Greetings to everyone in TexTESOL III!
This has been an exciting year for me and for our TexTESOL III Board. I urge all of you to check your membership expiration date; if you need to renew your membership to TexTESOL III, please send us your check and renewal form (enclosed in this issue). Remember that you, as a TexTESOL III member, learn about news and our upcoming events FIRST, through our newsletter and our special mailings.
Elections are coming up for the new TexTESOL III Board for the year 2000-2001! Election procedures and the slate of TexTESOLers running in the Board elections are outlined in this newsletter. Elections will take place, and the new 2000-2001 Board will be introduced at our Fall 2000 Conference, Saturday, September 23rd! Be there!
The 2000-2001 TexTESOL III Board will be responsible for planning and hosting the 23rd Annual TexTESOL State Conference, November 3 & 4, 2001, in Austin. We welcome you to come to our Board meetings and to participate in the planning and execution of this exciting conference:
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, and have talent and energy to share with us, please call me, Alex Baez, at (512-Austin) 479-6474, and I will discuss with you the many and varied planning positions open!
I was "on board" for the planning of the 19th Annual TexTESOL State Conference held in 1997, and I can say from experience that the state conference planning is rewarding, interesting, FUN, and a great way to meet and get to know your TexTESOL III colleagues!
TexTESOL III Fall 2000 Conference: "Building a Community of Learners"
On Saturday, September 23rd, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., TexTESOL III will host the Fall 2000 Conference: "Building a Community of Learners," at the beautiful Ragsdale Center, St. Edward’s University, Austin. We cordially invite all of you to join us for this day of inspiring presentations at our concurrent sessions, and an outstanding Italian pasta buffet luncheon on the top floor of St. Edward’s Old Main Building, which offers a breathtaking view of Austin’s Hill Country setting.
Be there for our luncheon which will be a "Roma Pasta Extravaganza," including tortellini with spinach, pine nuts, and chicken; spinach and smoked mushroom lasagna; fettucine Alfredo; sautÈed vegetable; Caesar salad; and our TexTESOL III "favorite," tiramisu for dessert!
We expect a "full house" in our Exhibit Hall, with publishers showing exciting new ESL materials and technology until 3 p.m. Be there at 9:15 a.m. to meet and have coffee with the publishers, and discover what new and inspiring materials they have in store.
Please see the registration form and all information about our Fall 2000 Conference in this issue! Registration deadline is September 10th, and that delicious pasta buffet luncheon is included in the price!
Plenary speaker for the conference will be Lydia Stack, who will present "Writers’ Workshop: What my students have taught me." Dr. Stack will also present a hands-on Writers’ Workshop in the afternoon, where she will demonstrate student writing activities for "real" audiences with samples of student writing and practical suggestions for how to implement this writing process. Dr. Stack is an Administrator for the Bilingual Education and Language Academy Department of the San Francisco Unified School District, and is involved in curriculum writing and teacher training for many US school districts and international teacher training programs. You will recognize her as co-author of Wordways; Gameboards, Cubes and Cards; Voices in Literature; and Making Connections, textbooks for secondary ESL students. Dr. Stack is a past president of TESOL.
Also featured at the conference: Evelyn Rowe Nelson, who is Director of Global Training and Development for Heinle & Heinle Publishers’ ESL Division. A former Title I ESL Specialist, Evelyn conducts workshops on ESL training throughout the U.S., Mexico, South America, and Asia. Evelyn will share research-based teaching principles and activities that promote language development, in her workshop: "Go For IT! Boosting your Students’ Language and Vocabulary Development." Her co-presenter will be former elementary school teacher, Terry Bezdek, Heinle & Heinle’s ESL Specialist for Texas.
Concurrent session presentations throughout the day will target all ESL teachers: K-12, Bilingual Education, Adult ESL, College & University ESL, and Intensive Programs. We have a line-up of Central Texas’ finest presenters!
