Rita Zeinstejer:                                                             

my professional life.                                                                                                                  SideBar

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                                                                                                                             My Personal Biodata

 

 

I am an EFL Teacher living in Argentina, the country where I graduated in 1970. I have always worked in the Asociacion Rosarina de Cultura Inglesa, a private Institute with 2,500 students of English, the only University of Cambridge Exam Centre in Rosario, second city in Argentina.

 

 

I have been teaching English to kids, adolescents and adults at elementary, intermediate and advanced levels for 37 years now.

 

 

In 1980 I was promoted to Area Manager for Kids and Advanced classes.

 

 

I am Cambridge Oral Examiner for First Certifícate and CAE students, and prepare students to sit for those international examinations.

 

 

In 1994 I organized and set up the Self Access Centre in our Institute, as well as a Language Laboratory, which caters for intermediate and advanced students in the Institute.

 

 

Having travelled to Cambridge, England, in August 1999, for a course on “The Use of Computers for Language Learning,”, by Gavin Dudeney and Gary Motteram, I started doing research on the field, and thus travelled to Barcelona for an ESADE/IATEFL Computer SIG joint event, in July 2000, called “CALL for the 21st Century.”

 

 

I opened up the Multimedia Centre in our Institute in 1999, and prepared both materials and teachers to start using the computer as a teaching tool, both as a source of information and as a medium of communication.

 

2000

 

As from March 2000 I also started delivering talks to teachers in Rosario, on ICT (Information and Communication Technology), as well as  providing training classes on the use of computers.

 

 

 At the same time, I started coordinating the Computer SIG in APrIR, the Association for Teachers of English in Rosario, which I still coordinate, now aiming at doing research on the uses of computers for the classroom, Self Access and independent learning.

 

2001

 

In July 2001 I made a Power Point presentation on:

“ Computer Programs for Language Learning. Designing Materials Using Different Sources,” in TESOL Curitiba (Brazil)

 

 

In July 2001 my presentation “Appraising CALL in ELT. Organizing a Multimedia Centre. Designing Materials on different sources” was accepted for the 9th International LABCI Congress in Rio de Janeiro, but the event was cancelled by Brazilian authorities due to economic reasons in the area.

 

 

In August 2001 I presented “CALL for EFL Teachers in the 21st Century” in Rosario.

 

2002-2003

 

In 2002-2003 I made a series of presentations in different places within my city, titled:

 

 

• “ICT: What EFL Teachers need to know Today”
• “CD Roms: their Role in Language Learning”
• “CMC Tools for Language Learning”
• “Vindicating Chat”

 

 

I have also participated in online Congresses : Global Day , EV Online , Networking 2002, and am now member of “Webheads in Action”, an online Community of Practice, aimed at doing research on Computer Mediated Communication Tools for Language Learning.

 

 

http://dygonza.esmartweb.com/evonline2003/week5/w5p1.htm 

 

http://www.geocities.com/vance_stevens//papers/tesol/baltimore2003/week3.html

 

http://dygonza.esmartweb.com/evonline2003/week5/w5p3-chats.htm

 

 

ESL MiniConference July 2003 at

http://www.eslminiconf.net/july2003/index.html

 

2004

 

In October 2004 I delivered a talk in Spanish, called “El chat en el aprendizaje de idiomas: interacción auténtica en tiempo real. Cómo integrar el “chat” a la enseñanza del idioma extranjero”, for teachers of English, French, Portuguese and Italian, at the Escuela Normal de Profesores Nº 1, “Dr Nicolas Avellaneda”.

 

2005 

 

*On February 24, 2005, I presented “Vindicating Chat: How to Integrate Chat into the Classroom”, at the “2005 International Congress of Professional Development for Teachers of English”, organized by ABS International in Buenos Aires.

 

 

* On April 22, 2005, I delivered a ppt presentation  “Synchronous and Asynchronous Tools Aiding  the Development of Online Communities of Practice” to all teachers in ARCI, Rosario.

 

 

* On July 8, 2005, I gave “The Blogging Phenomenon: its Impact on Language Learning” in the 11^th Congress of Teachers and Students of English”, held in Rosario, organized by APrIR.

