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MAKING CONNECTIONS
Suzan Stamper, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong
For each newsletter, I invite members to answer a set of questions:
- What is your favorite platform?
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What is the one indispensable tool/webpage?
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What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?
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What was your favorite CALL creation?
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What are you working on now?
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What area would you like to see developed/researched?
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In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?
Since this column began in 2005, more than 30 members have been
invited to share resources, experiences and interests. These
"interviews"—like a virtual snapshot—reflect where our IS has been,
where it is now, and where it is going. I hope you will enjoy these new
additions as we continue to compare experiences, share advice, nurture
inspiration, and make connections within our community.
Please e-mail me if you have
suggestions or contributions to Making Connections.
Dianna Lippincott
Affiliation: Arizona State University, American English & Culture Program
Years in the CALL-IS: 3
Dianna is the director of the ESL Innovation Lab at Arizona
State University, helping teachers implement CALL and test new
technologies. Last semester, teachers in her IEP used 159 different
technologies and applications in their classrooms! Dianna is a
representative in the CALL Interest Section Steering Committee and
coordinates the Electronic Village Classics sessions at TESOL's
international convention.
Q: What is your favorite platform?
A: I had always been a Windows user, and I couldn't understand
my teen daughter's fascination with Apple. Then our university went to a
dual boot system in our classrooms and the Mac side was much faster
than the Windows. So I, like the computers, adapted to using both. I now
use a Mac for the portability.
Q: What is the one indispensable tool/webpage?
A: Google Drive!
Q: What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?
A: None of my information sources are truly unexpected—my
teenage children, my coworkers, Richard Byrne's
blog, and some electronic newsletters to which I
subscribe.
Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?
A: I created an online course for professional development for
in-service teachers. We will be piloting the course later this year. The
reason that it's my favorite is that it centers around sharing best
practices with colleagues around the world.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I'm working on a collaborative project between Arizona State
University and English
Central on a course for international students who want to
become pilots. This is a profession where pronunciation and listening
skills are paramount!
Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?
A: I'm interested in research that shows the efficacy of different technologies.
Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?
A: Don't be overwhelmed. There are a plethora of ideas and
implementations, but you just need to start with one small thing. Then
you can slowly add to your portfolio of CALL skills.
Cate Crosby
Affiliation: University of Cincinnati
Years in the CALL-IS: 1 (Cate has been active in SLW-IS since 2006)
Cate is professor of TESOL at the University of Cincinnati. She
teaches courses in literacy and second language studies for preservice
teachers, in-service teachers, and doctoral students. Her research
interests include TESOL teacher education; U.S.-educated writers;
multiple literacies, including informational, digital, and global; and
the use of technology in the language classroom.
Q: What is your favorite platform?
A: Firefox OS. My least favorite is my Windows Phone because of
the dearth of applications compared to the iPhone and
Android.
Q: What is the one indispensable tool/webpage?
A: Dictionary.com.
Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?
A: In the year and a half that I have been teaching fully
online, my favorite creation has been my Eyejot, or video
email.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I'm working on improving the online TESOL courses I teach to
(primarily) in-service teachers enrolled in the master's TESOL Program
at the University of Cincinnati.
Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?
A: My goal to improve my online teaching for this year is to
participate in Kaltura training and
incorporate the use of this in all of my online courses.
Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?
A: My advice to those new to online teaching—get help from the
instructional designers at your university (and buy them lots of coffee
as a thank you). Also, attend the training your university offers as
well as conferences on online teaching, such as Quality Matters and the
Sloan Consortium.
Jeff Kuhn
Affiliation: Ohio University
Years in the CALL-IS: 3
Jeff Kuhn is an instructor in Ohio University's English
Language Improvement Program and a PhD student in the Instructional
Technology division of the Patton College of Education, with a focus on
games for language learning. He worked as a consultant on the U.S.
Department of State’s Trace Effects and has presented on the use of
games in the classroom at TESOL. He has been a member of the CALL-IS for
3 years and is volunteering this year as a webcast host.
Q: What is your favorite platform?
A: Web browsers on any OS. I'm a big fan of mash-ups, and the
flexibility of HTML allows me to merge maps, video, audio, and games
into activities. You wouldn't believe what I can make run in Hot Potatoes!
Q: What is the one indispensable tool/webpage?
A: I'd say Google
Earth because of the possibilities it offers for exploration
and classroom visuals. A favorite classroom activity is to have students
give virtual tours of their hometowns or favorite sites in their
countries.
Q: What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?
A: Students, for sure. I figure if they are using a tool or
website, then I should find a way to bring it into our
classroom.
Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?
A: Definitely the Holodeck. It is a
virtual language learning environment at Ohio University. We built a
small soundstage which allows students to go on virtual tours in Google
Earth, give speeches in front of large audiences, or practice ordering
language in a mock restaurant.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Currently I am working on a composition class that utilizes
the video game Minecraft. We have selected
readings in class that we then experience firsthand inside the video
game. The theme last semester was "the zombie apocalypse."
Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?
A: Gesture-based interaction. A mouse and keyboard are barriers
to authentic language practice. Advances in voice and gesture computing
are now at a point where we can bring them into the classroom to give
students more immersive language practice. Simulation is the next great
advance in CALL.
Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?
A: Go to TESOL conferences (local or international) and talk to
everyone—share ideas, get ideas, and collaborate!
Suzan Stamper is an instructor in the Centre for
Language in Education at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. She has
been a CALL-IS member since 1995.
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