The Regional English Language Office in Lima had been producing webinars long before English Language Fellow Maggie Steingraeber’s time. However, because of her background in online content development, they asked Maggie to join their webinar team and help them improve their capacity.
The team agreed that the most effective approach would be to host a monthly presentation that was no longer than one hour total. Maggie would host the webinar, but would feature a different Fellow from throughout South America each month. The first webinar of the season took place on Tuesday, November 24. The topic was “Creating a Positive Learning Environment.” It explored how teacher beliefs and feedback affect student outcomes and classroom performance. Attendees were able to interact with the presenters via chat, virtual hand-raising, polls, and surveys.
The goal of the webinar series is to provide English teachers with a professional development opportunity in order to improve their practice. Topics range from theory, research, and assessment to didactic activities and projects for the classroom. Fellows are encouraged to draw from their personal experiences to share ideas with our colleagues throughout Latin America and the world.
