January 26th, 2008, 6:00pm - 8:30pm
Job Hunting for Teachers
Cameron Romney and Kent Hill
Recent instability in the Japanese job market for English teachers has many teachers looking for work or considering changing positions. While there is no one surefire technique for getting a job, there are many things job seekers can do to increase the likelihood of being hired. This workshop will be divided into two sections: first, general job hunting suggestions for teachers at any level; and second, an overview of Japanese university employment options including the types of jobs available, the qualifications needed for these positions, and when and where to find openings.
The meeting is at Namba Shimin Gakushu Center (Osaka City Municipal Lifelong Learning Center - Namba branch), (O-CAT 4F, 06 6643-7010) http://www.osakademanabu.com/namba/.
JALT members: Free, Non-members: 500 yen
Saturday, February 23rd, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Getting Published
Steve Cornwell and Deryn Verity
Whether studying for a masters or a doctorate; conducting quantitative or qualitative research, working as a teacher or administrator, or looking for a new job, one thing that almost all of us working in education have in common is the need to publish. Many of us live in a publish-or-perish world, and even if we do not feel the pressure to publish, publishing offers a chance to engage with our colleagues about our work. This presentation will help writers understand the publishing process from selecting a journal and submitting an article to receiving reviewer's feedback, and handling revisions (and even how to disagree with a review).
Steve Cornwell is a graduate of the Ed.D. program at Temple University Japan and the MAT program at the School for International Training. He is editor of the Jalt Journal. In addition to his editing work, he has been an Editorial Advisory Board member for JALT publications, has served on the Publications Committee for TESOL, Inc. and has reviewed manuscripts for various publishers including Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, McGraw Hill, and MacMillan Education.
Deryn Verity currently teaches at Osaka Jogakuin College. She has taught English, applied linguistics, and graduate courses in teacher education at St. Michael's College, William Paterson University (USA), Osaka University, and other institutions in the United States, Thailand, Poland and Japan. She is currently teaching for the MATESOL program at Teachers College Tokyo, and writing and teaching courses for the new online MATESOL course being offered by the New School University. An active member of local and national JALT meetings, she served as Associate Editor of the JALT Journal for three years. Her primary interests in the field of teacher education include language awareness for teachers, sociocultural theory, and second language pedagogy.
Venue: Namba Shimin Gakushu Center ( Osaka City Municipal Lifelong Learning Center - Namba branch), (O-CAT 4F, 06 6643-7010) http://www.osakademanabu.com/namba/
JALT Members: Free, Non-members: 500 yen
Saturday, March 29th, 6:00pm - 8:30 pm
From Visitor to Resident:
How you can set down roots in Japan
Arudou Debito
Been in Japan for awhile? Planning to stay longer, even indefinitely? You owe it to yourself to know a few things about how to make your life easier over here--from getting the right visa to getting a better job, from dealing with family issues to dealing with employment issues, from living a quiet life to being an agent for social change. Arudou Debito, activist and author of the book JAPANESE ONLY (Akashi Shoten 2004, 2006), will be presenting from his new co-authored book, HANDBOOK FOR IMMIGRANTS TO JAPAN (Akashi Shoten Inc. 2008). Learn how to make the best of life over here, from port of entry all the way through funereal arrangements. See table of contents and synopsis of the book at http://www.debito.org/index.php/?page_id=582
The presentation will be followed by a lengthy Q&A session so you can raise other issues of your choice as well. Much more about Arudou and his extensive work can be found at his website: www.debito.org .
Venue: The sixth floor meeting room of the Osaka Ekimae Dai-2 Building's Lifelong Learning Center, Tel:06-6345-5000. www.manabi.city.osaka.jp
This event is co-sponsored by Osaka ETJ.
Fee: JALT & ETJ Members 500 yen;
Non-members 1000 yen
Sunday, April 27, 2008, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Ethnic Disunity and Conflict in Burma
Richard Humphries
The world generally focuses on the political struggles in Myanmar, especially with the 2007 crackdown upon the monk-led demonstrations. However, the flip side of the same coin is Burma's ethnic issue, an immense source of suffering in that tragic land. Ethnicity impacts directly upon profound disagreements over the very nature of the State.
Richard Humphries is employed as an Associate Professor teaching ESL at Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata. He has been interested in Burma issues since 1992 and for four months (from October 1993) taught English for communication and medical purposes to refugee medics at Mae Tao Clinic, in the Thai border town of Mae Sot. The clinic founded by the well-known humanitarian Dr Cynthia Maung. Richard has visited the region frequently since, and has, for example, given seminars on skills such as writing, on communication, and on conflict resolution, and has written numerous pieces about Burma for the Japanese English-language press. His first book, "Frontier Mosaic: Voices of Burma from the Lands in Between" was recently published and all author royalties are being donated to that same clinic where he taught English fifteen years before.
This event is co-sponsored by SIETAR Kansai. The meeting will be on the fifth floor of the Sogo Shimin Koryu Center very near JR Takatsuki station. http://www.city.takatsuki.osaka.jp/db/kurasu/db4-koryu.
