Tuesday, January 7th, 2014 IST Workshop on

Special Interest Groups Presenting the Final Outcomes

Compiled by Abdeljallal El Hariri

Briefing

After greeting the attendees and thanking them for responding positively to the invitation, Mr Abdellatif Zoubair explained the rationale behind the meeting and unveiled the procedure to be adopted.

The main agenda

A. Identifying issues of interests: Individually, teachers brainstormed the main concerns

about how they handled issues related to their daily practices and the challenges they encountered. Then they discussed their ideas in trios (groups of three) to indulge in a plenary in-depth debate after that. The discussion was thorough and the views were to the point. Yet, the whole group of teachers had to reach a consensus eventually. As a result, they limited the scope of educational research/studies and the appropriate ICT tools to ten areas

The 10 areas

• Enhancing motivation to maximize enjoyable learning• Scaffolding the writing skill• Enhancing the High Order Thinking Skills• Boasting professional development• Implementing assessment for learning and/or alternative

assessment• Sustaining the reading skill• Improving speaking and listening• Using ICT for a better understanding of grammar• Using viewing to test comprehension• Opting for efficient classroom management

B. Action Plan

The attendees were divided into two groups according to their SIGs (Educational research SIG and ICT for ELT SIG) to discuss their goals and objectives and the appropriate actions to be implemented to meet these. They also agreed on the final outcomes as well as the deadlines which should not exceed the end of April 2013.

C. The platform for communication

In order for the members of the SIGs to save time and to avoid meeting repeatedly, they agreed to set up a Yahoo group for better communication.

D. SIG- SIG Pairs

Before the closure of the meeting ten pairs belonging respectively to the educational studies SIG and the ICT SIG were formed. Each pair will deal with one of the ten areas mentioned earlier.

Come on Geese

Upon leaving the room, the teachers, like in the lesson from the geese, honked each other good luck as they would need lots of it during the coming days.

A Final Thought

"When we replace `I' by `We' even Illness becomes

Wellness."