Watch this space for news of forthcoming events.

If you have a suggestion for an event for ATESOL ACT, please contact your Committee.

As Canberra residents we are very fortunate to have this fabulous bookshop in our midst.  The Asia Bookroom in Macquarie specialises in all works Asian and regularly invites writers to speak.  Here are some of the events coming up in Spring - see the Asia Bookroom website for more details and to RSVP.

Patricia Bernard - Meet the Author - Thursday 20 Nov 2008 at 6pm

Gillian Green - Pictorial Cambodian Textiles - Thursday 4 December at 6pm

Below is a list of some past events to give you a taste of the types of events and activities we are organising for the members.   Some have links to further information from the events.  

• Engaging with reading: How to teach reading to students at all levels Presented by Kate Wilson, University of Canberra
  In this interactive presentation Kate Wilson drew from a holistic study of three reading classrooms in English for Academic Purposes. She suggested that scaffolding students’ development of reading practices requires high engagement as well as ‘high challenge and high support” (Hammond and Gibbons 2005). Using features from classrooms she has observed she showed how three teachers were able to create high engagement with text. Although these examples are taken from pre-tertiary settings, she made the presentation applicable to teachers at all levels. (Saturday 18 October)

• Spring Dinner with guest speaker Scott Thornbury
  Scott Thornbury gave a fascinating and inspiring speech of the sort that goes to the heart and stays. It was just great seeing 30 plus people chatting heartily away, obviously enjoying themselves.
  (Thursday, 18 September)

• ‘The Best of … ESL teaching’: lessons from the classroom. At the end of August we organised a PD session consisting of a panel of teachers from the preschool, primary and adult sectors who presented their “Best Ever Lessons”.  This proved a hit with attendees and is set to become a regular event on the ATESOL ACT calendar. (Saturday 23 August 2008)

  • Files from the PRESCHOOL presentation are available for downloading - several files in one 2.8 Mb ZIP file

  • Joy Arblaster's Alien Cards - one file in Word document format 376 kb

• Introduction to Digital Storytelling Workshop
  In this 4-hour workshop Eulea Kiraly of Tuggeranong Arts Centre introduced participants to techniques for developing Digital Stories - creating storylines through a story circle, storyboarding, and using PhotoStory3 to add images, record anrration and add music to create your final 'movie'. (Saturday 31st May 2008)
  Interesting links to find out more about Digital Storytelling:

  • See the Tuggeranong Arts Centre website for information on the full 26-hour workshops run by Eulea Kiraly.
  • The Australian Centre for the Moving Image has more information including many examples of Digital Stories
  • The Center for Digital Storytelling website has more example stories and resources.
  • Creating the Connections is a flexible resource kit aimed at developing students’ literacy and ICT skills as well as project planning and teamwork skills.
  • Liz Iannotti's ESL Course Websites - Lesson plans and stories from The English Language Center, Division of Adult & Continuing Education, LaGuardia Community College
  • The University of Houston's College of Education has a site on the Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling which includes examples and links to software downloads.
    
    
• Pre-ACTA Conference presentation by three Canberra TESOL practitioners: 
  Dr Deborah Hill (UC) - A community of learners
  Geoffrey Millar (ADFA) - the art of inclusive teaching.
  Peta Shepherd (SIEC/ Dickson College) - Introductory English Centres – more than English teaching centres Saturday 3rd May 2008
  
  

• Teacher talk by Merran Martin - My Life as an ESL Teacher 1972-2007
  Merran retired recently after many years at CIT. Her ESL experience includes teaching aboard the ships bringing new settlers to Australia. As well as being a highly regarded teacher at CIT, Merran worked in the Home Tutor Service, as a Student Advisor, and with refugees at Companion House. At the 2008 AGM, March 08.

• Meet the Author: Prof. Anna Wierzbicka discussed her latest book, TRANSLATING LIVES
  Asia Bookroom, Wednesday 30 May.
  Edited by Mary Besemeres and Anna Wierzbicka, Translating Lives is an immensely moving collection of personal stories tracing the experiences of twelve people living in Australia who speak more than one language. Contributors including Kim Scott and Eva Sallis show how their experiences of language colour the way they relate to people and the way they see the world. Through their eyes, we learn how language, culture and identity are intrinsically linked. Illuminating and insightful, Translating Lives is an engrossing read for every Australian wanting to understand the complex culture we live in today.
  For a taste of the talk, listen to an interview from SBS Radio - Translating Lives: 17.4.2007:  click on the link below to listen to the MP3:
  http://203.15.102.140/elg/fbceeeb9-3bf6-4150-a6ae-80432ccb40b6.mp3
  
  
• Visit to the exhibition Memory of a Nation at the National Archives of Australia and,
  Coming to Canberra - Guest speaker Jorge Bagnini, ACT Multicultural Arts Officer, introduced and presented this short DVD which he produced as part of "Project 1955", the culmination of research and interviews with migrants who were Canberra residents in 1955. The film depicts actors recounting the first-hand experiences of migrants from Italy, Holland, Austria, Poland, the UK, Malta and Greece. - Wednesday 11 April
  
  
• Grammar? Making Sense? (in PDF  format) workshop with Mary Macken-Horarik - 18 November 2006
  What is it about the word, ‘grammar’? It is a word that strikes panic into the hearts and minds of teachers widely regarded as expert in their knowledge about language.  
  
  
• Cross-Cultural Communication workshop - 26 July 2006
  
  
• Long Service Leave Suggestion: A Tad of Teaching and a Couple of Conferences (in PDF  format) By Margie Sainsbury, teacher and home tutor co-ordinator AMEP, CIT - February 2006
  
  
  

• AMEP RC Conferences in the field - a list of Australian and International Conferences maintained by the Adult Migrant English Program Research Centre

• Worldwide Calendar of Events from TESOL Inc