Rascals 2014 at Ahuntsic College
Schedule for Rascals 2014 at Ahuntsic College—June 10th
10:00 Check-in Main Hall G1510
12:00 Lunch (55) Main Hall G1510
12:55 Welcome Message (5) Main Hall G1510
13:00-14:00
Plenary Address--Norman Segalowitz: Cognitive Bases of Second Language Fluency (60 minutes) Main Hall G1510
14:00-14:15
Transition Time (15)
14:15-15:15
CAROUSEL PRESENTATIONS
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
(3x20 mins)
Pearson ELT Room C3120
Editions Malcom Rm C3140
CEC- Forward 1-2-3 Rm Rm 3710
Sounds Virtual Inc. Rm C3755
Chenelière Éducation–REAL 2nd Ed. Rm C3715
Thorvin Electronics
C3750
Oxford University Press Rm 3440
14:15-15:15
8. The Acronym Panel (60 mins) Rm C4550
Descriptions follow below.
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14:15-15:15
CAROUSEL PRESENTATIONS
(3x20 mins)
1. Everything you need for your ESL class! --Bernardo Souza (Pearson ELT) Carousel Presentation Room C3120
Whether it be for Block A or Block B, from levels 100 to 103, everything you need to effectively teach your ESL classes is readily available
at Pearson ELT. Join us in this short session to see at a glance the vast selection of resources available to you. Note: Participants will also
go away with a few goodies!
2. Evolution and Innovation in Language Lab Development--Wilf Langevin (Thorvin Electronics) Carousel Presentation Room
C3750
Topics to be discussed: History of Labs since 1963, 2014 the next generation, 100% Software, Links to the Cloud, Multiple device support –
iPad, Surface, Android, Text-To-Speech – very high quality! Vocabulary Testing and Pronunciation skills, HTML5 Content Creation Tool
(online), Easy way to use internet audio and video, Text to Speech, Study 1200 , solo, Pronounce, Sanako Solo Apps, Cloud Based apps
anyplace anywhere, any Time (Available 4th quarter 2014)
3. The Needs of the Millennial Generation Going Forward: A Panel Discussion -- Carolyn Genge, Enrique Fernandez Valesquez, Steve
MacDonald, Ron Patterson, Anthony Granato, Jane Petring, Louise Munger (60 minute presentation) (Les Éditions CEC) Room C3710
Every teacher has a different way of meeting the needs of an increasingly cellphone-dependent, media-savvy generation. Because students are
so familiar with using technology to communicate, ESL teachers are perhaps responding to and even embracing this challenge more quickly than
most teachers. How are you adjusting to the technology needs of the millennial generation? We invite you to join our panel discussion with
experienced ESL authors about the issues and solutions surrounding technology in the ESL classroom.
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4. Acronym Panel—Who’s Who in the CEGEP ESL World: CASLT, CCDMD, ECQ, DecClic, AQPC, VTE, APOP, CDC Rm C3450
Panelists: Fanny Kingsbury (AQPC), Paulette Cake (CCDMD), Terry Price (CASTL), Christophe Revered (VTE), Pierre Cohen-Bacrie (ADTE),
Louise Paulauskas (ECQ), Isabelle Laplante (CDC)
The Cegep ESL network abounds with acronyms. This panel will be an opportunity for all of us to learn more about what these institutions do
and how we can make the most of what they have to offer.
15:15-15:30
Transition Time (15)
15:30 Coffee Break with the Publishers Main Hall G1510
16:00
5. Power Tools to Improve Pedagogy—Nicholas Walker (60 minutes) Room C3120
ESL teachers have been described as the workhorses of the academic world. With learner-centered activities to prepare and four skills to
evaluate, we sometimes find ourselves run off our feet and wondering if any of our efforts are having much effect on our learners' English
proficiency. In this presentation, I will present a series of free "power-tools" that I have been developing to help every learner perform and to
help every teacher deliver better feedback on student performance. Data from Google Analytics, teacher testimonials and concrete
examples of student work will be offered as evidence of the fitness-of-purpose of these "power-tools" for improving ESL pedagogy.