 

 

* On September 22, 2005, I presented “Bridging the Gap: Webtools in Use”, a report of an online presentation to students in Caracas, Venezuela, carried out with Dafne Gonzalez, for Ameghino Bookshop at FAAPI Congress 2005 in Santa Fe, Argentina.

 

 

* On September 23, 2005, I also presented at FAAPI Congress in Santa Fe: “Synchronous and Asynchronous Tools Aiding the Develoment of Online Communities of Practice”, to both a face-to-face and an online audience, this one made up of several EFL teachers from different countries in the world, members of  WIA.

 

 

* I contributed to the success of Tapped In Festival 2005 , “Creating Connections Through Collaboration” co-hosting Becoming a Webhead, a one day free conference where teachers can attend one hour sessions in a variety of subject areas and technology related subjects.

 

 

* I collaborated in “Becoming a Webhead” online workshop on February 2005.

 

2006 

 

* On April 28, 2006, I presented “The Blogging Phenomenon: its Impact on Language Learning” at Asociacion Rosarina de Cultura Inglesa, for teachers in the area.

 

 

 * On May 19, 2006, I presented “EL Fenómeno Blogging”, in Spanish, for Dafne Gonzalez’s teacher-students in Caracas, Venezuela. http://www.elearningdesigners.nl/moodle2/mod/resource/view.php?id=388

 

 

* On May 28, 2006, I shared “Herramientas Web 2.0 Workshop”, an online event organized by Dafne Gonzalez, Full Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Educationat the Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela.

 

 

* On September 23, 2006, I presented "The Podcasting Revolution" at the FAAPI Congress in Rosario.

 

 

* On October 6, 2006, I took part in Global Learn Day X, organized by John Hibbs, from the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Global Education.

 

2007 

 

* I participated in theEVO Sessions 2007: Gamelearning 

 

* I made an Online Presentation at BAW, Febr 24, 2007 – on Alado

http://baw07.pbwiki.com/Chat_sessions#Week6

 

 

* I was granted a TESOL Convention Award, and on March 23, 2007, Seattle, USA, I presented

 at the TESOL Convention in Seattle (EV Fairs): “Learning a Language to Communicate: a Primary Pursuit”.

 

 

* On May 19, 2007 I presented at WIAOC : I was a “Webheads in Action” Online Convergence Co-Presenter with Vance Stevens: “Writing in a Multiliterate Flat World”-

 

 

* On September 17, 2007, I participated in the Writingmatrix Project, with Vance Stevens, Nelba Quintana, Doris Molero and Saša Sirk. We presented  “Motivating Student Writers by Fostering Collaboration through Tagging and Aggregating” at the K-12 Online Conference http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=100.

 

 

* On September 28, 2007, I presented “Emerging Technologies for EFL Teachers and Students: the Web 2.0 and its Possibilities”  to a face-to-face audience in Rosario with the online participation of seven  EFL teachers from different parts of the world, who belong to the “Webheads in Action” group,  through Learning Times.

 

2008 

 

* On February 19, 2008, I participated in a BaW session, with Aiden Yeh, on “The Power of Voice in Web 2.0”. http://baw-08.pbwiki.com/aiden-rita

http://www.slideshare.net/RitaZ/ba-w-08-264989/

recording: http://dafnegonzalez.com/baw/rita-aiden08baw/index.htm

 

 

* On  April 3, 2008, I presented for TESOL NYC, on “The Serendipity Project” 

 

* In August I started a five-month online course on the use of Moodle for teaching and Learning through Entornos Educativos.

