Dr. Saleh Al-Busaidi

Dr Saleh Salim Al-Busaidi is an associate professor of English as a foreign language at the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Sultanate of Oman. He received his BA in TEFL at Sultan Qaboos University in 1995, his MA in TEFL at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom in 1997, and his PhD in curriculum studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA in 2003. He is currently the dean of the College of Education at SQU. He previously served as the Director of the Language Centre at SQU (2010 – 2016). Dr Al-Busaidi has participated in many national and international conferences and symposia. He has published many journal articles and book chapters on a range of topics. His main research interests are: learner autonomy, material development, study/academic skills, academic readiness and language acquisition.

Title: Humanizing ELT​

Abstract

Learning is in essence the outcome of an interaction between the teacher and the learner, or the learner and the material or situation. Learning occurs when students are actively involved with their education. After centuries of foreign language education, we find ourselves still discussing the same issues (student engagement, low achievement, learner-centered approach, test-driven teaching, etc.). Many teachers are still reluctant to adopt learner-centered methodology. As we look ahead to what teaching and learning will look like in the next twenty years, it seems that there would be revolutionary changes especially in the role of technology. Technology will play a greater role in both shaping the subject matter and the delivery mechanisms. In addition, the current pandemic has resulted in explosive growth in individualized learning facilitated through technology, making this mode of education more common and is slowly being accepted as part of formal education. Instead of learning from individuals who have the credentials to teach (teachers), students now learn more from others whom they seek. We need to think of innovative and creative ways to increase classroom engagement through personalized and flexible learning environments. The humanization of learning and teaching is of a greater importance in English language and even more essential in contexts where the language is taught as a foreign language due to the traditionally low motivation and potentially negative attitude learners exhibit towards the language. This presentation will address the issue of humanization of English language teaching with implications for teachers, curriculum developers and testers

Dr. Joy Smiley Zabala

Dr. Joy Smiley Zabala, the Principal Consultant at Zabala and Associates, has been a leader in the use of assistive technology (AT) to improve education and life for people with disabilities for more than three decades. As a technologist, special educator, teacher trainer, and conference speaker, she has earned international recognition for her work on Assistive and Accessible Technologies, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Accessible Educational Materials (AEM). Dr. Zabala is the developer of the SETT Framework (http://www.joyzabala.com/), a model that is widely-used by families and educators for collaborative decision-making in all phases of assistive technology service design and delivery and more. She is a co-founder of QIAT (Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology) and the facilitator of the QIAT List (http://www.qiat.org). For the past decade, Dr. Zabala has been the Director of Technical Assistance for CAST where she co-directed the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (AEM Center) and currently serves as the Principal Investigator for the Center on Inclusive Technology in Education Systems (CITES).

Title: Get SETT for Success with Assistive Technology

Abstract:

SETT is an acronym for Student, Environments, Tasks and Tools. The SETT Framework helps families, educators, and others work together to identify concerns and consider the tools (technology, strategies, training, etc.) that lower barriers to achievement of educational, vocational and personal goals. A key element of the SETT Framework is developing a shared understanding of who–Student/Self–will be using tools, where the tools will be used–Environments– and what the tools will be used for–Tasks–BEFORE trying to choose or use Tools that, if chosen just because they are terrific tools, may or may not actually useful.  

By exploring the Student, Environments and Tasks before trying to identify select and use Tools, (both devices and services) it is possible, from the start, to address and overcome many of the obstacles that lead to marginal or unilateral participation, general dissatisfaction and device abandonment.  When individuals with disabilities, their families and professionals work together, it ensures that everyone involved has a voice and point of view that is included in the development of the description of the Student/Self, the Environments and the Tasks.  When everyone participates in building shared knowledge and identifying what is still needed for wise decisions, it is far less likely to hear things like, “Well, the device is here, now what do I do with it?” or “He has it, but he won’t use it!” or “They just told us what to do!”  Instead, beginning with the conversation and moving forward, individuals with disabilities, families and professionals will be prepared to determine if: they have enough information to make decisions; an evaluation is needed; the scope of the evaluation; effective use of AT by a students; and, how to determine whether the AT is helping the student as expected or if changes are needed.

