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Planning for Nakasendo 2010
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Discussion Forum
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Dec 10 2009, 1:24 AM EST by
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Thread started: Dec 10 2009, 1:24 AM EST
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If possible it would be very helpful if someone could post a report here about the planning meeting that took place at JALT. (Sorry I couldn't come, I had to go to a recitation contest at my school - a day of multiple "I have a dream's") The conference theme is very relevant for members of the group I represent -Learner Development SIG - so we would like to be involved. If possible I would like to be able to send very basic information to all our members so we can gauge how much interest there is, as we are also planning another event in Kansai in the first half of the year (so, need to juggle a certain amount ). To to be honest I am hoping that we could forward an open call for papers to our members and have someone else proposals into stands, rather than members of our groups as go-betweens, like last year. But you have probably already discussed this, sorry!). Do you have a time-line for when you would be sending out a call for papers? Will you have programmed strands like last year and also an open call for papers? Thanks for reading!
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Making it easy to navigate this wiki
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Nakasendo English Co-operative Conference Home
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Dec 3 2009, 8:31 AM EST by
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Thread started: Nov 12 2009, 12:51 AM EST
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I posted a "To Do" for this page asking memebers to pitch in and reorganise the wiki to make it easier for members to understand and navigate. Ellen Atama offered this suggestion: "I think it would be helpful if you ask one or two people to work on it rather than everyone, and make a clear place for planning and a different one for sharing resources." Any thoughts?
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Last Reply:
RE: Making it easy to navigate this wiki
By: ,
Dec 3 2009, 8:31 AM EST
Mike, I agree with Ellen. I would also add that not everyone would know how to do this reorganization. At the same time that doesn't mean it should be all left up to you; if I can scout out 1-2 others who can do this, then I will start doing so.
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Social
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Nakasendo English Co-operative Conference Home
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Jun 5 2009, 2:47 AM EDT by
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Thread started: Apr 27 2009, 12:40 AM EDT
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Do you plan to have a conference dinner? I think we need information about that and accommodation to go up on the participant website fairly swiftly!
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Last Reply:
RE: Social
By: ,
Jun 5 2009, 2:47 AM EDT
If the group liasons coiuld inform their presenters to pre-register, it would be appreciated.
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Updating this page
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Framework & Language Portfolio (FLP) SIG
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May 22 2009, 9:52 AM EDT by
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Thread started: May 22 2009, 9:52 AM EDT
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Fergus, I think this could be a great page. After the seminar and Nakasendo 2009, I think I'd be great if you edited the page so that the information about the SIG came first followed by reports about what happened at the seminar and Nakasendo. I think a page needs to be timeless, and that' possible because you can edit it anytime. I for one am very interested in this topic.
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Framework & Language Portfolio SIG Seminar on Sat before Nakasendo
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Discussion Forum
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May 20 2009, 7:34 PM EDT by
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Thread started: May 20 2009, 10:24 AM EDT
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Hello all, Just to let you know that the forming Framework & Language Portfolio (FLP) SIG will hold a seminar the day before Nakasendo -Saturday June 27th 2009, 10:00 to 17:00- at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Workshops will focus on the classroom use of frameworks (CEFR etc.) and language portfolios (the SIG has developed the bilingual “Language Portfolio for Japanese University” which is available to download online). All are welcome. For enquiries and to register contact flpsig[a]gmail.com. Information about SIG activities is found at http://forums.jalt.org/index.php/topic,456.0.html At Nakasendo itself Fergus O’Dwyerwill lead a Material Swap presentation entitled “The materials of the Framework & Language Portfolio (FLP) SIG used to implement reflective language learning” and also, along with Ellen Head, LD SIG, the “Using a language portfolio as a tool for shaping classes, reflective learning and raising motivation" workshop For further information about what the FLP SIG is interested in see the page on this Wiki: More content has now been added to the page http://nakasendoengconfdissionpanel.wetpaint.com/page/Framework+%26+Language+Portfolio+Seminar+on+Saturday (not enough space to add the information on this thread)
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mickstout |
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Japanese Teachers of English and Native English Speaking Teachers
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Nakasendo English Co-operative Conference Home
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Mar 3 2009, 11:41 PM EST by
SteveWWilliams |
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Thread started: Mar 12 2008, 6:09 PM EDT
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How can we encourage greater co-operation between Japanese Teachers of English and Native English Speaking Teachers?
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RE: Japanese Teachers of English and Native English Speaking Teachers
By: SteveWWilliams,
Mar 3 2009, 11:41 PM EST
As someone who has been working in an elementary school the past three years I have reached the conclusion that what needs to be done to develop a stronger relationship between JTE's and NEST's is the feeling that both are there to teach not to just be "human tape recorders" and on the other side that the HRT's are wanting to learn how to teach English instead of just trying to get through the lesson as quickly and easily as possible.
What this means is the NEST's have to be experienced teachers and experienced English Language teachers. NEST's have to be willing to bring this experience into the classroom to help get the HRT through the initial "OMG! I HAVE TO TEACH ENGLISH!" nervousness. And the HRT's must look at the NEST with respect for a fellow professional.
For the past two years, I have made it my aim to provide teachers with other ways to teach English other than just the "repeat after me" method. I have made attempts to show that student mistakes are not to be critically commented on but used in ways that make the student feel comfortable making them and learning from them. My feeling has been that I am not just the NEST but also a trainer as well. I am trying to teach both the students and the HRTs and learn from them also.
What I would say is needed is to start hiring qualified professional teachers who speak English and treat them as such. We are more than "human tape records" or "pronunciation correctors", we are teachers.
