Program: (click for report)

Program

 9:00-10:00     Susan Brill de Ramirez: "The Conversive Turn in Bahai Scripture:                Knowing as an Intersubjective Communications Act"10:00-12:00     Panel: "Language Teaching and International Service: Sharing Our                Stories." Chaired by Joy Allchin10:00-10:30     Dan Valliancourt: "Teaching as Pioneering"10:30-11:00     Dara Shaw: "Combining Baha'i Travel Teaching with                Professional Endeavors in Brazil, Cuba, Mozambique, and Venezuela"11:00-11:30     Rodney Clarken: "Second Language Teaching Concepts"11:30-12:00     Audience participation	 12:00-1:30     Lunch Break  1:30-2:30     Dan Valliancourt, Principal, Maxwell International Baha'i School:                "The Soul of Education"     2:30-3:00     Break	  3:30-4:30     Roundtable on Baha'i-Inspired Activities. Chaired by Dara Shaw	             1. Joy Allchin: "Story Writing to Develop Moral Judgment"	             2. Dan Valliancourt: "The Virtues Poster"	             3. Rodeny Clarken: "Guidelines for Second Language Instruction"  4:30-5:00     Annual meeting  5:30-7:00     Fellowship dinner

Presentation Abstracts

1. Dr. Susan Brill de Ramirez

Talk title and abstract: "The Conversive Turn in Baha'i Scripture: Knowing as an Intersubjective Communications Act" looks at the fundamental communications shift in Baha'i scripture as the first revelation of God that is explicitly offered to a literate world articulates its teachings in new ways for textually grounded readers.

2. Dr. Rodney Clarken

Talk Title: "Second Language Teaching Concepts"
Abstract: From October 1995 to June 1996 I traveled throughout Sichuan, China teaching demonstration lessons for teachers of English. It is said that I have visited and taught in more primary and middle schools in China than any other foreigner. I have taught English lessons to thousands of Chinese students and have observed and met with thousands of others in their classrooms. The educational leaders and English teachers for these schools always asked me for suggestions on how to teach a second language. In this presentation, I will give some guidelines based upon my experiences, observations and reading and share some of my story.

3. Dan Vaillancourt

Talk Title: "The Soul of Education"
Abstract: As Baha'is, we know that the soul of education is education of the soul. True education is spiritual education. This presentation will demonstrate how educators can teach spirituality by arranging environments and guiding interactions within those environments, both inside and outside the classroom, that help the student to recognize that we are spiritual beings. While religious studies is an obvious way to introduce spirituality into the curriculum, there are many other methods of raising this awareness and nurturing the soul. Concrete examples drawn from personal experiences working in a First Nations school in Northern Alberta, in a Baha'i international bilingual school in Brazil and at Maxwell International Baha'i School on Vancouver Island will illustrate how teachers of all disciplines can create opportunities for spiritual growth.

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Report

On Thursday, August 11, 2005, about 25 language educators and interested people attended the various sessions of the fifth annual meeting of the Bah' Language Educators Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Association for Bah' Studies, North America in Boston, with each session drawing 9-12 people.

The full program of speakers was followed by a Roundtable on Bah' inspired teaching activities. Several of these are available for downloading from the SIG website: http://ble-sig.org.

The roundtable was followed by the annual business meeting and a fellowship dinner.