graz, Austria .
