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Meet our 2024 Awayday speakers ...

NOTE:
Speaker photos are not available in mobile device view. 

More details will be added to this page in the coming weeks.

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We are delighted to announce that National Geographic Learning is the main sponsor of the 2024 Awayday. National Geographic Learning is a leading provider of English Language Teaching materials for learners at kindergarten, to adult and academic education. Unique partnerships with National Geographic and TED enable National Geographic Learning to offer a unique range of authentic materials, online and offline to bring classrooms to life. 

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Conference sessions:

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We are delighted to welcome National Geographic Learning as the main sponsor of the 2024 Freelancers' Awayday.

 

The first presentation of the day is an opportunity to meet the English Language Teaching and Global Partnerships teams from National Geographic Learning and find out more about what they do and how they work with freelancers.

 

'Stories that spark action and attract talent'

By Rachael Gibbon, Jo Freer, and Jemma Hillyer of National Geographic Learning

 

Rachel, Jo and Jemma will talk about their work to develop educational materials that teach learners about the world and prepare them to find their place in it. They will also share insights about the amazing people they collaborate with and hope to work with in the future.

 

Rachael Gibbon is Global Publisher at National Geographic Learning, overseeing the creation of English language learning programmes for learners at every stage of their educational journey. She has worked in educational publishing for almost twenty years, following several years in the classroom as a language instructor in Italy and the UK. She believes learning a new language is an act of hope and strives to ensure the learning experience is an empowering one for teachers and learners.

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Jemma Hillyer is Managing Editor in the Global Partnerships team at National Geographic Learning, working on fast-paced high profile projects for government bodies and educational clients around the world. Jemma has worked in ELT and Educational publishing since 1998 and is delighted to be speaking at this year’s Awayday.

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Jo Freer is an Executive Editor at National Geographic Learning, responsible for steering concept, content and teams across multiple projects and series. She has worked in education for 18 years and in ELT publishing for 15 of those, during which time she has developed award-winning and best-selling courses for both Primary and Pre-Primary learners. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of stories, whatever the age of the learner.

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'AI and Accessibility – where are we now?'
By Ian Johnstone, VP Partnerships, Avallain

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Not only are publishers having to achieve compliance under the European Accessibility Act by June 2025 for both forward and backlist publishing, but the much-hyped field of Artificial Intelligence finally seems to be reaching a level of maturity – and with astonishing results. Avallain has been a driving force in digital educational materials for more than 20 years and is responsible for many white-labelled learning platforms and the industry-leading interactive content creation tool, Avallain Author. At last year's Awayday Avallain presented an in-depth analysis of these two developments and how they might affect our industry, our working practices and our products. Representatives from Avallain will give an update on where we are now and key changes that have happened in just one year and what the implications are for freelancers and publishing organisations. 


Ian Johnstone has worked in educational publishing and ELT for more than 25 years, with a particular focus on digital innovation. He has advised numerous publishers on digital publishing strategy and works with Availlain in his VP Partnerships role supporting key client relationships and partnerships and helping to develop new products and business opportunities.

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'Networking tips and tricks'

By Helen Holwill, Editorial project manager, Editor, Author & Director of FPP


Feedback on the Awayday consistently shows that one of the most important reasons for attending is to catch up with friends and colleagues, make new connections and secure new offers of work. However, we can sometimes feel a little awkward or ineffective when it comes to 'networking'. Building on previous networking sessions at the Awayday, Helen will give a rapid reminder of practical tips and techniques and arm you with the excuses you need to mingle effectively as we step into our first break. During the day you'll also be gently invited to connect with others in different ways as we begin the lunchtime and afternoon breaks.
Note: All interactions are voluntary and it's OK to opt out of any active networking.

 

Helen Holwill has worked in ELT publishing for over 25 years, and has previously worked in house for Macmillan Education, Oxford University Press and Learndirect English. She works as a project manager and editor and is a director of Freelance Publishing Professionals. Having once been shy, Helen is passionate about supporting and encouraging people to edge forward out of their comfort zones and reap the benefits.

