Ryan MacDowell, Communications and Operations Officer with MIT's Teaching and Learning Laboratory, offered sessions in tutoring remotely (Jan 2021) to volunteers with the ESL program.
Here is a link to the slides from the sessions, trimmed down to essential content. The video playlist will be posted as it’s ready.
Useful info referenced in the presentation:
Common tech set ups across ESL tutors
- Platforms: Zoom, Skype, Facetime, Whatsapp, audio-only calls
- Materials: book excerpts / written content, audio clips, videos, ESL workbooks/worksheets, custom presentations, virtual whiteboarding, flashcards, vocab review
- Content focus: new vocab/phrases, grammatical structures, pronunciation
- Progress tracking: Google docs/spreadsheets, Airtable pen/paper notetaking, email recaps
IS&T tech resources for remote teaching
- Remote Access & Collaboration Tools
- Zoom Knowledgebase
- IT support for remote instruction: teachremote@mit.edu or 617-324-3578 (617-32-HELP-U).
- General IT support: servicedesk@mit.edu or 617-253-1101.
- Borrow hardware, including laptops, WiFi hotspots, and peripherals, from IS&T for remote teaching.
Other resources for ESL teaching & learning
- Breaking News English Lessons: Easy English World News Materials
- The Times in Plain English
- Learner's Dictionary
- Vocabulary.com
Other MIT resources for remote teaching (in general)
- Teach Remote (portal & quick start guide)
- MIT Open Teach Remote (helpful resources crowdsourced from MIT community)
- Accessibility of Remote Teaching Tools
- Science of Remote Learning
- Best Practices for Learning Remotely (for MIT students)
Tips for Supporting and Working with Students During the COVID-19 Crisis