Cert ICT: Certificate in Teaching Languages with Technology

Course Description > Cert ICT

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• The CertICT

  The CertICT: Certificate in Teaching Languages with Technology is a new online international qualification, designed and developed by The Consultants-E, and fully validated by Trinity College London. The course examines a range of useful technology-related skills and tools which are immediately applicable in the language classroom. Course participants develop basic computer literacy skills, learn about various approaches to using technology in the classroom, explore (free) online tools, and have the opportunity to put these into practice over the duration of the course itself.

  The course is hands-on and firmly based in face to face (f2f) classroom practice. Participants leave the course confident not only in using a range of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) tools with their own learners in their own f2f teaching contexts, but also with an increased awareness of broader issues such as ICT and assessment, how to integrate ICT into a teaching syllabus, and familiarity with commercially available ICT materials. See Course Structure & Syllabus below for the detailed course syllabus.

  The CertICT: Certificate in Teaching Languages with Technology has been developed out of and replaces our ‘ICT in the Classroom’ course, which is highly regarded as an innovative example of good practice in the field of online teacher training, and was awarded a British Council Innovation Award (or ‘ELTON’) in February 2007.

• Who is the CertICT for?

  The CertICT: Certificate in Teaching Languages with Technology is a qualification for teachers and trainers of English (EFL, TESOL) and for teachers of other languages, who have already started their teaching careers and wish to further enhance their skills and expertise in using ICT (Information and Communications Technology) with their learners in the classroom. The CertICT is suitable for teachers and trainers worldwide, whatever their level of experience with ICT - participants leave this course with a wealth of new ideas, tools, approaches and techniques to use ICT with their own face-to-face learners.

  [ find out where our course participants come from with our participant map]

• Course aims & objectives

  The CertICT: Certificate in Teaching Languages with Technology aims to equip language teachers and trainers with the essential skills and knowledge to effectively use ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in their own teaching or training contexts. The aims and objectives of this qualification are as follows:

  • To develop and consolidate basic IT skills: word processing, manipulation of images, audio and video, email, file formats, online safety, security and virus protection.
  • To build a critical awareness of a range of commercially available ICT materials.
  • To consider ICT within the syllabus, and how to integrate ICT with regular classes.
  • To develop an awareness of the various contexts and cultural constraints in which ICT may be used by both teachers and learners.
  • To develop familiarity with search and evaluation skills for Internet-based resources.
  • To develop lesson planning and materials preparation skills for Internet-based resources.
  •  To learn how to adapt and use current ICT tools with f2f learners, such as WebQuests, blogs, RSS feeds, chat (voice, video and text), podcasting, wikis, social bookmarking, online reference tools and electronic portfolios.
  • To develop an understanding of Web 2.0, VLEs, blended learning and m-learning, and how these could be used in the participant’s context.
  • To develop an understanding of the skills needed for working effectively with students and technology.
  • To consider how to integrate ICT and assessment (including online assessment).
  • To develop an awareness of how to continue the participant’s own professional development in ICT-related areas, and where and how to access this online.
  • To create, implement, and reflect on a final technology-based lesson plan or project.

• Course structure & syllabus

  The online CertICT: Certificate in Teaching Languages with Technology consists of 3 modules, delivered entirely online over 20 weeks in Moodle, with total of 120 hours work for participants. There are two one-week breaks timetabled into the course.

  Module 01

  Computer Skills [ 15 hours ]
  

  Email, file formats, word processing, working with images, audio & video, computer security, online safety issues.

  Module 02

  ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Tools in the Classroom [ 85 hours ]
  

  ICT usage and tools, Internet search techniques, evaluating websites, social bookmarking, planning and implementing Internet-based classes, WebQuests, voice, video & text chat, podcasting, blogs, RSS, wikis, online reference tools. Web 2.0, VLEs, blended learning, m-learning, electronic portfolios. Commercial ICT courseware, assessment, ICT in the syllabus, continual professional development online.

  Module 03

  Course Project [ 20 hours ]
  

  ICT Class Project: planning, implementation, review, reflection.

  Click here to download a full syllabus including timetabled video conferencing sessions, and the two one-week course breaks.