6. Every teacher should know what they REALLY want to achieve in a classroom –Norman Spatz (60 minutes) Room C3140
I created a virtual cohort this year with Lisa Deguire of Cégep de Jonquière for the course English in Business. We built on the work that I
had done last year, but learned to constructively and imaginatively work with our technical staff and the administration and most of all to
understand that what our goals are and think outside the box to achieve them.
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7. Every Teacher…Can Be a Master—Netta Gorman (60 minutes) Room C3710
We may never get to be contenders on MasterChef Canada, but every teacher can be a MasterTeacher…All you need is a pinch of
creativity, a dollop of time management, and a couple spoonfuls of good advice from seasoned teachers who have felt the heat in the
kitchen – or classroom. This workshop will allow new and experienced teachers to discuss tried and tested teaching methods, and maybe
even exchange a few recipes.
8. Pearson ELT My eLab: More than just another platform! --Bernardo Souza (Pearson ELT) Room C3755 (60 minutes) Rm C3755
For years, every teacher has had to work with various platforms, whether it be Moodle, Odilon or any other. Listening to our customers, we
realized that these platforms just weren’t cutting it. That is why Pearson ELT developed My eLab, based on comments from hundreds of teachers
and students who explained to us what worked for them and what didn’t.As a result, My eLab is simple, intuitive, interactive and flexible. But
don’t take it from us! Join us for this presentation to see for yourself! Note: Participants will also go away with a few goodies!
9. CEC The Needs of the Millennial Generation Going Forward: A Panel Discussion (60 minutes)
(TBA) Rm C3750
10. A New Online English Learning Resource for Soins Infirmiers—Beverly Baker (60 minutes–in a multimedia lab) Lab C3430
We are a group of researchers supported by Health Canada investigating the English needs of Francophone nurses in their workplaces in
Quebec. We are now piloting a free online tool we have developed for nurses and nursing students, with authentic nursing scenarios,
exercises, lots of feedback, and recordings of appropriate language for the workplace. In this presentation we will outline our project and
demonstrate the tool. We are hoping to convince you to try out the tool with your students in soins infirmiers and provide feedback, so that
the final version can become a useful teaching resource for you.
(60 minutes)
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17:00 -17:30 (30 minutes)
11. Getting to Yes: Using Negotiation Theory to Produce Great Oral Activities—Robin Dick (30 minutes) Rm C3120
Using competitive debate in the language classroom has been used widely as an effective technique to get students talking. Perhaps an
under-exploited technique involves having students attempt to arrive at agreement through a process of negotiation, in which participants
defend their interests and yet accept compromise. Negotiation theory can be exploited to create highly relevant, fun, and motivating
activities in all kinds of simulated situations. This presentation proposes to briefly explain the theory, share some material that has worked
well in the classroom, offer some practical advice about how to create material, and brainstorm about possible subject matter.
12. Bande à part: A music application to enhance the L2 learning experience—Ross Sunberg (30 minutes) Room C3140
We have created a mobile application for intermediate level learners of French. We drew on second language acquisition and computerassisted language learning theory and research during the development of the tool. The app uses music to enhance the learning
experience both in and out of the classroom. In our presentation, we will demonstrate the tool and show how it promotes a focus on
language form and the noticing of the prosodic features of French.
13. Serious Games: Ready to Negotiate—Avery Rueb (30 minutes) Room C3710
Prêt à négocier/ Ready to Negotiate is a serious game for English and French language learning classrooms which aims to motivate
students to master the skills involved in oral interaction (i.e. asking/answering questions) through synchronous negotiations between
students, the teacher and even native speakers. In the game, students collaborate and compete to make deals on everyday products like
cars, apartments and smart phones to earn badges, complete missions and level up. The game also facilitates the teacher’s job of creating
a dynamic and effective learning environment. Ready to Negotiate is being made for iOS, Android and all browsers.
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14. Every Teacher Should Get a Buzz from the Reading Project –Aileen Lamont (30 minutes) Room C3755
Tired of students not reading assigned texts, not answering questions, and not doing work on text vocabulary? Frustrated with a lack of
discussion on texts or hearing mostly French during discussion of texts? Then The Reading Project is for you! Come and hear how you can
get a buzz out of your students reading, writing and talking in English about English texts!
