Atsushi Iida
Writing haiku as a reflection: Beyond extensive reading

The aim of this presentation is to discuss the use of haiku as a way for English language learning. The presenter will share one of his writing activities in a first-year college English course- writing haiku as a reflection on an Extensive Reading (ER) book.

Bio:
Atsushi Iida is Assistant Professor in the University Education Center at Gunma University where he has taught first-year and second-year English courses.  His research interests include poetry writing in a second language, scholarly publication in a second language and ESP.

Michelle Williams

This session is for VIPs only–Visual Information Plans. Learn in ten minutes what you can do in ten minutes to have your students understand and master complex information. This is not another “You Should Use Pictures” lecture.

Bio:
When she’s not teaching, Michelle is probably thinking about teaching, or talking about it. Or writing. Or cooking. Or perhaps studying sado. Right now she teaches English at Tomioka Higashi Girls High School in Tomioka, Gunma. She hails from Denver, Colorado, USA.

Robert Rowland
Icon Based Assessment for Young Learners

Creating a simple, easy to understand assessment system that language learners can follow to the goals you have set for them can be complicated and frustrating. This frustration compounds when teaching language learners with little or no previous exposure to the language, and then again when teaching young children. This workshop will look at strategies for creating visually attractive icon based assessment systems that are appealing to younger learners.

Bio:
Rowland is a Head ALT Instructor in Saitama City. He leads a team of ALT Instructors who build and assess curriculum and coordinate monthly training sessions to support its citywide implementation, and pilots creation of new curriculum and materials. His interests include translation, student assessment and hiking.

Masa Tsuneyasu
Warm-up activities for novice students

Warm up activities play an important role in getting students ready to use English. This workshop will introduce various activities: (1) individual work, (2) pair work, and (3) group work. These tasks aim to stimulate students’ cognition and schemata. Active participation as well as feedback of attendees is most appreciated.

Bio:
Tsuneyasu is a lecturer at Utsunomiya University. She received her B.A. and M.A. with TESOL at the University of Utah and is currently a doctoral candidate. Her research interest is individual differences.

Ivan Botev
Collaboration lessons: Why are they important?

Developing an educational program is not an easy task. Ensuring that program is incorporated in the core curriculum often proves to be an even harder task. Botev will cover some of the ways other teachers and school staff can help you in such an endeavor.

In order to raise their ability to communicate, teaching cultures is very important. Culture, history, religion, geography, and so on should be dealt with in English class. Then how can we do that?

Bio:
Ivan Botev, M.Ed. Applied Linguistics, is involved in the Global Human Resources Development (GHRD) Program in Toyo University. He is also an adjunct professor in Ochanomizu University. He serves as president for the JALT Omiya Chapter and also as chairperson for the Nakasendo English Conference this year (NEC 2013). Ivan is a father of two and his interests outside the education field include exploring the beauty of Japan with his family.

Inggy Yuliani Pribady

Genre Pedagogy To Lead Students’ To A High Stake Of Learning: Students’ Voice And Critical Thinking About Environment Issues Through News Item Writing

Abstract :
Genre pedagogies have drawn on Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, which views language as a social semiotic system, i.e. a resource for making meaning in social context (Eggins & Martin 2002). It is the idea that the grammar of the English Language is a system to facilitate certain kinds of social and interpersonal interaction, represent ideas about the world and connect these ideas and interaction into meaningful text and make them relevant to their context (Halliday, 1978:12). This paper aims to describe ways in which appropriate scaffolding teaching and learning activities in genre pedagogy can be provided to guide the students to shape their ideas critically to the issues of environment in their writing. The scaffolding takes the form of a particular sequence of activities known as teaching and learning cycle which are Building Knowledge of The field, Modeling of the Text, Join construction and Independent Construction.

Bio :
Inggy Yuliani Pribady holds a Master of English Education degree from Indonesia University of Education. She is an English teacher at 2 Junior High School in Bandung, Indonesia. She presented her research paper at National Seminar on Foreign Language Teaching 2011, Malaysia and at CamTesol 2012 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.She also has got a scholarship to have training and present her paper at ISCF 39, 2012 in Sydney Australia. Her research interests include language learning strategies and sociocultural factors in foreign language acquisition.

Ivan Botev
Social Media: A Workshop

As EFL professionals in Japan we are faced with an increasingly uncertain job market. There is a need for us to be prepared to compete in that market throughout our careers. Fortunately, social media and a greater awareness amongst employers of its importance, gives us the ability to effectively brand ourselves. This workshop will give attendees the opportunity to learn how to build an online presence and to increase their existing professional network. Those planning to attend should come prepared to actively participate with ideas and anecdotes.

