Teacher Education in CALL
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Chapter 20. Helping Teachers to Help
Themselves
Thomas N. Robb, Kyoto Sangyo University, Japan
Abstract
Even the best of pre- and in-teacher training
programs cannot teach all of the required components for effective use of
technology in language teaching. This chapter discusses the rationale for
autonomous learning and makes specific suggestions for how we can help our
teachers to become autonomous learners, such as ensuring that they have a wide
knowledge base, making them aware of the range of resources available to them
when they run into difficulty and building an attitude conducive to
self-discovery. For language program administrators, the article suggests ways
to build an atmosphere that encourages teachers to extend their use of
technology in the classroom.
Acknowledgement
The author would like to thank Bernard Susser, Doshisha Women's College of
Liberal Arts, Kyoto, Japan for his careful reading and incisive comments at
several points in the development of this article.
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Updated December 8, 2007