Just as spring is a new beginning, we hope to bring fresh ideas to help secondary teachers keep learning and keep teaching with our Pearson English Spring Days: Secondary Sessions.
Pearson English Spring Days is an online learning event taking place from 4th – 15th May, 2020.
If you teach teenagers, you’ll be able to learn from a number of leading secondary ELT experts including Elizabeth Beer, Sue Kay, Vaughan Jones, Amanda Davies, Billie Jago, Michael Brand and Rachael Roberts.
They’ll offer professional development advice and lots of practical classroom tips on areas such as using videos in class, preparing students for exams and teaching mixed ability groups.
What sessions are available?
Below you will discover the different sessions we have available and some more information about each talk.
Please note all times are displayed in BST (British Summer Time). Click here to convert to your time zone.
How to scaffold grammar in your classes to help teen students reach their goals with Elizabeth Beer
What to expect?
Teaching grammar to classes with different needs and language levels can be stressful for teachers, and sometimes uttering the dreaded ‘grammar’ word to your students can often cause them to close their ears to that part of the lesson. This session will guide you through the concept of scaffolding, which is to provide tasks and support so that students can understand and accomplish grammar goals more independently.
When?
Session 1: Monday 4th May at 2:00 PM (BST)
Session 2: Tuesday 5th May at 9:30 AM (BST)*
* This session will also be live streamed on our Facebook page!
How to bring the outside world into the classroom with video with Sue Kay
What to expect?
In this webinar I’ll make the case for using more and better-quality video in the classroom, discuss which video genres work best and why, as well as demonstrate how they can facilitate effective lessons and improve learning. In this webinar we will be using examples from Focus Second Edition secondary course from Pearson.
When?
Session 1: Wednesday 6th May at 9:30 AM (BST)
Session 2: Wednesday 6th May at 3:30 PM (BST)
How to focus on personalisation (without getting personal) with Vaughan Jones
What to expect?
In this webinar, I will take a fresh look at the whole area of personalisation and compare and contrast personalised activities with non-personalised activities. In this webinar we will be using examples from Focus Second Edition secondary course from Pearson.
When?
Session 1: Thursday 7th May at 9:30 AM (BST)
Session 2: Thursday 7th May at 3:30 PM (BST)*
* This session will also be live streamed on our Facebook page!
How to maximise your teens learning with Assessment for Learning with Amanda Davies
What to expect?
Keeping teenagers engaged and motivated during lessons is a top priority for many teachers, but since each unique student we teach has their own individual experiences, interests, strengths and development areas we all know this isn’t always easy to do. Therefore, it’s essential that rather than trying to appeal to everyone all at once, teachers have a range of strategies that allow every student to set their own goals, share their knowledge and identify their progress and successes in the classroom. This webinar will explore some key Assessment for Learning strategies that can help do just that. The techniques will be suitable for both face-to-face and online lessons.
When?
Session 1: Friday 8th May at 8:00 AM (BST)
Session 2: Friday 8th May at 2:00 PM (BST)
How to teach engaging classes for exam success with Billie Jago
What to expect?
Both in the real-life classroom and online, Gold Experience second edition can offer teachers a variety of useful resources to help students achieve exam success.
This webinar discusses the tools available, as well as the skills and techniques for delivering engaging and motivating exam classes. We’ll look at the coursebook and its online features in detail, and how to provide variety to typical exam tasks.
When?
Session 1: Monday 11th May at 9:30 AM (BST)
Session 2: Monday 11th May at 2:00 PM (BST)*
How to meet the demands of a mixed ability class with Michael Brand
What to expect?
Help! There’s such a range of abilities in my class! Some of my students need extra support and others need extra challenge! Teachers know every student matters, but it’s sometimes difficult to attend to everyone in a diverse class. How can differentiation help us? How can we best utilize collaborative learning? What about digital tools? And when teaching online? This practical session will propose strategies and activities to help us meet the demands of a mixed ability class.
When?
Session 1: Tuesday 12th May at 11:00 AM (BST)
Session 2: Tuesday 12th May at 2:00 PM (BST)*
* This session will also be live streamed on our Facebook page!
The Garden of Words: How to help your students grow their vocabulary with Rachael Roberts
What to expect?
Teaching vocabulary can be compared to gardening. We can scatter lots of seeds (words), but how do we make sure that they fall on fertile ground? How can we help students to water them, and bring them into fruition? In this webinar we will explore some strategies to help your students learn, remember, and ultimately reap the benefits of a bigger vocabulary.
When?
Session 1: Thursday 14th May at 9:30 AM (BST)
Session 2: Thursday 14th May at 3:30 PM (BST)*
* This session will also be live streamed on our Facebook page!
Opening and closing plenaries
Don’t forget to join us for our opening and closing plenaries:
Opening plenary with Jeremy Harmer
When?
Session 1: Monday 4th May at 9:30 AM (BST)*
Session 2: Monday 4th May at 5:00 PM (BST)
* This session will also be live streamed on our Facebook page!
Closing plenary with Dr. Ken Beatty
When?
Friday 15th May at 2:00 PM (BST)
How does it work?
Each session will last up to 60 minutes and will take place live on our webinar platform (selected sessions will also be streamed live on Facebook).
Each session is repeated twice for you to choose the best time for your convenience.
During the sessions, you will be able to ask questions and interact with other attendees. You can also follow along and join the conversation on Twitter, using the hashtag #PearsonSpringDays.
And to make things even better, all attendees will get a certificate and a virtual goodie bag!
How do I sign up?
It’s easy to join us for Pearson English Spring Days. Follow these three simple steps:
- Find the session you are interested in
- Choose the time and date when you’re available
- Follow the link to register
You will then receive a confirmation email containing the link for the webinar. Then you’ll be able to add the session to your digital calendars.
We hope you can join us for Pearson English Spring Days.
Don’t forget to follow and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #PearsonSpringDays.
See you there!
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