JALT2021 is right around the corner, and like last year we will be experiencing the annual event via the online conference platform Edzil.la – https://jalt2021.edzil.la/. But in keeping with the JALT2021 theme—Reflections and New Perspectives—the conference will not be the same. Attempting something new for JALT, the 2020 conference proved that JALT can hold a dynamic event under any circumstances and via any platform.
This issue is filled with much of what you need to know about the upcoming conference. It is an indispensable resource, but the message I would like to transmit to you, right now, is one of reflection and new perspectives.
The past few months have been trying. Looking back, I remember thinking to myself that by the fall of 2020 all would be back to normal. Well, we know where that train of thought ended up. We are not living in times one would call normal. But there-in lies the critical point. Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives, but isn’t that what life is sort of about—persevering through the tough times. I do not pretend to speak for everyone, so I will give you my new perspective based on reflecting on the past.
A colleague of mine said to the teachers at the university I work at to use a particular online learning management system. I literally laughed in his face and said, “Ahhh, do we have to use it? If not, I am not into that stuff. I am a chalk-to-board, face-to-face kind of teacher. Print the test, watch a YouTube video, or something like that.” He was frustrated, I gather. Well, how right was he, and how wrong was I. The LMS we used saved our lives AND livelihoods. It brought us our students. Say what you want about blank screens, or silent stares, or issues with this, that, and the other. For all the complaints, it worked. Mind blown! Ready to reformulate my way of engaging a class. And I know when I get back to in-person teaching, I will use that LMS, and other online tech tools to better engage my classroom.
That anecdote, I feel, illustrates these recent times. Toolboxes were expanded. New ideas about how to engage students and achieve results were realized. Professional networks were expanded and opportunities for taking on new projects crystalized. The dynamism of what makes JALT an amazing community to be a part of was enhanced ten fold. Were there some hiccups? Yes. Screen fatigue is a constant worry of mine. Actually realizing that my home internet was woefully inadequate to deal with the rigors of remote teaching was now in my face. And, of course, the socialization aspect of JALT has been diminished a bit. Again though, I feel, even with the hiccups, we are in a position to really move forward with great strides. Not strides that fly past others, but ones of care and confidence that we are moving into positive and fruitful territory.
There is an opportunity to be more connected, if we want to be. There is an opportunity to be more engaged, if we want to be. There is an opportunity to be more fulfilled, if we want to be. There is an opportunity to experience better challenges, if we want that to happen. As human beings who walk this Earth with self-awareness and determination as our defining gifts, aren’t these times of challenge when we evolve in order to realize what being human is all about? So, let’s look at JALT2021 Online as another step in our evolving conference experience. A step that will lead us back to our roots of face-to-face conferences, but when we arrive we will be better prepared to execute an evolved conference experience.
Enjoy this special issue! So many worked so hard to get it done! And, I hope to see you at the conference!
Be well and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Wayne Malcolm, NPO-JALT Director of Program
