This year we have a candidate running unopposed for the office of vice president. In this case you are given the option on the ballot to vote for the individual and affirm you approve the candidate or, if you do not approve, you have the option to vote that you oppose the candidate. A majority of votes in opposition will prompt new nominations and a new ballot. Please see below for the nominee’s statements to get to know her better.
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Claire Bradin Siskin
Professional Statement
I feel honored to be on the ballot for the position of Vice President of CALICO for 2021-2022. The organization has been an indispensable part of my professional life. My service to CALICO has included chairing the Language Acquisition and Technology Special Interest Group in 1992-1993, serving on the Executive Board from 1993-1995 and again from 2008-2010, and serving on the Editorial Board of CALICO Journal from 1995-2014. CALICO is already regarded as the gold standard organization for CALL in the United States. I would like to work toward improving its position even further.
Before this past year, in the best-case scenario CALL might have been perceived as an attractive enhancement to language learning. However, since the advent of Covid-19 which has required that learning be delivered online, technology has become a fundamental component. Never has the expertise of CALICO members been more needed than it is now. As leaders in the field, we should increase and extend CALICO’s online activities. We should engage in outreach activities in an effort to increase opportunities for underserved communities. To accomplish this, we need to foster the spirit of volunteerism within CALICO.
If elected, I pledge to uphold the Code of Conduct. I will develop strategies to build membership. I will work to strengthen our relationship with other organizations such as WorldCALL, EuroCALL, IALLT, LatinCALL, LET, and ACTFL. I would like to extend CALICO’s use of social media to expand its visibility. I will work to support the activities of the President and other members of the Executive Board.
Biostatement
Claire Bradin Siskin is a consultant and practitioner of CALL. She taught ESL for 20 years and Spanish for three years. She also taught a graduate-level course in CALL for nine years. She served on the WorldCALL Steering Committee from 1996-2018. She has been a member of the Editorial Board of CALL Journal since 2002. She chaired TESOL’s CALL Interest Section from 1991-1992. She has spent the last several months delivering webinars on CALL to language instructors in developing countries. She was recipient of the first Lifetime Achievement Award at the International CALL Research Conference. See http://edvista.com/claire/vita.html for more information.