📙 Part 2: Describe an online video where you learned something new

This episode's vocabulary

Every now and then (idiom) - from time to time; occasionally.

Cutting-edge (adj.) - the newest and most advanced area of activity in an art, science, etc.

Vividly (adverb) - in a way that produces powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.

Initialism (noun) - an abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately (e.g. BBC).

Session (noun) - a period devoted to a particular activity.

Reassurance (noun) - words of advice and comfort intended to make someone feel less worried.

To be on the right track (idiom) - doing something correctly or well.

Questions and Answers

R: I quite like the videos that Cambridge University Press and the associated assessment branch of the university put out every now and then. They have a whole series on different things related to how to teach and learn effectively and efficiently. And the best part is they're all available for free, as well as being informed by some pretty cutting-edge research. I watched the most recent one a few weeks ago, just from the comfort of my own living room, where I usually try to watch these things, since it's more comfortable there and there's no need for the more formal setting of my office. This particular video is about using AI in English classes and what the principles for best use might be. And I vividly remember they spoke about the importance of the purpose, what you're using the AI for, privacy, making sure that you respect student privacy in particular, and planet, which was just about keeping in mind the issues of sustainability and caring for the environment. And it's really helpful when you have initialisms like PPP to help you remember the points more easily. When it comes to why I decided to have a look at it. Generally, I always tried to keep up to date with the latest developments in teaching, and Cambridge is a pretty good source for this. Plus AI is all the rage right now, so it's important to learn about in any case, and the fact it's a video rather than a live session, makes it easier to use and offer my CPD as well, since I can speed it up and that lets me listen to it at a decent pace and save time. Aside from the initialism I mentioned earlier, I also got some ideas for things to try with students, as well as a bit of reassurance that I'm on the right track for just because some of the ideas that were suggested were things that I already did and do. If I hadn't watched it, I think my lessons would still be good, but now I have more options to choose from than I did before.

M: Hey, thank you, Rory, for your story!