The program started in September 2022 and aims to help the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine optimize the process of distance English teaching in general secondary education institutions of Ukraine and create a distance education model for teaching and learning English.
As part of the program, a team of American and Ukrainian experts developed a number of educational products designed to help English language teachers improve their professional skills, primarily in the field of distance education:
– Core Curriculum for English language teachers of general secondary education institutions “Remote English Learning and Teaching Curriculum for General Secondary Education Institutions of Ukraine”, endorsed by Order of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Ukraine No. 539 dated 09.05.2023
– Educational and Methodological Guide “Insights into Remote English Learning and Teaching” (Approved for use in the educational process by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine). You can download the Guide below.
– Professional development course for teachers “Insights into Remote Learning and Teaching”, implemented in Regional In-Service Teacher Training Institutes (INSETTs). For information about course dates, teachers can contact their regional INSETT.
– MOOC “Around Remote Teaching and Learning in 10 Hours” – free access on Prometheus platform.
Teacher’s Guide “Insights into Remote Learning and Teaching”
The Guide is available for download:
This Guide can be used as a ‘standalone’ resource but may also serve as core content for professional development courses at Regional In-Service Teacher Training Institutes all over Ukraine. It is intended for teachers working at any grade level in Ukrainian schools, though the examples of lesson episodes and lesson plans provided in the Guide are for Grades 5 and 6 of the New Ukrainian School. Some of the recommended resources come from universities or university colleges which may seem irrelevant at first sight. But the Guide encourages teachers to pick up and reflect on ideas and not to transfer content as it is directly to the classroom.
A central purpose of this work was to improve remote teaching via the provision of effective technical guidance about how to use existing technology like computers, cell phones, accompanying software, and platforms such as Google and Zoom. However, the Guide goes beyond just addressing ‘technical skills’, it contributes to further development of teachers’ professional competence by promoting communicative approaches to language teaching, effective use of task-based activities, and enhanced use of techniques that are sensitive to the social and emotional aspects of learning and teaching; all of which can be carried with teachers back to their ‘normal’ classrooms.
The Teacher’s Guide does not claim to be a highly academic paper or an instructional manual. It is rather a collection of ideas, advice and tools which teachers can carry forward after careful consideration consideration. The style is informal with a lot of conversational discourse markers throughout as if the authors were talking over serious things with teachers in a friendly teachers’ room. All the links to external resources were valid at the time of access which is indicated in References and Recommended resources.
The Guide consists of seven succinct chapters. Each chapter focuses on an important aspect of remote learning and is designed to provide easy to understand, practical tips for teachers with limited time to prepare their lessons. Topics are accompanied by links to tools, additional references, and existing online materials, platforms, and games that can be applied in English classrooms. Finally, key aspects of social and emotional learning and teaching related to working with children in times of crisis and disruption are woven throughout the chapters, as appropriate.
Support for Distance English Language Education for Ukrainian Secondary Schools – SDELE is a program funded by the Regional English Language Office at the U.S.Embassy in Ukraine and implemented by American Councils in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine.