2009 TnT Sessions: Friday, November 20

2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Session 1
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Break (15 mins)
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Session 2
4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Break (15 mins)
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Guest workshop: Garr Reynolds

Workshop titles and abstracts
Guest workshop presenter: Garr Reynolds
Design, Zen, & the art of presenting naked

Over the years, presentation software programs such as PowerPoint and Keynote have gotten better, but presentations have not. Why? Part of the problem has been a focus only on the tools themselves, not on how to clarify our ideas and messages through fundamental design and storytelling principles. In this workshop, Reynolds explores techniques from some of the world’s top business leaders. His Presentation Zen approach challenges the conventional wisdom of making “slide presentations” and encourages thinking differently and creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of presentations. Incorporating cognitive science, principles of graphic design, visual communications, and Zen aesthetics, Reynolds dispels popular myths about presenting, and offers alternatives for designing and delivering better presentations. The lessons are not about dressing up the presentation or decorating slides; they are about understanding and embracing concrete design and delivery principles to make presentations clear, powerful, and memorable.

A writer, designer, musician, and life-long student of the Zen arts, Garr Reynolds is author of the internationally best-selling Presentation Zen (3rd out of Amazon’s top 10 business titles for 2008). Honored for outstanding book design at the 38th Annual Bookbuilders West Book Show and Awards Ceremony in 2009, Reynolds is the Director of Design Matters Japan. His popular website presentationzen.com features regular insights on presentations, communication, and creativity. Currently Associate Professor of Management at Kansai Gaidai University, Reynolds is frequently invited to speak internationally (recently to Microsoft, Google, Hewlett Packard, P&G, and Ritz-Carlton). Reynolds lives in Osaka, Japan.

Bill Pellowe
Creating web pages for iPhone and iPod Touch

Standard web pages can be browsed with an iPhone, but they appear in miniature, and require lots of zooming in and sideways scrolling. In this practical workshop, the presenter will demonstrate how to make web pages that are optimized for the iPhone/iPod Touch. The workshop starts with some basic lines of html that make the page automatically appear full-size on the small screen. The presenter shows some basic CSS that allows anyone with a working knowledge of basic html to make their own iPhone-ready site. Then the presenter demonstrates iUI, which is “a framework consisting of a JavaScript library, CSS, and images for developing iPhone webapps” (http:// code.google.com/p/iui/). iUI can be implemented by anyone with only basic html, yet with stunning results.

Bill Pellowe teaches at Kinki University, Iizuka (Fukuoka) Branch Campus

Daniel Beck & Sylvan Payne
Online animations for language learners

“If you can type, you can make movies.” So claims the new quick-and-easy online animation application Text-to-Movie from xtranormal.com, which allows users to input dialog, as well as choose camera angles, characters, voices, background sets, gestures, poses and sound effects. The presenters will show a variety of uses they have tried out in the language classroom with hilarious, impressive results.
Movie production is a task-based activity that has become more accessible due to technological innovations and is a natural way to implement Constructivist principles in the language classroom and can help increase motivation, both in the production itself and in the anticipation of a product that can be shared.

The new online animation application “Text-to-Movie” from xtranormal.com requires only an Internet connection to access and is simple and free of charge to use. The presenters will show a variety of uses they have tried out in the language classroom with hilarious, impressive results. They will also demonstrate the ease of using the application and make suggestions for classroom use.
Participants will create an account and receive a short tutorial on the application. They will create short dialogs or monologs and add simple animation. A number of volunteers will have their productions shared with the entire group. They will then be encouraged to share their thoughts, tips and suggestions and to ask questions.

Daniel Beck is an instructor at Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages & Sylvan Payne teaches at International Christian University.