15. Every Teacher can Enjoy their Students’ Original Research Projects -- Moira Rehmer (30 minutes) Room C3715
Teachers might be inspired to have their students conduct a variety of original research; be it an experiment or a field study. They will see the
materials used to guide the students in thinking about a research idea and organizing their information about background and hypothesis,
methods, results and conclusion.
16. MyCECZone.com and CECPlus.com: Your Digital Solutions (Les Éditions CEC )(30 minute presentation) Room C3430
Are you tired of writing on a board, handing out answers to your students or having to play back a CD or DVD in your classroom? Are you looking
for a one-stop solution to your ESL multimedia and online needs to make classroom management a snap? Join us for a step-by-step tour of CEC’s
interactive platforms: MyCECZone.com for teachers and CECPlus.com for students—two essential online tools that will improve the way you
teach!
17:30 – 17:45 Transition Time (15 mins)
17:45
Beer Tasting and Appetizer Pairings with Martin Thibault (60 minutes) Main Hall G1510
18:45
Dinner and Music (75) Main Hall G1510
20:00-22:00
Dancing (120 minutes) Photo Booth (120 minutes)
22:00-23:00
Night Cap (60 minutes)
Karaoke (120 minutes) in the Agora
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Wednesday, June 11, 2014
7:30-8:30
Morning Swim (Please confirm your interest at the registration desk)
8:00-9:00
Pay-as-you-go Breakfast in the Cafeteria
9:00-9:45
LEVEL MEETINGS
9:45-10:15
100-Level Meeting
Rm C3120
Daniel Boulerice
101-Level Meeting
Rm C3140
Isabelle Lapointe
102-Level Meeting
Rm C3710
David Coward
103-Level Meeting
Rm C3755
Mark Housego
Coffee break with the publishers
10:15-10:45 (30 minutes)
1. Developing English writing skills through semiotic mediation–Valerie Markham (30 minutes) Room C3120
Would you like to generate excitement and argument in an English writing class? Would you rather function as a mediator on demand to your
students as they develop their English writing skills from each other rather than from you? If so, semiotic mediation, a process wherein students
negotiate with each other for every element of a written task, will be of interest to you. This workshop will explain the process and how it could
forever change the way you develop English writing skills among your students.
2. Debate: “Every teacher should teach narratives instead of persuasive essays”
Nicholas Walker vs Mark Housego (30 minutes) Rm C3140
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10:15-11:15 (60 minutes)
3. Communicating with Grammar -- Ian McRoberts (Oxford University Press) 50 minute presentation Room C3710
What is grammar? How is grammar learned? Should grammar be taught explicitly? Do error correction and feedback help or hinder learning
grammar? Participants will debate the answers to the preceding questions and review findings based on current SLA research. They will then
learn how to create exercises that lead to more effective learning for their students.
4. Technically Speaking: A new edition of a B-Block staple! (Pearson ELT) Room C3755
Technically Speaking: English at Work has been a staple in B-Block courses across the province, as well as in business and vocational courses
across Canada. Now in a new edition, Technically Speaking: English at Work features not only new and updated articles and audio interviews,
but also new activities based on social media! Join us for this presentation and be one of the first to see how Technically Speaking: English at
Work, Third Edition is key to a successful transition to the workplace! Note: Participants will also go away with a few goodies!
5. Cleaning Up Block B—Netta Gorman Room C3715
Do you have students from several different programs in your Block B courses? How can you make your Block B course content more “propre”,
especially when there are 5, 6 or even 10 different specializations in one group? Whether your college puts students in program-families or not,
cleaning up Block B can be done…but you have to be ready to learn as much as you teach! In this workshop I will present ways I have succeeded
(and sometimes not so much) in catering to diverse needs in Block B courses over the last 15 years. A brainstorming and discussion period will
follow.
6. Tech Panel Room C3750
Panelists: Susan Mac Neil , Gina Lavigne, and Giel Hoffman and others
The teachers on this panel will demonstrate and share some aspects of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in ESL.
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7. Sounds Virtual 50-minute lab presentation Lab C3430
Sounds Virtual presents the CAN-8 VirtuaLab software: Sounds Virtual CAN-8 VirtuaLab-Anywhere, Anytime -- Ms Carole Enriquez, Mr
Richard Snider (Sounds Virtual). How to effectively deliver language-training curriculum, create assessments that meet ministerial
standards and reduce teachers’ workload tracking students’ progress at any time, from anywhere. The emphasis will be on the software
flexibility to adapt to students’ and teachers’ schedule.
