2011 14th Annual WV TESOL Conference Highlights
WVTESOL, the West Virginia affiliate of TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) held its 14th annual conference at the WVU Parkersburg Jackson County Center in Ripley, WV on April 8th and 9th 2011. It was an exciting event for English as a Second Language (ESL) professionals from across the state of West Virginia.
On Friday, members gathered for pre-conference sessions and a reception in the student lounge of the WVU Parkersburg Jackson County Center for pre-registration and a screening of the film, Amreeka. (See the full list of conference activities above for details)
This year’s conference theme, “Connections” focused on the integration of technology into the learning process. Mike Dombroski of Ohio University, an adjunct professor for the Ohio Program of Intensive English (OPIE) was this year's keynote speaker. Mike works in the Language Resource Center (LRC) assessing technology and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology. Mike's address focused on teachers' modern ability, through the use of technology, to now expand beyond the four walls and allow the students to connect to the rest of the world and become a part of it with their learning.
Saturday's activities included a full slate of concurrent sessions that focused on technology and book based instruction, instructional methods and research, and networking opportunities for instructors and coordinators. During the conference luncheon that afternoon, the WVTESOL President Claudia Nickolson led the 2011 Conference Organizational Meeting, where new members were elected to the WV TESOL Board of Directors. New elected members included:
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President: Kim Jones (Claudia Nickolson past President)
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Vice President: Sandy Miller (Kim Jones past Vice-President)
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Secretary: Kristen Williams
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Treasurer: Shalom Tazewell
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K-12 Representatives: Jane Wagner and Kelly Sylvia
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Adult Education Representatives: Cathy Shank
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Higher Education Representatives: Sandy Miller
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Advocacy: Shalom Tazewell
- Webmaster: Kim Jones
The 2011 Conference concluded at 4pm Saturday afternoon with free textbook giveaways and door prizes, including the grand prize, a new Kindle e-reader!