 

* In Sept 2008, in Rosario: Inauguration of the Multimedia Centre,  http://www.puntobiz.com.ar/noticia/articulo/14907/La_Cultural_inaugura_una_sala_multimedia_para_ensenar_ingles_a_partir_de_la_web.html

 

* Creation of YG “Amazing Minds” after Seminar in Pta del Este, Sept. 11-13, 2008 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amazingmindsriodelaplata/

 

* On October 3rd, in Buenos Aires, I presented Blogging with Students: how to Integrate Internet Tools and Project Work at “First Internet Convention for Teachers of English” http://www.wise-elt.com/htms_english/seminars/mailing/conference140708.html

 

* Sept 29-October 18- : Instituto Superior San Bartolome, Rosario, organized the online seminar on Elluminate: “Reaching Farther, Reaching Wider" http://sanbartolomevirtual.e-ducativa.com/index.cgi

My presentation: “Using Computer Tools to Hone Communication”, at http://tinyurl.com/56dsyo

  (October 7, 2008, on Elluminate)

 

* On October 24, with Dr Elizabeth Hansom Smith,  I participated in

           “Colloquium on Global Communication” with a presentation on: “Cross

           Cultural  Projects to Enhance Communication”, for a live audience in 

           Moscow.  http://moskva08.wikispaces.com. Recording at

           http://home.learningtimes.net/learningtimes?go=273662

 

 * Participation in http://www.google.com/educators/gta.html  , received confirmation http://www.edgateway.net/cs/google/view/ggl_app/1939 , selected to participate on November 18, with 49 other teachers from different countries at the Google Teacher Academy session in Manhattan.

 

* November 18, Google Teacher Academy session in Manhattan, USA. Certification: Google Academy Teacher.

     

* EVO Moderator for session 'Enhancing Lessons: The Web 2.0 Way' ,  EVO Sessions 2008-2009, with Robert Squires  

       http://modsprofiles.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

 

* My two proposals for presentations at the EV Fairs for the TESOL Conventtion in Denver, Colorado, next March 2009 were accepted.  

Schedule EV Fairs Presentations 2009

 

2009

 

* Awarded full scholarship to attend the TESOL Convention In Denver, March 2009.

 

* February 7: online presentation "The Web 2.0 Honing Social Skills" for the Young Learners SIG Online, as part of a series of sessions organized by Dennis Newson.

 

* February 17: invited to present at "Becoming a Webhead" EV Online sessions, "The Web 2.0 Honing Social Skills".

 

* March 26/ March 28: TESOL Convention in Denver. Two presentations in the EV Fairs: "Enhancing Lessons the Way 2.0 Way" , after the EVOnline sessions in January-Februry 2009; and " The Web 2.0 Honing Social Skills".

 

* March 25, at TESOL  in Denver: appointed Steering Member for the CALL-IS  TESOL  2009 - 2012 Committee

 

* April 3: online presentation on "Google Applications in the Classroom", on WIZIQ, for the session Integrating Technology for Instruction and Learning

 

* May 18 - June 27: mentoring an online course for RFL teachers on "Integrating Internet into your Classes" on E-ducativa http://campus.arci.org.ar/2/index.cgi

 

* May 23:  for the Webheads in Action Online Convergence 2009 (May 22-24)   online presentation on "Google Apps in the Classroom."

 

* May 29: f2f presentation in Spanish "Internet como generadora de recursos que promueven la interacción", for the "II Jornadas Internacionales de Tecnologías aplicadas a la enseñanza de Lenguas", http://www.lenguas.unc.edu.ar/ticsii/programaweb.pdf, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.

 

* June 20: presentation in Rosario, Argentina: "I used to Wipe Tapes. Now, I Twitter", invited by Richmond Publishing, SCHEDULE

 

* July 9, presentation on “Creating and Integrating a Multimedia Laboratory into our Curricula” at the 12th LABCI Conference 2009 in Buenos Aires http://www.labci2009.com.ar/ (Conference cancelled by Goverment decree due to swine flu)

 

* August 22, online presentation on "Google Apps in the Classroom", on Elluminate, for the "Reaching Farther...Reaching Wider II" webinar organized by the Instituto Superior San Bartolome, Rosario.

Saved recording HERE.

 

* October 17 and 24: f2f workshops for teachers on the integration of technology into the English class, Asociacion Rosarina de Cultura Inglesa.

 

* October 28: f2f presentation on the Integration of the Internet into the 2nd Language Classroom, at the "Centro Universitario de Idiomas", for teachers of 12 different languages.

 

* November 5: online presentation for the AVEALMEC and ARCALL online Conference