We’ll finish this exciting conference with elections for the new 2000-2001 Board of TexTESOL III, where incoming Board members will be introduced, and a raffle featuring an awesome array of valuable prizes–and you must be present to win!
23rd Annual TexTESOL State Conference: "2001: An ESL Odyssey"
It seems like only yesterday that we wrapped up the 19th Annual TexTESOL State Conference in November of 1997 in Austin. Hard to believe that we are NOW hard at work on the 23rd Annual TexTESOL State Conference: "2001: An ESL Odyssey," to be held November 3 & 4, 2001, at the Doubletree Hotel (I-35), in Austin. Please note that due to conference site availability in Austin, this State Conference will be held on a Saturday and Sunday–so start making your plans to be there.
| STAY TUNED: We will be rolling out more details for you about the 2001 State Conference at our exhibit booth in San Antonio, October 27 & 28, 2000, at the upcoming TexTESOL State Conference, and in our upcoming newsletters! |
| We know you love the concurrent sessions and workshops we are lining up for the 2001 State Conference in Austin. Our roster of Plenary and Keynote Speakers will include Diane Larsen-Freeman, among many "ESL greats." You will also love the Spanish colonial charm and comfort of the Doubletree Hotel–and its food and service are renowned. Take advantage of our special conference rates at the elegant Doubletree! |
| Again, if you want to share your talents to help plan the conference, just give me a call! |
| Please check out our website, designed by Board Webmaster, John Madden, at <www.textesol.org/region3/> for more details about TexTESOL III conferences. We want to see all of you at our events! |
| See our list of current TexTESOL III Board members in this issue. (As I mentioned, our elections happen September 23rd, so we’ll have a new Board roster at that time.) |
That’s all for now. We sincerely hope that all TexTESOL III members have had a fun and productive summer, and we are looking forward to seeing you September 23, 2000, and November 3-4, 2001!
Sincerely,
Alex Baez
President
TexTESOL III
President
Alex B·ez
Southwest Texas State University
Fax: (512) 479-6475
First Vice-President / Interim Newsletter Editor
Rebecca Herman
Del Valle ISD
Fax: (512) 386-3655
Second Vice-President
John Duke
The University of Texas at Austin
Work: (512) 471-2480
Johnduke@mail.utexas.edu
Secretary
Mary Lou Price
The University of Texas at Austin
Work: (512) 471-2486
mlp@mail.utexas.edu
Treasurer
Teresa Baker
The University of Texas at Austin
Work: (512) 471-2483
tm-baker@mail.utexas.edu
Webmaster
John Madden
The University of Texas at Austin
Work: (512) 471-2480
jmadden@mail.utexas.edu
TESOL Liaison
John Schmidt
Texas Intensive English Program
Work: (512) 477-4511
john.schmidt@worldnet.att.net
Delegate-at-Large
Frank Cronin
Austin Community College
Work: (512) 223-4889
Fcronin645@aol.com
Delegate-at-Large
Charlotte Gilman
Texas Intensive English Program
Work: (512) 477-4511
cg9002@tiec.org
Delegate-at-Large
Greg Thompson
Austin Community College
thompson@io.com
If you would like to contribute an article to this newsletter, please contact the Newsletter Editor at the address below. Please send your contributions as a document of up to 500 words.
Newsletter Editor, TexTESOL
III, Dexter Hall
1103 West 24th Street, Austin, TX 78705
You may contribute to any section, including book reviews, research, teaching tips, literature reviews, job announcements, and the calendar. If you would like to volunteer to read books and review them for our newsletter, please contact the editor at the above address. Our newsletter is published at least four times a year.
Dear Members,
This year the TEXTESOL III Executive Board has been working to revise the organization’s Constitution. The changes proposed reflect three goals: to update the Constitution, to clarify wording, and to combine information previously divided between the Constitution and the Bylaws. We have focused on three main areas: amendment procedures, officers, and elections.
