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Empowering ELT: Associate Professor Iryna Liashenko's Impact at the RELO Alumni Conference in Krakow
The Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics is proud to announce that Associate Professor Iryna Liashenko recently participated in the RELO alumni conference on "Reclaiming Perspectives: Mindfulness & Social Emotional Learning in ELT" held in Krakow, Poland. The conference was organized by the Regional English Language Office (RELO) at the US Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, in cooperation with the WorldLINK Foundation, Krakow, Poland.
During the three-day workshop, which took place from June 21 to 25, 2023, participants - graduates of the Regional English Language Department (RELO) programs - had the opportunity to explore innovative tools, strategies, and approaches to improve English language learning for Ukrainians in times of crisis. With a focus on social-emotional learning (SEL), the conference discussed the importance of supporting students' mental health and well-being while improving their language skills.
The course on virtual academic mobility with PhD Associate Professor Stuart Carroll has come to an end, which lasted the entire academic year 2022-2023.
Throughout this time, the faculty members of the Departments of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics, as well as Germanic Philology, regularly attended sessions on teaching methodology for the English language, focusing on the development of language skills, vocabulary learning, grammar, and interactivity. The instructors not only studied the theory but also had a unique opportunity to explore all methods and strategies through experiential learning - the process of learning through experience, or "learning through reflection on action." This allowed them to immerse themselves in the process of exploration and determine the ways of applying new methodologies to their classes. The practical value of the academic course was confirmed by the participants themselves: they immediately felt the effectiveness of the application and observed results that manifested in language proficiency growth.
During the culminating event of the academic mobility course, teachers from the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics showcased their knowledge and achievements to American professor Stuart Carroll. The session provided a platform for the teachers to share the best practices they had learned during the course and successfully implemented in their classrooms.
During the event, the teachers gathered to discuss their transformative experiences and share their results and knowledge with Professor Stuart Carroll. The exchange of ideas and experiences promised to enrich their teaching practices, ultimately benefiting their students' learning outcomes.
A notable highlight of the session was the captivating presentation by Iryna Liashenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics. Utilizing advanced artificial intelligence technology, she demonstrated a video that incorporated the best practices learned during the course. The video showcased the implementation of innovative teaching methods and highlighted their positive impact on student engagement and academic achievement.
The teachers also made significant contributions by sharing their successful classroom strategies and effective pedagogical approaches. Their presentations emphasized the importance of incorporating interactive learning methods, fostering a supportive learning environment, and utilizing technology to enhance language acquisition and proficiency.
We are pleased to share with you the wonderful participation of our associate professor, Iryna Lyashenko, at the 25th TESOL-Ukraine National Convention, themed "TESOL UKRAINE IN WARTIME: BUILDING COMMUNITY, CREATING CHANGE." This prestigious convention was held on May 26-28, 2023 at the hotel of the Hospitality Industry College in Lviv with the support of the Regional English Department of the US Embassy in Ukraine.
The TESOL-Ukraine National Congress serves as a platform for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) professionals from across Ukraine to come together, identify strategies for the development of English language teaching in war-torn Ukraine, and consider global changes in English Language Teaching (ELT). TESOL-Ukraine, a national community association within TESOL, Inc., aims to improve the quality of English language teaching in Ukraine through professional development and research.
More than 250 professionals from all over Ukraine took part in the convention. These dedicated individuals delivered highly professional presentations that captured the essence of the convention's theme. A united and cordial tone was heard throughout the event, emphasizing the solidarity and shared goals of the TESOL community.
We express our sincere gratitude to the organizing committee for their meticulous planning and impeccable execution, ensuring a smooth flow of sessions and discussions. The conference featured a variety of topics presented by renowned speakers, which enriched the learning experience for all participants.
We appreciate the cooperation with TESOL-Ukraine and are grateful to Iryna Lyashenko for her outstanding contribution to the conference. Her presentation, titled "Meeting the Needs of Postgraduate Students for Additional Support in Times of Crisis: Reflections from Ukraine", shed light on the important topic of providing support to postgraduate students in difficult times. Through her experience and expertise, she has demonstrated our university's resilience and commitment to supporting the academic growth of students.
The conference served as a catalyst for professional growth and created invaluable opportunities for communication among educators in Ukraine.
In an awe-inspiring session that left lecturers from Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics astounded, visionary educators converged to explore the latest and most innovative tools and techniques for integrating digital media into their classrooms. The captivating session, aptly named "Digital Media, Mixed Reality & AI in the Classroom: Tools & Techniques to Excite and Engage Students," featured an esteemed presenter, Craig Kapp, a Clinical Professor of Computer Science at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University, who unveiled a remarkable array of transformative resources.
His interests include augmented reality, data visualization, graphics and gaming, interactive media and responsive software design, digital storytelling, web-based instructional and educational technology platforms and developing assistive technologies for people with disabilities.
Craig Kapp is an interactive developer who has spent over ten years working to bring cutting edge technologies into educational settings. He recently founded ZooBurst LLC, a web-based startup that focuses on creating augmented reality digital storytelling tools that can be used by teachers and students around the world. Craig currently works for New York University as a Researcher in Residence at the Interactive Telecommunications Program as well as an Adjunct Professor in the Computer Science department at NYU. He plans to one day return to academia as a full-time faculty member teaching in the areas of Educational Technology and Interactive Multimedia.
