CALL Newsletter - September 2019 (Plain Text Version)
|
||||
|
In this issue: |
LEADERSHIP UPDATES LETTER FROM THE CHAIRS-ELECT Heather Benucci,Independent Materials Development Specialist
We hope that this letter finds you well, whether that be enjoying a well-deserved summer break or hard at work creating dynamic learning experiences for your students. On behalf of the CALL-IS leadership, we would like to welcome the new steering committee members who were elected during the TESOL 2019 open meeting in Atlanta: Mary Allegra, Kim Andrus, Ellen Dougherty, and Johnna Paraiso. The community looks forward to working with you! Also, to James May, who is cycling off the steering committee, thank you for your years of service to the CALL-IS. Your many contributions have made this IS an innovative and welcoming group to be a part of. Thank you so much! In the months since TESOL 2019, the steering committee and many other CALL-IS volunteers have been hard at work preparing to support TESOL teachers around the world through shared resources and other outreach this year, and, of course, we are also gearing up for TESOL 2020! In April, we hit the ground running with a reflection session on the 2019 TESOL conference experience; the team explored ways to continue the positive aspects of the CALL-IS Convention presence, such as the Electronic Village and Mini Workshops, which continued to thrive with participants in the Expo Hall, and we also looked at how to improve the attendee and IS volunteer experience based on the constructive feedback we received. This year, we are also examining ways to enhance both the free webcasts of CALL-IS sessions from TESOL Conventions and the overall CALL-IS community outreach through a variety of online media, including myTESOL, social media, webinars, and more. Planning for exciting academic and InterSection section panels for next year's conference is underway, too. We look forward to collaborating with teams from the Second Language Writing and Supporting Students with Disabilities ISs, among others! The CALL-IS strives to be on the cutting edge of understanding the intersection of technology and English language education, and there is always plenty of room for fresh faces and ideas in our community! Not sure where to start? Learn more about the events we host by checking out the Electronic Village program guide from TESOL 2019, review the list of CALL-IS positions, fill out our Volunteer Interest form, contribute to the CALL-IS newsletter, or share an idea or question on the myTESOL community. Join the conversation; we want to know more about the ELT tech-related ideas and questions you have! That’s all the news for now, but we are looking forward to learning and sharing with you on the CALL-IS myTESOL community. Until the next newsletter, we wish you all a fantastic year! Best regards, Heather Benucci and Abe Reshad
Heather Benucci, a TESOL teacher educator, materials development specialist, and editor, has led virtual professional development programs for participants in more than 100 countries. A long-time producer and presenter for the U.S. State Department’s TEFL webinar series, she also managed the Department’s E-Teacher Program and launched its first-ever mobile app and e-books for teachers and learners.
Abe Reshad is the director of the Cooper
International Learning Center at Oberlin College and Conservatory in
Oberlin, Ohio. With 18 years of ESOL teaching experience and 10 with a
CALL focus, Abe’s professional interests include the use of maker spaces
to promote language learning, e-learning, and place-based AR/MR
learning experiences. |
|||