We would like you, the members, to look over these proposed revisions before the Annual Meeting on September 23, at which time you will vote whether or not to approve the revisions. To make your job a little easier, we have put new wording in bold followed by old wording in italics and in parentheses. We have also summarized substantive changes in a box at the beginning of each section.
Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or suggestions. Send your comments to the TexTESOL III mailing address or contact one of the following Board members: Charlotte Gilman, Mary Lou Price, or John Schmidt.
Sincerely,
The TexTESOL III Board
Proposed Revisions
V. Officers
Summary of Changes: The structure of the Executive Board has been changed to reflect current needs of the organization. Note the following changes: all positions are now to be elected, a distinction between "Officers" and "Executive Board" is being eliminated, all members of the Executive Board will have a vote in Board decisions, several new positions have been created, and the position of interest section representative has been eliminated.
The Executive Board of TEXTESOL III shall be: President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, Webmaster, TESOL Liaison, Sociopolitical Concerns Representative, up to three Delegates-at-Large, and an optional office of Immediate Past President to be held if the outgoing President chooses to remain on the Board another year and does not hold any other position on the Board. The Executive Board shall implement matters of general policy as determined by the membership and may initiate action appropriate to that policy. All of the above members of the Executive Board shall have a vote in Board decisions.
(The information following has been deleted and replaced by the above wording:
| The officers of TEXTESOL III shall be a President, a First Vice-President, a Second Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The office of Newsletter Editor shall be elected by ballot at the Annual Meeting. The office of Delegate-at-large shall be appointed by the President for a one year term similar to the that of the elected officers. |
| The Executive Board shall consist of the five officers, the Immediate Past President, and one representative from each of the operating Interest Sections. |
| Interest Section Representatives of operating Interest Sections may be appointed by the President for a one year term similar to that of the elected officers.) |
VI. Duties of Officers
Summary of Changes: Wording has been clarified; descriptions of officers’ duties have been moved from the bylaws to the Constitution; new positions have been described.
A. The President shall call and preside at all meetings, appoint such committees as needed, and have general responsibility for conducting the business of the organization. The President and (together with) the First Vice-President shall act as conference co-chairs for the TEXTESOL State Conference the year so designated by the TEXTESOL Board. Upon the succession of the President to Immediate Past President, he or she may (shall) remain on the Board and serve in a capacity mutually determined by him/her and the Executive Board (as Liaison Officer to TESOL).
B. The First Vice-President shall be principally responsible for making all arrangements in connection with the programs to be held by the organization. He or she shall be chair of the Program Committee for the Annual Conference. (Annual Spring Conference). In addition, he or she shall preside in the absence of the President and assist the President in the execution of business. The First Vice-President and (together with) the President shall act as conference co-chairs for the TEXTESOL State Conference the year so designated by the TEXTESOL Board. The First Vice-President shall succeed to the presidency.
C. The Second Vice-President shall be responsible for promoting the organization and encouraging membership in it and for maintaining a current list of members, and shall coordinate with the newsletter editor (editor-in-chief) publications produced by and for the organization.
D. The Secretary shall keep all minutes and all official documents, shall be responsible for notifying the member concerning all meetings, and shall handle all official correspondence other than that conducted by the President.
E. The Treasurer shall be responsible for conducting and recording the financial business of the organization. At the Annual Meeting, the Treasurer shall present to the membership an annual written financial report.
F. The Newsletter Editor (Editor-in-Chief) shall be responsible for collecting information related to the organization’s goals and interests for publication in a newsletter to the membership. Newsletters will be published quarterly as a means to network and inform the membership.
G. The Delegates-at-Large (maximum of 3) shall be responsible for communication with related organizations in an effort to network with other educators and for participating in Board discussions and activities.
H. The Webmaster shall maintain the TEXTESOL III web site and update it regularly. (NOTE: Previous Section H, relating to the position of Immediate Past President, has been revised and moved to Section A, which describes the Presidency).
