Shizuoka JALT Networking Meeting & Book Reading
Susan Laura Sullivan and Steve Redford
2:30 – 5:30 Sunday, July 22, 2018 Beer Yokota, Shizuoka City (downtown — see map link below)
Programme
Join us at Beer Yokota for our summer networking event as well as a book reading! Tokai University’s Susan Laura Sullivan and Shizuoka University’s Steve Redford, two of JALT Shizuoka’s published creative writers and teachers, will read from their latest publications.
Susan will read from and discuss the newly published anthology, Women of a Certain Age, which discusses themes relevant and prevalent in education and the workplace in Japan and around the world: gender, diversity and ageism. She’ll share some of the stories that many women, herself included, still have to tell once they turn 40, 50, 60, 70 and beyond. Susan co-edited the anthology with two friends. Women of a Certain Age has been described as refreshing and thought-provoking, and as breaking new ground. It has further been described as a landmark in Australian publishing in 2018.
Steve Redford’s Along the Same Street, is a touching story of a young Japanese boy learning about and facing prejudice internally and externally, and about the effects of racism both at home and in the wider world. One of Steve’s reviewers has stated:
I believe that intermediate and advanced English learners in Japan need to read much [sic] more of English books than they read at school, and this book is perfect for them. If I were a teacher of students in intermediate class, I’d teach students English using this as a text-book.
Another has said, An excellent read! Should be required reading for teens for a wider understanding of culture and racism.
So please do join us!
http://beer-yokota.com/
“The Nurturing of an EFL Extensive Reading Culture”
Professor Heather Doiron
1:00 – 4:00 May 26, 2018 Create Hamamatsu Bldg. Room 21
Abstract
A recent article in The Japan Times reported that the majority of Japanese university students don’t read books for pleasure. This statement coincides with the reality that many Japanese students do not have the opportunity to use English outside the classroom. For many EFL students extensive reading can provide an outlet for language learning, both inside and outside the classroom. Attendees to this presentation will experience an approach to building a class reading culture. Based on the Paul Nation’s A Method of Tasks, this presentation will focus on the steps which help guide students into extensive reading and, how reading can be the foundation for meaningful English conversation.
Presenter Biography
Heather Doiron (M.Ed.) works at Nanzan Extension Center (外国語教育センター) as well as other universities in the Nagoya area. She is a long-term member of JALT’s Extensive Reading SIG and is also a recipient of the 2017 Best of JALT award. She has given many presentations about ER as well as reading strategies. She is also interested in EFL reading motivation and the use of literature in the EFL classroom.
Preparing English Teachers: Now and for the Future
Sunday March 18th 10:00am – 4:30 pm
Fujieda Cultural Center, 2-1-5 Fujieda-shi station, 426-0034
藤枝文化センター 〒426-0034 藤枝市駅前2-1-5
Room: 第一会議室
9:30 – 10:00 Networking, registration, and opening announcements
10:00 – 11:30 The State of teaching English in Japan (now and for the future) – Panel forum
In this 90-minute discussion the audience will be able to gain multiple insights into the various facets of English education in Japan from a diverse group of educators.
Hiroko Kataoka (Eikaiwa school owner) Wanpaku Kids English
Marcus Springer (Shizuoka University of Arts & Culture, former JET ALT)
Mike Stockwell (Sugiyama Jogakuen University, associate professor)
Kazumi Kato (Tokai University, associate professor)
Daniel Warchulski (Kwansei Gakuen University) PhD candidate
Moderator: Gregg McNabb, (Shizuoka University of Science and Technology, associate professor)
12:45 – 2:15 Effective Team-teaching in Japan
Pt. 1 What is team-teaching? – Cross-cultural team building Jon Dujmovich, Keio University
Abstract:
Team-teaching has a long tradition in public schools, kindergartens, and other learning environments throughout Japan. But what exactly is team-teaching? What does it entail? Are there different cultural interpretations, and if so, how can we create and maintain a mutual understanding of roles between teachers? This presentation will first look at various forms and interpretations of team-teaching and how they are implemented in the classroom. This will be followed by a discussion of cross-cultural elements in English teaching team dynamics with the aim of creating and capitalizing on the synergy between the teaching partners.
Presenter Biography:
Jon Dujmovich is currently teaching at Keio University and Tokyo University of Science. In his over 25 years teaching experience in Japan, he has taught in almost every situation. He has also served as an intercultural trainer at Panasonic/National Matsushita, and as the director of a pioneering educational outsourcing company that trained and dispatched language teachers across Shizuoka prefecture. In 2008 he was awarded a grant to design and implement an intercultural learning program in English language classes at middle schools in Shizuoka prefecture. Later, in 2010 he co-authored a diversity training manual for the city of Hamamatsu entitled わたし、あなた、みんな、 Everyone is Multicultural.
