54 From Elmer’s Glue to CALL Empresario Returning to school turned out to be a bigger challenge than I was expecting. I was looking for a framework of educational theory and methodology to help me move forward in my new career. The requirement to learn how to use educational technologies was a surprise. I had used computers for simple tasks such as word processing, but I had never, for instance, made a PowerPoint presentation. It was all new to me. Software was a mystery. I didn’t know about the Internet or Internet service providers, and Google was just a funny word. In my undergraduate studies, I remember using scissors to cut excerpts from my typewritten pages and paste them using Elmer’s glue as a means of editing essay drafts. The Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) course I took in my first year of the Master’s program was a revelation – and nearly the end of my TESOL career – because there was so much to learn, and I had so little basic understanding. At times, it seemed beyond my capabilities. Even the language presented barriers. Words like software, hardware, upload, download, hover, scroll, window – and so many others – had new meanings in the context of digital technology. This is a problem shared by new language instructors and learners alike. Overcoming my fear of making a mistake and messing things up was important for me as a learner. It was a big AHA! moment for me when I realized that the computer wasn’t going to explode if I made a mistake. Eventually, I was intrigued rather than intimidated by the potential of computer-assisted language learning. Today, it is a source of amazement to me that I am viewed as an expert in educational technology use. As language instructors, I think a big part of our job is allaying those fears. It’s important to tell learners that technology is a tool, something they can use in whatever way works. We hope to open our students’ minds to possibilities without ever demanding that they seize those possibilities immediately. Bonnie’s Drop-in Hour A lesson I now like to share with others facing the technology barrier is: PERSEVERE. Don’t give up. Keep trying. You will sometimes fail, but with time and commitment, it will become doable. I have so much sympathy for people who say, “I will never be able to do this.” I can reassure them that, having been there, they will be able to do it. That’s one of the reasons I so much enjoy being a mentor for New Language Solutions. Knowing how difficult it can be for newcomers to master educational technologies, it’s important for us to teach with compassion and be as flexible as we can with students who are trying their best but face almost insurmountable challenges. How important is mentorship in developing digital skills? It’s essential. Having a mentor when I returned to school would have saved me so much time and frustration. Mentorship isn’t just about a one-on-one relationship. It’s about cultivating a community of people who can all contribute something and support one another. The more we can rely on each other, the better it is, not just for our own workload and mental health as teachers but for our students, who benefit from better learning experiences. As a mentor to my students, one of the things I have employed successfully is to reserve an hour every day to attend an online chat session using Blackboard Collaborate. I called it Bonnie’s Drop-in Hour. I would go into a private room with each student who wanted to speak with me to talk, perhaps explain some grammar points, give them help with their CC-BY-NC-SA 2025 New Language Solutions Avenue Instructor Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning, version 1.2
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