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Events


Where, When, and What?

This section, contains descriptions of some of the major ARCS-related activites from the recent and not-so-recent past. These include such things as keynote presentations, workshops, seminar presentations, and a few related travel photos. In short, this part of the website if for information and, somewhat, for entertainment. The various segments vary greatly with regard to the number of photos and make me wish that I had had a more consistent frame of reference for photo documenting of these events! I have included as many of the people involved in each event as I can and hope you will find yourself among them if you were present. If you have any pictures to add, please send them! I apologize for not always being able to add names in the captions.

Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan

May 3, 2013. Featured speaker at the Wayne State University Instructional Technology Spring Reception annual recognition and awards dinner. While there, I was able to meet with a number of old acquaintences, colleagues, and former students including Rita Richey, Ingrid Guerra-Lopez, and Ke Zhang. I had done a virtual presentation for one of Dr. Ke's online courses but had not had the pleasure of meeting her in persion until this meeting. Unfortunately, I have no pictures from the reception and dinner.

 

While there, my hosts took me on a city tour of Detroit which is a beautiful city. It is a shame that they are having such severe financial problems.  I also did a walking tour of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Among the many fabuous items housed there, is a room with murals painted by Diego Rivera, the famous Mexican muralist. The Institute was just a few blocks from the beautifully restored old home where I stayed. I enjoyed a creative and delicious crepe lunch at the Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes cafe. I also must mention the fabulous dinner we had at an overwhelmingly impressive restored mansion.

BIG mini WEFLA 2013, Holguin, Cuba

April 27, 2013. Keynote speaker at the  International Conference on Foreign Languages, Communication, and Culture. The primary sponsor was the University of Holguin, Cuba, and three Canadian Universities were co-sponsors. The meeting was held at a beautiful resort on the northeast shore of Cuba near Holguin at Guardalavaca, which literally means "guardians of the cows." In times past, pirates would frequent this area to rest reprovision between shipping raids, and so farmers would hide their cows in a secure location.

 

The conference sessions covered many aspects of second language teaching and learning and, of course, motivational problems among the instructors and learners. I was able to draw from my past experiences as an English teacher to illustrate the motivational concepts in my presentation.

Japanese Association of Nursing Educators, Kumamoto, Japan

July, 2012, Keynote speaker at the Japanese Academy of Nursing Educators which is a huge organization.

 

One of the featured guests at the reception was a gentleman who had lost both hands and forearms in an accident on his farm. Following a period of intense depression, he finally generated a new purpose in life and became an artist. He painted this calligraphy while we watched. He asked who would like to have it and it was my HUGE honor to be chosen by the other audience members to receive it as a gift! Reading from right to left the caligraphy reads a smile is ichiban (#1, or, the most important thing) and kindness, or warmth, is also ichiban. The final symbol on the left is his signature.  

Japan Society for Instructional Systems in Healthcare (JISH)

August, 2012. In 2011, John prepared one-day workshops on Instructional Systems Design (ISD) and Motivational design for delivery to the Japan Society for Instructional Systems in Healthcare (JISH) sponsored by Keiichi Ikegami, MD., Ph.D. who founded this organization.John was assisted by Suzuki, Katsuaki, Ph.D., who provided translation and co-facilitation. These two workshops were repeated in 2013 with Suzuki-sensei as the lead presenter and John as a co-facilitator. Participants in the two programs were medical doctors and nurses from various parts of Japan.

 

Both workshops featured applied learning activities for small group planning and decision making. The participants eagerly and effectively mastered and applied the concepts and skills to meaningful challenges within their own areas of work.

Second International Forum for Public Education, Saudi Arabia

February, 2012, Keynote speaker and panel discussant at the Forum for Public Education sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education in Riyadh. The goal of the conference was to provide  an opportunity for the international community to exchange ideas and develop a vision for the future of public Education  The primary topic of the Forum was on the teacher and the transition to a knowledge based-society. The Forum was held in conjunction with a huge exibition of educational tecnologies and software applications. My presentation focused on the motivational challenges in a knowledge-based society as opposed to a knowledge transition society.

 

While at the conference, a group of us attended the Janadriyah festival which brings together exhibits, artisans, and cultural events representing the ethnic groups within a large region of Saudi Arabia. One of the exhibits in this festival was an education center with numerous themes and activities pertaining to children, as illustrated in several of the pictures in the adjoining slide show.

The 11th International Conference on Educational Research, Korea

September, 2010, one of four keynote speakers at this conference. The theme was New Educational Paradigm for Learning and Instruction and the primary host was the Education Research Institute at Seoul National University. In attendance were several professors from the USA including Michael Spector, Ana Donaldson, and the late David Jonassen. 

 

During one of the evenings, there was a meeting with Florida State University alumni of the Instructional Systems Program. I was honored by being presented with a beautifully crafted plaque. My first graduate student from Korea, Dr. Sang Ho Song did the presentation honors. I was delighted to see several of my Korean doctoral graduates and others who had taken courses from me.

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