  Each CertICT course has a maximum of 20 participants. You are expected to spend approx. 6 hours per week on online individual, pair and collaborative group work, including offline reading and reflection. Deadlines for task completion are weekly, and you can log on at any point during the week to work on the course. There are no 'fixed' times to be online, apart from regular timetabled online video-conferencing sessions; the dates and times of these are negotiated to suit everyone on the course [see also Internet Skills & Technical Requirements below].

  As the course is structured around weekly deadlines, you are in constant contact with course colleagues and tutor(s) in our course Moodle, for the duration of the course. The course is very highly tutor- supported: groups of 10+ participants have two tutors.

  See here for further information on how our online courses work in practice, and what they look like.

• Key features of the online CertICT

  The Consultants-E is the first provider to offer an online CertICT: Certificate in Teaching Languages with Technology

  for language teachers, fully validated and moderated by Trinity College London. The Cer ICT has been designed and developed exclusively by The Consultants-E. We are one of the most experienced and highly-regarded online providers of quality online training for language teachers, and our online CertICT has several unique features which make it exceptional:

  • The CertICT is a new internationally recognized qualification, and provides a valuable asset to any language teacher wishing to develop his/her knowledge of technology and how to apply it to classroom teaching. It is also a valuable indicator to potential employers that the teacher is able to use ICT with learners effectively.
  • The CertICT is hands on and practical – you learn about and try out ICT tools during the course, with your own learners.
  • The CertICT takes place in English, but is aimed at teachers of any language – we have trained not just English language teachers, but French, German, Italian, Spanish, Catalan and Japanese teachers in the past.
  • The Cer ICT is run fully online in Moodle. As an online course, you save significantly on the accommodation fees, travel etc. associated with f2f (face to face) training courses.
  • You can continue to work while you take the online CertICT.
  • The online CertICT takes place over 20 weeks, with two additional one-week breaks, so you have time to try out new ideas and tools with your own learners in your own context while taking the course. Learning can be immediately applied to practice, and there is time to reflect on and digest the course content.
  • By taking our online CertICT, you have the opportunity to experience firsthand online learning in the hugely popular virtual learning environment Moodle.
  • Our course participants come from literally all over the world. Working closely with your course colleagues online, you meet and work with language teachers and trainers from a wide range of contexts and countries. See our past participant map!
  • Groups of more than 12 participants have two tutors. Our courses have one of the highest participant to tutor ratios of any online course available. Maximum group size is 20, so you are assured of individualised and constant tutor support.
  • Our tutors are highly qualified and experienced language teachers and trainers themselves, and they also have years of experience of (and are fully qualified in) online moderating. See here for more information about our tutors.
  • We are experienced online teacher training providers, having run our online courses since 2003, and receive consistently excellent feedback from our participants. See our past participant feedback here.
  • The CertICT has been developed from our original flagship 50-hour ‘ICT in the Classroom’ course, which was quality-assured by Trinity College London, and won a 2007 British Council Innovation Award. 
  • Our online CertICT looks at new Web 2.0 technologies and how these can be applied to language teaching. Special emphasis is placed on new technologies and blended learning for the language teacher / trainer, key areas of expertise in today’s competitive market.

• Entry requirements

  Teaching qualifications: Participants need to either

  • hold a pre-service qualification such as the PGCE, Trinity CertTESOL, Cambridge CELTA, or a national teaching certificate equivalent

  or

  • hold an in-service teaching qualification such as a Trinity LTCL Diploma or a Cambridge ESOL DELTA, or a national teaching certificate equivalent

  Participants may be asked to provide documented evidence of these qualifications.

  Language learners: Participants must have access to real language learners, either a class or one-to-one students, and either f2f or online, to implement the final course project.

  English proficiency: Competence in written and spoken English, whether English is the applicants’ first, second or foreign language: successful applicants’ levels of competence in English must be of a standard sufficient to enable them to fully understand and complete the course work. The minimum level of qualification accepted is that of Trinity ISE II / Cambridge First Certificate / IELTS 5,5 / TOEFL 500 / CEF B2. In some cases, participants may be asked to provide documented evidence of an English language qualification. In the absence of a recognised language qualification, a telephone interview and/or a sample of a participants’ written work may be requested.

  Group work: Participants must be willing to work co-operatively as members of a group, and to complete short pair and group work tasks online during the course.

