Samarinda – TEFLIN for Kalimantan Timur Chapter, in collaboration with the English Education Program, Universitas Muhammadiyah Kalimantan Timur (UMKT), successfully conducted an academic workshop on August 6-8, 2024. This annual event was held in a hybrid setting in Jenderal Sudirman’s meeting room UMKT and through Zoom meeting. The workshop aimed to provide insightful knowledge and skills for elementary and secondary school teachers in Kalimantan Timur Province. According to the chairman of the committee, Khusnul Khatimah, more than fifty English teachers from different schools in Kalimantan Timur attended this online and offline activity.
The organizing committee presented two experienced instructors who are also members of TEFLIN, Abdul Halim, Ph.D., and Dr. Dzul Rachman. The former introduced several tools and AI applications that teachers can use to help them develop their teaching materials. At the same time, the latter discussed how to develop a project-based assessment as part of the learning process. Both instructors presented their materials on Day 1, while the participants used Day 2 and Day 3 to work on the project assignments. Ultimately, only the participants who submitted their assignments would be eligible for 32-hour training certificates.
TEFLIN Coordinator for Kalimantan Timur Chapter, Sudarman, who joined this event online, explained that integrating Artificial Intelligence into language learning cannot be neglected. He added that students have been uncontrollably exposed to these tools to cope with their daily tasks, and this is something that teachers can prevent. Thus, he suggested that instead of treating this tool as an ‘enemy’, teachers should embrace this phenomenal invention to maximize the teaching and learning process. He believed that if AI is used appropriately, it will help students boost their language skills.
