JALT2018 Plenary Series: Diane Larsen-Freeman: Including all Students: A Complex Systems Perspective

We have uploaded the video of Diane Larsen-Freeman’s plenary session from JALT2018. You can watch this plenary on YouTube.
Her title was, “Including all Students: A Complex Systems Perspective,” and the session took place on Saturday Nov. 24, 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM.
Plenary Session Abstract:
The world seems to be an increasingly diverse place. Whether this is true or whether it is just that we are more aware of the diversity that has always existed is an open question. However, what is not at issue is the fact that we have responsibility as teachers for the education of all our students. There are already many demands on our time, so how are we to cope with the varied needs of our students in order to include them?
I will use the frame of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) to suggest several ways that their inclusion can be addressed, if not accomplished. First, we need to cultivate a systems perspective. It is not enough for teachers to face the challenge on their own. Second, we need to recognize the reciprocity that exists between teachers and students. We are, after all, partners in the teaching-learning process. Third, we need to think in terms of universal design principles. Among these, I include CDST-informed principles of iteration and adaptation. Fourth, we need to appreciate the rewards that can be gained if we practice inclusion; it is not simply about doing good deeds. Finally, it is often the fear of diversity that fuels many of the conflicts in our world today. This realization invites us to reflect on what our role can be to defuse some of the tensions that lead to the conflicts in the first place.
Bio Statement:
Diane Larsen-Freeman is Professor Emerita and former Director of the English Language Institute at the University of Michigan. She is also a Professor Emerita at the Graduate SIT Institute in Vermont and a Visiting Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Her most recent books are Complex Systems and Applied Linguistics (2008, with L. Cameron), the third edition of Techniques and Principles (2011, with M. Anderson), and the third edition of The Grammar Book: Form, Meaning, and Use for English Language Teachers (2015, with M. Celce-Murcia).
JALT2018
The theme of JALT’s 44th Annual International Conference on Language Teaching and Learning & Educational Materials Exhibition was “Diversity and Inclusion.” JALT2018 was held at the Shizuoka Convention & Arts Center (Granship) in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, from Friday, November 23, to Monday, November 26, 2018. 
For details on our upcoming conference as well as other past conferences, please see the conference page on our website.