This article discusses an exploratory conversation between a newly hired assistant professor of ESOL Education and one of her graduate level students taking the methods and materials course. The graduate student was an English learner (international student), and therefore offered this new professor an opportunity to explore her practice of…

The authors give advice to teachers on correctly presenting assignments by discussing these questions: What information should an instructional assignment convey? What criteria should be considered in phrasing an instructional assignment? And what means can be used to clarify an assignment? (Author/SJL)

A mountain of paperwork can be pared to a molehill when teachers concentrate on diagnostic and testing techniques that minimize written responses. This article explains how to evaluate students in ways that emphasize oral responses, hand signals, and student grading of papers. (PP)

Course management systems (CMSs) enable teachers to easily post assignments, lesson plans, announcements, and course documents. They also allow students to participate in online discussions and chats and turn in assignments online. Unfortunately, commercial systems are often expensive to purchase and maintain, removing them from the reach of many…