Adult and College Interest Sections Hold Spring Workshop

On May 9th, the Adult and Higher Education Interest Sections held a joint workshop titled: Linking ABE and College Prep: A Conversation about College Level Writing Expectations. The workshop was broadcast using ITV/streamed video to three sites across the state. Participants were able to join the workshop in Mankato, Crookston, and St. Paul. We had a total of 45 people take part in this exciting event, and we expect to reach even more through the video archive. Anyone interested in this topic can access the video archive link by going to:
http://media.mnscu.edu/NETS/MinneTESOLWorkshopMay9.wmv

The workshop included a panel discussion and facilitated on site activities. The panelists were Betsy Parrish from Hamline University, who talked about using graphic organizers; Diane Pecoraro, who talked about ideas to encourage reluctant writers to write; and Laura Funke from Inver Hills Community College, who talked about helping students to become better editors. The panel was facilitated by Kimberly Johnson, also from Hamline University and the ATLAS Coordinator.

--Submitted by Stephanie Sommers, Adult IS co-chair

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Please save the date for the MinneTESOL 2008 Fall Conference!

Friday and Saturday, November 7-8, 2008
University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis
We hope that you will join us for the conference and consider submitting a presentation proposal as well. The call for proposals and examples of successful proposals are available through http://minnetesol.org/proposalinformation.htm.

Saturday keynote speaker
MaryEllen Vogt, Ed.D.
Professor Emerita, California State University, Long Beach
A public school reading specialist for 15 years, MaryEllen Vogt has co-authored six books, including Reading Specialists and Literacy Coaches in the Real World (2nd Ed.; Allyn & Bacon, 2007) and Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (3rd Ed; Allyn & Bacon, 2008). Her research interests include improving comprehension in the content areas, teacher change, and content literacy for English learners. Dr. Vogt served as President of the International Reading Association in 2004-2005.

Friday evening event
Stir-Fried Pop Culture
Center for Hmong Arts and Talents

The Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT) presents, Stir-Fried Pop Culture, a clever and hilariously thought-provoking play written by May Lee-Yang that confronts stereotypes and identity issues experienced by Hmong-Americans.

We hope to see you there!

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News from MIDTESOL (IA and MO)
2008 MIDTESOL Conference
October 17-18
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa
MwALT Annual Conference
Saturday, September 20th, 2008
The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Conference Theme: Processes in Language Assessment
Plenary Speakers: Micheline Chalhoub-Deville and Dan Douglas
Information about the 10th annual Midwest Language Testers Association

Conference can be found on the web:
http://www.uiowa.edu/iiepesl/IIEP/MwALT2008web/Site/Welcome.html

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Moorhead Conference in September
TEAM Work Symposium:
Teach ELLs with Academics in Mind
"Braiding the Strands for English Language Learners"
September 19 and 20, 2008
MSU Moorhead

Credit: One credit is available for the entire pre-conference and conference. CEUs will also be available.

Keynote and Pre-conference Trainer: Dr. Sylvia Linan Thompson
Dr. Linan Thompson specializes in the oral language and literacy development in English Language learners and the 3-tiered model of reading. She had developed and examined reading interventions for struggling readers who are English speakers as well as for English language learners. Her pre-conference training will address reading interventions for English Language Learners.
Who: Administrators, higher education faculty, classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, ESL teachers, and anyone who works with ELLs.

For more information see www.mnstate.edu/continue/

Questions? MSU Moorhead Continuing Studies 218-477-5862 or contstdy@mnstate.edu or www.mnstate.edu/continue.

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Job Posting

ESL Teaching Specialist
Minnesota English Language Program
University of Minnesota

Apply online at: employment.umn.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=72807

The Minnesota English Language Program (MELP) in the College of Continuing Education is seeking applicants for a full-time Teaching Specialist position beginning fall 2008. This is a 100% time, 9-month, annually renewable Professional and Administrative appointment that reports to the Director of the Minnesota English Language Program. Each Teaching Specialist is responsible for teaching three courses per semester in addition to some curriculum development, administrative duties, and committee work. Review of applications will begin on June 9; job will remain open until filled.

Required qualifications include 1) a Masters Degree in TESL or a closely related field in hand by time of appointment, 2) at least one year of ESL teaching at the college or university level in the U.S., 3) evidence of an excellent teaching record and superior communication skills.

Submit application electronically using the University of Minnesota Online Employment system at: https://employment.umn.edu . Requisition number 155674.

Inquiries may be made to Michael Anderson, Director of Minnesota English Language Program, via email to at ande1819@umn.edu

Attention Bilingual/Immersion Instructors!

Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA)
2008 Summer Institute
July 14 – 18, 2008 Minneapolis, MN
Meeting the Challenges of Immersion Education: How Well Do Students Speak the Immersion Language?
http://www.carla.umn.edu/institutes/2008/schedule.html

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Registration now open:
Immersion Education: Pathways to Bilingualism and Beyond
A CARLA-CAL Conference Collaboration
Crowne Plaza Hotel – St. Paul Riverfront
October 16 – 18, 2008 St. Paul, MN
www.carla.umn.edu, www.cal.org

2009 TESOL Convention Call for Participation

Participants from all TESOL contexts and related fields are invited to submit proposals for the 2009 TESOL Convention and Exhibit in Denver, Colorado, USA, March 25-28. Particularly welcome are proposals related to the 2009 theme: Uncharted Mountains-Forging New Pathways. TESOL also welcomes proposals concerning the future of the profession, especially those with a global perspective on professional development, policies and standards, or TESOL's mission and philosophy. Deadline for proposal submissions is June 2, 2008.

More Info: www.tesol.org

Citizenship Resources

I have been the webmaster for Study for the US Citizenship Test web site for 10 years now. Recent upgrades ot the site include online listening dictations, and improved audio quizzes on questions asked about the N-400 form. There is also a new 61 page citizenship study guide in PDF to download. It is free to any individual MN students who register with Metro North ABE. This can be done by email. It is also available free at Hennepin, Anoka and Ramsey County Libraries, and through their websites for patrons.

Please let your students know about this if you haven't already. If you have seen the site lately, please take a look.


--Submitted by Charles LaRue
Web Master Study for the US citizenship test
http://www.uscitizenship.org

Position Statements fromTESOL

The TESOL Board of Directors approved three new position statements at its recent meeting in New York City.

1. Position Statement on Teacher Preparation for Content-Based Instruction
2. Position Statement on Professionalization and Credentialing for Adult ESOL Educators
3. Position Statement on English as a Global Language

You may download copies of these at http://www.tesol.org/PositionStatements. You are encouraged to share these with your colleagues.

Regards,
John Segota, TESOL

Certificate for Adult ESL at Hamline gets national attention!

The Certificate for Adult ESL, offered through the Center for Second Language Teaching and Learning at Hamline University, is one of three national programs highlighted in a January 2008 Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA) report, a leading national clearinghouse for information on teaching adult English language learners. The report, written by JoAnn Crandall of the University of Maryland and Genesis Ingersoll and Jacqueline Lopez of the Center for Applied Linguistics, describes efforts to professionalize the workforce of adult ESL educators, including efforts to certify and credential these teachers; discusses the qualification requirements for adult ESL teachers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia; and recommends steps for states to take to continue to professionalize the field.

Congratulations to SLTL!

Read the report at CAELA:
http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/briefs/tchrcred.html

--Submitted by Kim Johnson