This issue of the “Making Connections” column introduces three members:

• Roger Gee
• Sandy Wagner
• Sandra Rogers

For each newsletter, I will invite members to answer a set of questions:

• What is your favorite platform?
• What is the one indispensable tool/webpage?
• What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?
• What was your favorite CALL creation?
• What are you working on now?
• What area would you like to see developed/researched?
• In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?

Beginning with the first column in 2005, members have shared a wide variety of experiences and interests. I hope you will enjoy this opportunity to compare experiences, to share advice, to nurture inspiration, and to make connections within our community.

Please e-mail me if you have suggestions or contributions to “Making Connections.”

++++++++++

Roger Gee

Roger is the director of the master’s in TESOL and literacy program at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a local cochair and a member of the EV organizing committee for the 2012 TESOL Convention to be held in Philadelphia.

Affiliation: Holy Family University

Years in CALL: 4 years

Q: Favorite platform?

A: I don’t really have a favorite―my desktop, laptop, and netbook are Windows, my smartphone is Android, and my tablet is an iPad. Each has its strengths, but to paraphrase the old camera saying, the best platform is the one you have with you.

Q: For you, what is the one indispensable tool/webpage?

A: Right now I’d say Evernote. I use it across platforms, especially at meetings with the iPad. On PCs I clip webpages, and on my phone I use it for audio notes. Also, on the iPad I can use Evernote to rename PDF files that I mark up using PDF Reader.

Q: What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?

A: Students―both grad students and ESL/EFL students. They have new things and workarounds for old things. But I guess they shouldn’t be unexpected sources.

Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?

A: A wiki I made for an online partnership with a university in Peru. It took a lot of thought about how to be both explicit and concise in simple language, but I enjoyed making it. If I can mention a second, I had fun with Glogster. I made a Gene Autry demonstration Glog that brought back memories of my childhood and introduced a new generation to the singing cowboy!

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I’m at a Catholic university, and we are starting an online EFL program for a seminary in Vietnam. It involves about 125 seminarians and four students in our master’s program.

Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?

A: Using COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English) in online programs. There’s a growing body of literature about moving from corpus to classroom, but I’m not sure we have a set of best practices for teacher-mediated, corpus-based, online instruction.

Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?

A: Be sure to network with colleagues, and the CALLIS is a great place to start.

++++++++++

Sandy Wagner

Sandy is assistant professor at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California. She is currently involved in the Language Technology Evaluation and Application division and provides training and mentoring for integrating technology and language acquisition. Sandy has been involved with CALL for many years as a steering committee member, past chair, and Electronic Village coordinator. She also facilitates TESOL's Principles and Practices of Online Teaching Certification PP103: Teaching Reading and Writing Online course.

Affiliation: Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, Monterey, CA

Years in the CALLIS: 6 years

Q: Favorite platform?

A: Mac OS

Q: For you, what is the one indispensable tool/webpage?

A: Definitely search engines and specifically, Google and Google Apps

Q: What is your most unexpected source of information about CALL?

A: The participants in my technology workshops always have a favorite technology resource to share that I had not yet discovered. Networking takes on new meaning in CALL as it brings exposure to many unexpected sources of information.

Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?

A: My wiki site (http://technagogyconnection.wetpaint.com). The site has allowed me to provide helpful resources for others, including online training and sample activities using Web 2.0 tools.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: My current projects include iPad/iTouch applications for language learning, Sakai learning management system (LMS) courses, and another wiki, http://webwonders.pbwiki.com, showcasing Web 2.0 tools and sample applications that develop language proficiency.

Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?

A: I would like to see more research on the impact of CALL on learning outcomes and the types of pedagogical applications that best meet the development of language proficiency. Too many times technologies are introduced and utilized without an awareness of how best to use their functions and capabilities or knowledge of their effect on language development.

Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?

A: Start simple with technology resources familiar to you and let the technology creatively support your teaching practices.

Q: What is your funniest CALL-related incident?

A: My funniest CALL-related incident was during a recent Web 2.0 workshop. I uploaded a YouTube exercise video to create an activity, not realizing that I had not muted my sound. When I clicked on the play button, needless to say, the silence in the room was definitely broken, although it did wake up the group.

++++++++++

Sandra Annette Rogers

Sandra has been teaching for 20 years. She’s actively involved with the Electronic Village Online (EVO) and currently serves on the coordination team. You may have read some of her CALL-related blogs on TESOL. She freelances for ETS.org and MuchEnough.com. In addition, Sandra runs a virtual nonprofit to help the unemployed find work on BrokeButNotForLong.org.

Affiliation: Teacherrogers Consulting

Years in the CALLIS: 2 years (2009-2011)

Q: Favorite platform?

A: Well, in the past newsletters this referred to the computer operating system. I use Windows XP, but it’s not really my favorite. As an online teacher, I’d like to add that my favorite learning management system platform is eCollege (Pearson).

Q: For you, what is the one indispensable tool/webpage?

A: That depends on my resources for the project. Camtasia Relay for screencasting with a budget because I can edit and add closed-captioning. Screenr.com for screencasting without a budget―no editing feature so you have to do retakes! Screencasters help you meet the standards for quality online instruction, such as virtual tours, lecture capturing, demonstrations, one-on-one specific help, and student presentations and/or intros.

A: I didn’t realize that the CALLIS helped create the Principles and Practices of Online Teaching certificate courses and that some of the CALL members actually teach the classes, too.

Q: What was your favorite CALL creation?

A: I’d have to say my e-portfolio blog that I created in Vance Stevens’ Multiliteracies EVO 2010 session. It has become my go-to place for everything I do―my landing strip! I blog about my trials and errors with integrating technology into education and post all of my projects there.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: Besides training moderators as an EVO coordination team member, I’m also mentoring the PLN/PLE moderators for #2012evo. I continue to blog for TESOL, my eportfolio, and my nonprofit. For BrokeButNotForLong, Inc., I’ve decided to migrate all of our content to Google sites like Blogger for Blogging4Broke to save money. We recently received a Google grant for free AdWords, so you should be seeing more of Broke in online searches in a few months. For my own career, I’ve launched Teacherrogers Consulting for Literacy, Language & Social Media Solutions.

Q: What area would you like to see developed/researched?

A: I’ll echo what Andy Bowman said back in 2008: “More computer-like devices created specifically for language learning.” And I want to help create one, so give me a call!

Q: In a sentence, what advice would you give to a newbie starting out in CALL?

A: Take the Electronic Village Online free professional training in January!

Q: What is your funniest CALL-related incident?

A: OK, since Laine (Helaine) Marshall has a good sense of humor, I’d like to describe our first face-to-face encounter. I was running to a session at the TESOL convention in New Orleans when I passed her by. I turned around because I recognized her face from her thumbnail photos on Yahoo IM. She became a great mentor to me during my first attempt at moderating a session for EVO in 2009. However, I wasn’t sure it was her because of her petite stature. Laine had become such a giant in my mind that I didn’t expect her to be so small! I explained this to her, and we both laughed because she didn’t expect me to be so tall.

Suzan Stamper is a senior lecturer in the English for Academic Purposes Program at Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. She has been a CALLIS member since 1995.