Bio :
Ivan Botev M.Ed. Applied Linguistics, currently works for the Saitama City Board of Education and is involved with developing and teaching English Communication Abilities Development (ECAD) Program classes. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Center for English Education and Development in Saitama University. He serves as a Publicity Chair for the JALT Omiya Chapter and as a Social Media Chair for the Saitama City Educators (SCE). He has been teaching ESL/EFL in Japan for seven years. He is a father of two and his interests outside the education field include exploring the beauty of Japan with his family.

Genevieve Ruff
Global Education in the English Classroom

Genevieve Ruff will talk about her experiences designing and implementing thematic teaching lessons at an English conversation school. She will discuss the rewards and challenges of combining themes with English lessons. She will walk participants through the process of choosing themes, grammar patterns, and activities through a simple workshop. Groups of participants will be given time to brainstorm and create a lesson on global education themes like children’s rights, cultural diversity, and protecting the environment. She will also discuss how beneficial thematic teaching is in preparing students for the Eiken Step Test.

Bio:
Genevieve Ruff is an Industrial Engineer who came to Japan to experience the culture and learn the language eight years ago. What began as an adventure quickly turned into a teaching career. She is currently the Training Head at Saiei International where she manages and trains 35 foreign teachers. When she isn’t studying Japanese, she is usually trying to learn how to cook Japanese food. She is a member of ESTEEM.


Ivan Botev
Social Networks: You and Your Institution

This workshop will show you how to brand and sell your organization and yourself through social media. In addition to a tour of the various social media platforms Ivan will talk about his adventures in the world of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Participants will be asked to share their personal experiences in promoting themselves on-line. Those planning to attend should come prepared to actively particpate with ideas and anecdotes.

Bio:
Ivan Botev M.Ed. Applied Linguistics, currently works for the Saitama City BOE and is involved with developing and teaching English Communication Abilities Development (ECAD) Program classes. He serves as PR Chair for the JALT Omiya Chapter and also as a Social Media Chair for Saitama City Educators (SCE). He has been teaching ESL/EFL in Japan for seven years. He is a father of two and his interests outside the education field include exploring the beauty of Japan with his family.

John Finucane 2:05-2:25
Interview Drills
This activity can be used to supplement your text book, at various levels, to make your lessons more communicative. Interview drills can also be used as a springboard to help students to become effective debaters.

John Finucane is a fourth year participant on the JET program. He works as an ALT instructor for Saitama City Board of Education. He is also the President of Saitama City Educators, a teaching organisation based in Saitama City. He currently edits the Journal of Saitama City Educators, a new publication. His interests are debating and critical thinking. He is based in Saitama City.

Carl Bloomfield 2:25-2:45
'What are Heavy?' An ice breaking and rapport building activity
This activity can be used, at various levels, with a new class. The activity helps students practice classroom English. It also helps to build rapport by asking students to work with each other and the teacher to complete an activity in a personal but collaborative way.

Carl Bloomfield is a graphic designer, Step Eiken examiner and junior high school ALT working for the Saitama City Board of Education. He is the Online Chair of Saitama City Educators, a teaching organisation based in Saitama City. He currently co-edits the Journal of Saitama City Educators, a new publication. His interests are CALL, preparation for Step Eiken and IPA. He is based in Saitama City.

Matt Shannon 2:45-3:05
Game Show
This experience-based lesson demonstrates successful elements of contemporary and previous game shows, and how they might best be applied for content retention. Game-related issues such as problem creation, problem selection and scoring, and participant-response dynamics are specifically addressed through examples; a review of studies in cognitive science makes the case for testing as a means of effective content retention.

Matt Shannon is as fifth year teacher for the Saitama City Board of Education, now serving an Assistant Language Teacher Instructor. He is an active member of the Saitama City Educators, and serves as Public Relations chair. Matt greatly enjoys cooking, gardening, and the life sciences. He is based in Saitama.

Dave Magnusson 3:30-3:50
What is a webquest?
A webquest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. Dave Magnusson will show you some webquests.

Dave Magnusson is an Assistant Professor at Meikai University (Chiba Prefecture) and a freelance J-E translator. His interests are in computer-assisted language teaching, media English, international business, translation, and interpretation.

Tyson Rode and Ivan Botev 3:50-4:10
Making English Communication Delicious!
There is one thing that all junior high school students hunger for - school lunch. Two activities will be presented that show how to make English communication class more delicious by collaborating with the school nutritionist.

Tyson Rode is an ALT Instructor for the Saitama City Board of Education. He is now in his fifth year of teaching Saitama City’s English Communication Abilities Development (ECAD) Program and is also a Saturday School teacher at Columbia International School. Tyson is serving as Treasurer for the Saitama City Educators and is a co-editor of the Journal of Saitama City Educators. His research interests include: teacher motivation, content-based instruction, and integrated studies.

Ivan Botev is a full-time instructor in the Saitama City’s English Communication Abilities Development (ECAD) Program in municipal elementary and junior high schools as well as an assistant teacher in the compulsory and elective English classes in junior high school. He currently serves as PR Chair for the JALT Omiya Chapter and also as Membership Chair for the Saitama City Educators. He has been teaching ESL/EFL for over six years now. His current interests include immersion and multilingualism.

