Thread:My Content (1)

1. My Profile 1.1 Explorer of cultures and languages and developer of learning and assessment tools 1.1.1 Online Explorer 1.2 Language and Literacy Specialist 1.3 Experienced ESL, parenting, and literacy teacher 1.4 Workplace & family literacy Specialist 1.5 Oral/Aural Assessment Expert 1.6 Developer of needs analysis processes for language needs in workplace settings 1.7 Certified Workplace literacy needs analysis provider 1.8 Advocate of lifelong learning 1.9 Promoter of professional and personal dreams 2. Contact Me 3. Research Areas 3.1 Current projects 3.1.1 Usefulness of current processes for evaluating oral/aural production 1.2 Current online testing software and its usefulness 1.3 Usability of currently used standards 1.4 Testing theory 1.5 Candidate reaction to online testing practices 1.6 Virtual Reality and oral/aural testing 1.7 Use of avatars in oral/aural testing 3.2 Creation of oral/aural testing 3.2.1 Testing style 2.2 Question types 2.3 Interaction with other avatars actors/candidates 4. Professional development 4.1 Learning online curriculum development skills currently in use 4.1.1 Wiki Educator 1.2 Investigation online learning networks 1.3 Learning applications such as TipCam 1.4 Using Moodle 1.5 Learning how to motivate online learners 5. Education 6. Interests 6.1 Professionally 6.1.1 Online learning 1.2 Virtual Reality and Learning 1.3 Online Assessment tools 1.4 Storytelling - scenario development 1.5 Case Study development 1.6 Story board development 1.7 Online interactivity 1.8 Avatars as actors 1.9 Computerized voices and language learning student/candidate reactions 6.2 Personal 2.1.1 Maintaining healthy living 1.2 stress reduction 1.3 knitting, crocheting and sewing 1.4 philanthropy 1.5 appreciation of nature 1.6 marriage and family __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  I am an explorer of other cultures and languages by visiting various websites such as SecondLife so that I can interact and watch interchanges between others from different cultures. I have visited most of the world and have had the opportunity to interact as a visitor and as an employee with people from all of the world. I have learned a lot about how cultural aspects interact with communication, but know there is a lot more to learn. I am constantly seeking online places to learn more about how culture interacts with communication and literacy.

In the early 1980's I developed one of the first English-as-a-Second Language parenting programs in the U.S. The program consisted of teaching both parents and children English using Piaget's learning philosophy, basic early childhood, parenting and ESL curriculum. The project has be replicated in various adult education, community colleges,libraries, homeless projects and other community projects. I am always surprised when I see curriculum outlines that are very similar to the one I developed so many years ago.

In the late 1980's I was lucky enough to be taught by Jorrie Phillippi how to develop, conduct and evaluate workplace literacy projects. I have found the development processes and the evaluation components of her literacy project to be the most valuable and have customized her processes to include language learning for work settings. I have also include this process in developing language related curriculum and/or assessment tools.

In the early 1990's I became a partner with the Association of Recognized English Language Schools (ARELS) where we together worked at creating Americanized English tests using ARELS standards, processes, methods and technologies. B&A created their first preliminary examination under this partnership. This partnership merged with the University of Oxford (England) in 1994 and created the first for-profit partnership in their 900 year history. During this time, Babowal & Assocates, Inc. (B&A), a Delaware corporation, was formed. The first preliminary examination was released for field-testing and other tests were outlined, story-boads were made, scripts were recorded and grading processes were developed and graders were trained, rules were created and disbursed to test sites. By the mid 1990's B&A was declared by our University of Oxford representative that B&A was a working testing board. I am and have been since 1992 the chairman of the board and president of B&A. B&A continues researching learning and testing, producing tests, grading them and providing curriculum, testing, board services on their own in North America. In 2006, B&A developed an agreement with OWL Testing Software to use their online testing software to broadcast B&A tests and to develop tests for Owl clients.