Multi-literacies: Connecting with the Language Classroom

Monday, 28 May 2007 :: 9.00am – 5.30pm :: Suntec Convention Centre, Level 3

Conference Highlight

In a globalized 21^st century when digitalized media, with tempting instant access round the clock defying time and borders, opens new and exciting ways of being in the world, the content, form and skills presented in the literacy classroom must rise to the challenge. To confront it head-on ELLTAS, together with the Press Foundation Singapore, is organizing a seminar for teachers. The objectives are to:

· Raise language teachers’ knowledge of different modalities which can be used in the classroom

· Demonstrate the use of multiliteracies to enhance students’ critical thinking skills

· Show teachers how to engage students actively with the world through informed access

· Provide a platform for language teachers to understand the use of multiliteracies

· Empower teachers through raising awareness of the role of semiotics in literacy practices

What will the Seminar cover?

To achieve the stated objectives, the seminar will provide teachers interesting ideas on using the new media to enrich students’ linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge in order to create informed and engaged individuals. Practical applications in the face of challenging technologies will be presented by informed and enthusiastic practitioners. Teachers will get the opportunity to acquire knowledge of new literacies as well as gather valuable tips on the teaching of new multiliteracies in the classroom.

Come join us to find out:

· What new technologies students engage with and what the implications are for the EL teacher

· How you can teach multiliteracies? What skills and strategies might students need as they access new technologies?

· How multiliteracies spawned by new technologies change the face of English Language teaching.

These and many other questions will be answered by leading practitioners at the seminar.

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Conference Programme

8.00am Registration

9.00am Start of Conference

Opening Address

Plenary Address 1

10.15 am Tea Break

10.45 am Workshop Series (A.M Session)

#1 Creative Learning with Storytelling – Asst. Prof Mark Chavez

#2 “校园网络广播教学法”工作坊 – Dr Chua Chee Lay

#3 BlogEL: Teaching text-types & grammar in the English Language through blogging – Ms Jamielene Joan Fernandez

#4 Designing Language Learning Tasks for Students’ New Literacy Needs – Dr Philip A. Towndrow (cancelled)

#5 Developing Oral Communication Skills through Broadcasting: The Process – Ms Shen Qiuhua & Ms Tan Li Wee

#6 excITe to write! – Mrs Kalpana Balasubramaniam

#7 Multiliteracies in the Language Classroom – Dr Maha Sripathy

#8 Project iREAD: Literature, Film and Media in the Primary Classroom – Mrs Monica Sharma Menon

#9 Using Student-Produced GP Documentaries in the Teaching of the General Paper – Ms Lim Meng Kean & Mr Daniel Yip Kok Hoong

#10 Language Comes Alive with ICT – Mr Low Min Chye

#11 Literacy through Creative Movement – Ms Nirmala Seshadri

#12 Cultivating Audience Awareness Through Blogging – Mr Collin Sebastian & Mrs Rita Zamzamah Ikeda

#13 Tools and Resources for Teaching Multiliteracies – Mr Sasi Kumar

#14 Language, Science and Technological Connectivity – Dr P N Avadhani

12.45 pm Lunch

1.45 pm Plenary Address 2

3.00pm Tea Break

3.30 pm Workshop Series (P.M Session)

#1 “校园网络广播教学法”工作坊 – Dr Chua Chee Lay

#2 BlogEL: Teaching text-types & grammar in the English Language through blogging – Ms Jamielene Joan Fernandez

#3 Designing Language Learning Tasks for Students’ New Literacy Needs – Dr Philip A. Towndrow

#4 Developing Oral Communication Skills through Broadcasting: The Process – Ms Shen Qiuhua & Ms Tan Li Wee

#5 excITe to write! – Mrs Kalpana Balasubramaniam

#6 Project iREAD: Literature, Film and Media in the Primary Classroom – Mrs Monica Sharma Menon

#7 Using Student-Produced GP Documentaries in the Teaching of the General Paper – Ms Lim Meng Kean & Mr Daniel Yip Kok Hoong

#8 Language Comes Alive with ICT – Mr Low Min Chye

#9 Literacy through Creative Movement – Ms Nirmala Seshadri

#10 Cultivating Audience Awareness Through Blogging – Mr Collin Sebastian & Mrs Rita Zamzamah Ikeda

#11 Tools and Resources for Teaching Multiliteracies – Mr Sasi Kumar

#12 Language, Science and Technological Connectivity – Dr P N Avadhani

#13 Using the New Media in English Language Learning by Ms Serene Siew

5.30pm Closing

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Details of Conference

Plenary Address 1

Approaches to Creative Visual Literacy in Instructional Education

Plenary Speaker

Assistant Professor Mark Chavez

School of Art, Design and Media

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Mark Chavez is an animation industry professional that has joined the ranks of academia at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media to experiment with new media narratives and technologies. Having worked as an animation director, art director and technical director as well as on large teams as a digital artist, he is well suited to creative endeavors in CGI. His professional experience, spanning more than 25 years, includes early work in interactive media and games, broadcast television and feature films (including eight years at Dreamworks Animation SKG and three at Rhythm and Hues Studios).

Mark’s academic research is focused on the creation of artificial life to drive storytelling.

Plenary Address 2

New Media, New Literacies: Making the Most of Prosumption

Plenary Speaker

Assistant Professor Dr Lim Sun Sun

Communications and New Media Programme, National University of Singapore

Dr Lim Sun Sun holds a PhD and an MSc in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics. She is an Assistant Professor at the Communications and New Media Programme, National University of Singapore. Her research interests are the social implications of new media and public perceptions of new technology. Her current research projects focus on the domestication of ICTs by middle-class families in Asia, media literacy and online privacy. She is also a member of the National Internet Advisory Committee which advises Singapore’s Media Development Authority on issues relating to new media.

Workshop by Mark Chavez

Creative Learning with Storytelling

This workshop is based upon work done within a creativity learning lab focused on “Machinima” toolsets that Professor Chavez has established in the Singapore Prison System and research being conducted at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media.

The thrust of this workshop is hands-on movie storytelling with real-time 3D movie making toolsets. The workshop will attempt to provide an understanding of teaching within the scope of present day toolsets that promote visual literacy in storytelling.

Assistant Professor Mark Chavez of Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media is an animation industry professional. Mark has worked as an artist driving 3D computer graphics technologies having contributed to the development of proprietary software and systems that eventually became commonplace in the CGI production pipeline.

Workshop Series I

Workshop #1: “校园网络广播教学法”工作坊

本工作坊的宗旨在于让参加者了解“校园网络广播教学法”的真谛，让参加者通过全面参与校园网络广播节目的制作，充分了解与亲自操作数码录音机、试用处理与剪辑语音的特殊软件等。更重要的是学习如何把新闻材料和现行的课本教材，转换为适于学生学习的广播教材，并以符合语文教学原则的新方式，培养与提高学生的语文能力。顺利完成工作坊者，将对校园网络广播教学法有全面和具体的认识，并且掌握一新媒体教学的新方法。

Dr. Chua Chee Lay is a Chinese linguist, educational technology researcher, award-winning poet and a dedicated educator who received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Institute of Education. He received an overseas scholarship from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to pursue his MA and Ph.D. in Chinese linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. His principal research interests include the use of IT in education, Chinese linguistics, culture and literature.

Workshop #2: BlogEL - Teaching text-types and grammar in the English Language through blogging

This presentation looks at how blogging is used to enhance the learning of text-types along with the relevant grammatical features. The session will give participants an account of how planning and implementation of this programme is carried out in a lower primary classroom. It will also discuss some of the possible challenges and relevant suggestions on how to overcome them.

Ms Jamielene Joan Fernandez is a beginning teacher at Stamford Primary school and is currently the form teacher of a Primary 3 class. With her first area of specialization being physical education, her interest also lies in sourcing for new means and ways to teach the English language using refreshing as well as engaging methods.

Workshop #3: Designing Language Learning Tasks for Students’ New Literacy Needs

This workshop presents an innovative method of designing language learning tasks with Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Hands-on work will involve identifying a relevant language learning outcome and then designing a short task with ICT to meet it in an open, flexible and student-centered way. Workshop participants are requested to bring their own wireless-equipped, laptop computers.

