ELF Conference 2016 Unitar Report

It was a bright and early morning in Petaling Jaya at Unitar. Participants and presenters filed in from all over Malaysia. People came from the far distance range of Kota Kinabalu to Kota Bharu. In all there were over 160 participants and 27 workshops. It was so commendable the various teachers attending on a Saturday in the middle of Ramadhan. What a reflection on their dedication and commitment to continuous professional development. Malaysia is lucky to have the likes of these teachers in the ranks.

The ELF Conference 2016 was staffed by students from Unitar's English Department. They were spot on and brimming with enthusiasm. Every step of the way you could be greeted by their smiles and there willingness to help. They had so many positive role models to choose from the crowd, plus they were quick to chat everyone up.

Emily Jones & Christa Bixby were wonderful hosts and presented a collaborative learning presentation with a group task included. They are 2 of the 4 ELFs working in Malaysia. English Language Fellows are on loan by the US State Dept to local universities to inspire and uplift local English Programs. The other 2 ELFs were also present: Shaheed (Kelantan) and Thai (Sabah). They are all doing good work in different parts of the country.

Did I mention, this is my first time presenting at an Educational Conference? Well it was, so I brought my A-game. The session is only 45 minutes long, not a whole lot of time. The workshop before me ran a little over in time, so that shaved off a few minutes. Luckily, since lunch preceded my session, I manage to negotiate a few extra minutes with the room monitor. I decided to do an abbreviated version of my popular workshop, The Role of the Teacher in the 21st Century Classroom.

There were 7 workshops going on simultaneously, so there were about 20 attendees who chose to participate in mine. Luckily, I wasn't nervous, but I was struggling with time issues with a delayed start. I told everyone in the beginning to fasten their seat belts, because we were going to have to fly through the material.

This added another element to the high spirited turbotastic breakout session. I started with the pre-toon as a preview of the workshop activities. My lead-in activity was English Mania, followed by a short discussion. Next, we jumped into small groups tasked with the generating the most important thing or concept of 21st Century Classroom. After we had an activity comparing concepts between the 20th and 21st Century Classrooms, it was completed and discussed in pairs. Finally, we showcased SCORM packages on FrogVLE. I apologised for the fast and furious pace, but the majority didn't mind.

As the string of educators left the room, I got some positive feedback. I also received one written feedback I'll share:

It was fantastic, your presentation, I like your techniques of teaching language, especially the cartoon. (Khalid)

Well thanks Khalid and thanks to all the participants and people who made the Conference possible!

American English June 22 Update

 Here is the latest bulletin from AE:

Social Media                  

Please feel free to use this language to disseminate the new AE content via your social media platforms.

	Facebook	Twitter	Link	Graphic/Picture
American Teens Talk!	Want to know about high school in the US? Check out our new #‎AmericanEnglish resource American Teens Talk. This week's interview is with Sol. Read about her many extracurricular activities, including Science Olympiad, a school club that prepares for a science competition. It's free on the American English website.	Learn about US culture, practice reading & speaking, & increase vocabulary w/ American Teens Talk! #AmericanEnglish	http://bit.ly/TeensTalkSol	Picture is attached to this email and is CC0 Public Domain.
Teacher’s Corner	Teachers, do you have multiple levels of learners in your classroom? Check out this week's Teacher's Corner for suggestions! We discuss how to use teacher-supported groups and how to create leveled assignments to differentiate instruction for your students. #AmericanEnglish #TeachersCorner	Need to differentiate instruction? Learn how to create leveled assignments in this week’s #AmericanEnglish #TeachersCorner.	http://bit.ly/JuneTeachersCorner3	Pictures/graphics are attached to this email and are CC0 Public Domain.
Animated Video: T & D Tapping	Why do many American English speakers say the words "rider" and "writer" in the same way? Find out with our latest #‎AmericanEnglish video. This video is about tapping (also called "flapping"), something that is common in spoken American English.	What is flapping in #AmericanEnglish pronunciation? Find out with this #video!	Facebook: http://bit.ly/TDtapping YouTube: http://bit.ly/TDTapping	Graphic is attached to this email was created by OELP.

SMA Rompin Pre-Toon

Here is a pre-toon for 23-25/6 at SMA Rompin. Look forward to work with the awesome teachers there Access Program students. We're going to Rock the Ihya Ramadhan Program and sprinkle some 4th of July on there too. It is another step in the right direction in developing better relations with the US & Malaysia.

