GATESOL News www.gatesol.org
Winter 2009
From the President
SETESOL 2009: Conference Highlights
Dr. Ayanna Cooper, GATESOL President 2009-2010
Dottie Foster Dear Georgia TESOL members, It is with great pleasure that I begin my service as the President of this fantastic organization. I am honored to be working with and representing some of Georgia’s most knowledgeable and dedicated professionals in the field of English language teaching and learning. This edition of the newsletter is literally “packed” with celebrations and information for you. First and foremost, congratulations to all involved in making the 2009 Southeast TESOL Regional conference a success. We had over 700 attendees! The rain did not stop us! Thank you again; I hope you all enjoyed the event as much as I did. If you were unable to attend, please take a moment to view the program book online. Also, I’d like to welcome the new and returning continued on page 2 INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1
President’s Letter Looking Ahead.
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SETESOL 2009 Dottie Foster shares her highlights from the conference.
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Of Interest The socio-political report on 287 (g) and its implications for our students and their families.
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A Farewell A letter from our immediate past President.
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Well Done! Members share news of their accomplishments.
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Calendar Upcoming Events and Deadlines.
As I reflect on the Southeast Regional TESOL Conference in September, I recall listening to many sessions and meeting many people who are really passionate about what they do, and I think to myself, “What an appropriate theme we had this year!” From the pre-conference institute on “Passionate Advocacy” to discussions around the luncheon table, and to bustling poster sessions, people were engaged in lively discourse. For example, at my poster session on “Addressing the Needs of Immigrant Families in Rural Georgia,” I quickly ran out of 40 handouts and answered many probing questions. The plenary speakers were remarkable, and they varied ethnically and professionally. Among the highlights for me were Judith Ortiz Cofer, sharing the stories from her life as a Puerto Rican, Immaculee Ilibagiza, telling of her harrowing experience and redeeming faith as a Rwandan refugee, and Keith Folse, giving us a better perspective on how to teach grammar to English language learners. The latter’s book on Keys to Teaching Grammar to English Language Learners, (University of Michigan Press, 2009) is very helpful, especially in helping volunteers understand the difference between grammar and ELL grammar. Finally, the concurrent sessions were provocative and presented a challenge as to which ones to choose. I accidentally chose “Beware the Accidental Plagiarist: Teaching Ethical Paraphrase and Citation to International Graduate Students,” and discovered that the University of Alabama in Birmingham has a carefully designed honor code continued on page 2
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board members (see page 7). Some of the initiatives I’ll be working on this year include maintaining and growing our membership base, supporting the regions around the state, and fostering collaboration with organizations for Georgia educators. It is through these and similar efforts that Georgia TESOL will continue to flourish. All this and more is possible but not without you! We need to “RAC” up this year. I encourage you to… Renew your membership, stay current and encourage others to join. Advocate for your students and yourselves. Contribute your time and talents to Georgia TESOL: You’re needed & appreciated. Thank you, Ayanna Cooper, Ed.D. President, Georgia TESOL
and guidelines for teaching effective paraphrasing, according to Dr. Jennifer Greer. I found this session especially relevant because it explored the issue thoroughly, explained its consequences, and provided tips to help students prevent plagiarism. Another session that was a highlight for me was on “Academic Reading” presented by Jenna Street Quilgey and Tiffany Simms of Knoxville, Tennessee. Their graphics were especially helpful in visualizing a building blueprint for reading from the foundation, up through the details to the rooftop conclusion. They recommended thoroughly activating background knowledge, introducing vocabulary with page numbers, using small group read alouds as a way to check for comprehension, and frequent journaling. On the whole, the Southeast Regional TESOL Conference was well run, full of thoughtprovoking themes, and above all, passionate! -Dottie Foster is a part time instructor of ESL at Gainesville State College.
