Tri-TESOL Conference Answers (FAQ)
Click on the + or - sign to expand or collapse the answer.
  • Why Highline Community College? [+]
    Contact Treela McKamey, the Tri-TESOL Volunteer Coordinator for more information. Click HERE to read example tasks.
  • What about parking? [+]
    How can I evaluate the conference and individual sessions?
  • What about food? [+]
    Our evaluation system will be online. You will be sent an e-mail 1-2 days after the conference asking for your input. Please take some time to share your thoughts with us. They will be used to help us plan a better conference in the future.

    For individual sessions, each presenter may or may not provide his or her own paper evaluation. It will be up to each presenter.
  • After investigating a number of possible venues, Highline Community College in Des Moines, WA was chosen by WAESOL, ORTESOL and BC TEAL as the location for the 2011 Tri-TESOL Conference. Highline is conveniently located between the three major metropolitan areas of the three associations (Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, BC). It is easily accessible from Interstate 5 and is close to SeaTac Airport. Parking at Highline is free and the classrooms are well-equipped for workshops, with desktop computers, projectors, and wireless Internet. Another important benefit of Highline is that the facility fee is much less than at a regular convention center in the Seattle area, thus keeping the conference registration fees lower than most comparable conferences.

    One challenge that we needed to overcome in using Highline was the limitation of space for large keynote gatherings. At the 2010 WAESOL Conference, when Diane Larsen-Freeman spoke in the main room (Building 8), it was very full. However, this year we will be using Highline’s telecast system to broadcast keynotes into adjacent rooms. Highline has used the system successfully with various nationally known keynotes. One of the WAESOL Board members recently attended one of these lectures and was very pleased with the quality of the telecast. We are confident that this system will work well for our conference.
    [+]
    Who are the keynote speakers?
  • There is plenty of free parking on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday at Highline Community College. Click HERE for a campus map.
    [+]
    I pre-registered online. What should I do when I arrive?
  • The full conference registration includes hors d'oeuvres at the Friday evening reception, Saturday lunch (an Executive Box lunch with a vegetarian option available), Saturday morning light breakfast snacks and afternoon hors d-oeuvres during the Publishers' Raffle. Coffee and tea are available throughout both days in the Publishers’ Exhibit area.
    [+]
    I did not pre-register for the conference. What should I do?
  • What should I bring? [+]
    Friday evening keynote: Keith Folse, Ph.D. (sponsored by Oxford University Press)

    Saturday keynotes:     Doug Biber, Ph.D., University of Southern California (sponsored by Pearson) and Dr. Lee Gunderson from the University of British Columbia.
  • What type of presentations will the conference have? [+]
    If you pre-registered online and paid, please go to the pre-registration table. Your name badge will be laid out in alphabetical order by last name. Please take it. This is an honor system. Then get your conference program and bag nearby. Conference planning committee members and volunteers will be there to assist you.

    It’s a good idea to bring your conference payment receipt with you. You probably won’t need it, but it’s good to have it just in case.

    It’s important that you wear your conference name badge while attending the conference.
  • Your conference bag (compliments of Oxford Press) will include the official conference program with information about the titles, times, rooms, abstracts for presentations. This is now available online HERE.

    You will be given a name badge upon registration. It’s important that you wear your name badge throughout the day.

    Currently detailed information about     the sessions is available online as well as the official conference program.

    You might also want to bring:
    • Pen and paper if you want to take notes
    • Business cards, if you want to exchange contact information with other teachers
    • A jacket or umbrella if the weather looks doubtful, as you will need to walk short distances between buildings to get to the different conference sessions. (Click HERE for the latest weather report in Des Moines, WA.)
    • There is free public wireless in all buildings for personal laptops or mobile devices. (For information on how to connect, click HERE.) The PDF version of the conference program is available online for your laptops and mobile devices.
    [+]
    Please go to the on-site registration table in Building 8 at Highline Community College to register. Please refer to the on-site registration fees HERE.
  • Demonstration (45 minutes)
    A demonstration is used for showing rather than telling about a technique. Presenter’s statement of theory should take no longer than five minutes. The summary should include a brief statement of the central purpose and description of the demonstration.

    Panel (45 minutes)
    A panel provides both formal presentation and participant discussion. Panels generally have 10-15 minute presentations by panel members under the guidance of a chairperson who moderates the discussion period and summarizes the session at its conclusion. The organizer should submit a summary outlining the topic and objectives.

    Interactive Workshop (45 or 90 minutes)
    Session in which participants develop methods or materials, design research studies, analyze research data. Purpose is to confront and solve actual teaching or research problems. Workshops MUST provide participants with the opportunity to actively participate. Emphasis on providing hands-on experience rather than lecturing.

    Paper / Report (45 minutes)
    Papers or reports should be based on current research and theory. They should also provide a practical benefit to the audience.

