The Best 2019 Resources for Teachers of ELs

Posted on 21 January 2020 by Judie Haynes
Judie Haynes
Judie Haynes

Happy New Year! In this blog, I’d like to share blogs and articles that mention resources and practices for teachers of English learners (ELs) as well as suggestions from EL educators on what we can do to improve the instruction of ELs in 2020. I’ll start with some of the most popular resources I myself have shared in the past year, and then provide resources from other excellent individuals and organizations. Continue reading →

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Developing Reflective Writing With L2 Learners

Posted on 16 January 2020 by Betsy Gilliland
Betsy Gilliland
Betsy Gilliland

As we enter a new year, many people look back over the previous year and set goals for the coming one. This process is called reflection and is a deeply human trait—but how we express our thoughts may be different across cultures, and our students may not be familiar with the ways we as teachers expect them to write about their personal perspectives. Continue reading →

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Increasing Immersion: VR Becomes Classroom Ready

Posted on 14 January 2020 by Jeff Kuhn
Jeff Kuhn
Jeff Kuhn

Virtual reality (VR) has been at the cutting edge of entertainment and education for more than thirty years. The technology has promised to revolutionize training and education by placing users in computer-generated environments where they can move around, interact with the environment, and feel as if they are really there. The exceptional cost of the technology however, has meant VR has only been used in highly specialized educational contexts, such as military and industrial training.

This cost limitation finally began to break in the early 2010s as mobile phone advances pushed much needed VR technology to become smaller, lighter, and more cost effective. Smaller motion sensors and cheaper mobile phone LCD screens prompted new investment and invention in the area of VR, and it has experienced something of a renaissance over the last decade. Continue reading →

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Member Moment: Adeel Khalid

Posted on 13 January 2020 by Adeel Khalid
Adeel Khalid
Adeel Khalid

TESOL Member Moment celebrates our members’ achievements and contributions to the field of English language teaching. Continue reading →

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Project-Based Learning: Vision Boards for the New Year

Posted on 9 January 2020 by Charles McKinney
Charles McKinney
Charles McKinney

“Write the vision, make it plain.” As an ESOL educator, I love being spontaneous in the classroom and finding numerous ways to engage my students in the language learning process. So when I had the opportunity, off the cuff, to encourage my collegiate Saudi students to create vision board projects in January, I could not but applaud their efforts when they managed to construct some wonderful vision boards, either digital or traditional, truly impressing me. Continue reading →

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Committed to Serve in 2020: Supporting ELs Who Opt Out

Posted on 7 January 2020 by Ayanna Cooper
Ayanna Cooper
Ayanna Cooper

Students identified as English learners (ELs) who opt out, waive services, decline to participate, or simply just say “no”: These are the students we’re going to talk about today. As EL advocates, we often focus on students who participate in language support programs, the teachers who teach them, and the resources they have (or don’t have) access to. But, lately, the question has come up of students who do not participate. What are we doing (or not doing) for them? Even more important is why supporting those who opt out is a necessary action if we are going to be truly inclusive and create and sustain avenues to academic success for linguistically diverse learners. Continue reading →

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5 Ways to Get the Most out of TESOL 2020 as an Introvert

Posted on 30 December 2019 by TESOL Ambassador
TESOL Ambassador
TESOL Ambassador

I have been to TESOL Conventions before, and there are so many opportunities to connect to people, but as a shy person, those opportunities may seem daunting at first. With so much happening—from the continual book fair to the presentations to the Electronic Village—it is easy to think that TESOL is just too big to really engage in. However, here are five introvert-friendly ways to engage at TESOL 2020 that will help you connect. Continue reading →

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Posted on 20 December 2019 by TESOL Ambassador
TESOL Ambassador
TESOL Ambassador

In Denver, I am serving as a TESOL Ambassador, and the honor allows me to check a goal off my list before the TESOL Annual Convention even begins. Every time I attend TESOL, I try to do something new. The first time I attended, I was solely in reception mode (a collateral result was the invaluable motivation to submit proposals and participate more actively).

Since then, this secondary effort—to pursue different opportunities—has driven me to persistently explore and exploit the resources of the conference and to even move beyond my comfort zone. While it is both easy and sufficiently gratifying to attend as many sessions as possible and to focus on topic- and skill-specific professional development, there is much more on offer when so many TESOL professionals gather. Continue reading →

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