In Recognition Of… Kristi Johnson, Lindy-Lopez Butner Memorial Grant 2009 Recipient
Invite you to attend the 9th Annual Conference February 2, 2010 Middle and High School Teachers February 3 OR 4, 2010 Elementary School Teachers For more information, visit www.kennesaw.edu/education/soap
Kristi Johnson, County Line Elementary teacher (Barrow County Schools), plans to use the grant on a project that allows ESOL teachers to expand an iPod project to include third grade ELL students. Teachers will creatively incorporate the use of iPods to engage and motivate ELL learners in the acquisition of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and math skills. Students will be able to access “vodcasts” (videotaped lessons) that will complement their classroom learning experiences. This extends the learning time beyond the classroom and bridges a connection between school and home. Using technology to support language and content knowledge will benefit students with different learning styles and aid their understanding of concepts, resulting in classroom success. Newsletter 2
Of Interest… Driving While Brown – The 287(g) Program and Racial Profiling Tonna Harris-Bosselmann Driving from my home in Doraville to I-85, I travel down Pleasantdale Road, passing by several apartment complexes that are largely inhabited by Hispanics. Signs advertising special move-in rates are written in Spanish, and I see many young moms with their sweet brown faces pushing their children in strollers up and down the busy street. There are also frequent road blocks on this stretch: random checks by law enforcement to see if drivers have a license, registration and insurance. I go this route twice daily – to and from work. Interestingly, in two and one half years of living in this area, I’ve never been stopped or detained at a road block. I’ve always just been motioned on. With permission to continue, I proceed slowly, glancing at the others being checked – always those with brown skin. I proceed slowly with a lump in my throat and shame in my heart. As a blond-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian woman living in the United States, I am in a position of privilege. Knowledge of this privilege both embarrasses and conflicts me, especially when I’m running late for work, and the largest part of me is relieved not to be pulled over, not to be hassled, not to be profiled. And I am convinced that racial profiling is what is going on at these road blocks. Racial profiling in law enforcement is not new, but the 287(g) Program has opened the door wide open for this abuse. 287(g) allows local law enforcement to essentially serve as federal immigration agents. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA) of 1996 added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). 287(g) authorizes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with
state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting state and local officers to perform federal immigration law enforcement. In our state, the Georgia Department of Public Safety, as well as Cobb, Gwinnett, Hall, and Whitfield Counties have entered into MOAs with the DHS. The originally stated intent of 287(g) was to target undocumented immigrants convicted of “violent crimes,” such as “human smuggling, gang/organized crime activities and sexual-related offenses.” According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website, “terrorism and criminal activity are most effectively combated through a multi-agency/multi-authority approach that encompasses federal, state and local resources, skills and expertise. State and local law enforcement play a critical role in protecting our homeland because…they will often encounter foreign-born criminals and immigration violators who pose a threat to national security or public safety” (ice.gov). The problem is that 287(g) is more often being used to target the Latino Community in particular. Furthermore, police aren’t exclusively looking for dangerous criminals who threaten public safety; they are in numerous cases using this as a license for random checks, raids, and sweeps of suspected undocumented immigrants. Without an MOA, local law enforcement officers are not supposed to request status documentation from anyone pulled over, detained or arrested. Regulating immigration is the job of the federal government. With an MOA, however, they can. In fact, they can pull someone over for no reason whatsoever (“driving while brown”) and demand to see papers. If the proper papers aren’t produced, individuals can be taken to jail and detained while background checks are done. Sometimes these checks take days, weeks, or months. Some people are eventually released, after being cleared and with little apology for having their lives interrupted, and sometimes, deportation proceedings are started. In Hall County, where I teach, I’ve heard countless stories of my students, their families and 287(g) continued on page 4
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287 (g) continued from page 3