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'Building a sustainable future through ELT educational publishing'

By Cecília Lemos Harmer, Insight application manager, Cambridge University Press & Assessment

 

As educators and developers of English materials we play an important role in helping learners develop the skills they will need to flourish at work and as citizens. Sustainability can bring conversations of local and global interest into the classroom and helps students engage with and benefit from their learning in a broader sense. It can provide opportunities for learners to develop the skills to live more sustainably, become responsible citizens, and play an active part in shaping their worlds. But what exactly are these skills, and how can we integrate them into English language classroom practices? 

In this talk we'll discuss what sustainability can look like in classroom materials, share tips on best practice, and explore the Sustainability Framework for ELT from Cambridge University Press & Assessment English, a tool that has been developed to support ELT professionals in bringing sustainability skills into teaching and learning.

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Cecília Lemos Harmer is currently Insight Application manager at Cambridge University Press & Assessment. teacher trainer, writer and English teacher.  She is also a joint coordinator of IATEFL's Teacher Development Special Interest Group (TDSIG). She has been an English teacher since 1993 and has presented at regional, national and international conferences, such as the Braz-Tesol International Conference, Tesol US, Tesol France and IATEFL International Conference. She has also presented webinars for the Tesol Institute, BELTA, Reform Symposium and other online conferences. She has written materials and conducted training sessions for the schools she works / worked at as well as a freelance for Publishing companies. Teacher training is one of the things she most enjoys doing.  She’s especially interested in assessment, lesson observation and error correction.

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Lightning talks

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Our lightning talks are a series of dynamic 10-minute talks which are designed to give an targeted insight into a variety of different topics of current interest.

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1 – 'Instructional design'

Instructional design has become a buzzword in recent years, especially with the rise of online learning since the pandemic. This talk will demystify the term and explore how instructional design principles and processes are applied to create engaging learning and training experiences. The talk will articulate a common instructional design process, beginning with the analysis of a problem or opportunity, moving on to the design and development stages, and concluding with rollout and evaluation.

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Miranda Hamilton has 17 years of ELT experience across Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the MENA region. She works as a teacher trainer on courses such as CELTA, a materials writer, an academic manager, and an English-language examiner. She recently transitioned to instructional design and holds a Diploma in Digital Learning Design. In addition to CELTA, CELTYL, and DELTA qualifications, she has a Fine Art degree, which has influenced her approach to creating instructional content.

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2 – 'Strengths-based teaching: the what, the why and the how'

How can we create a positive classroom environment where students are engaged, confident and experience high levels of well-being? Strengths-based teaching, grounded in the science of wellbeing and optimal human functioning, focuses on identifying and nurturing students’ strengths to achieve these goals. In this lightning talk we’ll explore the principles of this approach, discuss its relevance for educational publishing, and explore practical ways to implement it.

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Jasmin Silver is an Educational Consultant and Researcher specializing in ELT. With over 12 years of experience in the education sector, she enhances language teaching and learning through the application of research. Jasmin has taught English in South Korea, Germany, and online, and she collaborates with educational publishers to improve learning materials and outcomes. She is also a Research Associate on the Progression in Primary Languages project, investigating language learning among primary school students in England.

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3 – 'English with Science: the two-syllabus authoring challenge of STEM + ELT materials'

Schools and publishers increasingly seek to achieve STEM (Science Technology Engineering Maths) learning through the English syllabus. So how do ELT materials writers build materials for multiple curricula? The DLA team often creates its CEFR-aligned resources for several science frameworks. They will offer insights and tips around learning design, workflow approaches, and writer skillsets in builds of English-plus-Science content. Case study: DLA’s set of 30 Ladybird graded readers prepares students for Science instruction in English. 

