Now that we are well into the fall semester, our thoughts are drifting toward the upcoming winter vacation. A great way to keep yourself occupied while learning new CALL tools and methods through the coming winter months is to participate in the free, online courses held in the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Electronic Village Online (EVO). The TESOL conferences held in North America have highlighted CALL-focused presentations in their Electronic Village area for years, and the TESOL CALL Interest Section has taken those learning opportunities online through their EVO. These EVO courses are free to the public and run for five weeks in January and February. The EVO’s website is <http://evosessions.pbworks.com>.
The courses for the 2016 EVO were being reviewed at the time of this writing, but they should be posted on the website by early November. Previous EVOs have included courses about teaching Business English, using drama in English classes, creating e-textbooks, using mobile apps in the language classroom, explanations of how to use Moodle, and many more. Visit the EVO website and explore this year’s courses to find your next professional development opportunity.
The 2016 EVO registration will run from January 3 to 10, 2016, and the courses begin January 10. Courses include both synchronous and asynchronous online interactions among the participants, so they are also an excellent opportunity to meet new colleagues, exchange experiences, and learn new tips for implementing CALL methods in the foreign language classroom. Check out TESOL’s Electronic Village Online for excellent professional development courses to keep you busy during the coming winter months. What you learn in the EVO will certainly make it easier to keep your classroom Wired!
Editor’s Note: The JALT CALL SIG invites you to join their CALL Forum at this year’s JALT Conference. The theme of the forum is Language Learning Technologies & Learner Autonomy and it will be held on Saturday afternoon, November 21. Also, the Wired column continues to solicit articles about using technology in the classroom. It is the perfect place for you to share your practical experiences in using CALL methods and tools. Please consider submitting an article and contact the editor for more information. I hope you can take advantage of the many chances mentioned above to ensure your lessons stay Wired!