Paul Daniels
Moodle for language teachers

This workshop will guide teachers through the process of constructing an online course using an open source course management system called Moodle. The presenter will demonstrate a sample Moodle course and illustrate how Moodle’s interactive and multimedia functionalities can be used to support language instruction. Basic Moodle activities such as uploading files or adding discussion forums, blogs, wikis and writing journals will be demonstrated along with more advanced topics such as multimedia mobile integration. Options for Moodle hosting will also be reviewed. Participants who bring along a wireless ready notebook computer will be able to create a course and add content to that course.

Paul Daniels teaches English at Kochi University of Technology where he developed a unique project-based science English curriculum accessible to students through Moodle. He has designed over 20 modules to help support language learning in a Moodle environment. His open source Moodle modules can be downloaded from: http://moodlemodules.netcourse.org/

Mark Shrosbree
Multimedia projects for the language classroom

Projects can be an excellent focus for language courses, providing a concrete goal for both students and teachers. In this workshop, three short media projects will be presented: (i) a recorded biography and interview based on radio programmes; (ii) a slideshow project, utilizing mobile phone cameras, which is uploaded to YouTube; (iii) a short video project which involves students working in groups to produce a descriptive video. Each project uses simple, freely available audio and visual technology, allowing students to focus on developing language skills rather than mastering complex technology. These three projects have been successfully integrated into a range of university language courses, both required and elective, with students at all language proficiencies. The presenter will demonstrate how multimedia projects can be made successful by providing learners with clear instructions, manageable steps, and realistic expectations. Participants will be able to receive a copy of all necessary instructions, technology guides, handouts and assessment materials, including files, to make the projects a success. Ideas on how such projects can be shared between classes and schools will also be discussed.

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.

Paul Collett
Introduction to microblogging

Microblogging is a form of social networking where short text messages (usually around 140 characters maximum) are posted to an internet-based system that allows other users of the system to follow and respond to the posts. It can be used for any number of purposes, from sharing updates on your daily life or keeping up-to-date on what others are doing, through to marketing a major company or running a successful presidential campaign. This workshop aims to introduce participants to microblogging, in particular the increasingly-popular Twitter service, and to encourage consideration of how microblogging can be used in educational contexts.

Working through three stages, we will start with a basic introduction to the Twitter microblogging platform, and look at such concepts as “tweets,” “following,” “followers,” “hashtags,” and “retweeting.”
In stage 2, we will consider how you can go beyond the basic public Twitter interface, and utilize its search functions, RSS feeds, and the API (Application Programming Interface) to create dynamic, focussed feeds you can tie into any existing website.

For the third stage, we will move beyond Twitter and the public microblogging sphere, and look at one solution to creating your own online microblogging system.

It is hoped that as we work through these three stages, participants will discover ways in which they can use microblogging to enhance learning. Workshop members will be encouraged to share these insights with others, through discussion amongst those present, or via a twitter feed to a wider audience.

Paul Collett teaches at Shimonoseki City University.

Forrest Nelson
Garageband 09, creating audio and video content

iLife is one of Apple’s best software packages. It was designed for just about anyone who wants to create visual and auditory content. The most useful application in this suite is Garageband. However, many people feel that Garageband is used mostly by musicians or for recording music. In fact, Garageband can do many things that teachers would find very helpful in creating video or audio content for or with their students. In this workshop, participants will learn to record, edit, and import audio for audio and video content. Participants will also learn how to incorporate photos from iPhoto for use in podcasts. Although not required, it is suggested that participants bring a Mac laptop with iLife 09 installed.

Forrest Nelson has been a full time instructor at Tokai University Foreign Language Center since 2005

Location and Rooms

Room
Session 1: 2:00-3:15 p.m.
Session 2: 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Guest Presentation: 5:00-6:00 p.m.

TBA
Paul Daniels: Moodle for language teachers
Daniel Beck & Sylvan Payne: Online animations for language learners
Garr Reynolds: Design, Zen, & the art of presenting naked

Paul Collett: Introduction to microblogging
Mark Shrosbree: Multimedia projects for the language classroom

Bill Pellowe: Creating web pages for iPhone and iPod Touch
Forrest Nelson: Garageband 09, creating audio and video content