Dr. Chris Boyle

Dr. Chris Boyle is an Associate Professor in Inclusive Education and Psychology at the University of Exeter. He has recently been the Director of Doctoral Studies at Exeter and currently supervises doctoral students in various areas of study including special education, psychology, and labeling in special education. He is currently on various editorial boards including School Psychology International; Journal of Special Educational Needs (JORSEN) and he was the Editor in Chief of The Educational and Developmental Psychologist (2012 – 2017). He has published widely in psychology and education with over 100 publications( including six books) in various outlets. Professor Boyle is the lead editor of a forthcoming publication entitled Inclusive Education: Global Issues and Controversies which is expected to be released by Brill publishers in July 2020. He is a registered educational psychologist both in the UK and in Australia and was also a secondary school teacher in Scotland.

Title: Inclusive Education Progression and the Inclusionists

Abstract:

The international Salamanca Statement in 1994 was a watershed for progressive advocates of inclusive education. There is no question that much progress has been made and continues to be made in these intervening years. However, it seems a reasonable question to now ask if inclusive education has, indeed, plateaued. Over the past 25 years, in many (if not most) countries, it has been recognised that inclusive education is something to be aimed for. Having inclusive schools and by extension having an inclusive society is a goal that many governments want to say that they have achieved.

A wider issue is just what exactly is inclusive education anyway.  The paper discusses the arguments around the definitions of inclusive education. After all, if it cannot be decided what something is, it then becomes somewhat difficult to measure it. Measuring success in inclusive education is, thus, fraught with difficulties.

The inclusionists advocate for full inclusion and anything short of this is not really inclusion. It is possible that inclusive education has plateaued as some countries are starting to increase their specialist provision, which by definition is more separatist than inclusionist. In many countries the reality of the principles of inclusive education are not reflected in everyday schooling.

There have been many successes in inclusive education over many years in many countries, and these should be celebrated. Some consider full inclusion to be an over-reach by inclusionists, with most countries not achieving full inclusion; however, others argue that it is still attainable.

Title: The issues of Labelling in Special Education(Certified Workshop)

Abstract:

The use of labels in inclusive and special education is a complex issue. Some have argued that labels are a necessary evil in the allocation of limited resources in order to support children with specific support needs, and others argue that they bring comfort and relief for children and their families and lead to an intervention program that will improve children’s educational opportunities. Further arguments about the use of labels have included that they lead to a wider and better understanding of certain needs that children may have, and thus there is more tolerance and less stigmatization among the general public. However, counterarguments can be made for each of these issues as to whether the use of labels can truly be considered a valuable practice in the sphere of inclusive and special education.

Mr. Jonathan Hadley

Mr. Jonathan has worked in English Language Teaching for 25 years as an English teacher, teacher trainer and curriculum/materials writer. He is a consultant for Macmillan Education. With MAs in Applied Linguistics/TESOL and Arabic and Islamic Studies, he specialises in educational reform programmes in the Middle East, working with teachers, educational institutions and Ministries of Education. Jonathan is particularly interested in the challenges of  teaching reading and writing to Arab learners who often struggle to acquire these skills in their English studies.

Title: ELT in the 21st century: 10 things I’ve learned in the last 20 years

Abstract:

This talk will be a personal reflection on the last 20 years of English Language Teaching. It will highlight the developments and issues that seem to me to be the most important for the English classroom, drawing on research findings as well as personal experience. Amongst other topics, I will consider the role of the teacher, the position of vocabulary in the syllabus, the value of a coursebook and, with the recent and sudden shift in many educational settings to online learning, the place of technology in our newly configured classrooms. Finally, I will look ahead to what may be appearing on the ELT horizon.

Nathan Waller

SEN and Building Inclusive Learning Environments after COVID

Nathan Waller is the teacher trainer for Macmillan Education in the MENA region. With a background in Child Development and Social and Cultural Anthropology, he has 14 years of experience in education, starting in Early Years education and Special Educational Needs support in the UK before teaching English in Oman, Egypt, Qatar, and Vietnam. He also worked as a teacher trainer in Malaysia and IELTS examiner in China, finally moving to Dubai in 2016 to work in educational publishing.

Title: SEN and Building Inclusive Learning Environments after COVID.

Abstract: 

The year 2020 has been perhaps one of the most challenging ever for teachers. As we’ve slowly come to terms with our situation and the new school year is now hopefully well underway it is time to once again re-examine the quality of our teaching for all students. Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) were one group who were particularly afflicted by school closures and the difficulties teachers faced by the emergency home learning environment. However, this situation has perhaps shined a bright light on an issue that has required our attention for far longer than this, both for teachers, schools and parents. In this session we will look at where we were, where we are now, and how we can now hopefully openly discuss and collaborate to design practical solutions to move forward with more supportive and inclusive learning environments, not just for our SEN students, but for all students.