7 Free Online Courses in November

I love November – it’s my favourite month of the year! Whenever I can, I take a week off just to chill a bit and enjoy the bliss of a minibreak. The best thing about November break is that you can relax knowing that in 6 weeks you’ll have yet another winter break! So let me warn you – there will be no blognote next week.

Some might say I’ve taken a week off just because there’s Witcher 3 on Switch and I’m planning to spend the whole week playing… and yes, they are correct!

Between helping Geralt find Yennefer, Ciri or his sanity, I have grand plans to complete one of those promising online courses I found. As usual, I share them with you – maybe you’ll find the course I should take this month?

Teaching EFL/ESL Reading: A Task Based Approach by University of London International Programmes and UCL Institute of Education

Start: 4/11/2019

Duration: 6 weeks

For whom: teachers interested in using Task Based Teaching approach in reading

Teaching reading in EFL class may be somewhat boring and tiring, so if you want to try Task Based Approach, you may find this course particularly interesting. TBT uses communicative tasks as the key for language learning activities, and by the end of this course you will be able to integrate such tasks into your own teaching.

How to Write a Resume (Project-Centered Course) by State University of New York

Start: 4/11/2019

Duration: 6 weeks

For whom: people writing their first resume

This is a great course to run in your actual classroom with your teenage students, as there is nothing better than using English to master some real-life skill, in this case – writing a resume, so definitely something everyone does at least once. In this course, your students will review resume best practices and explore current trends. This course will help prepare an eye-catching resume that lets the professional strengths shine.

MOOC: How to make a MOOC? by Novosibirsk State University

Start: 11/11/2019

Duration: 6 weeks

For whom: people interested in making their own MOOC

This course made by Novosibirsk State University and Lektorium, one of the largest MOOC publisher in Russia, covers the process of creating modern online courses. The authors will share their experience, secrets and life hacks. You’ll learn basic trends in online education and find out which stages are included in developing an online course, and what is important on each stage of course development. Best hands-on experience if you want to make your own course!

Understanding IELTS: Speaking by the British Council

Start: 18/11/2019

Duration: 3 weeks

For whom: students and teachers preparing for IELTS

This course focuses on the speaking part of IELTS. You’ll concentrate on the three parts of the test and learn about the four criteria that are used to assess spoken English. The tips and techniques will help you succeed in the exam. You may be also interested in other Understanding IELTS courses by the British Council as they give a complete guide to everything you need to know as you prepare for the IELTS test.

Assessment for Learning by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Start: 25/11/2019

Duration: 4 weeks

For whom: teachers who are interested in various forms of assessment

To assess or not to assess? With so many theories, we’re trying to keep up with the teaching trends, add a little bit of something that worked for us when we were kids… and as a result creating a bit of chaos in our classroom. Well, this course won’t give you an answer whether to assess or not, but it will analyse the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of approaches to assessment, leaving the final judgement to you – which kind of assessment will prove the best in your teaching approach.

Improving Your Study Techniques by the University of Groningen

Start: 25/11/2019

Duration: 4 weeks

For whom: students and teachers interested in developing their study skills

This course is just brilliant for the whole-classroom experience, a nice project everyone can enjoy. We all know that good study skills are vital for all of us and yet we all struggle to study effectively. Here you will learn to apply the ‘three-step model’ of studying: previewing, summarising and revising. You will make a realistic study plan and learn how to tackle procrastination, deal with stress and keep motivated while studying.

American Education Reform: History, Policy, Practice by University of Pennsylvania

Start: 25/11/2019

Duration: 8 weeks

For whom: people interested in education in the USA

An in-depth study about the history, policy, and practice of the American education reform. This course will take you on a journey starting in the Colonial Period and Early Republic, through the National Period, the Progressive Era right up to post-1983 model of education. You will learn a lot about the US system of education.

And that, as they say, is that. I think the courses I found look so nice that my adventures with Geralt the witcher may be quite endangered. I guess I might pick a course or two… but first, let me complete just one more quest.

Enjoy and see you in two weeks!