Step by Step On How To Build A SCORM Site on FROGVLE

Hey Gang, I've decided to publish a Step by Step On How To Build A SCORM Site on FROGVLE. It is fairly easy and with practice takes anywhere from 10-15 minutes. The good news is, once you have invested the initial time in building a site you, never have to do it again. If you get stuck in the process or have questions, you can contact me at heavyhittersconsultancy@gmail.com

Let the building begin!

American English Update June 8

What’s New from American English?

Check out our new resource American Teens Talk! on the website. Each week, we will post a new interview, with text and audio. This week, take a look at the introduction, possible activities for using this resource in your classroom, and the first interview with Bianca. It’s a great resource for teaching all four skills and U.S. culture.

Teachers around the globe face some common challenges in the classroom. This month’s Teacher’s Corner  will present strategies to address some of the most common issues in English language classrooms, including ideas to manage large classes, teach students with multiple levels in the same class, and adapt and find teaching materials. This week we explore using learning teams to make the most of large classes.

The next American English MOOC for English language learners, “English for Journalism,” begins August 15. In this 5-week course, learners will explore print and digital media, expand their vocabulary, learn to develop news stories, and much more.

How can you create an inclusive classroom? Check out the new Guide for Educators: Creating Supportive Learning Environments for Girls and Boys. This guide, funded by the Department of State and developed by IREX, provides teachers and administrators with tools and resources to create a gender-inclusive environment where all students can learn.

American Teens Talk!	Do you teach teens or young adults? This new collection of interviews of American high school students is a perfect text to use in your English language classroom. Each week, we will post a new interview, with text and audio. #AmericanEnglish	American teens talk in this new resource on the #AmericanEnglish website. Read & listen to interviews with US teens.	http://1.usa.gov/1svdTsK
Teacher’s Corner	Do you teach large classes? Large classes can be challenging for teachers. Find out how to use learning teams to help make the most of large classes in this week's Teacher's Corner. #AmericanEnglish #TeachersCorner	40, 50, 60 students in a class? Find ways to manage large classes with this week’s #TeachersCorner from #AmericanEnglish.	http://1.usa.gov/1Y6ajRm
English for Journalism MOOC	Are you interested in a career in journalism? This MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) may be for you! This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in developing the skills needed for a career in journalism. This 5-week course starts August 15. #AEMOOCS #AmericanEnglish #journalism #MOOC	Explore print & digital media, write articles, & more w/ this #AEMOOC for journalism! Starts Aug 15.	http://tinyurl.com/journalmooc
Gender Guide for Educators	How do you break gender stereotypes in the classroom? Check out the new Guide for Educators: Creating Supportive Learning Environments for Girls and Boys. This guide provides teachers and administrators with tools and resources to create a gender-inclusive environment where all students can learn.	Teachers from around the world share how to break #GenderStereotypes in classrooms.	http://bit.ly/1W0rhkS

American English Update June 1

I will try to use this blog as portal of information as well. This monthly bulletin is treasure trove of free English resources provided by US Embassy KL. Do Enjoy!

What’s New from American English? 

• Make a photography exhibit in your classroom. This week’s Teacher’s Corner focuses on using photographs to enhance students’ vocabulary and get them asking and answering questions.

• Our latest animated video teaches the idiom “break the ice.” The video will be on the American English Facebook page and  YouTube channel later this week.

• June 5 is World Environment Day, and June 8 is World Ocean Day. Graphics to promote these days are attached.

Social Media

Please feel free to use this language to disseminate the new AE content via your social media platforms. 

Animated Videos for English learning	When you meet people for the first time, are you shy? Or do you say something to break the ice? Learn the meaning of the idiom “break the ice” with this #AmericanEnglish #idiom video.	How do you break the ice when you meet someone new? Learn to use “break the ice” w/this #AmericanEnglish #idiom video!	You Tube: http://bit.ly/1TPY2Rs  Facebook:   http://on.fb.me/1KoRezm
Teacher’s Corner	Create a photography exhibit in your classroom! Learn how to use photographs to enhance students’ vocabulary. #AmericanEnglish #TeachersCorner	Make a photo exhibit in your classroom & use photographs to enhance vocabulary. #TeachersCorner #AmericanEnglish	http://1.usa.gov/25xMaFK
World Environment Day	Today (June 5) is World Environment Day. What will you do to help the environment today and every day? #WorldEnvironmentDay #wed2016	What do you do to help the environment? #WorldEnvironmentDay #wed2016