Dr Phillip A. Towndrow is a language teacher, teacher educator and researcher at the National Institute of Education. His areas of interest include pedagogy and practices in using ICT in language learning, teacher professional development and reflective practice.

**Note: Participants for Dr. Philip A. Towndrow’s workshop are required to bring their own laptops.

Workshop #4: Developing Oral Communication Skills through Broadcasting- The Process

This workshop focuses on the Innova Broadcasting Station. It will show how the Broadcasting Station sharpens students’ oral communication skills, both speaking and listening through the daily morning broadcast. It will also demonstrate to teachers how students acquire knowledge in various content subjects such as Geography and Economics through the podcasts they had produced. Teachers will be shown how the preproduction, production and postproduction processes help support the social and emotional learning needs of the students.

Ms Shen Qiuhua graduated from NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences with a First Class Honours in Economics. Currently teaching Economics in Innova Junior College, she is a CCA teacher consultant of New Media Arts (Broadcasting) of the college. She believes in the importance of student-centered learning to engage students in their teaching and learning.

Ms Tan Li Wee has a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) from NIE, specialising in English Language. Having graduated from NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, she is equipped with both audio and visual production skills. She believes in the immense potential that the New Media has in today’s classroom and is enthusiastic in integrating it in current pedagogical practices.

Workshop #5: excITe to wrITe!

This presentation will help the participants to see how we can use advertisements and movie clips to help children write better. The visual impact of the media can go a long way to motivate children to not only write but to write well. Participants will be walked through an English writing lesson with tips on how to modify the resources for the different ability groups.

Kalpana Balasubramaniam has been in the education service for more than 17 years. Her focus has always been innovation and excitement in classroom lessons. Kalpana’s interest areas include introducing innovative ideas in the classroom to enhance the learning of English.

Workshop #6: Multiliteracies in the Language Classroom

Literacy today is very much a social skill that requires the ability to operate a broad range of social and cultural representations. These representations take on added meanings with information and communication technologies that surround us today.

The focus will be on identifying the range of multiliteracies accessible to learners and the specific skills needed to understand their potency. Teachers will be shown how the specific outcomes stated in the English Language Syllabus can be attained by looking at multiliteracies.

Skills and strategies needed to achieve the learning outcomes will be discussed against this background.

The session will demonstrate how reading and writing lessons can be integrated with other semiotic systems (drama, popular-culture media, visual art) and communication technologies to teach students both language and the critical skills that they will need to be equipped with to access and use the new literacies.

Maha Sripathy is an experienced teacher educator, who has worked with pre-service and in-service teachers at both the graduate and post-graduate levels in Singapore, Australia and the region. Her special interests are in the area of alternative assessment, teaching of writing and multiliteracies. She works with schools to plan and implement specially tailored professional development courses for teachers. She is also consultant and examiner to private educational institutions in their Early Childhood and Liberal Arts programmes.

Workshop Series II

Workshop #7: Project iREAD: Literature, Film and Media in the Primary Classroom

This presentation looks at how movies, along with the accompanying readers can be used in the primary classroom to enhance English Lessons and develop critical thinkers. The session will give participants a detailed account of how planning, implementation and monitoring of a school wide reading/literature programme is carried out at the primary. It will provide practical tips on how to craft the English lessons to create an exciting and engaging classroom.

Mrs Monica Sharma Menon has been in the education service for more than 17 years. In 2005, she crafted her own Teacher Work Attachment at a preschool in order to develop a school based integrated curriculum for the SEED programme. Monica is currently pursuing her masters by research full time at NIE. Her interest areas include enhancing teacher capacity and curriculum design.

Workshop #8: Using Student-Produced GP Documentaries in the Teaching of the General Paper

The use of student-produced documentaries proved to be an effective teaching tool in the teaching of the General Paper (GP). The media literacy skills taught in the production of GP documentaries can be useful and dynamic and are relevant in the tackling of significant and current issues discussed in GP classes. Participants will gain an insight into the various stages of producing a GP documentary as well as the benefits and constraints that come with it. There will be a hands-on session.

