The Georgia TESOL 2013 Southeast TESOL Travel Grant

It is an immense honor to be the recipient of the Georgia TESOL 2013 SETESOL Travel Grant.  I am very thankful to the committee for selecting my application.  This grant requires that I submit a written report to the Georgia TESOL newsletter. In keeping with the conference theme - 21st Century Learning - this blog will be the beginning of that report.  My musings will be immediately available to fellow TESOL members, plus my colleagues at Georgia Piedmont Technical College.

This is the fifth Southeast Regional TESOL convention of my career.  I have visited Myrtle Beach, South Carolina countless times.  Each visit built warm, positive memories.  Our family time was always more relaxed here.  Camping at Lake Arrowhead with my youth group was a blast, as was visiting the Pavilion with college friends.  The first time I heard live rock music, stood up on a surf board, and rode an upside down roller coaster was by the Grand Stand.  As adult, this area has become a place of great rest, relaxation, thought and peace.  I have never worked on any day spent here by the Atlantic.  That is about to change.

My 27 year career as an ESL teacher has been immensely rewarding; a huge part of my professional experience.  It is fitting that I return to a location so significant to me and labor a bit, for I am passionate about immigrants gaining communicative competence.  My new beach memory will be one of contributing to the conference through leading a concurrent session:  Graphic Organizers:  Visual Treasures for 21st Century Learning.  Plus, I plan to gain new ideas and methods to make my course full of 21st Century learning.  Hopefully my posts here will be of practical benefit to TESOL members, my co-workers (past and present), and the new professionals I encounter this fall.