Kalinago English: iatefl-2011

Major Announcement!!!

My proposal to host a symposium at IATEFL, Brighton next year has been accepted!!!

This post is actually a call for your papers so that you too can become a part of this event and help host the conversation.

Here's a rough draft of what the five presentations will look like:

The ELT Blogosphere

1. Blogging within a community: (me)

From a handful of early adopters in 2003 to over 200 TEFL teachers blogging by mid-2010, we'll be looking at the writers who are driving the ELT blogosphere. Where are they based? What are they discussing, who visits their pages and comments on their posts? Why do they spend so much time on them - what motivational factors are involved in keeping a personal web log and updating it daily, weekly, monthly?

How do these bloggers find, connect and support each others personal growth? Why?

2. Blogging as Teacher Tinkering: (you?)

In Tessa Woodward’s 2010 plenary, she raised the point that motivated teachers continue experimenting throughout their entire careers. This presentation will look at how TEFLers share their philosophies about teaching, with other teachers via their blogs, and how they exchange approaches and experiment with tools and technology in their classrooms.

How and what lessons do they have to share?

How has blogging become a part of their personal professional development?

3. Blogging as Teaching (with or for students): (you?)

More and more teachers are involving students in the process of keeping personal notebooks online instead of traditional paper. How are teachers leaving homework and post-task activities for their learners? What impact does this have on their autonomy? How do teachers involve their language learners in writing for an audience?

What problems have they faced? Is it possible for e-community leaders to motivate thousands of globally non-connected students in writing challenges? What methods do teachers use to track and correct their own students’ work and how do they find subjects which will keep them motivated, writing across differing ages and backgrounds?

What happens when students take on an ownership of their own blogs?

4. Blogging: Audiences, Reputation, Marketing & Money (you?)

By 2009, a number of publishers, global institutions and VIP authors began to notice the value in the two-way communication which blogs represent and they began joining in. Does blogging have any influence over brands or professional author reputation? How do teacher-trainers and authors continue instructing after a presentation or conference?

What negative implications can poorly chosen communication strategies represent to their global regularly reading audience?

Does blogging lead to any kind of financial reward?

5. Taking the Issues to the Blogs: (you?)

From 2009 to 2011 a number of bloggers began to write about the harder hitting issues in the TEFL industry: pay, pensions, NNEST vs NEST, gender and racism in ELT. What were some of their posts about and what were the responses of their readers? Did they take things too far?

Should the blogosphere simply be touchy-feely diary style type of place (a love-fest) or does controversy and politics play a role in dealing with issues, reaching consensus and initiating action?

How to become a special part of this event

Would you like to be one of the presenters? I am hoping to choose 4 bloggers who'll have around 20mins each to talk on their special area of interest + about 10minsQ&A with our audience... so if you're keen, could you please make your submission directly to IATEFL (who will send them on to me if you have fulfilled their requirements)?

And don't forget to entitle your presentation with one of the above draft topics (not fixed - if you have a better idea or you would like to expand the subject and go in a different direction, don't hesitate to submit this idea) and do kindly remember to mark on your submission that you would like to take part in the symposium!

Speaker Guidelines

DEADLINE : 17 September 2010

More details on the IATEFL Brighton Conference 2011 (here)

In the meantime, even if you would not like to present, are there are any subjects or questions you would like us to talk about when we're there?

Let me know your thoughts!

Best,
Karenne