Technology in Teaching (TnT) Workshops

Nov. 18, 2011 (1:00 – 6:30 pm) National Olympics Memorial Center, Yoyogi, Tokyo
Language activities for the digital age
Participants in the pre-conference Technology in Teaching (TnT) Workshops will be able to develop the technology side of their teaching skills through a series of practical, hands-on workshops led by experts in technology in language teaching. There will be a particular focus on the use of newer technologies, but some workshops will aim to develop expertise with more conventional technology.
All rooms are in the Central Building
Room
1:00-2:30
3:00 – 4:30
5:00 – 6:30
102
Moodle for Beginners – Forrest Nelson
Using iPads and iPhones in the Classroom – Daniel Beck
Concept mapping: styles and implementation – Lawrie Hunter
103
Designing learning content for mobile devices – Paul Daniels
Moodle for Busy Teachers – Peter Ruthven-Stuart
Dropbox for Language Teachers – Bill PelloweUsing Google Docs to organize just about everything -Joseph Tomei
107
Course Management with Excel: Grade Sheets – Jeff Durand
Using QuickTime Pro to spice up your audio for your classroom – Joseph Tomei & Sylvan Payne
Motivating Multimedia Projects – Mark Shrosbree
108
TnT information
TnT information
TnT information
ABSTRACTS
(90 minutes)Title: Using iPads and iPhones in the ClassroomPresenter: Daniel Beck (Tōyō Gakuen University)Abstract: Mobile devices such as iPads and iPhones have become very popular with teachers and students. Combined with Apple’s AppleTV, instructors can mirror the screens on their iPads with screens or TV monitors in the classroom to demonstrate examples and use reference apps websites with learners. Instructors can also use the built in cameras of the iPad 2 and iPhone to show best practices of students instantly. This workshop will demonstrate the above examples and explore other uses for these popular devices in the classroom. Participants will be encouraged to ask questions and share examples.Bio: Daniel Beck is an instructor at Tōyō Gakuen University’s Chiba campus and has been an active proponent of Apple hardware and software in and out of the classroom. He blogs at a couple of TESOL and CALL related sites which are linked at his personal site (http://web.me.com/danielbeck).
(90 minutes)Title: Designing learning content for mobile devicesPresenter: Paul DanielsAbstract: This hand-on workshop will guide participants through the process of creating mobile learning content using web-based templates. To easily design content, four learning activity templates will be used: a vocabulary flashcard app, a reading app, a multiple-choice app, and a listen & type app. Participants will be able to create language activities with text, images, audio or video using a traditional web browser. The activities can then be accessed via a mobile device. Participants will have access to an Apple iPod Touch device to test the applications. Please bring your own notebook computer for designing the content.Bio: Paul Daniels is a professor at Kochi University of Technology. His research involves CALL, ESP and project based-instruction.
(90 minutes)Title: Course Management with Excel: Grade SheetsPresenter: Jeff DurandAbstract: Computers can speed up common, repetitive tasks and do so without error.  This workshop will show teachers how to use Excel (or other spreadsheet programs) to manage their courses more quickly and accurately.  The topics covered include creating student groupings that can be used for class activities, as well as recording and calculating grades.  In doing these activities, participants will also
learn about the basic functions in Excel that they can then use in their own creative ways.Bio: Jeffrey Durand, who currently teaches at Tokai University, has been using Excel and other spreadsheet programs for a variety of purposes.
In addition to keeping track of course matters, he uses Excel for many research and statistical applications.
(90 minutes)
Title: Concept mapping: styles and implementationPresenter: Lawrie HunterAbstract: This workshop will introduce the participants to the main mapping styles in use today and also to the use of Cmap Tools software. The following topics will be covered:
(1) Matching map type to instructional purpose;
(2) Levels of abstraction in text and the mapping type appropriate for each;
(3) Forcing the use of specific language forms and patterns in task by means of various constraints and techniques.
Mapping style 1: Novakian concept mapping , which involves the use of labelled links between nodes.
Mapping style 2: Information structure mapping, using PowerPoint or other graphical software.  Prereading is available athttp://www.core.kochi-tech.ac.jp/hunter/professional/anchoring2/index.html
Participants are required to bring their own laptop computers with wireless capability and with PowerPoint and Cmap Tools installed (Cmap Tools: free download from http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/). Experimentation with Cmap Tools before the day is recommended.Bio: Lawrie Hunter directs the critical thinking and technical academic writing programs at Kochi University of Technology. His ISmaps (Information Structure maps) are expressions of Information Structures, the underlying structure of “Critical Thinking” (Greene & Hunter, Asahi Press 2002) and “Thinking in English” (Hunter, Cengage 2008). http://www.core.kochi-tech.ac.jp/hunter/
(90 minutes)Title: Moodle for BeginnersPresenter: Forrest NelsonAbstract: This workshop will guide teachers through the basics of constructing an online course using an open source course management system called Moodle. After exploring a sample Moodle course, participants who bring along a wireless ready notebook computer will be able to set up and edit their own class page by uploading files or creating assignments, discussion forums, and quizzes. Besides covering the basics, participants will be shown how they can get answers to questions and problems about Moodle. If possible, in the months before the conference, please send any questions to the workshop presenter at mrmori@me.com. Any questions sent prior to the conference will be discussed during the workshop.Bio: Forrest Mitchell Nelson is an Associate Professor at Tokai University located 1 hour south of Tokyo, Japan. His experience in technology for education has led him to experiment with different technologies that aid teachers in the classroom. Most recently, Forrest has been working on a framework for dealing with video recordings of student classroom conversation practice, student lead discussions and presentations. He is also looking at study experience in L2 and the role it plays in motivation and possibly in streaming.