I. The Sociopolitical Concerns Representative shall serve as liaison with the TESOL Advocacy Network, shall share information regarding sociopolitical concerns with the Board and the membership, and may initiate projects designed to educate the membership or encourage membership participation in sociopolitical concerns.
J. The Liaison Officer to TESOL shall keep the organization and TESOL mutually informed.
K. At least three members of the Executive Board shall be members of TESOL as required by TESOL bylaws. (All members of the Executive Board, especially the President and Vice-President shall be members of TESOL (TESOL Bylaw VI, Section A, Paragraph 2).
L. Each officer shall be responsible for the duties described and record activities in a notebook to be passed on to the subsequent holder of the same office (officer).
M. All of the above Board officers shall be voting members of the board.
meeting until the close of the next annual meeting.
VII. Elections
Summary of Changes: A description of the succession of the President and Immediate Past President has been added. Some modifications to the nominating process and to the method of filling a vacancy have been made.
1. All members of the Executive Board shall be elected at large except for the President and the Immediate Past President.
2. The President will automatically move up from the position of First Vice-President. However, if the First Vice-President was appointed because of a vacancy rather than elected, the President will also be elected at large.
3. At the end of the President’s term of office, if he or she chooses to remain on the board and does not choose to hold any other office, he or she will become the Immediate Past President.
4. Candidates(Officers) shall be nominated by a nominating committee and elected by ballot at the Annual Meeting. The term of office is from the close of one annual meeting until the close of the next annual meeting.
5. The Nominating Committee shall consist of two to four members. The Chair shall be designated by the President. It shall be the function of this committee to prepare a slate for the Executive Board (Deleted: at least thirty days before the next Annual Meeting). The slate (ballots) shall be distributed to the membership (Deleted: for receipt) thirty days before the Annual Meeting. (Deleted: at which time ballots will be counted.)
6. Before the Annual Meeting, the Newsletter Editor (Secretary) shall present the report of the Nominating Committee to the membership. Additional nominations may be made by any member of the organization if submitted in writing to the Chair of the nominating committee (Secretary) at least fifteen days before the Annual Meeting at which the election will be held. There shall be no nominations from the floor at the Annual Meeting.
7. Election shall be by acclamation in cases where only one candidate has been nominated for an office and by secret ballot in cases where more than one candidate has been nominated. When there are three or more candidates for an office, a plurality of the votes is sufficient for election.
8. A vacancy (due to illness, excessive absences from (to) Board meetings, or lack of completion of responsibilities) in any office shall be determined and filled through a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board (an appointment by the President with the approval of two-thirds of the Executive Board). If a vacancy occurs in the First Vice-President position, the appointed replacement (person) does not automatically succeed to the presidency but must be duly elected by the members at the next Annual Meeting or in a special election by the members at-large. (a special ballot to the members)
XI (IX) Amendments to the Constitution or By-laws
Summary of changes: This section has been modified to clarify wording, to include changes to the bylaws as well as to the Constitution, and to eliminate the possibility of changes being made to the Constitution without a vote by the membership.
1. Proposed amendments to this Constitution or Bylaws must first be approved by a majority of the members of the Executive Board or submitted to the Executive Board in a petition signed by at least 25 percent of the current members. Any such proposed amendments shall be distributed to all members at least thirty days before the amendment is voted on. To become effective, a proposed amendment must be ratified by a two-thirds majority of those members voting (for a quorum) at the Annual Meeting or at a special meeting of the membership called by the Executive Board (by a three-fourths majority vote of the Executive Board at a specially-called meeting.)
August 7, 2000
Remember to vote on these constitution revisions at our Sept. 23 conference
at St. Edward’s University!
October 27-28, 2000: TexTESOL State Conference: "Facing the Future." Four Points Sheraton Hotel and the Municipal Auditorium in Downtown San Antonio, TX.
