Looking to streamline communication with your ESOL students this fall? Interested in ways in which you can maximize the many tools available in WhatsApp? This roundtable discussion session will include creative ideas, practical applications, and concrete examples of ways in which ESOL teachers are currently using WhatsApp to engage and communicate with students at all ESOL levels.
There are NO pre-requisites for this session, though participants will find it more useful if they have a working knowledge of how to set up and use a WhatsApp class group for basic communication tasks.
Please note: You will access Zoom and other support materials via Blackboard. You cannot access the online course from the SABES website. You will receive a separate email from Joanne Harrington at Quinsigamond Community College 1-2 days before the course begins with instructions on how to access the Blackboard course and the Zoom session.
- Teachers of adult ESOL learners of any level
- ESOL teachers with novice to intermediate experience using WhatsApp
This professional development activity/course is designed for:
With the rapid switch to remote ESOL instruction, WhatsApp has stood out due to its popularity with students and its many utilities as a communication tool. WhatApp offers more than texting and basic communication, it also offers teachers small group video conferencing, voice recording, and the ability to share links to assignments, videos, or other media directly through the application itself. In this panel session, several practitioners share how they have smoothly integrated WhatsApp into their remote instruction toolboxes, increasing communication and engagement with their students.
In this 1.5-hour roundtable panel session, you will gain valuable ideas about how to use WhatsApp in a wide range of ways to support your remote ESOL instruction. Panelists will share examples from their own teaching experiences using WhatsApp with beginning to advanced ESOL students. You will hear about options to use WhatsApp for small group instruction, individual conferencing, pronunciation feedback, troubleshooting tech issues, sharing links for class assignments or other materials, as well as general communication applications.
- Describe diverse ways to use WhatsApp for communication and ESOL instruction
- Avoid common pitfalls inexperienced WhatsApp users may encounter
- Apply knowledge of useful tips to enhance your WhatsApp user experience
- Guide English Learners on how to use WhatsApp features
Upon completion of this professional development activity/course, you will be able to:
Working knowledge of setting up and using a WhatsApp class group for basic communication tasks.
United States