friends in the community being targeted. There are horrible accounts of families being torn apart and young children being put into foster homes while their parents are deported. A very well publicized case occurred last year when a Mexican man, Bortolo Ruiz, was arrested while peacefully fishing in the area. He was asked to show his fishing license, which he didn’t have; then he was taken to jail. Being arrested for not having a fishing license is virtually unheard of in Georgia. Although Mr. Ruiz had no criminal record, he was detained while it was determined that he was undocumented. Weeks later, the fisherman was deported to Mexico, leaving a wife and children, all American citizens, behind. In another case, a former student of mine, “Marco,” was pulled over for a “broken tail light.” Marco politely pointed out to the officer that all of his tail lights were in fact working, but he was still taken to jail because of an expired driver’s license. He was undocumented and, therefore, was not allowed to get his license renewed. Marco, 19 at the time, spent three weeks in jail before he was deported to Mexico, a country where he had not lived since he was in elementary school. When he was forced to leave the U.S., Marco was dressed in an orange suit, handcuffed, and taken to the airport. Later, he was dropped off in a Mexican city in which he had never been. Is it worth it to mention that Marco was a smart, polite, disciplined and dedicated young man, very busy with his church, volunteer work and community service? (Later, in the police report, the officer stated that Marco was swerving while driving. The broken tail light wasn’t mentioned.) In addition to an increase in racial profiling, there are other concerns about the efficacy of the 287(g) Program. First, law-enforcement officials who are forced to take on the role of federal immigration agents are seeing the relationship with the communities they are sworn to protect undermined or even destroyed. When this happens, a fear of law enforcement results in already vulnerable immigrant communities being reluctant to inform police of crimes. Furthermore, reports have shown that 287(g) is costing municipalities millions to execute, while little
assistance and oversight are provided by ICE. Moreover, we should all be concerned about the violations to basic American civil liberties, which threaten the rights and legal protections of all citizens and residents. Gainesville attorney Joe Diaz, who represented Bortolo Ruiz in his fishing violation case, explained to me how people were losing access to the court system. He described an occurrence where immigrants, suspected of being undocumented, are arrested on a small charge – often a bogus one. They are detained while background checks to determine status are done. To fight a charge to which they are innocent, the accused would have to remain in jail for months until their court date. Because they can’t afford to be away from family and work for an extended period, they may choose to admit “guilt” so that they can pay a fine (and in normal cases be released). However, if they are found to be undocumented, a “hold” is placed on them following the guilty plea, and the deportation process begins. Diaz calls the 287(g) Program an “abomination.” Finally, 287(g) is simply a band-aid approach to what remains a critical problem in the United States: a broken immigration system that can only be solved by Comprehensive Immigration Reform on the national level. Sources and Further Information: ice.gov; GALEO.org; Immigration Policy Center (immigrationpolicy.org); ACLU of Georgia and ACLU of North Carolina.
-Tonna Harris-Bosselmann is Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the ESL Program at Gainesville State College and Chair of GATESOL’s Socio-Political Concerns Interest Section. To get involved with the interest section, contact Tonna at thbosselmann@gsc.edu.
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A Farewell Dr. Karen Kuhel, GATESOL Immediate Past President
Dear Fellow GATESOLers: I would like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to serve you for the past three years as 2006 Conference Program Chair, 2007 Conference Chair, and finally as 2008-2009 GATESOL president. It has been an extraordinary journey through which I have made many good friends and colleagues. 2009 was a year particularly full of changes, and I am particularly grateful to those members who have actively participated in GATESOL’s ongoing initiatives: Technologically GATESOL has changed dramatically over the past year. We have: o Revamped our website (spearheaded by German Suarez) o Redeveloped our newsletter to an all online format (Karen Peters) o Moved our listserv to a more interactive format (John Bunting with the assistance of April Roberts and German Suarez) o Partially moved TESOL in Action to an online format (Hema Ramanathan) o Moved our membership directory online (Julie Elmore) o Developed a presence on Facebook (Paul DeVivo) o Determined electronic access to board meetings through Skype for Executive Board members and advisors who live outside of the Atlanta area While these technological changes have included challenges, they will help GATESOL become a more efficient and effective organization. Non-technological changes have included: o Addition of a non-voting liaison from the GADOE to serve on the GATESOL Executive Board.
o Development of a conference succession plan so that we now have conference and program chairs determined by Executive Committee vote through 2011. Heather Boldt and Dana Geller will be the 2010 conference and program chair, respectfully. Dana Geller will be the 2011 conference chair. o Establishment of policy to ensure our yearly conference is held in venues around the state – two consecutive years in Atlanta followed by a year in another part of the state. The 2011 GATESOL conference will be held in Augusta. o Establishment of committees to update the GATESOL by-laws (chaired by Elizabeth Wallace) and redevelop the state regions (Chang Pu). o Redesign of forms and procedures for awarding grants (Yanira Alfonso -PeruTESOL Committee Chair, and Chang Pu – Awards Committee Chair) We also had an enormous success -- the SETESOL Regional Conference chaired by Ayanna Cooper in collaboration with Heather Boldt (program chair). These accomplishments highlight the impact GATESOLers have had on our organization, state and region. I now pass on the baton of leadership to my successor, Ayanna Cooper, and wish her success in all of her endeavors. I challenge you to join with me in supporting her. GATESOL is only as strong as the members who support it. Stay committed and become active by serving on committees and interest sections! Regards and hope to see you at the next Executive Board meeting, Karen K.
