Cengage eNewsletter

Here's the link.

Recorded sessions from NAFSA 2012

From the email:

Recharge the Energy! Listen Online to Recorded Sessions of NAFSA 2012.

Relive part of the unique NAFSA annual conference experience by listening to sessions you weren't able to fit in your schedule, or reviewing the content at sessions you did attend. As part of your conference registration, you now have access to more than 125 recorded sessions that are available for you to enjoy anytime you like. Listen online to discussions about mapping internationalization on U.S. campuses, effective strategies for maximizing international student retention, budgeting for short-term faculty-led programs abroad, establishing dual- and joint-degree programs, regulatory issues or how to recruit in China. As a benefit of your full conference registration, access recordings by signing in using the e-mail address you used to register for conference. If you don't remember what e-mail address you used to register, simply contact conference@nafsa.org for assistance. Access streaming audio of sessions and continue your NAFSA 2012 Annual Conference experience! View a list of available sessions. For more details, visit NAFSA's audio recordings Web page. Questions? Need technical support? Contact onlineevent@freemanco.com.

VESA Conference

This one's coming up again. I presented here last year, and to be honest, it wasn't so great, but it's close. From the email:

Mark your calendars!

The 2013 Virginia ESL Conference

Virginia ESL Supervisors' Association (VESA)

Looking Ahead: English Learners in the 21st Century

The Koger Conference Center and Holiday Inn 

Richmond, VA

February 1-2, 2013

Welcome back!  

We look forward to seeing you again.

Please let me know if you intend to exhibit.

Also let me know if you know of someone who might be interested in exhibiting.

Best regards to all,

Courtney Stewart (540-831-0766)

vesaexhibitor@gmail.com

Presentation proposal is available online.

http://www.vesaorg.net/conference/

NAFSA Region VIII Conference

Here's the email link. If you're attending, let me know! Laura and I will be there too!

My notes from SETESOL

I'm attaching a link here to my notes. If you have any questions, let me know - the conference was great!

SETESOL Notes

SETESOL 2012 Session Notes - "Pinterest"

SATURDAY
9-9:45

Application of Web 2.0 Tools: Use Pinterest in Large EFL Classroom

Eight Effective Ways to Use Pinterest in Large EFL Classrooms

Before the Lesson

     1. Collect Students' Prior Knowledge

               -Create a board

                    "How to describe a person?"

                     Pin your favorite characters here, and use adjectives to describe him/her…. (invite students to pin to the board)

     2. Preview the Lesson

               -Create a board with several pins containing information about a particular topic… students should review board to know what they will need to know before the lesson

During the Lesson

     3. Using Pinterest as a Blackboard

               -Can serve as a substitute for powerpoint

               -a great way to organize materials for a lesson

     4. Students who the results of their group discussion using Pinterest

               -for a large class, use pinterest to collect discussion… 

                    -students must find the graphic they like most and pin it to board

               -teacher can review boards after class - can be used to assess success of activity

After the Lesson

     5. Groups of students take turns to identify the key words in a lesson, justify their choice, and give a presentation to the class using Pinterest

               -students pin images that represent key words from a lesson

     6. Students each create Pinterest word board for the vocabulary learned during the semester (words are grouped according to meaning)

Professional Development

     Facilitates teacher collaboration - teachers share ideas, lesson plans, students' work, as well as seek help from others

     An international platform: teachers can expose students to the authentic English ways of life

Drawbacks

     -invitation request

     -possible addiction

     -inappropriate postings

     -copyright risks

     -blocking in some countries

Other Ideas

     -use Pinterest to brainstorm for writing

SETESOL 2012 Session Notes - "Incorporating Sensory Input"

FRIDAY

2:45-3:30

Incorporating Sensory Input: Idea for Teaching to Multiple Intelligences

Jen Ramos and Todd Allen - University of FL     

Multiple Intelligences

     Howard Gardner, 1983

     Different strengths & learning styles

          (Verbal, visual, bodily, musical, mathematical & more)

     Language learners "stripped" of linguistic/verbal intelligence

          Access other ways of knowing in ESL classroom!

          Allows language learners access variety of rich material

          Activate HOT

Focus on Reading and Writing or Listening and Speaking

     read and produce written texts

     comprehend input and produce comprehensible speech

     expand your 'text' and vary stimuli

Reading

     Non-verbal text

               practice concepts  (ex. add of book hugging woman)

                    main idea, thesis, supporting details, intended audience, purpose, reader response '

Engage and Evoke!

     Music, paintings, sculptures, etc. 

Lesson Ideas

     Language Task: use everyday vocabulary and prepositions of location to describe a photo

     Increase cognitive demand: a recall activity

     Introduce Interference: Who lives here? What helps you make this inference?

Use the Nose!

     Writing: write a compare and contrast paragraph using comparative adjectives

     Speaking:

Listening

     Unconventional sounds, musical compositions, and speech

          Practice purpose, audience, listener, response and descriptions

Music: Evokes poetic and emotional responses

     Metaphor and simile

     Adjectives of mood and sentiment

     Musical vocabulary

     Reflection

     Imagination

     Many students knowledgeable about music!

Language Task: Try a free-write to music and see what students produce

Language Task: Describe a scene from a musical selection

Fingertips:

     Vocab building: Texture and material words

          Books provide the definition, but not the experience

     Language Task: Feel objects in a bag and find vocabulary word

     Language Task: Describe what you feel; direct partner to objects

Get every "body" involved!

     Language Task: students act out words and concepts

          abstract words (ex. allocate)

          idioms (ex. rain on someone's parade)

          phrasal verbs

          transition words (nevertheless)

          helps solidify nuanced concepts

     *kinesthetic learning, total physical response

OTHER IDEAS:

     buy recordings of random sounds - choose certain kinds of sounds and put them together… students have to write a play or story about it

     play a sound - some computer programs have bank of sounds - describe "what is happening right now"

     public service announcements - Canadian government… for writing and speaking