Contributor: Satria O Firmanto
From April 20 to 22, 2009, the writer participated as one of the speakers in the 44th RELC International Seminar which was conducted by Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) in cooperation with Regional Language Center (RELC). The aims of the seminar were to identify the changes that have taken place over the past twenty years in the use of technology in language teaching, to discuss the effects of these new developments on the latest approaches to the teaching of languages, and to explore the future effects of technological developments on language learning process.
A big display screen showing how students of Jurong Primary School apply technology in their learning started the opening ceremony. Then, a group of students performed a jazz chant about how technology has changed the way they learn English.
The seminar was officially opened by H E Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit, the Minister of Education of Thailand and the SEAMEO Council President. In his inauguration speech, he highlighted the facts how pen and paper lessons, chalk and talk methods are becoming archaic and teachers need to find ways to reach out to students who are fast becoming digital natives. A presentation from Philip Hubbard entitled Listening to Learn: New Opportunities in an Online World completed the opening ceremony.
During the parallel sessions, the writer attended several interesting sessions. On the first day, the writer attended the presentation about how to teach English with iPods for motivating learners conducted by Japanese lecturer Yasumi Murata. The second presentation of the parallel session was about the use of asynchronous computer-mediated communication in an acad
emic writing course by Neni Isharyanti from Satya Wacana Salatiga. In the workshop session, the writer attended a workshop about how to make online activities and courses in an easy way which was presented by Eric Baber, a representative from Cambridge University Press. The participants learned how to use website like www.english360.com and www.quia.com to design, upload, and publish exercises. In the second day parallel session, the writer attended a presentation about how to mix teachers with technology by Lance Knowles, how to teach listening and speaking skills to young digital natives by Pamela Thuraisingam and Nisha Omar Khan, and how computer games teach teachers about today’s learners by Gavin D Dudeney. On this day, the writer gave a presentation about how to use Microsoft Learning Essentials for teaching English. A workshop session about integrating Podcasting into foreign language classes by Lara Ducate ended the second day. Her presentation showed how an iPod can be a powerful tool for improving students’ creativity and confidence in learning English. On the last day, the writer attended a presentation about using technology in lesson study to design a comprehensive instructional framework by Cherlyn Raeburn and about synchronizing language pedagogy and language software by Deborah Healey. A panel discussion ended the last day seminar.
The seminar was successful in emphasizing its messages. It really rings the bell which wakes us up to realize that we are now living in a high technology environment, that the technology should make learning easier and more interesting yet meaningful and purposeful, and that our students may be already one step ahead from us in dealing with the tech. Are we, teachers, ready to catch up with the rise of the machine in our classes?