2024-2025 BC TEAL Professional Development Webinar Series
This monthly webinar series starting in December 2024 to April 2025 highlights inclusive best practices for EAL educators. Topics include integrating Indigenous perspectives in EAP, trauma-informed teaching, accessible education via Universal Design for Learning, and effective prompt engineering in AI platforms. Led by experienced practitioners from Alberta and Southern California, each session offers practical strategies to empower students, foster equity, and inspire educators. We hope you will join us to explore essential skills and enhance teaching practices, fostering learning environments where all language learners can thrive.
Integrating Indigenous content in EAP classes with ATESL's Best Practice
Sofia Elgueta D, University of Alberta
This presentation will begin with a quick overview of ATESL’s Best Practices document, a series of statements of best practice, each supported by indicators that demonstrate that best practice. This document was recently updated with the addition of an Inclusion section. This presentation will focus on the Inclusion and, specifically, the Indigenization sections of the resource. Each statement of best practice will be briefly analyzed with reference to the indicators. The bulk of the presentation will have a practical focus where the speaker will share a variety of resources and concrete examples of how those best practice statements may look like in a classroom or learning setting, providing examples relevant for an EAP audience. Attendees will leave the presentation with ideas to integrate Indigenous voices in their classes, craft a personal land acknowledgement, present and discuss the topic of residential schools with a short story, and develop Indigenous content to match textbook themes.
Speaker Bio:
Sofia has 20+years of experience teaching EAL. She has taught children and adults in South America and has been with the English Language School, University of Alberta, since she moved to Canada in 2008. She usually teaches Academic English but has developed and taught a variety of courses for specific purposes, workplace communication, and global citizenship, among others. She strives to make a difference in her students' lives by helping them develop the communication and language skills they need to thrive. She is committed to professional development and incorporating current best practices to facilitate language acquisition through interaction and participation in a setting of student-centred learning. After helping organize the 2021 ATESL Conference, she has served ATESL as Social Media Coordinator, President Elect, President, and Past President. She is very excited to connect with the BC TEAL membership and explore ways to integrate Indigenous content together.
Prompt Engineering for English Language Teachers
Brent Warner, Irvine Valley College
This session is designed to equip educators with the skills to effectively use and understand prompting in AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing. This interactive workshop will demystify the art and science of prompt engineering, focusing on how carefully constructed prompts can significantly enhance the quality of AI-generated content in an English Language Teaching setting. We'll dive into the mechanics of various AI platforms, demonstrating how nuanced prompting leads to more accurate, relevant, and engaging responses, especially when tailored to the needs of English language learners. Participants will engage in hands-on activities (bring your devices!) to practice crafting prompts that yield desired outcomes, learning to navigate common challenges and optimize AI interactions. We'll explore strategies for using AI as a teaching aid, from generating customized content to reshaping grammar exercises and beyond. The workshop will also address ethical considerations, ensuring that educators are prepared to use these powerful tools responsibly. By the end of this session, attendees will have a solid foundation in prompt engineering, empowering them to harness AI's potential to enrich their teaching and offer students a more personalized and effective learning experience. Whether you're brand new to AI or looking to refine your skills, this workshop will provide valuable insights and practical techniques to elevate your educational practice.
Speaker Bio:
Brent Warner is an award-winning professor at Irvine Valley College in southern California, where he focuses on integrating technology into the language learning process. He works with teachers and organizations across the globe to provide practical advice for helping English Language Learners take advantage of tech to help them communicate more clearly. For TESOL International, he blogs about technology integration in the ESOL classroom; he is also the co-host of The DIESOL Podcast, which addresses innovation in ESOL, as well as The HigherEdTech Podcast, covering tech for teachers in college and university settings.
Confronting Colonialism: Anti-racist and Indigenous pedagogies in the EAL classroom
Dr. Yvonne Breckenridge, University of Alberta
This session discusses what teacher educators need to address to transform pre-service EAL teachers from allies to co-conspirators (Love, 2019). Although teacher education has started to acknowledge structural racism, pre-service teachers are not given the opportunity to use this information to build their own transformative teaching practices, especially when learning how to teach a specific subject. This presentation focuses on how to encourage students to address racism in their EAL classes to empower students.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Yvonne Breckenridge has taught English language learners from pre-school to graduate school for almost 30 years in a variety of educational settings. She is currently an associate lecturer at the University of Alberta. In addition to her experience as a teacher educator in Canada she has taught in-service and pre-service teachers from Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Germany. Her research is grounded in critical theory, anti-racism, narrative inquiry, and action research with a specific focus on English for academic purposes, task-based language teaching, professional development, and identity. She has also hugged a panda.
Equity-Centred Trauma-Informed English Language Education
Dr. Katie Crossman, Bow Valley College
Trauma can impact how adult language learners experience education. This session explores equity-centred trauma-informed approaches, introducing key concepts and principles to empower instructors and advance social justice in the classroom. Participants will discuss scenarios and co-create universal strategies that centre equity and respond to language learner needs.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Katie Crossman is an Instructor (Academic Research Focus) at Bow Valley College in Calgary. She has a PhD in Teaching English as a Second Language, and her research focuses on improving settlement and integration for newcomers.
Creating Accessible Learning Environments
Alana Johnson & Rosalia Dela Cruz, NorQuest College
This workshop invites participants to consider the characteristics of accessible education and the importance of creating a sense of belonging and an inclusive learning environment. It will explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles not only to benefit learners with disabilities but to create effective learning environments for everyone.
Speaker Bio:
Alana Johnson has been active in English language learning for 16 years. She worked for many years as an EAL instructor and Workplace Essential Skills Specialist. Alana served for several years as the South Alberta Co-chair for the ATESL Board. She is currently the Lead of NorQuest College’s Alberta Routes Program Initiative.