Lessons I Learned From the CALL-IS: Volunteers Are Important

Hello, fellow CALL-IS members! I hope all is going well where you are.

2017 is upon us and preparations for the 2018 CALL-IS Electronic Village and Technology Showcase are well under way. Taking up the mantle of 2018 past chair has given me pause for reflection on the meaning and cost of volunteering, so I hope you’ll indulge me in these few brief musings.

Two significant professional and life lessons afforded me through my brief involvement (since 2009) with our interest section (IS) stand out to me: the generosity and enthusiasm manifested in colleagues’ willingness to volunteer, and the positive developments in our IS brought with each successive iteration of the CALL-IS Steering Committee and the Electronic Village (EV) Planning Team. It’s tremendously satisfying to watch as these teams welcome new members, teach and learn new technologies, and adapt to new circumstances. Successors in the steering committee and EV are actively mentored, knowledge is shared in and out of the EV, and technology is adopted and applied in new ways to help TESOL and the CALL-IS strengthen our organization and involve our membership.

None of this happens without the spirit of volunteering. Every year, CALL practitioners make priceless contributions of time, energy, and knowledge in the EV and Technology Showcase, and in fulfilling the duties of planning and preparation. Volunteer tasks and technology may change, but what remains is the altruism of people who share for the sake of their profession and, ultimately, the improvement of others’ lives.

Obviously, volunteer efforts help others—but if you volunteer, you benefit, too:

• Community of practice: You have a place to be, along with other professionals of like interests.

• Professional representation: You have a locus of advocacy for your profession.

• Professional development: You have a place to give and to learn—and there’s no better way to learn an unfamiliar technology or application than using it.

• Momentum: Volunteers attract more volunteers who generate momentum with new ideas and enthusiasm.

• Collaboration: You plan, build, and deliver as part of a team.

• Personal return on personal investment: It is real work with real value that helps real people, and a job well done often serves as a model for your successor.

If you share my enthusiasm for the kind of work that CALL-IS does, here are some ways for you to get involved (without waiting for 2018):

• Write an article for this newsletter. Educators observe interesting trends, have interesting ideas, and address interesting issues in this field. Newsletter Editor Larry Udry would love to hear from you! Contact him at ludry@dwci.edu.

• Take an active part in the myTESOL Community. Generate ideas, ask questions, raise issues, give and receive advice. You’re never more than a posted message away from colleagues willing to welcome and share expertise. If you’d like to moderate a discussion in the CALL Community, contact Suzan Stamper, Community Coordinator, at suzan.stamper@yccc.edu.hk.

• Read proposals for EV events. You can fill out the volunteer form or contact me at jack.watson@unb.ca.

• Take the challenging, and very rewarding, webcast training. Contact Jennifer Meyer, Webcast Development Coordinator, at jennylynn41069@gmail.com to learn more.

• Consider taking part in the Electronic Village Online (EVO).

• If you’re going to be at TESOL, you’re welcome to volunteer on-site at the EV. We’re always looking for greeters, guides, webcast helpers, and experts in the CALL field.

• And there may be even more—stay tuned for our next issue of On CALL.

Until then, have a successful 2017!

Best regards,

Jack Watson

Jack Watson is the ELP e-learning coordinator at the University of New Brunswick English Language Programme in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, and has more than three decades of experience in teaching ESL/ESOL. Jack’s past involvement with CALL-IS includes presenting in the Electronic Village (EV), coordinating the EV Fair Classics and CALL-IS webcast development, reviewing proposals, and contributing as a steering committee member. Interests include outdoor photography, website building and maintenance, blues guitar, and (still) playing with Siamese cats.