WEBINAR

 

What is a Webinar?

Short for Web-based seminar, it is a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web using video conferencing software. A key feature of a Webinar is its interactive elements -- the ability to give, receive and discuss information. Contrast with Webcast, in which the data transmission is one way and does not allow interaction between the presenter and the audience (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Webinar.html).

 

Here is a chance for you to participate in a Webinar:

Greetings from the Regional English Language Office (RELO), U.S. Embassy Jakarta!Our 16^th webinar course entitled Shaping the Way We Teach English. The 6 online seminars of the course will be related to English Teaching Forum and are intended for teachers of English or future teachers of English around the world.

The series will run from April 22 to July 1, 2015. Each 90-minute webinar will be held every other Wednesday at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Washington, DC. Please check http://timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html for the time in your region.

Your computer must have Adobe Flash Player, which comes pre-installed on most computers worldwide. If prompted to do so, you may download the free player at http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Please note that we only have 75 slots available. It is on a first come, first serve basis. Participants who attend 4 out of the 6 webinars will receive e-certificates from Regional English Language Office in Jakarta. Participants are encouraged to join the associated Ning (http://www.shapingenglish.ning.com) to participate in discussions, view or download video and other materials from the sessions, and access recordings of the webinars.

Viewing sessions are also available. If you are a representative from your institution (an English Department, a Language Center, MGMP, etc.) you might want to consider being a viewing host and invite other teachers to join. This allows many more teachers to participate. We’re enclosing Viewing Session Guide for further information. Please indicate this if you’d like to be a viewing host.

If you are interested in participating in these webinars please send an email to relojakarta@state.gov by Friday, April 10, 2015.

Please Note! Please send your email with the following information:

FIRST NAME:

LAST NAME:

EMAIL ADDRESS:

INSTITUTION/CITY:

MOBILE PHONE NUMBER:

INDIVIDUAL OR VIEWING HOST:

Shaping the Way We Teach English Webinar Course 16 Schedule:

The 8AM Schedule (Washington D.C. time)

What Happened to Listening? Practical Tips for Increasing Listening Practice Time Presenter: Kevin McCaughey	Wednesday April 22, 2015 8:00-9:30am EDT
Spoken Grammar and Its Role in the English Language Classroom Presenter: Amanda Hilliard	Wednesday May 6, 2015 8:00-9:30am EDT
Going Green: Merging Environmental Education and Language Instruction Presenter: Staci Hauschild	Wednesday May 20, 2015 8:00-9:30am EDT
Rock and Roll English Teaching Presenter: Tim Robinson	Wednesday June 3, 2015 8:00-9:30am EDT
Introducing the New English Teaching Forum Presenter: FORUM team	Wednesday June 17, 2015 8:00-9:30am EDT
Talking to Learn across Cultures and Communities Presenter: Spencer Salas	Wednesday, July 1, 2015 8:00-9:30am EDT

 

 

The 1PM Schedule (Washington D.C. time)

What Happened to Listening? Practical Tips for Increasing Listening Practice Time Presenter: Kevin McCaughey	Wednesday April 22, 2015 1:00-2:30pm EDT
Spoken Grammar and Its Role in the English Language Classroom Presenter: Amanda Hilliard	Wednesday May 6, 2015 1:00-2:30pm EDT
Going Green: Merging Environmental Education and Language Instruction Presenter: Staci Hauschild	Wednesday May 20, 2015 1:00-2:30pm EDT
Rock and Roll English Teaching Presenter: Tim Robinson	Wednesday June 3, 2015 1:00-2:30pm EDT
Introducing the New English Teaching Forum Presenter: FORUM team	Wednesday June 17, 2015 1:00-2:30pm EDT
Talking to Learn Across Cultures and Communities Presenter: Spencer Salas	Wednesday, July 1, 2015 1:00-2:30pm EDT

 

Sincerely,

Regional English Language Office (RELO)

U. S. Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia

 

Hello February 2015

Kia ora kotou!

Today is the 21 of February 2015. By Monday, I have to submit my abstract to one of many International conferences about the Teaching of English somewhere around Asia.

Yes, this February I am going to talk about participating in International Conferences as a means to develop ourselves professionally.

Have you ever given a thought about participating in some International conferences such as the ones held by English Teacher Association in Indonesia (TEFLIN), in Malaysia (MELTA), in Cambodia (CAMTESOL), or in Southeast Asia (Asia TEFL)? How ambitious is the idea of participating in one of those conferences? What is the probability for you to realize it?

I believe that participating in conferences I have mentioned might not be too appealing for most of us. Too many challenges and preparation we have to face and do before we can really participate in one. If you keen on participating but are afraid to do it, I would say 'Challenge your fear'!

First, be aware of your challenges and get ready to address them! If you say that you don't have enough fund to go there, you also have to know that some conferences actually provide travel grant (transportation and accommodation). If you think you don't know how to write an abstract, ask for help. Go to the official websites of the conferences, look at the topics/themes/key subject areas. Look for an example from Google or friends who had participated in the conferences. 