JALT & SIETAR members: 500 yen, Non-members: 1000 yen
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008, 12:30pm - 5:45pm
4th Annual Tech Day at Hannan Univ.
Supported by Nara JALT
Speakers:
Mari Yamauchi, Marlen Harrison, Shawn White, Bill White, Craig Gamble, Troy Guze, Kevin Lucas, Sally Thelen, Trent Spriggs, and Matthew Rooks
This will be our fourth annual Tech Day event to share technologically-oriented ideas helpful to language teachers and learners. This year's Tech Day is our
biggest yet, and is co-sponsored by Nara JALT.
There will be nine 25-minute presentations on a wide range of topics. Dinner party afterwards at the superb Naomi Amore Italian restaurant in Hirano.
Mari Yamauchi, Kobe Kaisei College - Using Moodle to Enhance Learning and Foster Autonomy
Kevin Lucas, Kwansei Gakuin University - Using Free Online Forum Software to Encourage Asynchronous and Collaborative Discussion
Troy Guze, Hatsushiba Hashimoto High School -
Using Mnemosyne to Facilitate Language Learning
Shawn R. White, Mukogawa Women's University and Kansai University, and William R. White, Himeji Dokkyo University and Mukogawa Women's University
- CALL on a Stick
Marlen E. Harrison, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- Fostering Community through Technology: Using Joomla to Create a Class Website
Sally Thelen, Konan University - Podcasts for Outside Listening Practice
Trent Spriggs, Kinki University - Using Cell Phones and ICT in the Classroom
Matthew Rooks, Kwansei Gakuin University - Effective Use of Online Surveys
Craig Gamble, Kansai Gaidai University - Using Multimedia Tools in the Classroom: Introducing Weblogs as the First Step
Location:
Hannan University main campus, a 5-minute walk north of Kintetsu Kawachi-Amami station (15 minutes south of Tennoji/Abeno station)
http://www.hannan-u.ac.jp/english/other/map.html
JALT members: 500 yen, One-day members: 1000 yen
July 5th and 6th, 2008
CUE 2008 Conference at
Kinki University
More details at:
http://jaltcue-sig.org/node/43
Saturday, October 11th, 2008 - 6:15 to 8:30 PM
Presentation Zen
Garr Reynolds
As a serious language educator, the need for strong presentation skills is inescapable. Join us for an evening with one of the world's most respected design and presentation authorities, Garr Reynolds.
Using the tenets of Zen aesthetics and the science of multimedia research, Garr explains how a good understanding of content structure, visual communication
and the power of basic graphic design can help you create the kind of presentations that will set you or your organization apart from the crowd.
Garr will explore current popular presentation approaches; highlight techniques from some of the world's top business leaders, including Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, and turn conventional wisdom concerning PowerPoint and presentations on its ear. For example, Garr will show how to achieve maximum effect with minimum means, and how and why to design effective, engaging presentations
without using a single bullet point. This presentation is not about decoration, but about the real application of design principles, improving communication, and increasing effectiveness.
Venue: Osaka City Municipal Lifelong Learning Center, on the fifth floor of Umeda's Dai-2 Building, just southeast and across the street from the Hilton Hotel. Tel: 06-6345-5000 www.manabi.city.osaka.jp
JALT members: Free, Non-members: 1000 yen
About the Speaker: The former Manager of Worldwide User Group Relations at Apple Computer, Inc., Garr Reynolds currently teaches marketing and multimedia presentation design as an Associate Professor of Management at Kansai Gaidai University. Before joining Apple in the US, Garr worked for seven years in the head office at Sumitomo Electric Industries in Osaka. He is a popular speaker in the business community in Japan and abroad and is Director of Design Matters, an Apple Pro creative group based in Osaka. Garr is author of the popular website, Presentation Zen, and is author of the book also called Presentation Zen to be published in November by New Riders/Peachpit Press.
Visit Presentation Zen at: http://www.presentationzen.com/
For more information about Garr Reynolds visit his website at:
http://www.garrreynolds.com
Saturday, December 13, 2008, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Zen and the Art of Statistics,
followed by Year End Party in Kobe
Greg Sholdt
(Osaka Chapter's "Best of JALT" winner, 2006)
What is the true meaning of the mean? During this unique and fun workshop designed for those who don't like numbers, the presenter will guide participants in an exploration of statistical concepts and reasoning. The primary goal is to deepen participants' understanding of statistics and demonstrate techniques for self-study. During the workshop, participants will solve quantitative riddles that are loosely modeled after Zen koans and carefully designed to lead participants to higher levels of quantitative clarity. The meeting will be followed by a bonenkai at the amazing Pashiya Turkish restaurant <http://r.gnavi.co.jp/c675400/ >. The set menu with nomihodai is 5000 yen for men and 4300 for women. Space is limited to 24, so please contact kobejalt@gmail.com soon to reserve yourself a place!
Location: Kobe YMCA (2-7-15 Kano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe. tel: 078-241-7204) Room 301
This event is free for all.