Pt. 2 Practical and effective team -teaching Leveth Jackson, Shizuoka Board of Education
Abstract:
Foreign language education in Japan is currently undergoing a reform which requires English team-teaching classes to be taught only in English and training elementary school teachers to team-teach English from third grade to sixth grade. The Shizuoka Prefectural BOE employs Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) for high schools through the JET Programme to team-teach English conversation classes with Japanese English Teachers. This presentation will focus on the reality of team-teaching in prefectural high schools. Is team-teaching a reality or myth? Additionally, the strategies and measures that the BOE is taking to foster effective team-teaching will be discussed.
Presenter Biography:
Leveth Jackson has been an educator for the past 11 years. For the past four years she has been working with the Shizuoka Board of Education in Japan at the Prefectural Education Center (Asunaro) as an ALT Trainer and EFL instructor. Her efforts to promote English literacy and proficiency among Japanese residents led to her award of the prestigious Suruga Bank Grant 2015 for her research project “Project Deep – Deepening English Education Practice in Shizuoka Prefecture.” She has also worked on various projects and conducted numerous workshops throughout Japan to promote education and English literacy. Currently she is pursuing doctoral studies in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.
2:30 – 4:30 Digital Teaching Portfolios: Gaining a competitive edge
Mike Stockwell, Sugiyama Jogakuen University
Abstract:
Teaching is a multifaceted profession that requires a broad range of skills and abilities. However, these attributes cannot be adequately reflected in the confines of a brief curriculum vitae, whereas a digital teacher’s portfolio can transform how teachers demonstrate their strengths to employers. The presenter will discuss the benefits of a digital portfolio as an ongoing reflective process, and as an important self-promotion tool bag for future hiring committees. This workshop will propose a framework for developing a digital teaching portfolio for teachers in the EFL / ESL context. It will focus on two key areas. First, the presenter will invite discussion of what can be the contents of a teaching portfolio. That is, what should and shouldn’t be included to demonstrate the depth and breadth of the teacher’s skills and abilities. Second, the presenter will suggest how to design the teaching portfolio to maintain a reader-centred approach to organization and to prevent the reader from being overwhelmed with data. By following good design practice, and using a variety of formats, the reader can quickly gain an overview of an applicant’s qualifications and experience. Also, if interested the reader can easily obtain examples of the teacher’s classroom work and various skills. The presenter also proposes that all teachers, from beginners to veterans, can benefit from the reflective nature of portfolios while ensuring they are ready for a possible tenure review, or job interview.
Presenter Biography:
Mike Stockwell teaches at Sugiyama Jogakuen University in Communicative English Program. His interests include motivation, authenticity in project-based learning, and collaborative learning. A new interest is developing in teaching portfolio as a reflective tool for reflection and summative assessment.
Prof. Kazumi Kato: A Method and iPad Materials for Teaching Group Discussion in English
December 10 from 1400-1600 in Shizuoka :
Site
The meeting is free for members. 1000 yen for non members.
After the meeting, we invite members to join us for some end of year drinks and maybe a light meal.
A Method and iPad Materials for Teaching Group Discussion in English
Do your students really speak English when they do group work?
This presentation will introduce a teaching method of how to conduct group work in English. The task-based group project was conducted by native English speaking students in a college in the U.K., and their group work was recorded with a video camera. Using the video, model materials for group discussion activities were made for Japanese students.
Lessons using these authentic materials were conducted in 9 different university classes in Japan with several revisions. I also conducted classes in a high school and found teaching differences with university classes. The unique point of this method is that students record their discussions with iPads and compare and analyze their discussion to the native English speaking students. In addition, they collect English expressions they want to use in a group and had output opportunities. I will introduce the video materials and methodologies along with student reflections. This teaching method can help students notice their weak points and find better expressions and strategies for their group discussions in the classroom.
Bio:
Kazumi Kato is an associate professor at Tokai University in the School of Marine Science and Technology, Shimizu Campus. She also has experience teaching at high school and junior college. Her main research interests are interlanguage pragmatics, speech acts, task-based language teaching and cooperative learning. She is also interested in ESP and has found opportunities for her students to use authentic English in a seaport near her university. The study titled “Community Outreach and Autonomous Learning” was presented at JALT Shizuoka 2015, with her colleague Wendy Gough and was selected as the Editors’ Selection.