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Stephen Haggard and Elena Deleyto are producers at Digital Learning Associates. They’ve spent three years reworking DLA’s library of ELT video and materials, to align them additionally to other syllabus including SEL, Sustainability, and STEM. With backgrounds in creative media they approach the process of developing resources for twin curricula of science and English as a challenge for team and workflow as well as creative learning design. 

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4 – 'Decolonizing the curriculum'

In this lightning talk, we will explore how coloniality manifests in published materials and demonstrate how decoloniality can look like in practice. The goal is to raise awareness of the prevailing impact of the colonial history and the damage it still has on today's published works. 

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Dr Amina Douidi is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and Intercultural Communication consultant. She holds a PhD in Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics from the University of Southampton, UK, where she investigated interculturality in Algerian English textbooks and language classrooms. She is a DEI reviewer for publishers and pre-sessional EAP tutor in UK Higher Education. She also acts as Co-Chair of TESOL ICIS championing contributions from teachers and researchers from the Global Majority.

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The lightning talks are kindly  sponsored by Oxford University Press.

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'The 2024 Survey of Freelancers' Experience of Working with Packagers/Outsourced Service Providers: summary of findings'

by Karen Spiller, Director of Freelance Publishing Professionals & ELT Teacher 2 Writer

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This session is a brief presentation of the recently launched 2024 Survey of Freelancers' Experience of Working with Packagers/Outsourced Service Providers (OSPs). The survey has gathered data and views across the freelance ELT and Educational publishing sectors and we will share a summary of its findings. As with our surveys of Freelance Editorial Rates and Fees and Freelance Author Rates and Fees, this newly launched survey will be repeated every three years going forward, enabling detailed comparisons and allowing key changes and emerging trends to be identified over time. â€‹â€‹

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​Karen Spiller is a director of Freelance Publishing Professionals. She has worked in publishing and strategic development roles for Oxford University Press, Macmillan Education and Hachette Livre. She also runs a publishing services company and is one of the co-founders of ELT Teacher 2 Writer.​​

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Panel discussion: publishers and outsource service providers working in collaboration

 

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This panel session will pick up on some of the findings of the Survey of Freelancers' Experience of Working with Packager/Outsourced Service Providers and will also focus on how publishers and outsource service providers work in collaboration together. 

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Panel moderator:

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Caroline Boot, Director English Language Learning, Newgen KnowledgeWorks Pvt Ltd

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Panellists:

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Melody Dawes, Managing Director, Just Content

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Sophie O’Rourke, Managing Director, EMC Design

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Emma Parker, CEO, Hyphen SA

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Samantha Richter, Operations Manager, ELL, Newgen KnowledgeWorks Pvt Ltd

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James Voûte, Business Development Director, Haremi

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Sarah Wild, Head of Delivery, Macmillan Education

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'Creating and Customizing Your AI Bots for Specific Purposes'

By Paulo Dantas, Founding partner of Troika

 

Discover the potential of tailored AI bots in this session. We'll explore the creation of a specialized diversity and inclusion bot, demonstrating how to prime it with company-specific DEIB requirements for various applications. The presentation will then showcase a range of AI bot possibilities across different contexts, inspiring participants to envision personalized AI solutions for their unique needs. We'll address the challenges of AI biases and ethical considerations, particularly in sensitive areas like DEIB. Attendees will gain insights into developing custom AI bots, leaving with practical ideas to implement in their own work environments.

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Paulo Dantas​ is a founding partner of Troika and is a specialist in digital education and project management with a keen interest in the impact of technology on the learning and teaching process. He has developed a range of apps, learning platforms, games and other digital products, edited and written learning materials, designed language-learning syllabi, trained teachers and publishing professionals. In recent years, he has participated in several white paper editorial boards in the digital education industry, such as the Horizon Higher Education Report. He has also served as a lecture curator for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). In collaboration with Freelance Publishing Professionals, he currently offers an online training course called 'Getting ready for AI', which is designed specially for freelancers working in Educational and English Language Teaching publishing. â€‹â€‹â€‹

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This session is kindly sponsored by Haremi.

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