ATESL  Edmonton Local Meeting

Friday, May 25, 2018

4:30 - 6:00 pm

NorQuest College

Singhmar Center for Learning

Room 3-062

Agenda:

• 4:30 - 5:00 p.m. - Snacks, beverages, and reconnect with other ESL practitioners.
• 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Apologia for Tweets: Twitter for Professional Development by Bonnie Nicholas

Bonnie Nicholas (@EALStories) teaches in the LINC program at NorQuest College, where she integrates #edtech into the teaching and learning in her classes. Bonnie earned her MEd in TESL from the University of Alberta in 2009. Her capping project was on the power of story in the ESL classroom; she continues to seek out and share 280-character stories on Twitter.

Presentation: Social media has become ubiquitous; even @Pontifex and @TheRoyalFamily are on Twitter. Unfortunately, so are the bots and the trolls. Like any other tool, Twitter and other social media platforms can be used for different purposes; they can be a force for good or ill in in the world, a pleasant diversion, or a black hole of wasted time.  At their worst, they contribute to the spread of misinformation, alternative facts, and hatred. At their best, social media tools can allow us to connect, create community, and learn from each other. By judiciously following leaders and colleagues in ELT on Twitter, we can stay on top of trends and know what is happening in our field. We can work out loud and contribute to conversations that are happening in the online world. We can reimagine our professional learning and build a Professional Learning Network (#PLN). Bring your smartphone and be prepared to get connected.

Hope to see you there!

Elina Stop and Diana Agudelo

Edmonton Local Co-Chairs

edmonton@atesl.ca

ATESL Chapter: Edmonton