Reflection Task for 4th ICHELAC Conference Participation Day 2

I.   Introduction

a)  Provide a brief overview of the conference theme: Strengthening Global Citizenship: Leveraging Language, Cultural Diversity, Humanity, and Sustainable Connectivity Towards Educational Transformation in the Digital Era.

This theme talking about 4 points:

1.   Educational Transformation in the Digital Era

2.   Language and Communication in the digital era

3.   Exploring Cultural Diversity and Identity in the Digital Era

4.   Humanity in the Digital Era

b)  Mention the names of the keynote speakers and the general topics they covered.

1.   Dr. Anuncius Gumawang Jati, M.A about Integrating AI into English Language Pedagogy: A Transformative Shift for Teachers and Learners

2.   Mariane Turner, PH.D about Learning Through and about Language: Widening the Lensa

II. Keynote Speaker Reflections

1.   Keynote Speaker 1: Dr. Anuncius Gumawang Jati (Institut Teknologi Bandung)

a.   Summary of Presentation

In his presentation, Dr. Jati highlights the transformative potential of AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, emphasizing their ability to offer personalized learning experiences and foster creativity and engagement among students. However, he also underscores the importance of addressing ethical concerns such as digital poverty, intellectual property issues, and the transparency of AI models to ensure equitable access and fair usage. He emphasizes the need to balance the opportunities and challenges presented by AI tools, acknowledging their limitations, including biases and the potential for misinformation. To create an inclusive educational environment, he suggests promoting critical thinking skills and digital literacy among students while working collaboratively to establish guidelines that promote transparency, fairness, and accountability in the use of AI technologies in education.

b.   Provide a concise summary of the key points discussed by speaker.

There are 2 key points discussed by the speaker:

1.   Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into English language teaching has the potential to be transformative. However, it is necessary to address ethical concerns such as digital poverty, intellectual property issues, and the transparency of AI models.

2.   The presenter explained that using AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini in English language teaching offers almost unlimited opportunities for personalized learning, creativity, and engagement. However, these tools also present significant challenges, including biases, lack of contextual understanding, and the potential for misinformation.

c.    Personal Reflection:

What did you find most interesting or thought-provoking about his presentation? I found it most interesting how Dr. Jati talked about AI can change how we learn English. He explained how these smart computer programs, like ChatGPT and Gemini, can help us learn in new and exciting ways. But he also made me think about how we need to make sure everyone can use these tools fairly. It made me realize that while AI can help us, we also need to be careful about how we use it.

d.   Key Takeaways:

List 2-3 key takeaways from his presentation.

1. Equitable Integration of AI in Education

2. Ethical and Practical Considerations

3. Opportunities and Challenges of AI Tools

2.   Keynote Speaker 2: Dr. Marianne Turner from Monash University, Australia)

b.   Summary of Presentation

Dr. Marianne Turner from Monash University, Australia, presents on the topic of translanguaging within language and learning contexts. She underscores the importance of leveraging students' existing language proficiencies to enhance their educational experiences, supported by established academic research. Turner critiques the prevailing monolingual standards in language education, noting the linguistic diversity among Australian students. She characterizes translanguaging as a pedagogical strategy that fosters collaborative knowledge construction, enhances metalinguistic awareness, validates multilingual identities, and promotes social justice. According to Turner, translanguaging is a flexible and dynamic process. She also discusses the significance of multimodality and multiliteracies in education, highlighting the various semiotic modes used in meaning-making. Digital multimodal composing (DMC) is introduced as a practice that integrates linguistic and non-linguistic resources, allowing for plurilingual strategies and a playful, flexible approach to composition. The presentation advocates for normalizing diverse linguistic practices in the classroom, utilizing students' prior knowledge and experiences, and employing technology to facilitate broader meaning-making.

c.    Provide a concise summary of the key points discussed by speaker.

The presentation emphasizes the significance of plurilingualism, multimodality, and translanguaging in educational settings.

·  Plurilingualism recognizes the advantages of students utilizing their existing language skills in their learning journey, promoting an integrated view of languages and cultures. This approach fosters communicative competence by encouraging the adaptable use of languages based on social and communicative contexts.

