User:Helena Galani
Helena Galani
 Helena Galani | |
|---|---|
| Website: | agogepaedeia.com |
| Employer: | freelance; Hellenic Min Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation |
| Occupation: | TESOL/EAP Applied Linguist, accredited Assessor, Educator, Instructional Designer (online) |
| Languages: | English, Greek, French, Italian |
| Country: |  Greece |
Hello, my name is Helena Galani [ErlinaAzure in SL]
I have been an English language Applied Linguist since 1988 focusing on teaching TESOL, EAP and designing online courses through the use of Educational technologies. I hold an R.S.A. Diploma from the University of Cambridge/UCLES, M.A. ELT (Applied Linguistics) from the University of Nottingham, and certification in teacher training and advanced ICT skills.
PROFILE
As accredited TESOL/EAP educator and tutor, I have taught exam oriented classes of all age-groups in Greece, UK and online with the use of educational technology and especially Virtual Reality and Worlds. I have been formal examiner with UCLES, Pearson, NOCN and UCLES, and have also taught EFL and trained teachers for INDIRE on edMondo. As moderator during EVO ViLLAGE, I train teachers on the usefulness of designing games, Interactive Scenarios, Transmedia Storytelling experiences and building in VWs for ELT/EAP. My areas of interest are in the use of educational technology to enhance personalised education, learner autonomy and teaching experiences with particular emphasis on Artificial Intelligence in Virtual Worlds and Virtual Reality.
My teaching and learning style is an ecliptic approach that combines various approaches and methodologies to teach language depending on the aims of the lesson,the learners' age and their past learning experience.
== Conferences & Presentations
At International Conventions with vLanguages, VWBPE, VRT, NYS TESOL, JALT CALL, SLMOOC and TESOL Greece, I mostly highlight the value of 3D VWs and machinima in English Language Teaching.
- Presenter at Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education: Transitions, April 2025. Presentation title: 'Humanising Immersive AI for ELT Learner Empowerment'. Recording available on the following link [1]. Abstract available on the Conference Programme [2].
- Presenter at 'Open Simulator Community Conference' December 2024, Presentation Title:- Adaptive Learning with AI-Infused NPCs for TESOL in VR/VW Destinations'. Available on the following link [3]
- Presenter at Virtual Worlds Best Practices for Education: Transitions 2025. Presentation Title: 'Immersive AI Companion Design' April 5th 2025 The Abstract is available on the following link. [4]
- Lead Moderator of 'Immersive AI Companion Design' a Session offered by Electronic Village Online 2025, TESOL International CALL IS. The Workshop description is available on the following link. [5]
- Presenter at Virtual Worlds MOOC24 organised by Nellie Deutsch. August 14, 2024. Presentation Title: "๐ ๐จ-๐ฏ๐๐๐พ๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐ณ๐พ๐บ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐พ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐ฝ ๐ญ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ผ๐๐บ๐๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐พ๐ผ๐๐๐ฝ ๐ซ๐๐ฟ๐พ". โRecording available on the following link. [6]
- Presenter and Host of "An Immersive Quest" created by Helena Galani and presented at the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference: Mythic Origins in EduNation III, Second Life.
- Using SL affordances including AI API Keys and NPC chatbots. โRecording available here [7]
- Presenter of "Demystifying AI API Keys: NPCs in Virtual Realms" at the edtechtools webconference. [8]
- Lead Moderator at 'Immersive Instructional Design', Electronic Village Online 2024. Co-moderators: Dr Randall Sadler, Heike Philp, Dennis Newson, Amany Alkhayat, Doris Molero, Barbara McQueen, Helen Myers, Georgia Manet
- Moderator and Presenter at "Immersive Learning Experiences in the Metaverse", EVO 2023 on how to use Virtual Worlds and Virtual Reality for language Education
- Open Simulator Community Conference - 11 Dec 2022- Presentation: "TESOL Immersion and the 2030 Agenda in OpenSimulator for Competences, Educational Transformation and Sustainability" Recording [[after 3:02]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w-eC2igalA]