• Internet skills & technical requirements

  The course is taught entirely online, using the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) Moodle. You won’t need any prior experience or knowledge of online learning, although basic experience of email and Internet is expected. Technical and pedagogical support is available for the entire duration of the course.

  You will need:

  • An Internet connection, preferably broadband
  • A headset (best is with a USB connection) or stand-alone microphone and speakers
  • A webcam is optional
  • An up-to-date browser
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • An up-to-date media player (e.g. Windows Media Player or similar)
  • A word processing package (e.g. Microsoft Word or similar.

  You will use an online video conferencing platform for chats with course colleague and tutor(s) several times during the course - the exact time for this is negotiated with the group. To take part in a video conferencing session you will need a headset with microphone (headsets with a USB plug are the best option). If you have a webcam, you may want to connect that during the video conferencing session, but this is optional—you will be able to see and hear your tutor even if you only have a headset. Video conferencing sessions are always recorded which means that even if you can’t attend, you will be able to watch the recording later online, in your own time. Our video conferencing platform is accessed via a web page—you do not need to download or install anything to use it during the course.

• Assessment procedures

  Participants need to complete a minimum of 80% of the course work for Module 1 and 2 to an acceptable standard within the time frame of the course. Module 3 (the course project) consists of creating, implementing and reflecting on an ICT lesson, or series of lessons, with learners; 100% of this needs to be completed. An overall Pass or Fail grade is awarded for the CertICT. In order for participants to be awarded the Certificate, all 3 modules must be passed.

  Participants who do not complete the minimum required course work within the stipulated course dates may still complete the course. However, they will not be awarded a Trinity College London Cert ICT Certificate, regardless of whether they have paid the Trinity external moderator fee. In some cases, a referral and subsequent completion of work to the required standard, normally within one month of the course end date, will be accepted.

  Download a detailed description of the Assessment Procedures & Criteria in pdf format.

• Enrolment procedures & fees

  First ensure you fulfill the admission requirements by filling in the Cert ICT online enrolment form. You can then pay the course fee of 995 € online via PayPal. The course fee covers all course content and documentation, video conferencing sessions, full tutor support and ongoing feedback. You will also need to pay the separate Trinity College London moderation fee of 120 €, before the course start date. You can pay this via PayPal here.

  We use PayPal  as our secure online payment service. PayPal are trusted World-Wide for Internet transactions. We do not store your credit card details in any way. This increases your privacy and makes your purchase more secure.

  Under European Union legislation, you have the right to cancel within seven days of our contract with you. If you cancel your enrolment you will have your payment returned. To be refunded please provide full details of your enrolment including all reference numbers and PayPal correspondence to enrolments@theconsultants-e.com.

  Note: We are occasionally obliged to cancel a planned course if we do not have the minimum required number of participants (six). Cancellation will normally occur two- three days in advance of the course start date. In the event of a course cancellation you will be offered the opportunity to have a full refund, roll your enrolment over to the next course date, or transfer to another course with a discount.

• Validation by Generalitat de Catalunya

  This course is fully validated by the Departament d'Educació of the Generalitat de Catalunya, with the name of "Teaching Languages with Technology". Teachers in Spain who would like a Generalitat recognition/certification of attendance will receive a certificate from the Departament d'Educació de la Generalitat de Catalunya, at no extra cost.

• Deferrals

  If during your course you find that you need to defer due to special unforeseen circumstances such as bereavement, illness, or relocation, you may apply for a deferral on your course. This will mean joining a later course, and having the work you have already done validated. Note however that a deferral fee of 20% – 50% will apply, depending on how much of your course you have already completed prior to deferral. The Trinity College London moderation fee will also need to be repaid in full in the case of a deferral.
  
  The deferral fee needs to be paid within one month of a deferral being granted. You then have up to one year (12 months) in which to take the Cert ICT course again. If more than 12 months elapse between your deferral and enrolling on the course again, you will need to pay the full course fee, and start the course from the beginning as a new participant. Previous work will not be validated in this case.
  
  In the case of seeking a deferral, you need to contact your course tutor, and copy in admin@theconsultants-e.com so we can deal with the administrative issues involved in a deferral.
  
  If you need to defer before your course starts, no deferral fees will apply apart from the bank costs incurred by the initial fee payment, whether via PayPal or bank transfer.