Sunshine and Cloud Apps: Musings about IALLT – and the IALLT 2013 Conference

As we are gearing up for the IALLT 2013, many of us involved in the IALLT Board and Council have spent an increasing amount of time exchanging E-Mails and in virtual meetings. Planning a conference is a lot of work, but it is also exciting. As I am musing on the theme of the conference—Sunshine and Cloud Apps: The Next Generation in Language Learning Technology—I just can’t help thinking about the importance of a good climate. Thinking back of our Summer Leadership Meeting in 2012, we had both nice sunshine, and a positive work climate. Since the Board and Council meeting last summer, I have spent countless hours in meetings with the Board, with the Conference Planning Team, with the IALLT Webinar Team, with the IALLT Survey team, and in a multitude of ad hoc meetings with different IALLT Council members. When reflecting on these meetings, I see a common thread: although none of us is paid, and although we are all contributing to our professional organization as volunteers, our meeting time is marked by positive collaboration, hard work, dedication, willingness to serve, and a willingness to go the extra mile to get the work done. I can truly say that we are working together as an IALLT family—despite the difference in geographic location, the great variance in position and rank within our respective institutions, and the differences in type of institution.

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