·  Multimodality underscores the importance of creating meaning through various semiotic modes, including linguistic, visual, aural, spatial, and gestural elements. This approach complements translanguaging pedagogy by broadening communication methods. Digital multimodal composing (DMC) is highlighted as a practice that combines linguistic and non-linguistic resources, offering rich learning opportunities and publicly validating diverse methods of meaning-making.

·  Translanguaging, as both a pedagogical practice and theoretical framework, involves collaborative knowledge construction, enhancing metalinguistic awareness, affirming multilingual identities, and addressing social justice issues. The application of these concepts in Australian schools demonstrates efforts to utilize students' diverse linguistic repertoires by integrating languages from home, community, and school into the learning process. Research projects in Victoria provide practical examples of plurilingual pedagogy and DMC, with teachers actively designing and reflecting on lesson sequences. Ultimately, the presentation calls for the normalization of diverse language practices in classrooms, the adoption of multimodality and multiliteracies, and the use of technology to support diverse language use and reduce cognitive demands.

d.   Personal Reflection:

What did you find most interesting or thought-provoking about her presentation? Dr. Marianne Turner's presentation on translanguaging and language education is both thorough and insightful. It underscores the advantages of employing students' full linguistic abilities in their education, questioning conventional monolingual methods. The focus on multimodality, multiliteracies, and digital multimodal composing as educational tools presents practical strategies for fostering inclusive learning environments. Furthermore, the exploration of translanguaging's pedagogical aims and its implementation in Australian schools offers significant perspectives on enhancing metalinguistic awareness, affirming multilingual identities, and advancing social justice.

e.    Key Takeaways:

List 2-3 key takeaways from her presentation.

1.  Linguistic Diversity Benefits Learning

2.  Translanguaging Pedagogy

3.  Multimodal Approaches

III. Parallel Session Presentation Reflections

Presentation Title and Presenter:

1.   Name of the presenters: Maria Gratia Sekunda

2.   Title of the presentation: English Lectures ‘Perspectives of Using ChatGPT in EFL Classroom

3.   Summary of the presentation:

The presenter talked about using ChatGPT in EFL classroom, explaining how it helps both teachers and students learn better. She showed different ways teachers can use ChatGPT, like for practicing conversations, improving writing skills, and giving instant feedback. But she also talked about challenges. For teachers, it's about managing technology use right and making sure their role in teaching isn't replaced. And for students, the challenge is understanding how to use ChatGPT well without depending on it too much. So, the presenter emphasized the need for a balanced approach in using ChatGPT, where it's an extra helpful tool supporting learning, not replacing the teacher or student efforts.

4.   Your question to the presenter: How can ChatGPT be utilized to support students with different learning styles?

5.   Her answer: ChatGPT can be really useful for students with different learning styles. For visual learners, it can describe images and suggest ways to make diagrams. For auditory learners, they can read the responses out loud to understand better. Read/write learners can use ChatGPT for written explanations and help with essays. Even for kinesthetic learners, it can suggest activities they can do with their hands. This way, ChatGPT can make learning easier and more fun for everyone.

IV. Closing Ceremony

1.   Name of the speaker: Dr. Leonardus Par, M.Pd

2.   Two interesting quotes from his speech:

a.   “We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us” (from Marshall McLuhan)

b.   “The real questions is not whether machine think but whether men do think” (from Noam Chomsky)

V. Overall Conference Reflection

The conference was truly enlightening for me. Dr. Turner's keynote on learning through language expanded my understanding of language education, emphasizing its interconnectedness with culture, knowledge, and experiences. Her insights into normalizing diverse language practices and leveraging technology for learning resonated deeply with me. Additionally, Dr. Jati's discussion on integrating AI into language education showcased the potential of technology to enhance educational experiences, while also highlighting the importance of addressing ethical considerations. Overall, the conference underscored the significance of embracing linguistic and cultural diversity in education and leveraging innovative approaches to promote global citizenship in the digital era.