Mr Lim Meng Kean has been a General Paper teacher in some colleges for more than 15 years. She is an arts graduate from the National University of Singapore and an MSc (Applied Linguistics) from the University of Edinburgh. Currently, she works with her Oral Communication team in Innova Junior College to nurture confident communicators.

Daniel Yip Kok Hoong graduated with BA (Hons) in English Language from the National University of Singapore. Currently, he is a GP teacher in Innova Junior College and has taught for two years. Together with Meng Kean, he pioneered the GP documentary series in IJC.

Workshop #9: Language Comes Alive with ICT

One cannot deny that the media plays a paramount role in the life of today’s youth who are easily bored by the mundane. Xingnan Primary School uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to better pupil learning in the languages through the Broadcast Centre and Oral Communication Programme. Teachers will get a walk through of the structured Oral Communication Programme and the newly established Broadcast Centre and shown how the school is able to add a new level of realism and excitement to language teaching.

Mr Low Min Chye begun his teaching career in 2000 upon graduation from the National Institute of Education with a Bachelor of Arts with a Diploma in Education. In 2001, he was appointed to the position of Level Head for the English Language Department in Xingnan Primary School, a position he still fills to this day. In his capacity as Head, Learning Centre, Min Chye oversees the professional development of the teachers in the school, the school’s in-house Talent Development Programme as well as the Learning Centre (the school’s library/Broadcast Centre.) Min Chye is also one of the two vice-presidents of ELLTAS (The English Language and Literature Teachers’, Singapore).

Workshop #10: Literacy through Creative Movement

As the world rapidly becomes more complex, there is a critical need to develop the skills to separate information from knowledge systems. It is becoming more and more necessary to find ways to harness information in such a way that it stimulates the processes that lead to knowledge rather than to kill them. The artistic and performance process is one way of tackling this situation for it develops the adaptive capacity to think and act responsively and flexibly; to represent what one understands in a variety of manners. The workshop attempts to provide an exposure to and experience of the creative process of dance choreography leading to performance.

Nirmala Seshadri is a performer, choreographer, arts educator, researcher and writer. A recipient of various awards including the Singapore National Arts Council’s “Young Artist Award”, Nirmala currently serves on the Council’s Arts Resource Panel. In year 2000, she co-facilitated, with Dr. Lynn Sullivan, the workshop "Arts as Languages for Learning" organized for teachers and artists in Singapore. Nirmala’s choreographic work is experimental in nature. Over the years, she has been pushing the boundaries of her dance form and discovering new connections with music, poetry, theatre, film, visual art and mathematics.

Workshop #11: Cultivating Audience Awareness Through Blogging

Having identified that awareness of audience in writing is a struggle for many pupils, this group of teachers from Catholic High School (Primary) capitalised on blogging as an interactive medium and an authentic platform to cultivate audience awareness. In this workshop, the presenters will share their experiences in preparing and implementing this strategy. They will also discuss the impact of this intervention strategy on the pupils’ awareness of audience.

Mr Collin Sebastian has been teaching since 1997. He began his teaching career at Jiemin Primary School, before transferring to his ideal school, Catholic High, a Catholic all-boys school in 1999. He has been happily teaching English to the Upper Primary boys in the Gifted Education Programme ever since.

Mrs Rita Zamzamah Ikeda is a teacher of the Gifted in Catholic High School (Primary). A reflective practitioner, she is a strong advocate of Action Research as a tool to continually fine-tune pedagogical practices for meaningful learning. Her research interests include new literacy practices and bilingualism. With the accelerated change Information Technology has brought about, Mrs Ikeda is excited to align classroom teaching with her pupils’ literacy practices.

Workshop #12: Tools and Resources for Teaching Multiliteracies

This workshop will look at the use of digital media productions and web developments in the classroom. He will show teachers how to create and use forums, web sites, pod casting, and vodcasting (video pod casting) to make their lessons come alive and teach children valuable skills that will enhance their learning. If you want to add an interesting dimension to your teaching and engage students in the learning process, then this workshop is not to be missed.