Second, you think you don't have anything to present. Are you familiar with classroom action research (CAR)? Some of you might say no but I will assume that most of you know about it. You have done your CAR and submitted the report to your supervisors or to the Ministry of National Education in your district. Don't you think that more person should know about the results of your research? Go grab the chance, write an abstract!

Third, you don't have a passport yet. It's time for you to make one. If you want to participate in MELTA, CAMTESOL, or Asia TEFL conference, you have to be ready to travel to Malaysia, Cambodia or any countries in Asia. It will be a great chance for you to practice your English when talking to your fellow teachers from around the world. 

Finally, seek support for your principal, fellow teachers, teacher forum (Musyawarah Guru Mata Pelajaran/MGMP), or other relevant institutions. The support might be a financial or mental support. Just be positive about any challenges you might encounter when looking for this kind of support. 

Well, do you have any questions about the above tips? Write to me. Or do you have some experiences of participating in one of the conferences? Share your story! It will be awesome to hear from you.

Note:
I am attaching a list of potential conferences in 2015. You might have a think about one of them and good luck!

 

Potential Conferences to attend in 2015:

What	Where	When	Important dates and requirements
1. MELTA 2015	The Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1 – 3 June 2015	Submission of Abstract & Biodata: 28 February 2015 Notification of Acceptance: 1 April 2015 Registration & Payment: 1 May 2015 Submission of Full Paper: 1 May 2015 Presenters must submit a proposal containing a 250-word abstract of their presentations and a 50-word biodata (include email address). Presentations selected for the conference must not have their conceptual content changed substantially after acceptance. The lead presenter is responsible for informing the co-presenter(s) of all correspondence received. Presenters should check the http://con2015.melta.org.my for updates. All presenters must complete the registration process by 1 May 2015, failing which the submitted abstract will be considered withdrawn.
2. 62nd TEFLIN International Conference 2015	Sanur Paradise Hotel, Bali , Indonesia	14 – 16 September 2015	Abstract submission deadline: 1 January – 31 March 2015. Acceptance notification: 10th April 2015. Registration and payment 1 April 2015 – 1 July 2015. The abstract should consist of 250 words with the title at the top of the page and the name of the presenter(s) and their affiliation below the title on the right. Biographical data should not exceed 100 words and should be written on a separate page in the third person. Thirty minutes are allotted for a research paper presentation, and sixty minutes for a workshop or colloquium.
3. ALAA/ ALANZ/ ALTANZ 2015 Learning in a Multilingual World	The Research Centre for Languages and Cultures at the University of South Australia-ADELAIDE	30 November – 2 December 2015	The deadline for submitting abstracts is 28 February 2015. Abstracts should be single-spaced, use a 12-point font, and employ italics rather than underlining (except for URL addresses). Papers are 20 minute lecture-style presentations followed by 10 minutes for questions/responses. Abstracts should be no more than 250 words, including no more than 2-3 key references if desired. Posters consist of a display of material on (no more than) one A0-sheet poster. Posters will be displayed at designated times throughout the conference with scheduled opportunities for the presenters to discuss the material with interested individuals. Your abstract should be no more than 250 words, including no more than 2-3 key references if desired.
4. TESOL International Association Regional Conference 2015	National Institute of Education Singapore	3-5 December 2015	Theme: Excellence in Language Instruction: Supporting Classroom Teaching and Learning Proposal deadline: 15 April 2015

End of November 2014

Kia ora kotou,

Happy Teachers Day for you all!

How was your September and October, dear teachers? I do hope that the Listening tips I posted last two months are useful. I was looking forward to hearing from you. Well, you might be very busy to talk about the tips and how successful you are in the attempt of implementing them in the classroom. I am still waiting for your comments and feedback of the post.

This November, I would like to discuss about 'Life Skills for Teachers'. Our first question is what are life skills? Why life skills for teachers? What make them so important for teachers?

First of all open the link I give you here, http://www.macmillanenglish.com/events/life-skills-for-teachers/http://www.macmillanenglish.com/events/life-skills-for-teachers/.  Then, listen to a talk by Emma-Sue Prince (it's on the same page of the link I give you).

You can provide your comments or feedback through our group blog. Let me know if your fellow teachers are interested in joining the group blog. I can invite them. Ask them to provide their correct email address so that I can send them invitation to join our blog.

Happy listening and writing.


Cheers,
Anik

Welcome September 2014

Kia ora,

I am glad to have a chance to write to you again after putting everything off for some time.

In this chance I'd like to share tips to teach Listening skills to students. The tips are based on what I have experienced.

First, be ready with the aims or objectives of your lesson.
You might like to copy the following template I get from Oregon University:

Action Plan

Name:           

Date:                          

 

1)  Course description:

     Name of course:    

     Number of students:

     Age of students:

     Language level of students:

     Amount of time you meet per week:

     Other information:

2)  Describe your project:

3) What are the learning objectives (with measurable outcomes) for this project? (In other words, what will the students be able to do at the end of this project and how will you measure that?)

4)  Why would you like to implement this project?

       

5)  What are the benefits you anticipate from the project?

6)  What challenges do you expect to face from the project?

       

7)  How will you address the challenges described in Question 6?

8)  Describe the steps and timeline (schedule) of implementing your project.