10:45-11:15 (30 minutes)
8. How Every Teacher Can Benefit from an Odyssey Language Assistant -- Rebecca Peters Higgins & Marielle McCrum (30
minutes) Room C3120
Learn how to get the most out of your Odyssey language assistants! Benefit from this Heritage Canada program with sample activities,
suggestions for improving your existing program to maximize the assistants’ potential, practical solutions for problems you may be
experiencing, and how Language Assistants can benefit the entire department. There will also be time to share ideas and materials after
the presentation.
9. Debate: “English should be the only language used in the classroom” Melvin Shantz versus Maxime Lavallée
(30 minutes) Rm C3140
11:15-12:15 (60 minutes)
10. Tutor Training for Dummies – Susan Meier Room C3120
Well-trained ESL tutors can make a dramatic difference in improving the skills of 100-level students. This workshop explains how tutors can
be trained to use a simple five-step student-centered communicative approach to help tutees with the four skills. An overview of this
methodology and an example of how high-level students are trained to tutor verb tenses will be presented. This type of training enables
tutors to develop techniques to help their tutees use and understand English, discover grammar rules on their own, practice target
structures with controlled and communicative exercises, and gain confidence with the language.
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11. Course Alignment through Collaborative Narrative Writing Projects—Nicholas Walker Room C3140
Why is it so hard to remember more than one or two items in the news? Our brains remember best when information is meaningfully linked
together by something other than recency. In this presentation, participants will see how collaborative narrative writing projects provide unique
opportunities to align a grammar syllabus so lessons are stored in long-term memory. Participants will also learn how research findings suggest
that an inappropriate emphasis on thesis-writing and academic language in ESL at the 100 and 101 levels not only reduces opportunities for skills
alignment but also harms students' critical thinking skills, self-expression and ultimate attainment.
12. This I believe… Room C3710
Panelists: Martin Thibault, Terry Price , Mohammad Hashemi and Daniel Boulerice
The panelists will share some of their core beliefs as ESL educators.
13. Every Student Should Read! Jacinthe Paillé Landry Room C3755
Maya Angelou said, "Any book that a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him." As
College English teachers, have you brought dynamic and stimulating novels into the classroom? Or would you like to but do not know what to
choose for a specific level? This workshop will go over some ideas and projects tried in class, and through discussions and exchanges, hopefully
inspire you to get every one of your students to read!
14. Commercial presentation:
Every Teacher Reaching Every Student with
--Sandra Cole (Chenelière Éducation) Room C3715
E-evaluations… E-homework… E-books…E-sharing…E-verything…Are you looking for an exciting new, user -friendly online platform that enables
EVERY TEACHER to connect with and adapt to the learning needs and challenges of today’s students? Would you like an interactive classroom
platform that allows you to create your OWN activities and SHARE them with your students and colleagues? Would you like an electronic
textbook that is truly INTERACTIVE? Come learn more about these new digital tools that Chenelière Education offers you and your students with
the second edition of the REAL series and walk away with practical, hands-on, easy to use tools for your interactive classroom.
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15. Evaluation Panel Room C3750
Panelists: Melvin Shantz, Dennis Divsic, Joan Thompson and others.
The teachers on this panel will show and discuss evaluation grids that they use as well as share their thoughts on some aspect of evaluation in
their college ESL courses.
12:15 Lunch
13:00 Announcements - draws
13:15 Plenary Address—Expert Panel: What should every teacher know about emerging research? Main Hall G 1510
Jock Mackay—Learners at Risk Walcir Cardoso—CALL /Pronunciation Eva Kartchava—Corrective Feedback Beth Gatboton—New Methods Q &
A (10 minutes)
14:15 Transition Time
14:30-15:30
Workshop with Jock Mackay (60 minutes) Rm C3120
Workshop with Walcir Cardoso (60 minutes) Rm C3140
Workshop with Eva Kartchava (60 minutes) Rm C3755
Workshop with Beth Gatbonton (60 minutes) Rm C3750
15:30 Coffee with the Researchers and Closing Message
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