Ksar El Kebir: A Training Course on the Integration of ICT in the Teaching of English

Ksar El Kebir, Morocco

Al-Houda School - Arifai Private Schools Group in Ksar el Kebir Organizes a Training Course on the Integration of ICT in the Teaching of English

Within the framework of applying the objectives of the strategic vision 2015/2030 in the development of the use of information technology and communication (ICT)  in teaching, and in order to develop and renew methods of teaching English as a foreign language in Morocco, Al-Houda School - Arifai private schools group in Ksar el Kebir organized a training course starting on Monday, May 7^th 2018 and ending in June 2018 concerning the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in the teaching of the English language in the junior high schools under the supervision of Professor Mustapha Walaf and the school English teachers and administration. This ICT training concerns students who are enrolled in the 8^th and 9^th grades of the junior high school.

The training course on the integration of ICT in English teaching in Al Houda School will be held over four weeks, including a series of presentations and workshops that teach pupils the methods of integrating information and communication technology into English language and fostering the principles of citizenship and human rights through the use of “students’ electronic portfolios and the students’ individual and group mini-projects.

The portfolio is a growing collection of student’s work whose main purpose is to make the student able to show and demonstrate to others his or her own learning and progress. While students are building their portfolios, they will become not only learners but also active participants in both learning and assessment processes.

The training will culminate in the organization of the first local forum on the integration of information and communication technology in the English language for the benefit of students during June 2018.

The ICT training course will also provide students with an opportunity to learn how to use information and communication technology in the learning process in order to increase the quality of learning and be familiar with the various physical tools and digital resources that can be used for learning purposes in accordance with the following references:

• The National Charter for Education and Training (P10: Use of Information and Communication Technologies, Articles 119, 120 and 121)
• ICT in Education (GENIE Program)
• English language guidelines of both junior and high schools
• Ministerial Circular N° 66 dated April 28th, 2011 on the use of digital resources in         education
• English Horizons and Focus textbooks for the ninth grade
• The Strategic Vision for Educational Reform 2015-2030
• The general pedagogical guide for the integration of ICT in education

ICT programs are new educational tools that contribute to the achievement of educational goals and facilitate the integration of knowledge by removing barriers between educational materials and enabling learners to become independent in the search for and use of information. Students are trained on self-learning to support the principles of lifelong learning as they acquire a sense of responsibility, assess their progress in achievement, and develop cooperative work. Modern technology also develops different skills for students and helps them develop the principles of citizenship and human rights education.

The Monday, May 7^th, 2018 meeting ended with a general discussion about the theoretical presentation and workshops as well as the presentations delivered by the students, coming out with a number of questions, suggestions, and recommendations. The meeting was fruitful and had a positive effect on the integration of technology in the educational process in general and in English in specific, especially through the use of the Student's Electronic Portfolio as well as individual and group mini-projects.

Written by: Professor Mustapha WALAF