9)  How will you assess the project? (Please provide a detailed plan for assessment and/or a rubric)

Second, make sure that you have the listening material to share.
One of the websites you can turn to is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/

Third, be ready with a hand out of the transcript with some words taken out from it. Note: the words could be words that you think your students need most for their coming lesson or that you think are the academic words they have to learn.

Fourth, check an recheck the MP3 file and the player (tape recorder or computer) so that you won't have problems when playing them.

Five, improvise if you have problems! Technology is not designed to hamper you. It is just a tool. Be innovative and creative! Show your energy to your students! After all, your students and you yourself are the energy of the class. (^_^)

Good luck.

P.S. I attach the transcript as well as the MP3 file for you in your email. You can use the link of the Six-minute BBC(http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/) if you want to have more listening materials. The methods of teaching are up to you. Remember to innovate and create synergy with your students!

COMMENT FOR GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS By: Ratna Nur'aini

                  I agree that teaching and learning using Graphic Organizers are a good way and more effective to be applied in the English class with the four skills of language- listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It will be easier for the learners of SMAN7 who learn listening and speaking, for example when they are given any pictures as any illustration while they are listening the texts or dialogues as well as practicing for speaking in pairs or in groups. Graphics or pictures help them understand and predict the content or the meaning of the texts or dialogues given through compact disk (CD). When the learners are sure with their prediction about the content of text they have heard while confirming to the pictures given, they may have ideas to create some words, phrases or sentences. Then they order those sentences into a short paragraph to form a story in their version using their own words. Finally, the learners are bravely enough to demonstrate orally in front of class or in front of groups if the class are divided into group works.  Then each group is given their chance to retell the texts or show their works orally as a means of practicing speaking. While some other groups are asked to give some comments or may add information related to the text.

                  I also agree that Graphic organizers are effective enough to be used in teaching reading and writing. Something to make the learners easier to understand the reading texts is using any media. The following is a part of the graphic media such as a chart containing some words in a form of synonym, antonym or words as clues. In this case, the learners can learn or increase their vocabularies. At the end of the meeting for each competence, the class will be ended by the writing activities. The learners themselves should find out the genre of the texts given. During the discussion of the texts teachers help them as a facilitator to find out the generic structures of the discussing texts. The class in groups is asked by the teacher to generalize the texts given and answer some questions to make sure whether they have already understood about the texts. Therefore, when they are asked to find the genre of the texts the learners will not find many problems to face. With the help of graphic organizers the learners will be easier to work than before. Finally, they feel more relax and happy to learn English. They do not feel getting any burden when they get some assignment.

The following is the example of the text given to the learners of SMAN7:

Britney Spears-Lutfi Investigated for “Drugging” Spears      Caption: Britney Spears is followed by a frenzy of photographers while shopping at Fred Segal in West Hollywood. Los Angeles, California-15.02.08.      Britney Spears estranged manager Sam Lutfi is under investigation by Los Angeles police over allegations he drugged the troubled star. Lutfi was served a restraining order earlier this month (Feb 2008) and was instructed to keep his distance from the Spears family after Britney’s mother Lynne claimed the manager had admitted he drugged her daughter. According to website TMZ, the allegations are now being investigated by the Major Crimes Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.      Lutfi’s new spokesman Michael Sands tells TMZ.com he is aware of the investigation. Spears had been hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation at Los Angeles UCLA Medical Centre, but was discharged last week (06 Feb 2008) after a seven-day stay.( taken from:LKS Modul Bahasa Inggris semester genap kelas X.Penerbit Hayati Tumbuh Subur)

The examples of activities given to the learners:

a.     Guess the meaning of the words from the text!

1.     Allegation       : ……….             6. Drugged                    : ………. 2.     Discharge       : ……….             7. Claimed                     : ………. 3.     Estranged       : ……….             8. Psychiatric                : ………. 4.     Spokesman    : ……….              9. Restraining order    : ………. 5.     Investigation : ……….             10. Admitted                 : ……….

b.     Complete the table based on the generic structure of the text!

Text Element	Paragraph/Sentences
Newsworthy event	…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………
Background event	…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………..
Source	…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………

c.     Create a short paragraph based on your knowledge to summarize the news by answering the following some leading questions. Elaborate your paragraph!

1.     Who was the doer or the actress that was reported in the news? ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2.     Where was the event occurred? ……………………………………………… 3.     What was the event experienced by the doer or the actress? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4.     What did the manager and the family do toward the doer or the actress? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5.     Who was responsible with the news? …………………………………………………………. 6.     How was the condition of the doer or the actress after having that experience? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

d.     Make your own dialogue related to the NEWS REPORT you have just learned and discussed. Demonstrate it in front of class!

Student A	Student B
1.     Question ………………. 2.     Answer ………………….. Question ………………… 3.     Answer ………………….. Question ……………….. 4.     ………………………………. ………………………………. 5.     ………………………………. ……………………………….	1.     Answer ………………… Question ……………… 2.     Answer ………………… Question ……………… 3.     Answer ……………….. Question …………….. 4.     ……………………………… ………………………………. 5.     ………………………………. ……………………………….