    Mini session (20 minutes)
    If you have a great teaching idea you would like to share, but you do not need 45 minutes to do so, we encourage you to submit a proposal for a 20 minute mini session. These informal sessions are designed to offer participants a brief description of an idea or activity and the resources needed to take this idea and implement it in their own classrooms.

    Discussion session (45 minutes)
    An opportunity to discuss a hot topic in TESOL with colleagues in a structured round-table format. The discussion leader(s) should have a strong knowledge of the designated topic and should include the audience in the discussion. Handouts are expected.

    Poster session (75 minutes)
    A poster session display allows for informal discussion between the participants and the presenter(s) during the time the exhibit is on display. The exhibit is presented on a large display board, which includes a title, the name(s)/affiliation(s) of the presenter(s), and a brief text with clearly labeled photos, drawings, graphs or charts. (4’ x 8’ max)
    [+]
    What about clock hours?
  • Will there be publishers at the conference? [+]
    The 2011 Tri-TESOL Conference will offer through WAESOL up to twelve clock hours (during the two-day conference). WAESOL has been approved as an OSPI provider for the 2010-2011 school year and will continue offering clock hours with OSPI during the 2011-2012 school year. In addition to the regular registration table, you need go to the clock hours check-in table to sign-in for clock hours every day when you arrive at the conference.

    For more information, please contact     Teresita Tobon.
  • The conference will include a large number of publishers who will have books on display and be available to answer your questions. Several publishers also give demonstrations during the regular conference sessions. At the end of the conference on Saturday afternoon many publishers give away books in a raffle. There will also be hors d-oeuvres and drinks served at the Publishers' Raffle.

    The Publishers Exhibits will be open on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.
    [+]
    What is the refund policy?
  • I’m a presenter. What do I need to know? [+]
    Registration fees cannot be refunded unless notice is given 48 hours in advance. Food, equipment, facility space and conference supplies have been purchased in advance.
  • Detailed Instructions to Presenters are now available. Please read them carefully as the conference is organized almost entirely by volunteers. Presenters must register for the conference and pay. There is no discount for presenters. Also, presentation times and rooms are posted on our web site.
    [+]
    Why do I need to designate an affiliation when registering for the conference?
  • I’m an exhibitor. What do I need to know? [+]
    When you register for the conference, you are asked to designate an affiliation (WAESOL, ORTESOL, BC TEAL, or None). This information is crucial for our financial record keeping and to help with future conference planning. Even if you are not a member of any particular association, please indicate which association you have had a connection with, such as attending a conference, receiving a newsletter, on a mailing list, etc. If you are still not sure, just designate based on your general living area, i.e., Washington area, Oregon area or British Columbia area.
  • Detailed Instructions to Exhibitors can be found HERE (viewed best in Firefox or Chrome or Safari). Please read them carefully as the conference is organized almost entirely by volunteers.
    [+]
    What about lodging and transportation?
  • I’m a poster presenter. What do I need to know? [+]
    Tri-TESOL does not arrange any lodging nor provide any transportation service between hotels (most of which are about 6-15 min away by car). Please contact the hotel for transportation options. There are a couple of recommended hotels which are posted on our front page on the side bar. These hotels have a agreed to a conference discounted rate.
  • I’m a volunteer. What do I need to know? [+]
    Why present at a conference?
  • Click HERE to view detailed information for poster presenters. Please read them carefully as the conference is organized almost entirely by volunteers.
    [+]
    Presenting at professional development conferences is considered by many to be a professional obligation or a way of giving back to the profession. However, we all gain from our professional efforts, whether attending or presenting. We are all working to strengthen and develop our profession, and we can only do so through our concerted efforts.

    We understand that it takes time and energy to plan and deliver a workshop, as many of us have done so ourselves, but in this, there are benefits to both the presenter and the workshop attendees. While presenters' workshops are volunteer efforts, they are also a way to develop their own practice. It is through sharing this expertise that we discover what our peers are doing and build awareness. It also allows us to learn what other practitioners think of our work. This allows us to refine and further develop our practice.

    Professional conferences do come at an expense, both to the Associations who organize them, and the members who attend. As you may be aware, BC TEAL, WAESOL and ORTESOL are volunteer professional associations and as such, the funds raised at these conferences go right back into the organization. All of the Directors are volunteers and dedicate countless hours each year to organize events like this and advocate on behalf of the membership.

Links

October 21 & 22, 2011

Highline Community College

Des Moines, WA

WAESOL

BC TEAL
ORTESOL

Registration
Schedule
Presentations
Conference program (PDF)
FAQ Answers
Get updates
BC TEAL
ORTESOL
WAESOL
TESOL
Recommended lodging

Tri-TESOL does not arrange any lodging nor provide any shuttle service between hotels (most of which are about 8-15 min away by car). Please contact the hotel for transportation options. Each of these hotels have agreed to a conference discounted rate.

SeaTac is 10-12 min by taxi from Highline Community College.

Planning committee links
Copyright © 2011 Tri-TESOL