In this community column, we will get acquainted with four members, who are our new CALL-IS Steering Committee members: Jennifer Meyer, Heather Benucci, James S. May, and Ellen Dougherty.

For each newsletter, I invite members to answer a set of questions:

• What is your favorite platform?
• What is the one indispensable tool/webpage?
• What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?
• What was your favorite CALL creation?
• What are you working on now?
• What area would you like to see developed/researched?
• In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?
  
  

I hope you enjoy this space to compare experiences, share advice, nurture inspiration, and make connections within our community. Please email me if you have suggestions or contributions to Making Connections.

Jennifer Meyer

Jennifer Meyer has earned an MA in international relations from Webster University in St. Louis; her erste Staatsexamen in EFL, political science, and education from the Universität Hamburg in Germany; and her EdS in curriculum and instruction from Middle Tennessee State University in Tennessee. She has been teaching ESL in the USA and Germany for more than 20 years. She currently teaches K–2 ESL in southern rural middle Tennessee. She is new to the CALL-IS, recruited by Abe Rashad and Vance Stevens via the webcasting team.

Affiliation: TNTESOL & Bedford County Schools Tennessee, USA

Years in the CALL-IS: New member

Q: What is your favorite platform?
A: My favorite platform is mobile. Most of my students do not have access to computers or Internet connections in their homes, but everyone has a cell phone, including myself. A multitude of free apps are available to use in the classroom. If the students are on their devices anyway, why not give them something constructive to do?

Q: For you, what is the one indispensable tool/webpage?
A: I find Voki or GoAnimate excellent tools to use with my students. Students can use their creativity in designing avatars or animes, but they also have to enter text for their characters to speak. During playback, students can hear their mistakes and go back and improve their work.

Q: What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?
A: My own children are my most unexpected source. They will tell me about new games or apps, and I immediately see the connection to learning and instruction and start brainstorming about how I can incorporate something that kids find fun and exciting into my lessons.

Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?
A: One of my favorite CALL activities involves the use of publishing software to create a travel brochure about the setting of a novel or short story.

Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am currently developing a unit on the Power of Peaceful Protest and César Chávez, which I hope to be accepted to present at TESOL 2017 in Seattle.

Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?
A: Due to the nature of the population that I serve, I would like to see more invested in providing free access to the Internet for everyone. My students are at a technological disadvantage due to their inability to access the Internet from home.

Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?
A: My advice would be not to be intimidated by anything. When you encounter something new, do not be afraid to try it out.

Q: What is your funniest CALL-related incident?
A: My funniest CALL-related incident involves time. When we schedule online webcast meetings, Vance usually gives the time in UTC. Because I have trouble calculating numbers (I freely admit to being numerically-challenged), I always reiterate the time in my time zone to be sure I have it right. In the beginning, however, Vance assumed that since Atlanta was close to Tennessee, I would be in the same time zone as Atlanta. Where I live in Tennessee, however, is not in the same time zone as Atlanta. I was an hour late to a couple of meetings until we got our time zones sorted out. So now we have this running joke about my being temporally-challenged; and his announcements for meetings usually contain an aside just for me, with the time of the meeting in my time zone explicitly stated.

Heather Benucci

A TESOL teacher educator and materials development specialist, Heather has led virtual professional development programs in 100+ countries, and she regularly presents at international and regional events on CALL topics. Heather is a longtime fan of the CALL-IS Electronic Village— she loves presenting and volunteering there. She is excited to serve on the CALL-IS Steering Committee and hopes to help more teachers become aware of the amazing resources this group offers.

Affiliation: English Language Programs, Georgetown University/U.S. Department of State, USA

Years in the CALL-IS: 5

Q: What is your favorite platform?
A. Do I have to choose just one? I've found CourseSites, a free learning management system for creating and teaching online courses, to be user friendly for teachers on the backend and easy for students to access and navigate. I've created a variety of dynamic, collaborative learning activities through its integrated features such as wikis, online discussion threads, and small group workspaces.

Q: For you, what is the one indispensable tool/webpage?
A: Right now, I'm really into Canva, a free graphic design website. It isn't created specifically for CALL purposes, but I use it on a daily basis along with Pixabay (free CC0-licensed images) when creating social media content for EFL teachers and learners. It can also be incorporated in digital literacy–focused projects that help ELLs interpret and create infographics, a frequently encountered information format in news and pop culture media these days.

Q: What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?
A: I'm always happy to learn from my students! They keep me current by showing me their favorite mobile apps, websites, and programs that focus on topics like test prep, vocabulary study, and pronunciation.

Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?
A: I enjoyed being part of the design team for a mobile app for ELLs that was optimized to work on feature (nonsmart) phones. The app provided global access to free EFL graded readers, audiobooks, and other e-content via this ubiquitous, but often overlooked, medium.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: As an online learning consultant, I currently produce and present EFL teacher professional development webinars for the U.S. Department of State (we have had amazing participants from more than 100 countries!), and I create EFL teaching tips, classroom activities, and other content for their American English website and social media channels.

Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?
A: A lot of strides have been made in the field of adaptive learning in recent years, but there is still a lot of room to increase the fidelity of these platforms to create more customized language learning opportunities for ELLs.

Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?
A: Don't feel like you need to try every "new, cool" tech tool you come across; strategically pick one or two tools per term that you think will support your teaching, learning, or administrative goals, test them out (collecting data as you experiment), and then reflect on whether the tools suit your needs.

Ellen Dougherty

Ellen Dougherty is a member of the English faculty at the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates. She is a doctoral candidate in TESOL, cognate technology, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and holds an MA in leadership from McGill University. Ellen has more than 25 years of experience with second language learners both as an educator and administrator in North America and the Middle East.

Affiliation: Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates

Years in the CALL-IS: 6

Q: What is your favorite platform?
A: My favorite platform, if defined as “the operating system and computer hardware only” is the Apple platform. I really like the simplicity of use and the logic associated with the platform. However, if a platform is defined as “a group of technologies that are used as a base upon which other applications, processes or technologies are developed,” I would also include Google. I have been using Google tools for many years with ELLs.

Q: For you, what is the one indispensable tool/webpage?

A: That is a difficult question, as I believe the situation defines the tool I will choose to use. However, right now as I am involved in implementing a 1:1 iPad program at the college where I am employed, I would say my favorite tool is the iPad. I really like the flexibility it affords students and the opportunities it provides to optimize students' creativity.

Q: What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?

A: Even though I peruse a wide variety and range of academic sources to remain current on developments in CALL, I would say, my students are the best source of information on ICT and CALL for me. I continually learn from them as we collaborate and share ideas, concepts, and “tricks” on new developments and tools.

Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?

A: I really appreciate PBWorks and have been using this Web 2.0 tool for many years. It has helped me to remain organized, to collaborate with colleagues and students, and to store a plethora of information.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: Presently, I am completing my dissertation. For those of you who have been involved in writing a thesis, you know the time and effort that this requires.

Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?

A: An area I would like to see researched and developed is how digital tools can be used to enhance ELLs' creativity. I enjoy Nik Peachy's work and website. He has several good eBooks on the subject.

Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?
A: Enjoy the ride!! There is always something new to learn.

Q: What is your funniest CALL-related incident?
A: Perhaps my most “fun” experience with CALL relates to a presentation I did with several of my students at a workshop for a major teachers' conference in Quebec, Canada. Our presentation was on how we set up a secure intranet at our school to promote student collaboration, to exchange ideas, and to provide a platform for completing homework/ assignments. The presentation was on the process: our successes and our challenges. I began the presentation; however, the students quickly took over, as they were the experts, and really carried the workshop. They fielded questions, in French and in English, and exchanged ideas with the “professionals.” One student who had been instrumental in completing the project Skyped in as he had recently moved back to Brazil. The students were thrilled with the response and reactions from the participants.

James S. May

Dr. May is the Faculty Fellow for Innovation and Technology at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida. He also teaches ESL and is a past president and current webmaster of Sunshine State TESOL, Florida’s affiliate to TESOL International Association. James got his start in the field of CALL in the mid 90's as a linguist for the U.S. Army, and has been working in digitally hybrid worlds ever since. He has been named Professor of the Year in the state of Florida twice, first by the Association of Florida Colleges in 2010 and then again by the Carnegie Foundation in 2011. He was also named one of the Nation’s Top 40 Innovators in Education by the Center for Digital Education in 2013.

Years in the CALL-IS: Not really sure. I know I signed up when I signed on as a TESOL member, so I guess it has been a long while now. :)

Q: What is your favorite platform?
A: I see this as kind of a trick question. I like Mac for video and general computing, but I have to give it to Google for all things cloud. I have also started playing with Microsoft again because of the capabilities of my Surface Pro and the free live streaming tools that are PC only. So I guess I would have to ask: Favorite platform for what?

Q: For you, what is the one indispensable tool/webpage?
A: In one word…Google (of course, this includes Drive, Calendar, YouTube, Chrome, etc.)

Q: What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?
A: Believe it or not, I would have to say my father-in-law, Dick Anderson, because he routinely feeds me with articles, links, and technologies which spark my interest and allow me to fuse edutaining content with language learning.

Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?
A: Probably my TeacherTricks blog. It actually started as a blog for me to bookmark and store teaching ideas that I found interesting. I am a big fan of transacted memory. It has since become a play space where I can test out ideas, share hacks, and teach others. I have even had others share ideas with me to post/guest post there.

Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am currently working on ways to use Virtual Reality and 360 video in the classroom with ELLs. Here is an example of 360 video if you haven't seen it. (It is best viewed on a mobile device using the YouTube app).

Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?
A: I would like Google to expand their "Annotations" feature to 360 video so that users could make 360 video content more interactive. This could lead to crowdsourced interactive video game making and a wide variety of interesting, highly interactive content.

Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?
A: If you have a question, just ask; it never ceases to amaze me how the CALL community is always happy to share, teach, advise, and cocreate with newbies, provided they are willing to jump right in and ask.

Suzan is senior lecturer and English language team leader at Yew Chung Community College in Hong Kong. She has been a CALL-IS member since 1995.