Technology standards for language teachers have become increasingly important recently (Nozawa, 2019; Sun 2022). However, existing ones, such as those from the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) or the TESOL Technology Standards, present challenges for practical implementation in specific contexts because they are designed to be more comprehensive. An alternative is to build on previous insights and develop standards that are relevant to the specific needs of a given setting. This talk reports on a project to create technology standards targeted at teachers in one such setting, the Canadian settlement language sector. This sector helps adult immigrants to Canada improve their language proficiency and prepare for achieving Canadian citizenship.

We begin by discussing the project background and the team, a team that includes half of the group that authored the TESOL Technology Standards (2008). We next go over how we drafted an initial set of standards, drawing from our experience with TESOL and ISTE Standards, decades as teacher educators, and a growing knowledge of the needs of the settlement language sector. We then describe the process through which we collaboratively edited and refined the standards and accompanying performance indicators.

The result was just seven standards (vs. 14 for TESOL) and a combined 38 performance indicators (vs. 95 for TESOL), covering the following themes: using devices and systems skillfully, tools and digital resources, technology-enhanced pedagogy, digital literacy and digital citizenship for yourself and your learners, using technology to help all learners thrive, communicating with learners and observing their progress, establishing and maintaining professional connections online

The full standards are written in direct, teacher-friendly language and include explanations and reflection questions for each performance indicator together with vignettes describing how the standards are applied in real teaching situations. We conclude by discussing progress on similar standards for programs and learners and hope to include initial feedback from a pilot implementation for fall 2023. So that the audience and others may make use of this work and adapt the standards if desired to their own settings, they are being released with a Creative Commons CC-BY, non-commercial, share alike license.

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Abstract Summary
We report on a project to develop technology standards for English language teachers in the Canadian settlement language sector. We describe the project background and how the team built on their experience with TESOL Technology Standards, decades as teacher educators, and growing understanding of the Canadian settlement language sector. The result was just seven standards (vs. 14 for TESOL) and a combined 38 performance indicators (vs. 95 for TESOL), a more focused and we believe more approachable target for these teachers. The full standards are written in direct, teacher-friendly language and include explanations and reflection questions for each performance indicator together with vignettes describing how the standards are realized in real teaching situations. We conclude by discussing feedback from stakeholders and progress on similar technology standards for programs and learners. The standards will be available to the audience and are being released with a CC-BY, non-commercial, share alike license.

Authors:
Philip Hubbard, Stanford University, United States
Deborah Healey, University of Oregon, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Philip Hubbard is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at Stanford University in United States

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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