CHAOS: A Communication Activity
By
Ivan Botev
JALT Omiya

Abstract: This is the main communication activity for third grade junior high school students, in their first lesson of the English Communication Abilities Development Program (ECAD). It gives teachers a chance to determine students’ abilities and to set the tone for the semester and the year. The chaos activity is a fun way for students to adjust to the kinds of activities they will be expected to do throughout the year. Students will have to perform different types of tasks, some of which they will need assistance understanding. By cooperating with each other, seeking help from the teacher(s), and completing the activity students will need to use all of the communicative skills available to them.

Bio: Ivan Botev is currently a full-time instructor in the Saitama City’s English Communication Abilities Development (ECAD) Program in municipal elementary and junior high schools as well as an assistant teacher in the compulsory English classes in junior high school. He has been teaching ESL/EFL for the past five years. His current interests include immersion and multilingualism. 

Sign Up
By
Graham Finch
ETJ Saitama 

Abstract: SIGN UP! In my presentation I will demonstrate how I use sign language in my school through songs. We will also learn how to sign the alphabet, which I think can be an effective spelling and a memory aid. As there is not one universal sign language this has led me to slight dilemma. Should I use Japanese (JSL), American (ASL) or, because I am from England, British (BSL) sign language? If there is enough time, I would like to discuss what the merits and/or demerits of using sign language in an EFL classroom might be.

Bio: Graham has his own school in the Saitama area. He teaches all ages of students from the very young to the not so young! In 2007 he started to work as an ALT at a school for handicapped children in Tokyo. Some of the student at that school have hearing difficulties and are unable to communicate in Japanese, let alone in English. It was because of this that he became interested in using sign language in his English lesson as a communication tool.

Using Adjectives as a Communication Strategy.
By
John Finucane
JALT Omiya

Abstract: This presentation is about two lessons that were created to prepare students for learning the new skills they would need in junior high school English classes. There were three aims for these lessons. 1) For students to use multiple adjectives, in a sentence, in the correct order. 2) For students to learn and use the word ‘not’ as a communication strategy. 3) To introduce Romanji as a part of the lesson.

Bio:
John is currently a third year Irish ALT on the JET program. He is employed by the Saitama City Board of Education and works at Urawa Municipal High School and Kita Urawa Elementary School.

Simple Sentences for Young Learners
By
Sanae Kawamoto
ETJ Saitama 

Abstract: In this workshop, the presenter will show you how to teach vocabulary and simple sentences in a communicative way to young learners. This method can be used in adult classes too, especially for low-level beginners. The presenter will show you a couple of games using easy sentences that can help students learn in a fun way.

Bio: Sanae is an author, as well as the owner of the English conversation school "English Time”. She currently has two English Time locations in Saitama. She started to learn English when she was 32, which is considered quite late to start learning a language in Japan. Sanae was a self-taught student and never attended any English conversation schools or studied abroad in her pursuit of learning English. 

Do Your Mistakes Stand Out?
By
Shaun Leyland
ETJ Saitama 

Abstract: Students often do not recognize they have spoken English in a way not usually used in general conversation. They are also often very afraid of making a mistake and feel uncomfortable when they realize they have made one. The opposite also exist with students who are not afraid of making a mistake but don't improve because the number of mistakes does not decrease. Let us review how teachers can assist them in realizing that making a mistake is natural and will always happen but with care they may be reduced to a level that allows for general communication with others.

Bio: Shaun studied 10 hours of Japanese before arriving and starting work in a 99% Japanese environment on his second day in Japan. His only chance of understanding was to realize the patterns that existed then learn, when, where and why they changed. Later he started teaching and this continues to influence the way he teaches even 20 years later. The majority of his present students are beginners.

Using Music in the Classroom
By
Calvin Ogata
JALT Omiya

Abstract: Calvin is planning to talk about one of the well-known techniques he uses quite successfully in elementary schools. He will talk a little about the usefulness of songs and chants when teaching students, then demonstrate how he actually introduces a song to a class for the first time. Even if music is not one of your stronger skills, Calvin believes you will definitely want to incorporate this technique after the presentation. Some song and chant books will be suggested may beneficial to use when planning for your own classes.

Bio: Calvin Ogata has been teaching in Japan since 1998. Currently he is with the Saitama City Board of Education, as a Head ALT Instructor, splitting up time between classes and working at the BOE. Calvin graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology, but went on to get a Masters Degree in Education specializing in Curriculum and Instruction. Most recently, he helped to complete the revisal of the ECAD curriculum being used by Saitama City, but in the past has written a number of curriculum books used by Niiza City’s BOE. On an interesting note, his high school senpai from Hawaii is President Obama.