Sessions / Professional Development Workshop

A New Statistics Online App for Exploratory and Explanatory Data Analysis

I will introduce an online application created to help with quantitative data analysis based around New Statistics principles (Cumming, 2012). The application is easy to use, providing exploratory and explanatory output appropriate for use in research publications, presentations, or dissertations. The focus is on the generation of statistics for the estimation of the size and direction of research interventions: effect sizes, confidence intervals, and data-rich graphical plots. This is in keeping with current recommendations for quantitative research, moving beyond problematic issues surrounding statistical significance testing. The theoretical background and practical usage of the application will be covered.

How Language Assessment Works: Rating Spoken Production Using the CEFR

The Japanese national curriculum specifies balanced teaching of speaking, reading, listening and writing -- and universities are moving towards assessing all four skills. As part of this movement, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and the British Council have jointly developed a Speaking Test for university entrance purposes called BCT-S, a localised version of the British Council’s global Aptis test. In this hands-on session, attendees will work with tasks, speaking samples and rating criteria from the Aptis test to better understand, in concrete terms, the way these tests rate candidate’s speaking performance using the CEFR descriptors.

Synchronous Online Flipped Learning Approach – SOFLA®

The Synchronous Online Flipped Learning Approach, or SOFLA, (Marshall, 2017; Marshall & Rodriguez Buitrago, 2017; Marshall & Kostka, 2020) combines two separate learning pathways that, in combination, can result in robust instruction: the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework for online teaching (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) and flipped learning (Bergmann & Sams, 2012). The presenter takes participants through the eight steps of SOFLA: (1) Pre-Work; (2) Sign-In; (3) Whole Group Application; (4) Breakouts; (5) Share-Out; (6) Preview and Discovery; (7) Assignment Instructions; and (8) Reflection. Guidelines, rationale, and caveats for each step are provided, with examples from the presenter’s classroom.

What Is an Effective EdTech PD Program, and How to Develop and Evaluate One

As the GIGA school program spreads and as during #withCOVID and #postCOVID schools start to more frequently use LMSs and other educational technology for course delivery, there were be more and more professional development (PD) programs offered. This means more people will be called on to deliver effective PD programs. This workshop will go over frameworks based on the actual research on what makes a PD program effective and lasting. We will go over what an effective PD looks like, how to develop one, and then how to evaluate it, ensuring it gets better for the next iteration.

Moving Through and Moving On: Pivot, Reflect, Develop, and Grow

The turbulence of the 2020 academic year onwards has taught us how to react, reflect, and respond. Reacting to the abrupt pivot from face-to-face classes to online. And back again. Yet simultaneously serving as lighthouses for students by providing stability in a world of uncertainty by developing coping mechanisms and renewing our professional skill set. This workshop provides a platform in which teachers can reflect upon their experiences with teaching during the pandemic and how they overcame these herculean challenges through discussions and reflective dialogues. These discussions and dialogues will be divided into four sections – pivot, reflect, develop, and grow.

Equity in JALT: Sharing Our Vision

The ability to demonstrate one’s familiarity with diversity and equity practices (DEP) is a great asset on the job market. In this workshop, three members of the JALT DEP Committee will share their expertise in three areas of common concern among JALT members: hiring practices, harassment prevention, and accountability, both personal and organizational. After short presentations on these three areas to establish common ground, participants will be invited to join the group of their choice to discuss related issues. We will then regroup at the end, and each group will share the fruits of their discussion.

Reflective Practice to Understand Your Teaching and Yourself

This workshop will provide participants with opportunities to engage in reflective practice (RP) to better understand their teaching and themselves. The presenters will explain definitions of RP, highlight Farrell’s six principles of RP (2019), and introduce tools for engaging in RP. Participants will be encouraged to try some tools and share about their respective situations. It is hoped that participants will be motivated to engage in such practices when they return to their own contexts.