Sasi Kumar is currently with Elchemi Education which deals with Apple technologies in education. He has trained students and professionals in digital media productions and web developments. His area of specialisation is in production work such as Stopmotion, 3D animation and Video productions. He has dealt with web development such as blogging, forums, web sites, podcasting and vodcasting. He is well versed in softwares such as Maya and 3D Studio Max. He uses Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premier for digital Video productions and Dreamweaver, PHP and MySql for his web developments. Having a good knowledge of the different software that run on different platforms, he has been interested in using these technologies to enhance students' language and learning.

Workshop #13: Language, Science and Technological Connectivity

Over a period of time, dramatic changes have occurred in the amount of information that has become available, the nature of information tools that have evolved and the speed of communication.

The print media, cinema, radio, television, telephones have all played a significant part in peoples lives and changed the way they receive information and respond to it. In schools the multi media presentations have become the norm and in many instances have replaced, “chalk and talk”. Computers and internet have revolutionized the process. Such modern means of communication are developing their own “lingoes”.

There are three main worries about this. One is whether the writer and reader (or the speaker and the listener) are tuned to each other. Other wise what is given and what is understood may be different. The second worry is whether the speed of communication is much faster than the speed of assimilation. This mismatch requires additional technologies for storage and retrieval. A third one is information overload.

Admittedly, we can not put the clock back but we should think and develop strategies for coping up with these problems.

This session will show teachers how to use technology to connect concepts and skills in language to science and vice versa. Taking a Language across the Curriculum Approach, the session will show teachers specific metacognitive strategies that can be taught and reinforced through a multiliteracies approach.

Dr P N Avadhani obtained his Ph.D from Durham University and held a 2 year post- doctoral fellowship at McGill University in Canada. He joined the Botany Department of the then University of Malaya in Singapore, during which period he was a visiting scientist in several institutions in different countries on sabbatical and study visits. He has trained several students who are now in prominent positions. His teaching philosophy is that his students must become better than him. He continues to be involved in various voluntary organizations educational, scientific, social and spiritual and is passionate about nature and biodiversity. He is currently a free lance consultant.

Mr Colin Sebastian	Dr Chua Chee Lay	Dr Lim Sun Sun	Dr Maha Sripathy
Dr Philip Towndrow	Dr P. N. Avadhani	Ms Kalpana Bala	Mr Low Min Chye
Mr Mark Chavez	Mrs Monica Menon	Ms Nirmala Seshadri	Ms Rita Zamzamah
Ms Jamielene Fernandez	Mr Sasi Kumar	Ms Shen Qiuhua

Organised by:

About the English Language & Literature Teachers Association (Singapore)

ELLTA(S) aims to provide language teachers with networking opportunities, not just with individuals, but with schools, tertiary colleges and publishers. We seek always to publicise good teaching practices and current research findings and provide opportunities for members to exchange views and to engage in professional dialogue. For more information about ELLTA(S), please visit its website at http://www.elltas.org.

Sponsored by:

About Singapore Press Holdings Foundation

The Singapore Press Holdings Foundation, a registered charity and an Institution of Public Character, was set up in January 2003 to help build a lifelong learning community that embraces language enrichment, creativity, diversity, healthy living and sports. The seed contribution of $20 million to the Foundation came from media group Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. For more information about the Foundation, please visit its website at www.sphfoundation.org.sg.

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Registration Information

Early bird	By Friday, 11 May 2007	$120.00 per person (inclusive of 5% GST)
Standard	After Friday, 11May 2007	$150.00 per person (inclusive of 5% GST)

Terms of Registration

- Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. Organisers may allocate participants to their next choice of workshops if their first choice is unavailable.

- Each workshop is limited to only 50 participants per session.

- Registration closes on Friday, 18 May 2007.

- All registrants will receive a Handy Resource Kit.

To Register

Click on the link below to register online. Registration can also be done at www.ELLTAS.org.sg/teachersconf2007 directly.

Payment

Must be received on or before Friday, 18 May 2007.

Cheque (s) must accompany printed copies of acknowledgement email.

Groups may submit a single cheque together with copies of acknowledgement emails.

Please indicate full name of participants on the reverse side of the cheque (s).

Disclaimer : ELLTAS and the SPHF reserve the right to change the programme without any prior notice needed.

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