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MidTESOL Matters
Spring 2001 |
A Publication of Mid-America Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Dear MidTESOL Members,
As you may know, before I took office
as president I was fortunate to take part in a Midwest TESOL Academy (July 21-23,
2000) at the University of Illinois (Chicago). I would like to open by reporting
that there were bright spots at the academy. First of all, my "speaking"
workshop with John Murphy of the University of Georgia (Athens) was of the highest
academic quality. It gave me ideas for new directions in curriculum and program
design.
However, my experience was filled with
mixed blessings. At our fall board meeting, board members who participated in
the same academy shared reports. Most were not positive; the overall experience
left us disappointed due to the lack of professionalism TESOL displayed in dealing
with the logistical aspects of this academy. As a result, we sent a letter to
TESOL central office outlining our concerns. The essence of that letter makes
up this letter.
We concurred that the registration process
was disorganized. Primarily, it was difficult to get information – even
registration confirmation -- from TESOL. After arriving on campus, I was told
by the TESOL staff that they could find no record of my registration. Eventually,
my name, terribly misspelled, was found. Another factor that made the registration
process unpleasant was the fact that even though there was a large line at the
registration area, two TESOL staffers were selling books and extra handout packets
rather than serving participants. Needless to say, I was shocked when I arrived
at my workshop to find that the presenter did not have enough packets for the
participants. TESOL staff did make packets available several hours into the
workshop, but I am sure the delay was uncomfortable for the presenter.
Information about the location was also
lacking. Unlike past academies, no directions were provided for how to get to
UIC's campus from major highways, or from Midway or O'Hare Airports. Compounding
the problem, the street address given for the academy was only the general mailing
address of the university. None of us received directions for how to get to
the registration area once we were on campus. Once the sessions were underway,
confusion continued; at times the staff had no specific idea of my workshop's
location.
Closed sessions were also an issue. When
one board member tried to find out whether her session was going to take place
or not, she was told there was no way to know ahead of time. Everything hinged
on enrollment. We suggest to TESOL that enrollment needs to be closed well in
advance of the session dates so that people can finalize their travel plans.
Regarding the workshops themselves, one
of the leaders at the Midwest Academy could not make it for the first day. No
replacement was found. There seemed to be no effort to refund any of the expenses
to the participants in that session. Instead, those enrolled in her group had
to join other groups where they frequently had no materials to use. Some of
these "orphans" joined my session, making an already full session
more crowded.
Two of us who took the teaching online
workshop experienced a poorly organized class basically devoid of content. Granted,
one participant reported that the workshop may have been somewhat valuable for
those without any background in computer mediated communication, but the "net"
of the workshop was too broadly cast -- trying to be all things to all people.
As a result the leader was unable to meet the needs and interests of anyone.
Addressing technology in TESOL is a great idea; however, a narrower focus needs
to be made.
In the case of poor session quality or
late presenters, TESOL should probably not invite those presenters back. However,
TESOL also needs to be more accountable for its choices of workshop leaders
by refunding money to disappointed and unsatisfied participants. In addition,
more effort needs to go toward making sure the location and the schedule of
the academy are very clear.
Despite the difficulties, I was pleasantly
surprised see so many MidTESOL members there – making an otherwise lonely
trip to a big city seem more inviting and fun. In fact, it was this academy
experience which led me to consider MidTESOL conducting an academy of its own.
Again, I welcome your comments.
Tom Riedmiller
Culture and Intensive English Program
The University of Northern Iowa
Baker Hall 72
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0511
