Find below the answers to frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions (please submit one to millrood@millrod.tstu.ru):
Question: What is a Module in a teaching curriculum?
Answer: A module is a self-contained unit used as a component of a larger system, which can be pulled out and used independently, inserted back and applied in combination with other components, presented in a new sequence and form a part of a new teacher training pack.

Question: What can a module consist of?
Answer: Each module can be described as a set of materials consisting of an "Activity pack" to be used in contact sessions and for independent studies, a Resource pack to provide the trainees with additional materials, a "Classroom pack" containing recent off-the-shelf handouts and a "Project pack" with guidelines for project writing and samples of teachers' work.

Question: What can "Activity pack" in a module consist of?
Answer: Activity pack can include "warming-up" tasks for awareness raising, input reading for broadening the mind, self-assessment questions for comprehension self-check, exploratory tasks to develop critical thinking in trainees and an integrated task to draw on the accumulated knowledge and to develop professional skills.


Question: What is a "teacher's project"?
Answer: A teacher's project is a problem solving, change bringing and product oriented activity, implementing a critical reflection on the teaching reality.

Question: What skills do teachers need for their projects?
Answer: The teachers usually need the skill of creating classroom techniques and materials. Another skill necessary for a successful project is literature review and theoretical analysis of a concept that is investigated in the project, e.g. "a grammar exercise" or a "learning style" etc. Still another skill needed is that of classroom research in order to reflect on one's practice and to introduce changes. Classroom research can be either limited to a fair description of one's own individual experience or take a larger scale. Taken together these skills are necessary for the teacher to become a "reflective practitioner".


Question: What are the perspectives (areas) of managing a teacher developing project?
Answer: One can think of the following nine perspectives of managing a teacher developing project:

1. Developer’s perspective
 Approach to a project’s idea
 Product of the project
 Model of change

2. Regional perspective
 Needs analysis in the region
 Resources available in the region
 Stakeholders of the region

3. Framework perspective
 Goal setting
 Objectives clarification
 Implementation plan

4. Human resource perspective
 Team development
 Leadership in the team
 Group dynamics

5. Personality perspective
 Motivation and involvement in the project
 Coaching and delegating functions
 Stress management

6. Logistics perspective
 Financing the project
 Technology resources
 Information resources

7. Quality perspective
 Criteria for quality assurance
 Evaluation of performance
 Assessment of achievements

8. Dissemination perspective
 Packaging the product
 Promotion the product
 Training the recipients of product

9. Impact perspective
 Baseline studies
 Introducing change
 Evaluating outcomes

Question: Can a description of one's own experience be called a "research"?
Answer: Yes, if it provides data sufficient to resolve an initial puzzle and to prove a generated hypothesis.


Question: What makes teacher development project sustainable in the region?
Answer: A project is sustainable if its impact continues after the project programme is fully accomplished. One of the important factors is achieving what is called a "critical mass", i.e. involving and re-training around 15% of professionals in the region. Another crucial consideration is the creation of a system that continues to function after the project is over. The system can include a network of teacher-trainers in the region, outreach co-ordinators, teacher development courses and services, a set of teacher development materials, regional teachers' association as part of a bigger professional community, teacher-appraisal board etc. Still another factor is the change in the policy that is conducted by Local Education Authorities in the region.


Question: What is PRODUCT PROMOTION and how to promote a product of a project?
Answer: Product promotion is a set of activities and events to make the product noticed, needed and used.

Promotion can be short-term and long-term. Short-term promotion pursues immediate goals of selling a product to a consumer. Long-term promotion sets out to ensure product' longevity on the market.

Let's consider short-term promotion.

Making the product noticed means
- circulating demonstration copies
- holding presentations with gift samples, lotteries and discount sales
- training market agents from among the potential consumers

Making the product needed means
- highlighting needs of consumers
- contrasting strong points of the new product to weaker points of previous analogies
- presenting the product as a tool for achievement in the changing world


Making the product used means
- piloting the product by consumers
- demonstrating impact of the product with consumers
- training and re-training the consumers

Long-term promotion includes:
- demonstrating revised versions and editions
- matching the change in product with the market change
- networking the community of product consumers



Question: Where can dissertations for PhD (Kandidat) and Doctor degrees in education be submitted in Russia?
Answer: Among the Universities of Moscow and St-Petersburg, the Council at the University of Tambov is accepting dissertations for hearing towards awarding degrees of PhD (Kandidat) and Doctor in English Language Teaching. Please contact with a letter of aplication Dr. Radislav MILLROOD
Str. Internationalnaya, 33.
English Language Teaching Department
The University of Tambov
392622 Tambov
Russia

E-mail Dr. Radislav Millrood