Contact: Chris Green, Conference Chair (210) 444-1710 ext. 1732, e-mail: cgreen@idra.org
February 27-March 3, 2001: TESOL 2001: "Gateway to the Future." St. Louis, Missouri. Deadline to submit proposals: May 1, 2000. Download the proposal form at
Web: http://www.tesol.edu/conv/t2001.html
November 2-4, 2001. TexTESOL
State Conference: "2001: An ESL Odyssey." 23rd Annual TexTESOL
State Conference; Doubletree Hotel (IH-35), Austin, Texas, USA. Contact:
TexTESOL III, 1103 W. 24th St., Austin, TX 78705.
Web:
http://www.textesol.org/region3/ .
Other Conferences
October 2000
19-22. Mexico TESOL (MEXTESOL). Annual Conference, "Teachers Working Together," Aguascalientes, Mexico. Contact MEXTESOL, A.C., San Borja 726-2, Col. del Valle, C.P. 03100, Mexico D.F. Tel. +5-575-16-48. Fax +5-575-54-73. E-mail mextesol@mail.internet.com.mx. Web site http://www.mextesol.uvmnet.edu.
March 2001
March 23-24: Texas Foreign Language Education Conference 2001: Bridging the Gap: Theory and Practice in the Language Classroom. Submit proposals by January 15 2001; pre-register by February 15, 2001. For more information see their webpage: http://www.utexas.edu/students/flesa/
Board Nominations for TexTESOL III
There will be an election for board officers at the TexTESOL III Fall Conference on Saturday, September 23, 2000. The voting slate will be mailed to members by Aug. 23, 2000 to prepare you for the election. Here is the description of the duties for each officer. If interested in being nominated, or if you would like to nominate someone who is interested in a specific office, please attach a paragraph including name, position, a short biographical statement, and why you're interested in the position.
Descriptions of the Board positions reflects the proposed revisions to the constitution, also to be voted on at the September 23 conference. We assume that the revisions will be passed.
Each officer will be responsible for the duties described and will record activities in a notebook to be passed on to the subsequent officer. Each officer is expected to attend all board meetings, conferences, workshops, etc., which are organized by TexTESOL III.
VOTED OFFICES:
B. The First Vice-President shall be principally responsible for making all arrangements in connection with the programs to be held by the organization. He or she shall be chair of the Program Committee for the Annual Conference. In addition, he or she shall preside in the absence of the President and assist the President in the execution of business. The First Vice-President and the President shall act as conference co-chairs for the TEXTESOL State Conference the year so designated by the TEXTESOL Board. The First Vice-President shall succeed to the presidency.
Nomination for First Vice-President: David Schwarzer
The Second Vice-President shall be responsible for promoting the organization and encouraging membership in it and for maintaining a current list of members, and shall coordinate with the editor-in-chief publications produced by and for the organization.
Nomination for Second Vice-President: John Duke
The Secretary shall keep all minutes and all official documents, shall be responsible for notifying the member concerning all meetings, and shall handle all official correspondence other than that conducted by the President.
Nomination for Secretary: Alice Chu
The Treasurer shall be responsible for conducting and recording the financial business of the organization. At the annual Meeting, the Treasurer shall present to the membership an annual written financial report.
Nomination for Treasurer: Teresa Baker
The Newsletter Editor shall be responsible for collecting information related to the organization’s goals and interests for publication in a newsletter to the membership. Newsletters will be published quarterly as a means to network and inform the membership.
Nomination for Newsletter Editor: Terri Wells
The Sociopolitical Concerns Representative shall serve as liaison with the TESOL Advocacy Network, shall share information regarding sociopolitical concerns with the Board and the membership, and may initiate projects designed to educate the membership or encourage membership participation in sociopolitical concerns.
Nomination for Sociopolitical Concerns Representative: (to be filled in)
The Webmaster shall maintain the TexTESOL III web site and update it regularly.
