Leo van Lier
Director of the Max Kade Language and Technology Center, Monterey Institute of International Studies

Professional Development and CALL: The Dynamics of Online and Onsite
Leo van Lier is Professor of Educational Linguistics at the Monterey
Institute of International Studies. He is the author of several books and
numerous articles on linguistics and language education. In the last few
years he has presented on topics such as ecology, sociocultural theory,
and technology at conferences and universities in many different
countries. His most recent book is entitled The Ecology and Semiotics of
Language Learning: A Sociocultural Perspective (Kluwer Academic, 2004).
His current interests include ecological linguistics, semiotics, and
equitable uses of technology in education. In his spare time he enjoys
running, hiking and cooking.

With Ms. Hisako Yamashita Bio

Carl Falsgraf
Director, CASLS
University of Oregon

Data-Driven Curriculum and Professional Development
Educational technology is most often employed as an extension of, or substitute for, traditional classroom activities. Computer-mediated tests, electronic dictionaries, e-learning programs, and WebQuests all substitute for or enhance what used to be done with paper-and-pencil based activities. Another approach to technology, however, is to look for computer capabilities that humans do not possess and to develop creative solutions to educational problems that have no analog in the paper-and-pencil world. This presentation discusses one such capability – large-scale data management – and how it can improve language programs.

Carl Falsgraf is founder and Director of the Center for Applied Second
Language Studies, a National Foreign Language Resource Center at the
University of Oregon. He was president of the Pacific Northwest Council for
Languages (PNCFL) and has served on the ACTFL Executive Council, The
Association of Teachers of Japanese (ATJ) Board of Directors, and the PNCFL
Board of Directors. He has delivered numerous keynote addresses and
workshops, and published papers on second language acquisition, functional
linguistics, and standards-based language education. He is the lead designer
of the STAMP online proficiency assessment and other technology-based tools
to help teachers develop and measure student proficiency.

Dr. Mary Ann Lyman-Hager
Director, Language Acquisition Resource Center (LARC)
Professor of French, San Diego State University

Are we there yet?: Reflections on Technology-Assisted
Language Learning - Past, Present, and Future
The impetus to embrace technology-based solutions to real life problems in language teaching and learning is compelling. Just how much energy and time should institutions and individual faculty invest in implementing the latest and greatest technologies in the classroom? The talk consists of a retrospective glance at the tried and true, as well as the tried and abandoned. What makes for road kill on the information highway? How do we dodge the proverbial bullet and make wise choices about empowering technologies? What rewards (and punishments) lie ahead for those who choose to make the investment, tying their research and professional development agendas to creating materials and researching language acquisition via technology. The talk poses more questions than answers--if the truth be known-- and invites participants to co-create an environment where excellence in research and curriculum development in our rapidly evolving field can be assessed and appreciated by our colleagues in academia.

Mary Ann Lyman-Hager has served as the Director of the National Language Resource Center at San Diego State University and as Professor of French at San Diego State University since 1997. Currently interested in synchronous and asynchronous technology in distance learning applications for the teaching of foreign languages, she works with the California State University's Chancellor's office as French coordinator for the intermediate-advanced level French course taught via video conferencing and computer courseware (WebCT). She is interested in exploring teaching blended language and area studies courses, particularly in the less commonly taught languages, across the CSU system using advanced educational technologies, and in assessing large scale programs.

Pathways to Success in the Language Resource Center
This Panel discussion will provide an opportunity to look at trends and challenges facing the modern language resource center from a variety of viewpoints, including community college, R1, government and corporate users along the themes of Assessment, Communicative Activities and Bridging the Gaps between Student, Teacher and Technology.

Moderator: Gus Leonard
Panelists:
Cindy Evans, Skidmore College
Judi Franz, University of California Irvine
LeeAnn Stone, Houghton Mifflin