Hello everyone!

We hope you are well. Welcome to our second ITAIS newsletter of 2021. Since March 2020, we have experienced drastic changes in our professional and personal worlds. In our professional community, the ITAIS has offered a diverse array of ways for us to stay connected while we have been socially distant. In particular, the ITA working group has helped us to maintain our connections with one another and to learn from one another while we navigated unfamiliar pedagogical challenges. While we were not able to connect in person for the TESOL 2021 conference, our ITAIS group was able to connect virtually, which provided a space for all to connect with new and old friends alike. We are thankful to have such a supporting group that not only adds to our personal lives, but our professional lives as well.

In this newsletter, we have an article from J. Beck, E. Goodale, L. Silva de Santos, K. Becker, and T. Kochem focusing on the best practices to facilitate online discussions among international graduate students. In another article, B. Braunstein explains how to use EdPuzzle to engage students in a virtual dialogue about their presentations. F.P. Capraro shares her tips about teaching ITAs asynchronously. Also, don’t forget to check out our community events page and contact Kayla Landers to let her know what webinars you want to see this coming year.

See you virtually!

James Coda
ITAIS Newsletter Co-Editor

Ekaterina Arshavskaya
ITAIS Newsletter Co-Editor