Teaching and learning resources

Teaching Pathways:
Online skills for 21st
century teachers
www.teachingenglish.org.uk #TeachingPathways
Module 1

Digital footprint

Overview
The aim of this module was to help you learn how your digital
footprint is built and where it can be found, the impact it can
have, and how to build a digital footprint that serves you well.

While completing this module, you looked at how to:

• define basic vocabulary related to digital footprints

• identify ways you leave trails online

• recognise how your digital footprint can affect

organisations you belong to

• explain how to monitor and protect your digital footprint

• recognise how digital footprints can affect an individual’s

future

• explain how to manage a digital footprint in a way that

affects you positively.

Further reading, teaching, and learning resources

Resource name (click/tap to open) Type
A Childnet article exploring what we need to consider before sharing things online Read

A Childnet blogpost with practical advice for parents about discussing online safety with children Read

Article exploring how parents can add to their child's digital footprints Read

Article featuring advice for young people on mangaing their digital footprint Read

Online safety resource for schools Use

A free digital education toolkit for UK-based institutions (registration required) Visit

A common sense education video featuring teens: Oversharing and your digital footprint Watch

A common sense education video for young learners: Follow the digital trail Watch

Facebook live discussion about the digital skills needed by teachers Watch

Facebook live discussion about the safe use of social media in education Watch

2 Teaching Pathways: Online skills for 21st century teachers #TeachingPathways

Module 2
Digital empathy

Overview
The aim of this module wass to help you think about yourself
and your students as part of the online community and how our
words and actions can have a positive impact on that
community. You explored the effects of online behaviour,
learned how to handle difficult situations and build positive
relationships.

While completing this module, you looked at how to:

• identify ways you communicate with your online

communities

• recognise the benefits and risks of online relationships

• reflect on how relationships are affected by online activities

• describe negative online behaviours and how to respond to

them

• display awareness of others’perspectives in different types

of online interactions

• demonstrate the ability to respond appropriately to others

online.

Further reading, teaching, and learning resources

Resource name (click/tap to open) Type
Let’s talk about cyberbullying Read

A selection of digital citizenship resources for teachers from Common Sense Education Use

A selection of resources for teachers exploring online respect and relationships Use

Digital dilemmas from Common Sense Education Use

A selection of short films from the UK Safer Internet Centre exploring online respect and relationships Watch

Facebook live discussion about online skills for 21st century teachers Watch

#TeachingPathways Teaching Pathways: Online skills for 21st century teachers 3

Module 3
Critical thinking online

Overview
The aim of this module was to help you differentiate between
different types of digital media and guide your learners to think
critically about the information they encounter online.

While completing this module, you:

• identified different types of digital media

• used strategies to search for information online

• understood how to access and share content legally

• recognised barriers to critical thinking about information

online

• understood how and why digital media can be altered

• demonstrated how to find credible information online

• identified fake news online.

Further reading, teaching, and learning resources

Resource name (click/tap to open) Type
Article from Edutopia with suggestions for helping learners evaluate websites Read

Article from the UK Safer Internet Centre with tips for spotting fake news Read

British Council lesson for teens on fake news Use

Quiz and family resource pack from the Guardian exploring fake news Use

21st century skills self-study booklet for teachers Use

4 Teaching Pathways: Online skills for 21st century teachers #TeachingPathways

Even more reading, teaching and learning
resources

Resource name (click/tap to open) Type

Podcast exploring effective online teaching Listen

Advice for establishing and maintaining an online community of teachers with Edmodo Read

An overview of digital literacies Read

Article discussing digital literacies and why they should feature in the language classroom Read

Article discussing the use of technological resources in the classroom Read

Article exploring the incorporation of 21st century skills into technology-mediated activities and classes Read

Blog post featuring ideas for teaching learners how to be safe online Read

Brochure about helping teachers develop their ability to teach and develop 21st century skills Read

Collection of a range of practical tips and advice for remote teaching in all contexts Read

Guidance for remote teachers on how to keep learners safe in an online context Read

E-safety teacher training session for teachers of young learners Use

Lesson plan for A2 secondary learners addressing the topic of online safety Use

Lesson plan for A2 secondary learners to explore the risks of social media and promote safe use Use

Lesson plan for primary learners to raise awareness of how the internet has changed our lives Use

Self-study booklet containing theory and practice for teaching English and 21st century skills Use

A website with tooks and resources for digital teachers Visit

Above The Noise video exploring the impact of social media on teens Watch

Discussion about the nature and importance of 21st century skills Watch

Session exploring the importance of digital literacies and the need for related teacher training Watch

Session on online safety, key safeguarding issues and how to set up flexible guidelines for Yls and teens Watch

Session on the benefits of integrating online community projects into language curriculums Watch

Talk about online safety and the current trends and challenges of the digital world Watch

Webinar exploring e-safety, how to raise awareness and approach digital tools with young learners Watch

Webinar exploring how teachers around the world keep young people informed on safe internet use Watch

Webinar exploring how to safely optimise learning YL learning in online teaching contexts Watch

Webinar exploring how to use video as a teaching resource and create media-based lesson plans Watch

Webinar on how to exploit mobile devices and digital video to view, create and communicate Watch

#TeachingPathways Teaching Pathways: Online skills for 21st century teachers 5

Your tips for teachers

‘’
To evaluate the quality of online information, check the credibility of
sources, think about the possible benefits of that information for the
source, check different perspectives about that information - and then
use your analysis skills.
Briha Zainab

‘’
My motto is ‘Think before you
post’.
Rasem Sarhan
‘’
Arranging peer observations of
your lesson is a way of collecting
evidence of learning.
Maheen Khizar

‘’
Teaching students to listen to
one another and value each
other’s opinion, even if they do
‘’Develop digital literacy in our
students so that they can
not agree, is a vital skill. evaluate the content they come
Majo Galleno
across on digital media.
Nayyer Hassan

‘’
If you want to share photos of
your children do it among
friends in closed groups. There
‘’
We should reinforce and work in
collaboration with parents.
is no need to make them public. Shahrukh T. Abbasi
You are exposing your child.
Fernando Aquize

6 Teaching Pathways: Online skills for 21st century teachers #TeachingPathways

Your tips for teachers

‘’
Encourage them to be
upstanders (people who
‘’
I am not sure we should be
posting pictures of children
online. There are privacy issues,
intervene and support victims stalking issues and respect
of bullying). issues.
Maria José
Ann Armstrong

‘’
Organise special gatherings in
schools with the purpose of
making them aware of the ‘’
I think putting rules for
discussion is a must before
variety of risks that one could
opening any issue.
face online; digital security,
cyber-attacks, personal safety Elham Hosny

and misinterpretation.
Eugenia Alexandrescu

‘’
‘’
It’s essential to build up a
comfortable relationship with
Before posting something about students which combines both
someone always ask yourself respect and freedom of
how your action can shape the expression... ...without mutual
digital footprint of the person trust, nothing works out.
you are posting or sharing Hana Muhammad

something about.
Fernando Aquize

#TeachingPathways Teaching Pathways: Online skills for 21st century teachers 7

What are you going to do next?
You can:
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Community on Facebook
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TeachingEnglish newsletter
• join other free online courses
for teachers
• follow #TeachingPathways.

Photography credits

Page 1 © Gettyimages

Pages 2, 3, 4 © Mat Wright

© British Council
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.