VDMIS Newsletter - August 2013 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
LEADERSHIP UPDATES
•  MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
•  FROM THE CHAIR
•  MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR-ELECT
ARTICLES
•  COPYLEFT MATERIALS
•  THE CONCEPT OF COOL: SOCIAL INTERACTION AND LANGUAGE LEARNING
•  STOP MOTION ANIMATION: A CHEAP TECHNOLOGICAL TOOL TO USE IN THE CLASSROOM
TESOL2013 CONFERENCE REPORTS
•  MIRRORING PROJECT UPDATE: INTELLIGIBLE ACCENTED SPEAKERS AS PRONUNCIATION MODELS
•  CAPTURED ON VIDEO: TWO INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO TEACHING WRITING DESIGNED TO ENGAGE ALL LEARNERS
•  MATERIALS THAT HELP ADULTS WITH LOW LITERACY AVOID FRAUD: FREE DIGITAL AND VIDEO RESOURCES
•  GREEN SCREEN WILL PUT YOUR STUDENTS IN CONTEXT
•  TURN ON THE RADIO AND TURN UP STUDENT ENGAGEMENT!
•  TRAINING ESP PRACTITIONERS ONLINE: FROM T-MAIL TO TESOL COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS
•  RECORDING STUDENT SPEAKING: SUGGESTIONS FOR EVERY TEACHER'S TOOLKIT
•  BRIDGING TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY IN TESOL TEACHER TRAINING
ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY
•  VDMIS OFFICERS FOR 2013-2014
•  VDMIS MISSION STATEMENT
•  VIDEO AND DIGITAL MEDIA IS, PRESENTATIONS GIVEN AT TESOL2013
•  CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR-ELECT

Jason R. Levine

Greetings, VDMIS members!

I am honored and excited to be chair-elect of our group at a time when so many English language teachers are incorporating video and digital media into their lessons. In the very near future, we will likely see digital media supplant textbooks, something that may well happen sooner in certain so-called "developing" countries. Though disparities along socioeconomic lines will remain, the majority of English language teachers and learners in classrooms "on the ground" and "in the cloud" will grow to depend on digital media, recognizing its awesome power to promote communicative language learning in ways that books, audio CDs, and clumsy language lab software simply could not.

As prices come down, connectivity goes up, and digital media tools become increasingly "teacher-learner friendly," we in VDMIS have a wonderful opportunity to serve as guides for our fellow ELTs. We can surely help them discover and understand new technologies. But more important, we can show them how to use digital media to create lessons that inspire learners to love English and seek out opportunities to use it.

I'm looking forward to meeting and working with you in 2013–2014.

Warm wishes to you all!

Peace and respect,

Jason R. Levine (Jase)

Jason R Levine (Jase, for short) has fifteen years of experience in ELT as a teacher, teacher trainer, and materials writer. He the creator of ColloLearn, an approach to English language learning based on the songs he writes and performs as Fluency MC.

Jase teaches in the MA TESOL program at the New School and works as an English Specialist for the U.S. Department of State.