Nomination for Webmaster: John Madden
The Delegates-at-Large (maximum of 3) shall be responsible for community with related organizations in an effort to network with other educators and for participating in Board discussions and projects.
Nominations for Delegates-at-Large:
The Liaison Officer to TESOL shall keep the organization and TESOL mutually informed.
Nomination for Liaison Officer: John Schmidt
Biographies of Candidates for TexTESOL III Board Elections, September 23, 2000:
First Vice President: David Schwarzer
Dr. David Schwarzer has been Assistant Professor in the Foreign Language Education program at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin since 1999. Born in Argentina, David attended college in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Counseling, with an emphasis in first language literacy. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Arizona in the department of Language, Reading and Culture. David has served as National Superintendent of Literacy in Israel and has published research in the area of early multi-literacy development. He is presently a teacher-trainer in ESL at UT-Austin.
Second Vice President: John Duke
John Duke has served on the TexTESOL III Board since 1999 as Second Vice President, handling membership and conference registrations, among other duties. John received his BA in Russian from The University of Texas at Arlington and an MA in Slavic Linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin (UT). He is presently a doctoral candidate (ABD) in Foreign Language Education at UT. He spent six years studying and teaching in Russia. In St. Petersburg, he served as Director of the USIA English Teacher Education Program and was an Assistant Professor at St. Petersburg State University. John currently teaches ESL in the International Program at UT-Austin.
Secretary: Alice Chu
Treasurer: Teresa Baker
Teresa Baker has served as Treasurer for TexTESOL III for the past year. Teresa earned an MA in TESL from the University of Illinois and has subsequently taught courses and designed materials in grammar, communication, TOEFL preparation, reading, writing, and English through current events. She has also presented at TESOL International in 1998 and 1999, and co-authored an article for TESOL Journal in 1997. Teresa currently coordinates ESL Services at The University of Texas at Austin.
Newsletter Editor: Terri Wells
Terri Wells is an instructor in the ESL Program at the International Office at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Linguistics in the Foreign Language Education Program at UT-Austin. She received her M.A. in TESL from the University of North Texas and has taught ESL for four years. Terri is Co-Founder of the Texas Foreign Language Education Conference and is a current and past co-chair of that conference. Last year she served as Professional Officer of the Foreign Language Education Students’ Association and is currently serving as Chief Officer of that organization.
Webmaster: John Madden
John Madden has served as Webmaster for TexTESOL III for the past year. John holds degrees in English and Journalism from the University of Illinois, and an MA in Foreign Language Education (TESOL) from The University of Texas at Austin. John has taught Spanish and English in the Texas public schools and has worked as a reporter and photographer. He served in the Peace Corps in Kenya where he taught ESL and learned Swahili. John is currently a doctoral student at UT-Austin, where he also teaches AEP, ELP, and test preparation courses, as well as managing the ESL Services computer lab.
TESOL Liaison: John Schmidt
John Schmidt continues to serve on the Board of TexTESOL III as TESOL Liaison. John is a charter member of TexTESOL III, actively participating in and providing leadership for the organization since it was founded over 20 years ago. John has served on the TESOL (International Awards and Membership Committee. A part President of TexTESOL III, John earned his Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education from The University of Texas at Austin. John currently supervises and teaches at the Texas Intensive English Program (T.I.E.P.) in Austin.
Delegate-at-Large: Frank Cronin
Frank Cronin has served on the board of TexTESOL III since 1997. He teaches Developmental Writing, Study Skills and ESL at Austin Community College, specializing in ESL Writing courses with an interest in teaching students editing skills. Frank has a Bachelor of Science degree in Linguistics and a Master of Arts degree in ESL, both from the University of Texas.