(90 minutes)Title: Using QuickTime Pro to spice up your audio for your classroomPresenter: Sylvan Payne & Joseph TomeiAbstract: QuickTime Pro provides a simple and easy way to handle video, but it also lets you add visual content to audio tracks. In this presentation, you will be shown how easy it is to do just that. Participants will receive a free pdf copy of QuickTime for Language Teachers: A book of hands-on tutorials, written by the presenters and Bill Perry. Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite mp3 files to see how they can be enhanced with visual content.Bio: Sylvan Payne currently teaches at International Christian University and his teaching interests center around the adaptation of digital technology to language-learning resources, and his personal interests include bicycling, walking, reading, and people-watching.Bio: Joseph Tomei currently teaching at Kumamoto Gakuen University and he has been working with blogs for writing and scrolling text for increasing student reading speed. His personal interests are aikido and iaido, which he does to much of according to his wife and not enough of according to him. Together with Bill Perry, they are both working on a book to help teachers get the most out of QuickTime.
(45 minutes)Title: Dropbox for Language TeachersPresenter: Bill PelloweAbstract: Learn how to use Dropbox to make your teaching life easier. When you use Dropbox, your files on one computer are available to you on other computers, wherever you go. Dropbox eliminates the need to carry around easy-to-misplace memory sticks. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a folder on your work computer that will always sync to your home computer. You’ll learn how to access your files from anywhere (for example, from the computer in the staff room at your part-time job). Create your PowerPoint presentations and class handouts on one computer, and then simply access them from work. Dropbox is free to use for up to 2 GB of data storage.Bio: Bill Pellowe has been teaching with technology in Japan since the mid nineties. He has run numerous workshops over the years on using technology in language teaching. Bill teaches full-time at Kinki University (Fukuoka campus). He runs ELT Calendar, an events calendar for language teachers in Japan (eltcalendar.com), and he develops MOARS, an open-source quiz and survey system for mobile devices (moars.com).
(90 minutes)Title: Moodle for Busy teachersPresenter: Peter Ruthven-StuartAbstract: In this Workshop participants will learn how to administer a Moodle course in a time efficient manner. Many features in Moodle require considerable time and effort on the part of the teacher. The presenter will concentrate on those aspects of Moodle that are quick to set up but that can still contribute significantly to students’ learning experiences. The best example of an ‘efficient’ module is the Forum activity module. There are also blocks and other components such as the activity filter that are easy to utilise, but that can also positively benefit students’ learning experience. Finally, the presenter will also highlight some of the time saving features in version 2.1, such as activity cloning. Participants will be able to access a local Moodle system (version 2.1), so are strongly encouraged to bring their own laptop PCs.Bio: Peter Ruthven-Stuart has been using Moodle since 2003. He now administers a number of Moodle sites, and regularly uses Moodle in his own classes. Recently, he has been involved with the running of the Moodle Moots (conferences) in Japan, and in the establishment of the Moodle Association of Japan.
(90 minutes)Title: Motivating Multimedia ProjectsPresenter: Mark ShrosbreeAbstract: Multimedia projects have many advantages for language courses, especially in an EFL setting where students have few chances to practise English in an authentic setting. Well-designed projects provide a clear focus for the course, can help students enjoy a real sense of achievement, and allow reliable, valid assessment of students. In this workshop, two projects will be presented: (i) a poster presentation which involves a poster created in PowerPoint; (ii) a slideshow project, utilizing mobile phone cameras, which is uploaded to YouTube. Both of these projects encourage a high level of English production, both written and spoken, and have proven highly effective in helping low-level students interact in English. The poster presentation requires minimal tech skills, and is suited to all kinds of language courses. The slideshow project integrates a wide range of skills, including writing, pronunciation, listening, and reading. Since it is uploaded to YouTube, there are further opportunities for written interaction with a wider audience. It has been found that both projects can be realistically integrated into existing language courses, without placing unrealistic demands on students or teachers. The presenter will give step-by-step instructions on each element of these projects, together with technology guides and all the handouts needed to make the projects a success.Bio: Mark Shrosbree is a teacher at Tokai University in Kanagawa, Japan. He is interested in course design, methodology and materials development, for both general ESL courses and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). He maintains a personal website and several university homepages which hold many of the materials he has created. These materials are all freely available to other teachers, and are adaptable for a wide range of EFL courses.
(45 minutes)Title: Using Google Docs to organize just about everythingPresenter: Joseph TomeiAbstract: Google Docs offers a way to not only keep information you need for your classes, but to collaborate with colleagues and students in ways that can not only make your life easier, but allow you to leverage collaboration opportunities. Even if your school doesn’t have internet in the classroom, you can still use Google Docs (and other Google Apps) to spend less time figuring out administrative details and more time teaching. I’ll also show how to use Google Docs to work with seminar and sotsuron students. With the roll-out of Google+, I’ll also be giving tips about using it to support your teaching.Bio: Joseph Tomei currently teaching at Kumamoto Gakuen University and he has been working with blogs for writing and scrolling text for increasing student reading speed. His personal interests are aikido and iaido, which he does to much of according to his wife and not enough of according to him. Together with Bill Perry, they are both working on a book to help teachers get the most out of QuickTime.