[LD-SIG Discussion List] Topics for discussion

[Steven Nishida]

Hi all,

Good points all around. I should preface the following by saying that I'm
often an LD SIG member, but I'm not 100% sure that I ticked the LD SIG box
when I renewed my JALT membership this year.

I always find great value in the group and relationships. Indeed, the LD SIG
party at the conference is the one don't-miss event for me every year. Also,
many of my best friends in JALT are LD SIG members, so I tend to always be
lurking or hanging on.

Like most of you, my interests in language education are many and
varied--which is why I frequently drift between SIGs, exposing me to new
teachers and perspectives. This ebb and flow of SIG participation strikes me
as entirely natural.

If we return for a moment to what this group is, in fact, we'll remember
that it is a gathering of individuals around a particular interest. This
leaves room for, and perhaps even implies, that we all have other and/or
more general interests in the field. While I agree that reconsideration of
branding is always a healthy exercise, I would simply caution that a group
that tries to be too many things to too many people risks losing its place
and focus within the JALT SIG ecosystem.

We are the Learner Development SIG, which has focused largely on learner
autonomy in recent years. Many of us are members of other SIGs as well. From
my perspective, if I am interested in teacher autonomy, it makes more sense
for me to raise the issue in the Teacher Development SIG than to create
unnecessary overlap with an existing SIG in the JALT community.

Just my two yenny-poos:-)

Steve (Nishida)

On Sat, Oct 2, 2010 at 10:10 AM, Philip Brown <philza2003 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> How about we continue to brainstorm ideas & names? Then something might
> just pop out as we bounce them around.
>
> When I write a bio, for example, under my interests, I always end up
> writing something like:
>
> "Learner and teacher autonomy & development"
>
> Mind you, I still think 'LD SIG' has an established reputation already so I
> wouldn't want to lose any of the brand capital that has been built up over
> the years. Perhaps we could poll and get some feedback from both members and
> non-SIG members at/before JALT 2010 in Nagoya.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> discuss mailing list
> discuss at ld-sig.org
> http://ld-sig.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_ld-sig.org
>
>


-- 
Steven NISHIDA, Center Director
Center for International Relations
Nara Institute of Science and Technology
8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma
Nara 630-0101  Japan
Phone: +81-743-72-6248
Fax:   +81-743-72-6244
Email:  steven-nishida at ms.naist.jp
==========================
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