Colorado TESOL News

www.cotesol.org

Colorado Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Volume 37 Number 3

Spring/Summer  2015

 
 
CoTESOL 39th Annual Fall Convention and Exhibition 
November 6 & 7, 2015 
Radisson Hotel Denver Southeast
 
C a l l  f o r  P r o p o s a l s
  Deadline: Saturday, June 20, 2015

What is your Blue Sky Vision of success in language teaching and learning? We invite you to share your experiences and accomplishments from the field at CoTESOL's Annual Fall Convention on November 6-7, 2015. Our theme this year is Blue Skies, Bright Future and we are encouraging teachers, researchers, specialists, and leaders to submit a proposal to showcase efforts towards their Blue Sky Vision.

 

What do you do every day to support stakeholders in language acquisition and life skills? Share practical ideas that your audience will be able to take back to their workplace and apply immediately.  Plan a presentation around the specific content area you teach and how to support language learners in that subject. Demonstrate your use of technology in the classroom and how it encourages students to learn. Whether it is grammar activities, approaches to support listening and speaking skills, or vocabulary development, we are requesting that you submit a presentation from the work that inspires you daily. There are a variety of formats to choose from in which to organize and exhibit your work.

 

CoTESOL has long been an organization whose success has derived from its members. Help us remain one of the top TESOL affiliates in the country and share your experiences with others in the field of language learning. Partner with your colleagues or fly solo, either way your shared expertise and skills will shine! Proposals are submitted online. The deadline for proposal submission is Saturday, June 20, 2015. Let your Blue Sky Vision set the stage for another informative and enlightening convention everyone will be sure to enjoy.

 

Respectfully,

Jennifer Shank, President

Sarah Austin, Convention Chair

Susan Holloway, Program Chair

Bruce Rogers, Publishers' Liaison

Dieter Bruhn, Hospitality Liaison

Larry Fisher, Convention Registration

Recap: 2015 CoTESOL Spring Conference 

"Springtime in the Rockies" 

Virginia Nicolai, 
Teacher Education/Action Research SIG Co-Chair

 

The scenic mountaintop Spring Valley Campus of Colorado Mountain College was the site of the CoTESOL Spring Conference on Saturday, May 9, 2015.  Since this year was the first time that the event has been held west of the Continental Divide, the CoTESOL Executive Board was not sure what kind of response to expect. (Read More)


 

Recap: TESOL 2015 Crossing Borders and Building Bridges

Hilario Benzon

This year's TESOL 2015 International Convention & English Language Expo was another resounding success. Nestled in the beautiful backdrop of Downtown Toronto, convention attendees were treated to a myriad of opportunities to cross familiar boundaries of knowledge and experience and build new understandings and networks(Read More)


 

Socio-political Liaison's Report: DACA, DAPA and the Executive Action

Kat Bradley-Bennett,

As the new Socio-political Liaison for the CoTESOL Board, I was concerned that I would find enough material to report on. What a silly thought! No sooner was I on the CoTESOL board than the country is abuzz with President Obama's Executive Action on Immigration last November. (Read More)

 
Elevating the Status of Language: The Seal of Biliteracy
Sarah Klieforth and Madhavi Tandon,
Secondary Education SIG Co-Chairs

Denver Public School, Eagle County Schools and Adams 14 have teamed up to lead the charge for school districts throughout Colorado to implement a Seal of Biliteracy for students who graduate high school demonstrating proficiency in two or more languages. (Read more)
 
Technology and Learning - TECH SIG
John Einterz,
TECH SIG Co-Chair

Are you uncomfortable with technology?
Skeptical about its role or usefulness?
Excited about technology? 
Anxious to hear about new approaches and methodologies?

Either way, the CoTESOL TECH SIG is for you.  Not technology for technology's sake, but technology to provide effective and efficient solutions to demonstrated challenges. (Read more)
 
Congratulations to CoTESOL's Kat Bradley-Bennett

Congratulations to our own Kat Bradley-Bennett, who is the 2015 recipient of the Mountain and Plains Adult Education Association Award of Excellence.   She was presented the award of excellence at the annual MPAEA conference in Denver in April.  The Association covers nine states in the west and works to promote and support lifelong learning in the region.

Read the article in the Longmont Times-Call newspaper for an excellent report on Kat's successes promoting adult education.

 



Less Is More for ELLs' Common Core Success

Teachers and students today seem to be asked to do more and more, covering everything from digital literacy to gun safety. The U.S. Common Core State Standards are often viewed as just one more thing added to the curriculum. (Read more)

Tech Trends at TESOL 2015 and Beyond
As in previous years, the Electronic Village was a bustling, lively place with teachers buzzing between BYOD (bring your own device) presentations, mini-workshops, and showcases, and that does not even include the technology-related presentations going on in the rest of the convention, of which there were many. (Read more)

Five Missteps of First-Year ESL Teachers
 

Lesson Plan: Using Poetry to Engage and Empower Students


Many teachers I know shy away from teaching poems, but using poems in class can have an empowering effect on students. Poems are a vehicle for cross-cultural learning and discussion and offer an authentic means through which to practice intonation and thought groups in pronunciation, among other activities. (Read more)

 

Contents
Questions/Comments:

If you have any questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact the CoTESOL Communications Liaison.
 
Hilario Benzon
Christine Deines,
Communications Liaisons/
Newsletter Editors
teeqbz@gmail.com 

deines_c@cde.state.co.us 

 
TESOL and TESOL Affiliate Membership Recruitment Program: TESOL Discounted Membership

Who is Eligible?

Current members of any TESOL affiliate that have never been a member of TESOL International Association or have not been a member of TESOL in the past 3 years.

What is the Discount?

Eligible affiliate members will receive a 25% discount off the full price of a TESOL Professional Membership or a TESOL Global Professional Membership (for affiliates in eligible countries).  The discount is good when joining for one or two years. 

Pricing: 

Member Type: Professional    

Price 1 Yr
Regular: $98
With Discount: $73.50   

Price 2 Yrs 
Regular: $166
With Discount: $124.50
 
How to Apply

An eligible affiliate member would join TESOL online via the TESOL website. When asked for the promotion code at the beginning of the application they should enter AFF13. The individual also must indicate which affiliate they are a member of when prompted in the application. 
Executive Board
 
CoTESOL Executive Board
2015

Mission Statement

 

 CoTESOL supports its members.

  • Encourages participation in professional discourse.
  • Supports collaboration, networking, leadership and research.
  • Provides professional development.
  • Disseminates information

 

CoTESOL supports students and education.

 

  • Advocates and fosters respect for language and culture.
  • Promotes high standards.
  • Upholds the profession of English language teaching.  
Contact Information

CoTESOL

c/o Larry Fisher

63 UCB

Boulder, CO.  80309

303-735-4234