My two Yen.
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Nakasendo English Conference 2009 Poster design
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Nakasendo English Conference 2009 Poster
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Feb 11 2009, 9:30 PM EST by
leanderhughes |
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Thread started: Feb 9 2009, 10:46 PM EST
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I really like this poster and I think Steve did a fantastic job. I especially like the 2009 logo. I also think the text is great. It really captures what the conference ideals well. If I were to suggest any change it's be to the background. If it's to be brown I wonder if a lighter tone or a deeper tone might be better. Could just be how it's showing up on my computer's monitor.
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The content on this page
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Links
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Feb 7 2009, 8:15 PM EST by
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Thread started: Feb 7 2009, 8:15 PM EST
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I'm thinking that these links should be annotated. I'm thinking that they should be organised somehow. How do you think we should organise these links?
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Questions for the Conference Discussion Panel
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2008 Panel Discussion "Making Connections: Where do we go from here
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Jun 4 2008, 6:16 PM EDT by
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Thread started: May 18 2008, 5:45 PM EDT
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Let's start getting some questions going for the conference discussion panellists.
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Last Reply:
RE: Questions for the Conference Discussion Panel
By: ,
Jun 4 2008, 6:16 PM EDT
"Let's start getting some questions going for the conference discussion panellists." Do any of the organizations already use technology to communicate with their members and other outside organizations (besides email)? If so, what do they use, is it effective and would they like to continue to use the wiki after the conference?
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mickstout |
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Conference and workshops as professional development
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Nakasendo English Co-operative Conference Home
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May 31 2008, 6:27 AM EDT by
leanderhughes |
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Thread started: Mar 12 2008, 6:04 PM EDT
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How can we encourage school administrators, Boards of Education, and the Ministry of Education to give teachers some kind of credit for attending conferences and professional development workshops?
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Last Reply:
RE: Conference and workshops as professional development
By: leanderhughes,
May 31 2008, 6:27 AM EDT
You've hit on a key issue here.
BOEs across the nation are jumping on the outsourcing band-wagon.
They are well aware of the fact that contracted teachers are less likely to participate in such things as weekend conferences (that would definitely not be paid for by those teachers' employers).
However, with the extremely high turnover rate of foreign teachers, I think the BOEs believe that such professional development isn't worth it - the teachers they have now will be gone in a year or two anyway (especially if they are brokered teachers getting paid much less than direct hires to do the same job)!
So it's a vicious cycle spinning faster and faster with every year.
Before the problem can be solved, BOEs and MEXT will have to be convinced that there is a problem with this way of running their public English education system.
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Panel Discussion "Making Connections: Where do we go from here?"
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Discussion Forum
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May 18 2008, 5:41 PM EDT by
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Thread started: Apr 21 2008, 1:01 AM EDT
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At the upcoming conference, we have one hour available for the panel discussion. What are some good questions / topics that we can ask the panelists to address?
We expect that there will be around 6 panelists, so if allocate each speaker 5 minutes, that would allow 30 minutes for a Q & A session with the audience?
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Last Reply:
Saved as a page
By: ,
May 18 2008, 5:41 PM EDT
This thread was saved as a page.
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Using technology to connect
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Nakasendo English Co-operative Conference Home
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May 11 2008, 5:30 AM EDT by
leanderhughes |
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Thread started: Mar 13 2008, 9:25 PM EDT
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Web 2.0 technology, google docs, wikis, social networking for education websites, blogs and a host of other technologies make it easier for disconnected people to connect. However, some school servers block some of these applications, google docs for example. Using the internet to connect would be advantageous in many ways. In Japan, often colleagues sharing office space can't connect face-to-face. Most schools have internal networks but these networks are inaccessible to most foreign teachers. Long-term residents of Japan could safely be expected to overcome the difficulties they have using internal networks but short-term residents including JETs cannot. Is technology a viable way to connect?
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Last Reply:
RE: Using technology to connect
By: leanderhughes,
May 11 2008, 5:30 AM EDT
Sure.
When you are working on a server that blocks certain pages that you want to access, you can try accessing those pages through circumventor sites like https://copwedding.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi .
Just go to the site and type in the url you wish to access, and -viola- it will take you there*.
*Not all cites are accessible through such circumventors. Also, you have to put up with slow page loading and bombardments of pop-ups. Still, I successfully used a circumventor to read my gmail when I was working at my previous job which had an internal network that blocked access to email accounts.
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Support for teachers teaching in primary schools
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Nakasendo English Co-operative Conference Home
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Apr 14 2008, 10:02 AM EDT by
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Thread started: Apr 2 2008, 1:23 AM EDT
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English is being introduced into primary schools in Japan despite the fact that many Japanese primary school teachers are not proficient in English and have no training in ELT. Tim Murphey cowrote an article (Murphey, T., Asaoka, C., & Sekiguchi, M. (2004). Primary teachers co-learning English with their students. The Language Teacher, 28(2), 15-18.) that brings up a number of interesting questions and answers regarding this situation. How practical is it to expect primary teachers to willingly accept co-learning English with their students? What other ways can we as a community provide support for primary school teachers? What challenges do JETs face when teaching in primary schools?
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Last Reply:
RE: Support for teachers teaching in primary schools
By: ,
Apr 14 2008, 10:02 AM EDT
Thanks tanabata27. I really don't know much about how English is being integrated into primary school curricula. I can empathise with the teachers who are frustrated by not being given a lesson plan or having it changed at the last minute. Who makes the lesson plans? I think you're right about communication, exchanges of opinion, and lesson observations - and yes, time is at a premium. Thanks again for your excellent contribution.
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