Reading Encouragement: An Institutional Plan

It is evident that reading plays an invaluable role in accessing knowledge and developing higher order thinking skills. It is normally observed that a person who reads more has certain neurological, psychological, and social benefits over a person who does not. Even so, while the advantages of reading are well-known, a considerable number of students in Colombia tend to lack systematic reading habits and effective reading skills (Perez, 2006; Delgado, 2014) when they reach university. This situation has arisen due to several reasons ranging from difficulties in accessing reading materials to a lack of clear policies guiding reading which is reflected in schools’ curricula (Zúñiga, 2003).   This presentation will explain the curricular revision undertaken by an EFL undergraduate program to strengthen the reading skills of its students. It will focus on the impact that the implementation of a reading plan can have on students’ reading habits and perceptions. The reading plan includes, among others, students’ selection of a book of their preference and the development of discussion sessions led by students themselves. The reading material for the plan is different from the core reading materials that students have to complete during the semester. To follow up on students reading habits and perceptions, information gathered from surveys, interviews, and focus groups will be analyzed from both the pilot and implementation phases of the reading plan throughout various levels of the English program. First, an overview of general curricular adjustments will be presented

Explorando a pertinência de um Programa de Inglês para Ciências da Saúde: modelo e relatório de um processo de autoavaliação

32 páginasProgram evaluation is a process of carefully collecting information in order to make informed decisions to strengthen speci c components of a given program. The type of evalua- tion an institution decides to undertake depends on the purpose as well as on the information the institution wants to nd out about its program. Self-evaluation represents a tool that institutions can rely on to follow up on the quality and pertinence of their programs. This tool can provide important information in relation to the relevance of outcomes, content, methodology, materials, and assessment along with the perceptions of the program from stakeholders such as students, teachers, and administrators. The results of a self-evaluation can guide the decision-making process in an institution to strengthen each of the components of a set curriculum. This paper presents the self-evaluation process conducted by an English for Health Sciences program to determine the suitability of the curriculum in place. It rst presents models through which a program can self-evaluate. Then, it elaborates on the model chosen and the steps followed in the self-evaluation process of the English for Health Sciences Program as well as the results obtained from the experience and the subsequent adjustments made to the program. The readers may use this experience as a point of reference to implement a similar process in their own contexts.La evaluación de programas consiste en un proceso en el cual se recoge cuidadosamente información con el fin de tomar decisiones informadas tendientes a fortalecer componentes específicos de un programa dado. La clase de evaluación que una institución decide llevar a cabo depende tanto del propósito como de la información que la institución desee averiguar sobre su programa. La autoevaluación representa una herramienta en la que pueden confiar las instituciones para determinar la calidad y pertinencia de sus programas. Tal herramienta puede suministrar información importante relacionada con la relevancia de los resultados, el contenido, la metodología, los materiales y la evaluación, junto con las percepciones que sobre el programa tengan las partes interesadas, como estudiantes, profesores y personal administrativo. Los resultados de la autoevaluación pueden orientar el proceso de toma de decisiones en una institución, con el fin de fortalecer cada uno de los componentes de un determinado currículo. Este trabajo presenta el proceso de autoevaluación llevado a cabo por un programa de inglés para ciencias de la salud, tendiente a determinar la pertinencia del currículo en marcha. En primer lugar, presenta modelos por medio de los cuales se puede autoevaluar el programa. Luego, trabaja sobre el modelo escogido y los pasos seguidos en el proceso de autoevaluación del Programa de Inglés para Ciencias de la Salud, así como los resultados de la experiencia y los subsecuentes ajustes hechos al programa. Los lectores pueden utilizar esta experiencia como punto de referencia para implementar un proceso similar en sus propios contexto

Creating a Teacher Development Program Linked to Curriculum Renewal

This paper presents one Colombian university English as a foreign language program’s in-house teacher development program for curriculum renewal. This program is an innovative attempt to prepare teachers for implementing a new curriculum and, simultaneously, engages them in professional development activities. The program is a response to the lack of existing teacher and professional development models that fit certain specific contextual needs, including preparation for implementing new curriculum as well as emphases in the updating of particular teaching practices. In addition to presenting the program, the article also describes the integration of key aspects of various existing models of teacher and professional development into one program that meets contextual needs while encouraging positive change among faculty and students.Este artículo presenta un programa de desarrollo profesoral de una universidad colombiana para acompañar una renovación curricular. Este modelo se presenta como una iniciativa innovadora para preparar profesores en implementar un nuevo currículo y, simultáneamente, involucrarlos en actividades de desarrollo profesional. El modelo se da en respuesta a la carencia de modelos existentes de desarrollo profesoral que respondan a las necesidades particulares de un contexto, que incluyan preparación para la implementación de un nuevo currículo, así como un énfasis en la actualización de las prácticas de enseñanza. Adicionalmente, el artículo describe la integración de aspectos clave de modelos existentes en un solo modelo que responda a las necesidades contextuales y al mismo tiempo promueva cambios positivos en los docentes, estudiantes y programas

Creating a Teacher Development Program Linked to Curriculum Renewal

This paper presents one Colombian university English as a foreign language program’s in-house teacher development program for curriculum renewal. This program is an innovative attempt to prepare teachers for implementing a new curriculum and, simultaneously, engages them in professional development activities. The program is a response to the lack of existing teacher and professional development models that fit certain specific contextual needs, including preparation for implementing new curriculum as well as emphases in the updating of particular teaching practices. In addition to presenting the program, the article also describes the integration of key aspects of various existing models of teacher and professional development into one program that meets contextual needs while encouraging positive change among faculty and students.Este artículo presenta un programa de desarrollo profesoral de una universidad colombiana para acompañar una renovación curricular. Este modelo se presenta como una iniciativa innovadora para preparar profesores en implementar un nuevo currículo y, simultáneamente, involucrarlos en actividades de desarrollo profesional. El modelo se da en respuesta a la carencia de modelos existentes de desarrollo profesoral que respondan a las necesidades particulares de un contexto, que incluyan preparación para la implementación de un nuevo currículo, así como un énfasis en la actualización de las prácticas de enseñanza. Adicionalmente, el artículo describe la integración de aspectos clave de modelos existentes en un solo modelo que responda a las necesidades contextuales y al mismo tiempo promueva cambios positivos en los docentes, estudiantes y programas

Creating a Teacher Development Program Linked to Curriculum Renewal

This paper presents one Colombian university English as a foreign language program’s in-house teacher development program for curriculum renewal. This program is an innovative attempt to prepare teachers for implementing a new curriculum and, simultaneously, engages them in professional development activities. The program is a response to the lack of existing teacher and professional development models that fit certain specific contextual needs, including preparation for implementing new curriculum as well as emphases in the updating of particular teaching practices. In addition to presenting the program, the article also describes the integration of key aspects of various existing models of teacher and professional development into one program that meets contextual needs while encouraging positive change among faculty and students