- Presentation at the Annual ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ธ๐๐๐ฟ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. 3rd November 2022 at 6:00 pm CET, 1:00 PM โ 1:50 PM New York time. "๐โ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ : ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ธ๐๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐irtual ๐orld๐ " i. Workshop: "How to get started in OpenSim" ii. Presentation as Director of Studies on edtechtools.com: "How to create your video course" iii. Presentation: "How to move on in OpenSim" 13th Virtual Round Table Web Conference 28-30 April 2022
- โImmersive Engagement for English Language Teaching in OSโ OpenSimulator Community Conference 2021, December 12th
- When Harry met Ginny or how to fall in love with fanfiction co-presenter with Heike Philp at the JALTCALL2021 Japan Association for Language Teaching - Sat, Jun 5, 17:00-17:30 Asia/Tokyo
- Language, Culture, & Heritage - Panel Session 1: Immersive Storytelling in Virtual Worlds for Transcendence co-Presentation with Heike Philp, Doris Molero, Amany Alkhayat, at the 7th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network iLRN 2021 June 5 โข 4:00pm
- "Deep Media for Deep Learning in TESOL. New habits call for new Habitats." a Presentation for the 1st ANNUAL VIRTUATELL CONFERENCE, organised by New York State Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages NYS TESOL #VTCON2021
- "Animate Alice in (Virtual) Wonderlands" - a Workshop for Virtual Round Table Web Conference on how to get started in Open Sim. 16th April 2021
- co-Presenter at Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education, Spotlight Presentation: "When Harry met Ginny or How to to fall in love with fanfiction" VWBPE Lecture Area A, Mar 19th 2021 @ 12:00 PM โ 12:50 PM
- Presenter at 'Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education, International Conference on Education' 19th March 2021 - "Transmedia Storytelling for English Language Teaching in virtual worlds: Mission Accomplished" A presentation with my avatar ErlinaAzure on Second Life, VWBPE Lecture Area A, March 19th 2021 10:00 AM โ 10:50 AM
- 42nd TESOL Greece Annual International Convention, 7th March 2021 - Presentation Title: "To my (Avatar) Heart's Content"
- University of Thessaly, 1st International Convention, 27th September 2020 - "Leveraging the Affordances of Immersive Virtual Worlds in the Contemporary ESOL/EAP/ESP classroom: a Holistic process for Language Acquisition to foster Experiential Learning, Differentiated Instruction and Heutagogy that cater for diverse educational needs."
- 39th TESOL Greece International Annual Convention, 2018 "Responding to challenges in ELT through Creativity in Virtual Worlds"
- 38th TESOL Greece International Annual Convention, 2017 "โOut of this World โ eclectic honeybees in holistic VWs" Athens, March 2017 with Letizia Cinganotto (Italy) and Heike Philp (Brussels/Germany)
- 2nd Panhellenic Conference with International Participation for the Promotion of Innovation in Education, 2016, SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION "'Immersion' for 'Emergence': Educators' professional development on the use of multisensory, virtual and simulating worlds for exponential language teaching." ยซฮฮผฮฒฮฌฯฯฮนฯฮทยป ฮณฮนฮฑ ยซฮฮฝฮฌฮดฯ ฯฮทยป: ฮตฯฮฑฮณฮณฮตฮปฮผฮฑฯฮนฮบฮฎ ฮฑฮฝฮฌฯฯฯ ฮพฮท ฮดฮนฮดฮฑฯฮบฯฮฝฯฯฮฝ ฯฮฌฮฝฯ ฯฯฮท ฯฯฮฎฯฮท ฯฮฟฮปฯ ฮฑฮนฯฮธฮทฯฮนฮบฯฮฝ, ฮตฮนฮบฮฟฮฝฮนฮบฯฮฝ ฮบฯฯฮผฯฮฝ ฯฯฮฟฯฮฟฮผฮฟฮฏฯฯฮทฯ ฮณฮนฮฑ ฮตฮบฮธฮตฯฮนฮบฮฎ ฮณฮปฯฯฯฮฟฮดฮนฮดฮฑฯฮบฮฑฮปฮฏฮฑยป. Available in the Conference Proceedings Volumn B page 750
- ICODL 2015, 8th International Conference in Open and Distance Learning, "The usefulness of Tutorials and language machinima in the Flipped TEFL/EAP Classroom (with interdisciplinary benefits in education)" - Athens, November 2015.
- University of Macedonia, Northern Greece, 1st Panhellenic Conference in LLL:ยซฮฮบฮปฮตฮบฯฮนฮบฮนฯฮผฯฯ ฮบฮฑฮน ฮฮปฮนฯฯฮนฮบฮฎ ฮฃฯ ฮผฮผฮตฯฮฟฯฮนฮบฯฯฮทฯฮฑ ฯฯฮท ฮฮนฮฑ ฮฮฏฮฟฯ ฮฮฌฮธฮทฯฮทยป 'Eclecticism and Holistic Participation in Lifelong Learning'
- TESOL Greece 1999: "Journalism in EFL"
โ
