Randall Davis is currently the Computer Lab Coordinator at the English Language Institute at the University of Utah, and he has specialized in materials development, teacher training, and educational technology for most of his professional career. He is best known for his pioneering efforts in authoring multimedia on the Internet with his free flagship Website, Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab (www.esl-lab.com), an independent project he does at home with his family. Randall has been a featured speaker at numerous regional and international conferences, and most of his presentations have focused on helping teachers integrate technology more effectively in their classrooms.
Outside of the profession, his main passions are his family, backcountry hiking, and trail running, all of which require very little technology to enjoy.
Keynote - "Technology: Friend or Foe in the Language Classroom?"
Saturday, November 14, luncheon
The rapid development of technology in recent years has spawned new tools and approaches that have been supposedly designed to enhance language learning and teaching. However, one of the perennial questions facing teachers and language programs has been the task of blending technology and language instruction in pedagogically-sound ways. Teachers often face the chore of sifting through the newest gizmos and gadgets and finding the right devices to meet specific needs in the classroom. At other times, teachers feel that technology is imposed on them just so the school looks "high tech." Consequently, many teachers question, "Does newer mean better?" The presenter will first highlight the benefits and obstacles in using technology fthroughout his own journey of personal discovery and then discuss five keys steps to selecting and integrating technologies in simple, yet pedagogically-sound, ways.
Workshop - High-Tech, Low-Tech Activities for Enriching Language Learning
Friday, November 13,
Pre-conference
Have you ever wondered if new technology is leaving you behind in the classroom? Well, if you are still using chalk, overhead projects, VHS tapes, and boom boxes, then you are in good company. So does Randall and thousands of teachers around the world. In fact, some of the best teaching ideas make the most of the simpliest tools. As teachers master these basic devices, new gadgets and gizmos can be added in situations where technology actually fills a specific classroom need.
In this session, Randall will demonstrate how to enliven language lessons beyond the textbook by using a variety of traditional technologies including video and other common classroom resources. Then, he will show how other technologies (digital voice recorders, cell phones, digital cameras) and the Internet (Youtube, Facebook, and visual search engines) can be used help students improve their language skills in simple, yet pedagogically-sound ways.
