One way that members can contribute to CALL is to volunteer is in the newsletter and in elections for the steering committee. In this column, let me introduce you to one of our new steering committee members (Sam) and to our new newsletter editor (Suzanne).

• Samuel Adams

• Suzanne Bardasz

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 opportunity to make CALL connections with our members as they share their experiences, advice, and inspirations. Please e-mail me at suzan.stamper@yccc.edu.hk if you have suggestions or contributions to "Making Connections."

Suzan Stamper 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.

Sam is the Instructional Technology Specialist and an ESL teacher in the IELP at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He primarily works with the department’s instructors on ways to more effectively use devices and software in the classroom. He was recently certified as a Google for Education Trainer and he loves to code HTML/CSS/JS in his spare time. He is thrilled to serve as one of the CALL-IS Steering members starting this year.

Years in the CALL-IS: Two years

Q: What is your favorite platform?

A: In the classroom, I love to use Socrative because of its simple interface, easy-to-connect method for students, and the data analytics. For fully online courses, my first preference is Canvas because it is an elegant and robust LMS with a lot of flexibility.

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

A: I use Quizlet in almost every course that I teach. I love the ability to find community created flashcard decks. Plus, students can create their own flashcards as assignments, share it with their peers, and practice on the go with the Quizlet smartphone app!

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

A: I get a lot of my inspiration about CALL from teachers of other subjects, such as the STEM fields. “How are math teachers helping students to understand formulas in class? Can this be applied to students’ understanding of grammar syntax?” There are always some tweaks to make, but it is a great starting point.

Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?

A: Claire Bradin Siskin has been presenting for many TESOL conventions on using LiveCode for creating language learning apps (https://edvista.com/claire/rev/index.html). I think this is a wonderful initiative, as reading and working with computer code is slowly becoming a new type of literacy. In my opinion, anything that gives teachers (and students) the ability to become creators truly realizes the potential of CALL.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: This one is an oldie but goodie. I am trying to update the source code (Javascript) of HotPotatoes in order to increase the functionality of quizzes on mobile devices that are not connected to the internet. I think there is a need for lean mobile apps that work in a simple internet browser, can be customized by the teacher, and function offline. If anyone has JS experience, check out my project file (https://github.com/sammadams/HotPotatoes_v2) and I would love to collaborate!

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

A: I believe that we are near a saturation point in terms of mobile/tablet applications, although there are other areas to explore with AR/VR. However, I would like to see more focus, from both enterprise and academia, on the outcomes of M-learning (mobile learning) and how to pedagogically integrate personal devices into curriculum.

Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?

A: Find your niche and don’t be intimidated. CALL is not just a group of super computer users. There are members who are at all levels of technology proficiency and integration, so you will surely be able to find colleagues that can help you with your classroom technology needs – and you can help others!

Suzanne is an ESL Instructor at University of California, Davis Extension in Davis, California, where she mainly teaches composition classes as well as classes in the English for Science and Technology (EST) program. She previously taught English at the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea for nearly 5 years. She recently joined the ON CALL newsletter editing team in 2018.

Years in the CALL-IS: 2013 and a TESOL member since 2006

Q: What is your favorite platform?

A: Microsoft Windows, mainly because it's the platform I use the most.

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

A: Google and its apps (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Maps, Sheets, YouTube, etc.). I feel that my life (both inside or outside the classroom) centers around these apps, and I can't imagine living my life without these tools!

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

A: Twitter! I love following different educators who use technology in their classroom. From these educators, I learn more about the tools and apps that are out there, including ideas on how to use these tools and which tools I should try.

Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?

A: Spiral: This website is an excellent tool to use in either a computer lab classroom or a regular classroom. This tool allows students to participate and post their responses online to questions, pictures, and videos in a way that is interactive and fun. It also has a group interaction feature (Team Up) that allows students to work together in groups to create online presentations that can be shared and commented online with other groups.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: Researching, discovering, and trying out different websites and apps that I can use in my classroom.

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

A: How to engage and challenge fast learners who complete online in-class exercises before everyone else.

Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?

A: Don't be afraid to try and experiment with new ideas and new tools in the classroom. It will not go smoothly the first time you try these tools, but be patient with the process. Allow more time than you think is needed. Ask your colleagues how they use CALL in the classroom and observe some classes that use CALL to get more inspiration and ideas.

Suzan Stamper 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.