Renowned Professor Craig Kapp at New York University's Computer Science department has an impressive 93% approval rating from students, who express a strong willingness to retake his courses. Praised for his amazing lectures and caring approach, he provides extra credit opportunities, inspiring students and earning respect within the academic community. He is also a brilliant speaker at TEDx (Storytelling in the 3rd Dimension).
Revolutionary Mixed Reality Tools That Transcend Learning Boundaries
Professor Kapp introduced an extraordinary selection of cutting-edge mixed reality tools that transcend the traditional confines of the classroom, propelling the learning experience into uncharted realms of engagement and immersion.
The student research group "Comparative Analysis of Innovations" of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics held their regular online meeting (under the guidance of Svitlana Zolotova and Svitlana Mikhno). Despite the unusual circumstances, the meeting was a great success.
This year, the students focused their research on Ukraine, its unique reserves, the remarkable achievements of Ukrainian scientists, talented inventors and designers in the medical field. The discussions, debates, and presentations were conducted in a roundtable format, allowing participants to defend their positions and engage in thoughtful exchanges. All discussions, debates, questions, answers, and defense of individual positions during the presentations were conducted in a roundtable format, allowing the search group to provide well-grounded responses to student opponents.
The meeting provided an excellent platform for knowledge-sharing and intellectual growth, fostering a collaborative and stimulating environment for the student researchers.
Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Iryna Lyashenko, took part in a number of events dedicated to ChatGPT issues, including TEAP Chatter, organized by the special interest group on testing, assessment, and diagnostics BALEAP (British Association of Teachers of English for Academic Purposes), a professional organization for teachers and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) researchers.
The meeting was attended by lecturers from universities in Great Britain, Japan, Spain, Italy, Taiwan, and others, where the implications of using ChatGPT for the professional development of university lecturers were discussed in groups. The event provided an opportunity to discuss the potential uses of ChatGPT as a resource for language learning, language modeling, vocabulary development, and writing assistance. The webinar explored how ChatGPT can be used to develop teaching strategies, improve language modeling skills, provide access to language data and resources, facilitate collaboration, and support professional development. During the ChatGPT event, three questions were asked related to its impact on teacher development and education. ChatGPT responses indicated that it can serve as a powerful tool for improving teachers' language skills, developing effective teaching strategies, providing accurate feedback, and keeping up with the latest developments in language learning and teaching. The webinar encouraged educators to explore ChatGPT and similar tools and consider how to incorporate them into their teaching practice.
The second webinar, "Using ChatGPT to Facilitate Learning and Instruction," was presented by Dr. Chris Stillwell, Brent Warner, and Dr. Mark Warschauer and sponsored by the US Embassy. The event took place on May 13, 2023, and focused on how ChatGPT, a large language model based on the GPT-3.5 architecture, can be used to facilitate learning and instruction. The presentation provided an overview of ChatGPT, its strengths and weaknesses, and its potential applications in education. Participants were encouraged to engage with ChatGPT on a topic of their choice and use it to generate paragraphs, evaluate sources, brainstorm, summarize, simplify, and evaluate writing. The presentation demonstrated how ChatGPT can work as a "thought partner", answer generator, assignment helper, text summarizer, text editor, quiz generator, and more. The event was aimed at educators who are interested in using technology to improve their work.
2-6 July 2023 the Regional English Language Office at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv announces the 2023 Alumni Program “Ukraine through the English Language”.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
TESOL Ukraine is pleased to announce a five-day training institute on creating online and blended courses grounded in theoretical knowledge and practical skills in teaching methodology during crisis times. The event aims to provide stress-free
teaching tips for Ukrainian university teachers who teach online and in blended contexts. More than ever, teaching at universities is one of the biggest challenges,
with a need to juggle between online and offline formats depending on many safety
issues. University teachers need specific tools, techniques, and strategies that are effective in designing online and/or blended courses on the platform, keeping in mind the best practices from national and foreign expertise.
The Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics Iryna Liashenko completed a course of study from the he Regional English Language Office at the U.S. Embassy Kyiv on Online Institute on Teaching Creative Writing for tertiary teachers of English from Ukraine.
The online course lasted from the summer of last year until May 2023 and aimed to develop the teaching of writing skills and creative writing for university students and beyond. After the war, creative writing is an important tool for students to express their emotions and share their stories with the world.
Creative writing can offer a variety of benefits to second language learners. This can reduce the problem of alignment by focusing on individual expression and personal progress rather than a final standard, and increase motivation, group cohesion, and student autonomy. In addition, it helps develop language at all levels, from grammar to real-life dialogue, and can help with academic writing by developing healthy writing skills, critical thinking, and close reading. Creative writing can also increase students' appreciation and understanding of published stories by bringing play, experimentation, and exploration back into the classroom. Finally, telling personal and fictional stories can reduce stress and aid healing.
We are delighted to announce that Associate Professor Iryna Liashenko has successfully completed the OPEN Community Lead Training Course instructed by the OPEN Program. This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The objective of this course was to prepare participants to serve as Community Leads on the OPEN Community of Practice (CoP) online platform. During the course, participants learned about the CoP, including the vision for the community, how to navigate the CoP online platform, and how to answer questions about the CoP.
In addition, participants learned how to create engaging discussion forums, moderate discussions through conversation-driving comments, and understand the Community Lead expectations and roles, which they will complete over their 6-month term.
Congratulations to Associate Professor Iryna Liashenko on completing this valuable training course and we look forward to seeing her utilize these skills in our community.