Delegate-at-Large: Greg Thompson
Greg Thompson has served on the TexTESOL III Board as Delegate-at-Large for the past year. Greg taught ESL and developed curriculum for many years in the Adult Education Program at Austin Community College. Greg also developed, produced, and starred in the ESL educational video series, "At Home with English," which has been broadcast in Austin as well as in other cities. Greg was a 1999 TexTESOL III "Excellence in Teaching" award winner for his work in Adult ESL. Greg currently teaches and tutors ESL in several programs in the Austin area.
Note: First Vice President, Rebecca Herman, automatically becomes President of the TexTESOL III for the 2000-2001 Board year; Alex Baez, President, will automatically become Past President of TexTESOL III (a Board position) for the 2000-2001 Board year. Assumption of these Board positions is per the TexTESOL III Constitution.
Southwest Texas State University is looking for part-time instructors for the fall. Contact Janis Schiller at (512) 245-7810.
El Buen Samaritano is looking for a part-time ESL coordinator.
Linguatech is looking for on-site ESL teachers for high-tech companies. Call Patti Clayton at (512) 327-9559.
ESL instructor for innovative family literacy program. 25hrs./week with excellent benefits. Bachelor’s degree and three years’ experience teaching English as a Second Language required. Please send cover letter and resume to Kirsten Siegfried at kirsten@cisaustin.org or
c/o ASPIRE
Communities In Schools - Central Texas, Inc.
3000 S. IH 35 suite 200
Austin, TX 78704
Second of two parts, excerpted from an article by Christine Melini in TESOL Matters, Wandering the Web, Oct./Nov. 1999
The May/June 2000 issue of the TexTESOL III Newsletter reprinted two excellent sites that provide materials for immediate use by teachers: The New York Times Learning Network, and BBC Online. This issue will continue with two additional sites: PBS TeacherSource, and Newspaper in Education.
PBS TeacherSource
| The very attractive Web site of the Public
Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States includes a page called PBS
TeacherSource (http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/)
on which you can find ideas for both children and adult students.
For preschool and elementary school nonnative speakers, useful activities are suggested for popular television programs such as Arthur, Sesame Street, Teletubbies, and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. You can visit the Teacher's Corner for suggested activities to accompany Arthur, for example. Activities fall into a variety of categories, including creative thinking and problem-solving skills, cultural/social diversity appreciation and understanding, dramatic play and creative movement, and language and literacy skills. |
NIE Online (Newspaper in Education)
| This site (http://www.learnersonline.com)
offers an on-line lesson each week based on an important news story. An
archive of past weekly lessons is also available. The titles of the lessons
indicate the grade level and the subject area. Examples are "People of the
Century" (grade level: 7-12, subject: history), "How Do You Spell Bee?" (grade
level 5-9; subject: language arts), and "Banner Ads" (grade level: 9-12;
subject: business/marketing).
The lessons take full advantage of hypertext. One recent lesson, for example, is based on Le Tour de France. Students read a text about the famous bicycle tour and are asked to gather additional information by clicking on the many intriguing links in the story. One lesson of special interest is entitled "360' World Tour." An attractively-illustrated text contains many links to Web sites with information about cities around the world (Jerusalem, Pisa, Venice, Paris, Moscow, Istanbul, Bangkok, San Antonio, and many others). |
Christine Meloni can be reached at meloni@gwu.edu.
Web Sightings
| Josef Essberger suggests that you take a look at EnglishCLUB.net (http://www.englishclub.net/). It is a site "intended for students and teachers, and covers a range of activities from Study to Leisure, including Business English, a Reference Library and a Teachers' Room." |
(Print this form out and mail it with your dues to the address below.)
Name:
Phone and/or Fax nos.:
Street address:
(city, state, zip code)
Affiliation:
E-Mail address:
Please tell us what you would like to see TexTESOL III do for you! Suggestions are always welcome!
Annual membership dues:
Regular $12 _____ Student $8 _____ Joint $18 _____
Please make check payable to TexTESOL III Membership and mail with registration form to:
TexTESOL III, 1103 West 24th Street, Austin, TX 78705