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Well Done! Send news of your TESOL-related accomplishments, awards, publications, presentations, and success stories to kpeters@gsc.edu. Please place GATESOL Newsletter in the subject line of your email.
At SETESOL 2009, Lauren Larson (Georgia State University) also presented a poster on Senegalese Perspectives: Language Learning in the United States.
Congratulations to Kristi Johnson, recipient of the 2009 Lindy Lopez-Butner Grant! Ms. Johnson is from County Line Elementary School (Barrow County Schools). Danielle Hickerson (Walden University) presented a poster at SETESOL 2009. The subject was Project PHUN (Painless Homework with Unique Notions). Danielle works as an Instructional Coach at Clay Elementary School in Cobb County. Lauren Larson is pictured above.
Black Englishes in the Classroom was a featured panel at SETESOL 2009. The panelists included: Dr. Mabel Asante, Assistant Professor, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY; Willisa Roland, Assessment Director, Educational Testing Service ; Dr. Sybil Ishman, Associate Professor, Dept. of Liberal Studies, Rochester Institute of Technology; Dr. Zaline M. Roy-Campbell, Associate Professor and Director of the Masters Program in Teaching English Language Learners, Syracuse University.
Pictured above is Danielle Hickerson (Walden University).
At SETESOL 2009, Margery Diamond presented a photographic journey about her learning experience in Vietnam. After Ms. Diamond retired in June 2008, the year gave her the time to travel to this Southeast Asian country for three weeks in March. Ms. Diamond has now returned to part-time ESOL teaching at Ashford Park Elementary (Dekalb). If interested in having Margery Diamond share her beautiful presentation with your class, please contact her at margerydiamond@gmail.com.
Pictured left to right are Dr. Mabel Asante, Ms. Willisa Roland, Dr. Ayanna Cooper, Dr. Sybil Ishman, and Dr. Zaline M. Roy-Cambell.
More SETESOL 2009 photos can be found on page 10. Pictured left is Margery Diamond. GATESOL News 6
Introducing the Board‌
Advisory Members to the Board
Members of the Board
Dr. Karen Harris (University of West Georgia) Past President, President's Advisory Board
Dr. Ayanna Cooper (ESL Consultant) President Dr. Karen Kuhel (Kennesaw State) Past President Heather Boldt (Emory) 1st Vice President & 2010 Conference Chair Julie Elmore (Barrow) 2nd Vice President & Membership Chair Karen Peters-Barker (Gainesville State College) Secretary & Newsletter Editor Dell Giles (Clayton) Treasurer Stephen Fowler (Atlanta) Member at Large 2nd yr. Kelly Lamb (Forsyth) Member at Large 2nd yr. Beth Wallace (Georgia Perimeter College) Member at Large 2nd yr. Cherrilynn Woods-Washington (Atlanta) Member at Large 2nd yr. Dr. Paula Mellom (University of Georgia) Member at Large 1st yr. Dr. Chang Pu (Berry College) Member at Large 1st yr. Nihal Khote (Whitfield) Member at Large 1st yr. Harvey Oaxaca (Fulton) Member at Large 1st yr.
Dr. Marylou McCloskey (ESL Consultant) Past President, President's Advisory Board Susan Firestone (Georgia State University) Past President, President's Advisory Board Dr. Mae Wlazlinski (GADOE) President's Advisory Board Dana Geller (Fulton) 2010 Program Chair Dr. Hema Ramanathan (University of West Georgia) Publications Chair, TESOL in Action Editor German Suarez (Cobb) Website Tonna Harris-Bosselmann (Gainesville State College) Sociopolitical Interest Section Leader April Roberts (Rockdale) Publicity Yanira Alfonso (Gwinnett) Peru TESOL Liaison GA Department of Education (TBA) Rosetta Coyne (Brooks) Region 4 representative Maria Montalvo (MRESA) Region 5 representative Region 1 representative (TBA) Region 2 representative (TBA) Region 3 representative (TBA)
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From the Editor Dear GATESOL members, Well, SETESOL 2009 has come and gone, and what a wonderful time we all had! I know I enjoyed myself while taking part in learning more about our field, and I am sure that all of you who attended came away from the conference refreshed and rejuvenated. I thank all of you for your contributions in making SETESOL 2009 a great success. I truly realize that this newsletter cannot exist without you, the GATESOL members. I rely on all of our members to submit articles, photos, news of accomplishments, and important TESOL dates. All submissions are welcome! Photos should be in .jpg file and of medium-quality or better resolution. Please email submissions for our next newsletter to kpeters@gsc.edu by March 31, 2010. I look forward to the start of the New Year! Have a wonderful holiday season! Karen Peters-Barker, Editor
Calendar Please send important TESOL-related dates of conferences, workshops, event registrations, paper submission/proposal deadlines to kpeters@gsc.edu. Please place GATESOL Newsletter in the subject line of your email.
