Happy 2013!

I hope that all HEIS members have gotten off to a great start in a new year. HEIS has been busy this past year, and it has been an honor and pleasure to serve as HEIS chair during this time.

UPDATES TO BYLAWS

First, we have amended our bylaws after primary members voted for the following changes:

• All members of HEIS (both primary and secondary members) are eligible to vote for officers, which is a change from only primary members being eligible to vote.
• We have changed the title of our web and e-list manager to Community Manager.
• All HEIS members are eligible to serve on an ad hoc committee.

Second, we created a Facebook page and a Twitter account in 2011. Christina Quarataro is the Facebook/Twitter manager. Please visit us on Facebook. Tweet/retweet and subscribe to our Twitter feed at @tesolheis.

Third, TESOL has moved all e-lists to the community pages. Click on My News and then notification settings. This allows you to choose whether to read the posts on the webpage or to receive them by e-mail. You should be subscribed to the electronic discussion lists within 4 hours of registering. Most lists send a "hello" message with instructions for using the e-list as soon as you are subscribed.

Fourth, please nominate a chair for 2014. You can also nominate another person or yourself for the chair position. Please send me an e-mail  with a short one-page bio.

ELECTIONS

Elections for chair-elect and assistant chair will be taking place shortly. Please vote and have input on the leadership through 2015. TESOL Central Office will be informing us of when to vote.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

HEIS will have booth space at the TESOL Convention in the middle of the exhibition hall. More details will be sent to you as soon as they become available. Please come by to visit HEIS members and leaders during this time. Our annual business meeting will be announced soon.

We will have an Academic Session as well as one InterSection during this conference. Please plan to attend both sessions.

Academic Session

Principles and Practice in the Improvement of Productive Skills
Organizer: Miguel Fernandez, HEIS chair-elect
Presenters: Miguel Fernandez (Chicago State University), Jennifer Forth (University of Kansas), Abby Franchitti (Kansas State University), Peggy Allen Heidish (Carnegie Mellon University), Heather Robertson (University of Southern California)
Time/Location: 10 am–12:45 pm, March 21, 2013, in Ballroom C2

InterSection

With EFL and Nonnative English Speakers in TESOL Interest Sections
Interlanguage/Intercultural Impact on HE Chinese and Arabic Students’ Writing
Organizer: Kim H. Song
Presenters: Ke Xu, Kelly Schroeder, Jane Hoelker, Jerome Bollato
Time/Location: 10–11:45 am, March 23, 2013, at the Dallas Convention Center

Please use the HEIS community e-list to inform each other which sessions you are participating in as presenters and which topics are important to you as you decide which sessions to attend.

PROPOSAL REVIEWERS

As we near the TESOL 2013 annual convention, I would like to once again thank the proposal reviewers. This year, the proposal reviews for all of the ISs were coordinated by the Central Office. As chair, I calculate the means and selected the proposals within the mean scores. We always have a large proposal turnout and greatly appreciate that so many of you volunteer. The more reviewers we have, the less work each one has to do! It is one fairly easy way to give back to the organization and Interest Section.

One final note: It has been an honor and privilege to work as HEIS chair this year. It does not take much of my time except the convention proposal review and convention times. I wish I had more time to interact with you. I’ve met and gotten to know many of you via the e-list and the HEIS listserv, which has been very active. Thanks for being so active online. I hope to see you at TESOL 2013. Please join the annual dinner and the business meeting. Looking forward to meeting you soon in Dallas.

Kim H. Song, EdD, has been teaching TESOL at the University of Missouri–St. Louis since 2008 and in teacher education programs since 1991. Since 2011, she has also been principal investigator for Quality Teachers for English Learners, a 5-year NPD grant from the Department of Education. She has published a book and more than 25 articles and book chapters. Her current research interests are instructional framework for ESOL teachers, teachers’ attitude toward ELLs, linguistic intelligence beyond Gardner, math anxiety of ELLs and elementary teachers, and instructional design and WIDA. She also offers professional development workshops in the United States and abroad. She has been a keynote speaker at the Oman ELT conference and presented more than 40 papers at national and international conferences.