Teacher Development and Autonomous Learning Special Interest Group (TDALSIG)
IATEFL - Poland

statement of purpose

Statement of Purpose - Teacher Development and Autonomous Learning SIG

The aims of the SIG are:

• Broadly, to create an open forum in Poland for the discussion and exchange of ideas, experience, trends, methods and philosophy dealing with the area of Autonomous Learning.
• To actively promote the awareness, availability and practical benefits of autonomous learning at all levels of education, with a view to enhancing educational effectiveness, as measured by student success, both academically and personally.
• We wish to follow the principles of IATEFL, defined as being an organisation run by teachers for teachers. In addition we would like to remain independent of publishers.
• We believe that we should keep our activities closely linked to the current classroom practice of our members, rather than always looking outside for big names to provide 'quick-fix' expertise.
• We would like to establish links with similar organisations and teachers in other countries starting with those bordering Poland i.e.: Lithuania, Belorus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Germany.

Our aims will be achieved in the following ways;

1. By members being actively committed to putting Autonomous Learning approaches into practice in their own teaching.
2. By taking part in workshops, seminars and conferences on the theory and practice of these approaches.
3. By disseminating information about Autonomous Learning in our newsletter and through the IATEFL Poland website.
4. By members establishing informal contacts with other members, discussing issues, sharing ideas and observing each other's lessons.

Events

At the various events there will be sessions run by the members and also by invited guests. This gives us an opportunity to present our own methods, research and reflections. We operate from the assumption that each teacher has expertise and experience which fellow professionals can learn from.

We consider it extremely important that presenters or speakers leave time for discussion among the participants, whatever the type of presentation. We feel that much valuable exchanging of ideas takes place during these small-group discussions. This is a principle we intend to maintain.

SIG activities and organisational structure

The SIG has a co-ordinator, who is helped in their work by other SIG members. Any member of IATEFL Poland may join the SIG. If it is their first choice of SIG there is no charge, if it is their second choice there is an annual subscription of 10 zl. This entitles members to attend SIG meetings free of charge, receive information about SIG activities and copies of the newsletter.

The SIG meets at least 3 times a year, with two 1-day workshops and one weekend conference.

Newsletter

We publish a newsletter which presents the following:

• Accounts of members' classroom practice, experiments and reflections.
• Articles from other journals and conference proceedings.
• Articles from experienced practitioners in the field of autonomous learning who have been invited to contribute.

The newsletter can be accessed on-line at http://www.iatefl.org.pl/sig/al/al1.html

The members of the SIG may agree to revise the aims of the SIG and the form in which we organise events. This will be done at the first meeting of each academic year or during the year if particular points arise.

Working Definition of Autonomous Learning

• Autonomous Learning takes place in a framework of co-operation and negotiation between the teacher and the learners, and the learners with each other. It involves the sharing of control of the learning process between teacher and learners, offering learners the freedom and opportunity to make decisions about the content, organisation and pace of their own learning taking into consideration the constraints imposed on us by our teaching situations, whether they be in the state education system or the private sector.
• Our perspective is learning-centred.
• We acknowledge the significance of motivation in the learning process.

Teacher's role in Autonomous Learning.

• The teacher's roles include stimulating learners' self-confidence and supporting them, as well as helping learners to reflect and therefore become more aware about their own abilities and capabilities.
• The teacher acts as a partner in and a facilitator of the learning process .
• The teacher is positive, supportive and empathetic.

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