People join JALT for various reasons, with professional development being one of the biggest ones. I know that was the case for me when I joined the Kyoto chapter as an ALT who had ambitions in academia. Although my initial impulse to join JALT was somewhat utilitarian, what has kept me here are the personal and professional relationships I developed, first as a member of the Kyoto chapter executive team and now as a member of the Board of Directors. For me, and for many JALT members like me, these relationships make JALT what it is—meaningful relationships formed by attending local and regional events and meeting incredible presenters and educators.
Shortly after I joined JALT, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, bringing new challenges and new opportunities. Even though our ability to hold events in person was hampered, to say the least, platforms, such as Zoom, allowed us to more easily connect with people across the country in ways that we could not before. Many events and meetings moved online—even the JALT conferences in 2020 and 2021 were held online. Recruiting new members was also an issue under these difficult pandemic restrictions.
Thus, JALT Zoom for Professional Development (ZPD) was born—created not only to provide free professional development and networking for members, but also as an opportunity for members to “bring” friends and colleagues to a more casual event to highlight JALT and what we do. Although it was initially conceived by then-president Dawn Lucovich as a response to COVID-19, ZPD now continues to regularly bring current and prospective JALT members together, typically on the last Tuesday of the month from 8:00-9:00 p.m. Recently, SIGs are being asked to take on hosting duties as well, giving them an opportunity to showcase themselves and the work they do.
Typically, in a ZPD session, after a short introduction from the host or hosting SIG, attendees are sent to randomized breakout rooms to introduce themselves to a small group of people for about 5 minutes. Then, after returning to the main room, attendees are free to make announcements about upcoming events or calls for presentations or papers. Finally, attendees are then free to join from a variety of breakout rooms focused on different topics hosted by individuals or groups in JALT, such as the new members room, hosted by the Director of Membership, where new and prospective members can network and learn more about the benefits and opportunities that come with membership. Other popular breakout rooms include publications and research, the JALT Conference, and the PanSIG Conference. The hosting SIG will also have their own room, so if attendees are interested in learning more about the group, it is a great opportunity to get to talk to those SIG members.
There is also a small but very dedicated committee that makes sure ZPD happens each month. The Publicity Co-chairs—Sophie Otsuru and Mariana Oana Senda—advertise each event and send out the monthly emails and registration forms. Phil Nguyen makes sure everything runs smoothly from the tech perspective and sets up the requested breakout rooms. And, as Committee Chair, I help recruit SIGs to host.
If you have not been to a ZPD event yet, what are you waiting for?! Please be sure to register at http://bit.ly/ZPDRSVP. You can also see details about our group on the JALT homepage (https://jalt.org/groups/specialty-groups/zpd) and through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JALT.conference). If you are a SIG officer and are interested in getting involved, you can sign your SIG up to host a future ZPD here: https://bit.ly/SIG_ZPD. Finally, if you are interested in hosting a breakout room, or if there is a topic you would like to discuss, you can indicate this on the form when you sign up for the next ZPD. Hope to see you there!
