A growing number of students from diverse racial, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds have unique learning needs as they acquire school English and adapt to the culture of the American educational system. Among this diverse population of students are at-risk learners and learners with a variety of disabilities. The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires school personnel to establish and document language difference versus language disorder and language learning difference versus learning disability.

This situation presents school districts and even the most experienced education professional with unique challenges and remains a serious test of service proportionality in American schools. The needs of these diverse learners are not being appropriately addressed when “difference” is used to disproportionately place diverse learners in speech pathology services and special education or when students from diverse backgrounds are denied special services when they have limited English proficiency.

This four-week course addresses specific issues in assessment, intervention, and identification strategies that are most effective in separating difference from disability. Participants will learn what tools and strategies are available and appropriate to use. RtI models for English language learners will also be explored, focusing on the interpretation of data gathered during the general education intervention problem-solving process, prior to conducting an evaluation for special education.

TESOL is authorized by IACET to offer 4 CEUs for this online course. No partial CEUs will be given to registrants who do not complete the course. For more information about CEUs, please go to www.tesol.org/CEUs

Best Practices of Online English Language Teaching 

This first course of TESOL Certificate: Developing an Online Teaching Program provides a global perspective of online and mobile English language learning and an overview of the final Capstone Project.  The course offers the development of a solid foundation and understanding of course design, features and components that will be explored in greater depth in Courses 2, 3 and the Capstone project.

Participants will discover and apply best practices, pedagogies, and strategies for teaching English as a Foreign/Second language in online, mobile and hybrid learning environments, including a blended approach to face-to-face instruction.  The course provides a framework for developing the online/hybrid/blended course and key considerations that ensure a beneficial and successful teaching and learning experience.

In this course, participants: 

• Explore and become familiar with the course learning management system.
• Explore and become familiar with online, hybrid, and blended learning environments - features, applications, devices and differences in the learning environments.
• Understand how to manage learning in online, blended and hybrid learning environments. 
• Understand characteristics of successful online learners. 
• Understand the role of the online facilitator/moderator and effective best practices. 
• Discover, experience, and apply best practices for other important aspects of online/mobile learning:
• Rules of netiquette.
• Copyright issues, cheating and plagiarism.
• Student engagement and interaction.
• Scaffolding and support for struggling students. 

Online/Mobile Support for English Language Core Competencies Development

This second course of TESOL Certificate: Developing an Online Teaching Program focuses on the development of core language skills and competencies in online, hybrid, and blended learning environments.  Participants will discover, experience, and apply learning in the creation of activities related to core competencies using carefully selected online and mobile resources that best support objectives and skills development.  Core competencies include Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary and Grammar development. 

In this course, participants:

• Incorporate strategies learned in Course 1 of the program to facilitate learning.
• Understand best practices and techniques for listening in online/hybrid learning environments.
• Understand best practices and techniques for speaking in online/hybrid/blended learning environments.
• Understand best practices and techniques for reading in online/hybrid learning environments.
• Understand best practices and techniques for writing in online/hybrid learning environments.
• Understand best practices and techniques for teaching vocabulary in online/hybrid learning environments.
• Understand best practices and techniques for teaching grammar in online/hybrid learning environments.
• Understand best practices and techniques for assessment in online/hybrid learning environments.
• Understand best practices and techniques for the development of proficiency in core skills/competencies in online/hybrid/blended learning environments.  
• Begin to build the Capstone project . 

Planning, Organizing, Delivering an Online Course

This third course of TESOL Certificate: Developing an Online Teaching Program combines the application of skills learned in the first two courses in the development of an online or hybrid course.  Participants follow an instructional design plan in the planning, organization and delivery of an online course that meets individual goals, objectives, and institutional needs. 

In this course, participants:

• Identify and complete the steps in creating online courses from planning to application phases, including Universal Design for Learning, Instructional Design models, learner population, objectives, assessment, course outline, lessons, and activities.
• Explore features of learning management systems for their functionalities and support for English language learning.
• Identify and apply diagnostics and scaffolding to lesson/activity design.
• Build course navigation, learning and collaboration areas, and a lesson for implementation in the Capstone.
• Continue to build the Capstone project.

Capstone: Putting the Principles into Practice

The Capstone represents a synthesis of information and learning from all courses that comprise the Developing an Online Teaching program.  Participants apply best practices of online English language teaching from course 1 in the facilitation of an online course lesson developed in courses 2 and 3 with students at individual institutions.

Note: Facilitating the lesson module is required during the time frame of the Capstone.  Please ensure you are available to facilitate during the first week. Assistance will be provided in acquiring volunteer students if classes are not in session. 

In this course, participants: 

• Facilitate a one-week lesson module on the LMS developed throughout the program.
• Elicit feedback from all students who complete the lesson.
• Incorporate feedback from this “student perspective” to inform future course/lesson module modifications and strategies for success.

Participants will learn:

• how to distinguish learning and behavior problems due to difference from those due to disability
• about research into distinctions between language difference and language disability in linguistically diverse students
• how to use screening and intervention planning forms and procedures for diverse learners during the problem-solving, instructional intervention process
• how to use assessment and intervention processes appropriate for culturally and linguistically diverse students
• about key legal constraints on identifying and assessing culturally and linguistically diverse students for special education placement
• a process for developing cross-cultural intervention plans and/or IEPs for an at-risk diverse learner

English language teaching professionals who would like to acquire or enhance skills to design or deliver online and mobile asynchronous, synchronous, hybrid, and blended learning courses.

No previous experience with online/mobile course design is necessary. Basic knowledge of the Internet and commonly used software programs such as Microsoft Office products and especially word processors, is beneficial.