To avoid Summer Learning Loss, we can encourage our students with some useful ways to keep their language acquisition skills up even when they aren't in class. This episode covers why this is important, and a number of resources students can use for autonomous learning during the summer. 

Judie Haynes, co-founder and facilitator of #ELLchat, TESOL columnist, and author of several ESL Books including Teaching to Strengths: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence, and Chronic Stress, joins us to discuss the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) of ESL students as we continue to deal with the shift to distance learning. 

With the shift to distance learning, a lot of teachers are concerned about how to Engage their ESOL students online. Since Brent is teaching via Zoom, and Ixchell is teaching with a combination of telephone and alternative resources, this episode covers some of the ways we have been exploring as possibilities to keep our students learning and focused.

Sometimes we just need to take a break and hang out with some friends. This episode is a wide-ranging open conversation with Brent and Ryan & Brian from the Check This Out Podcast, Tom & Mike from TOSAs Talking Tech, and Shukes and Giff from Shukes & Giff. 

This episode is just for fun, because we all need to blow off some steam, so come join us for some laughs. Back to the regular schedule next week!

With the worldwide switch to online teaching due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to bring on Denise Maduli-Williams, a teacher with in-depth experience working with English Language Learners online. 

Denise shares from her wealth of expertise and helps distinguish best practices for the current crisis as well as for fully developed online classes. If you're not sure where to go with your transition to teaching over the Internet, listen in!

Brent & Ixchell explore issues with anxiety around speaking for English Language Learners and share some ideas for best practices in helping students with low stakes opportunities to improve. 

How much does it take to build a brand new game for your class? Brent and Ixchell talk with Cate Tolnai about gamification, game-based learning, and how to use games to make learning more accessible. Then they create a game live on the show for everyone to use - LEVEL UP!!

Brent & Ixchell dive into a meta-analysis of best practices in teaching grammar, and then transfer those practices into tech to help students improve.

Carol Salva drops in as the first guest on the DIESOL Podcast! This open conversation covers best practices, improving as a teacher, managing our daily lives, and much much more! 

Why is it important for teachers to try new things and explore new tools? Brent & Ixchell discuss why it's important to move out of your comfort zone, confront confirmation bias, and experiment with new technology.

In the spirit of exploration, we explore 20 tools we want to look at in 2020.