December 30, 2009: Beverly Benson Travel Grant Due Date Georgia TESOL members who wish to receive funding support to attend the International TESOL convention may apply for a Beverly Benson Travel grant. The total amount of the annual grant is $1,500, which may be given to one recipient or divided among recipients. Please visit the Georgia TESOL Grants page at www.gatesol.org.
school teachers, and elementary school teachers/administrators may choose to attend either February 3rd or February 4th. For conference and exhibitor registration, visit the following URL: www.kennesaw.edu/education/soap.
March 24-27, 2010: The 44th Annual TESOL Conference Boston, Massachusetts is the location of the next annual TESOL Convention, “Re-Imagining TESOL.” Member and exhibitor registration is now open. For more information, visit the following URL: http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/convention2010/.
April 15, 2010: Georgia/Peru TESOL Travel Grant Due Date This grant was created to promote cross-cultural understanding and the sharing of resources between Georgia TESOL and Peru TESOL. The total amount of the annual grant is $1,500. If you have questions after reviewing the material, please contact Chang Pu, GaTESOL Awards Chair, at Chang_Pu@yahoo.com.
Listserv The listserv is for Georgia TESOL members to post news, questions, and other relevant information for other members. All posts are moderated (reviewed before being sent to the group). Posts that are commercial in nature or outside the scope of GATESOL will be rejected. GATESOL has now moved to a Yahoo! groups listserv. Please follow these instructions for joining the listserv: To subscribe, send an email to GeorgiaTESOLsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Note: you may be asked to sign in or register for a Yahoo! ID to access all the web features of your group.
February 2-4, 2010: The 9th Annual KSU ESOL Conference A collaboration between KSU’s Bagwell College of Education and the Georgia Department of Education, the KSU ESOL Conference is offering learning experiences for New/Experienced ESOL teachers and General Education teachers. February 2nd is designated for middle school/high GATESOL News 8
GATESOL 2010
Beyond Borders The 2010 Annual Georgia TESOL Conference will be held October 8-9 in Atlanta at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. We at Georgia TESOL hope you will mark your calendars now and plan to join us for the 2010 conference. The Call for Proposals will be sent out at the beginning of the year, so it’s not too early to start thinking of what information you would like to share with your colleagues. With the “Beyond Borders” theme, we encourage you to think not only of geographical borders but also cultural boundaries and other types of “borders” that may need to be crossed: the border from one proficiency level to the next, the line between failure and success, the separations that exist between educational institutes serving different student populations, etc. The idea of “beyond” is also an important part of the theme; we want to hear about innovative research and classroom practices designed to push our students beyond their current abilities. Please continue to check the GATESOL website for updated conference information, and if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the conference chair, Heather Boldt, at hboldt@emory.edu.
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Snapshots from SETESOL 2009
Pictured left to right are Barbara Beaverson (GATESOL Past President), Dr. Terri Williams (GATESOL Past President), Paula DeVivo (GATESOL Secretary), Dr. Karen Kuhel (GATESOL President), and Pat Allison (GATESOL member).
Pictured above are Emily Passovoy (daughter) and Rick Passavoy (father) from TransACT Communications, Inc.
Pictured above are Cherrilyn Woods Washington (GATESOL member-at-large), Rosetta Coyne (Regional Liaison) and Kelly Lamb (GATESOL member-at-large).
Pictured left to right are Dell Giles (GATESOL Past President) with members-at-large Dee Ann Dozier, Dana Gellar, and Beth Wallace.
A Passion for Language and Teaching Pictured above is Dr. Mae Wlazlinski (SETESOL Presenter).
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