In the Spotlight

Fluentu.com
December 2023

Thank you for including my channel in “The 25 Best YouTube channels for Learning English in 2024.”
(View full list.)

Pro Lingua Learning: Notes from the Field
May 2023

I was invited to contribute to Pro Lingua Learning‘s online magazine, Notes from the Field. My article “Teaching English Online Today” was published in the Spring 2023 issue.

Writers Series: Where Minds Meet
March 2023

I was invited to speak about the various forms of writing I’ve done on iHeartRadio. The short interview was recorded, and it now available here. Thank you to Sasha and the Writers Series for a chance to contribute to this limited edition series.

Moving Mountains with Sasha
February 2023

I was invited to speak about my new book on Moving Mountains with Sasha on iHeartRadio. The interview was recorded, and it now available here. Thank you to Sasha and the Kreative Circle platform for this opportunity.

Dare to Be Authentic Radio Guest
February 2023

I was invited to speak about my new book on Mari Mitchell’s Dare to Be Authentic Radio, broadcast out of Southern California. The live interview was recorded, and it now available here.

Being a YouTuber: One Creator’s Bumpy Road to 1M Subscribers
November 2022

Fifteen years on YouTube is a long enough time to experiment and grow. I am also ready to redefine success on my own terms. How about you? Where are you in life? Let my story put your own into perspective. My collection of personal reflections is available on Amazon.

Gold Play Button Awarded
March 2022

After many years and many videos, my YouTube channel was awarded the Gold Play Button. By the end of February 2022, I had finally hit that golden milestone: 1 million subscribers.

Twinkl
August 2021

Twinkl is an educational resource publisher. They generously featured my website in the post “A Twinkl Guide to Parts of Speech.”

BridgeUniverse Feature
July 2021

Dorothy Zemach took an in-depth look at the work of YouTube English language teachers.  She is a talented author, editor, teacher trainer, and educational consultant in her own right. I appreciate the time and care she invested in order to interview different creators and get a range of experiences. I am also thankful for being included in her article. Read and enjoy!

Preply Online Interview
March 2021

The team at Preply invited me to a live Q&A session. Tom Cox led the interview. You can watch the livestream here. Visit the Preply blog for more details.

Beeblio Blog Feature
February 2021

The team at Beeblio invited me to engage in some Q&A. I was asked about the challenges faced within the ESL community, especially as an independent online teacher. You can read the interview here.

TESOL Professional Spotlight
November 2020

Sharon Tjaden-Glass has started a wonderfully rich video series on her YouTube channel featuring various teachers working in different contexts. A range of highly relevant topics are addressed. View playlist. Her short interviews are to the point and full of insight. I was fortunate to be included. My interview focused on teaching online. Watch Part 1.

The Patatas Blog Feature
October 2020

The Patatas is a Singaporean-based company that uses technology and innovation to drive social change. The have created CaseStudy,  a product with the necessary tools and content for operating a digital classroom, and they deploy it in remote communities to encourage learning and complement teacher instruction. I have partnered with them to support their efforts by offering non-commercial distribution of my YouTube videos. They featured my channel in a blog post. Click to view.

United States of YouTube Digital Map
August 2020

YouTube has launched a digital map showcasing creators from all 50 U.S. States. I am very proud to represent Massachusetts. Click to view.

Hello English Global Educator Awards
January 2020

The Hello English community recognized 18 educators in ESL. I am happy and honored to be included in the list. I was given the award of “Best Conversational English Coach” for 2019. View the complete list of awards on the Hello English Facebook page.

TESOL Connections
January 2019

TESOL invited Annemarie Fowler of Speak Confident English and me to contribute to their newsletter. We shared our ideas and tips based on our combined experience in online teaching. Annemarie and I presented together in Chicago at TESOL 2018. We’re scheduled to present again in Atlanta in 2019. Check out the full article Starting and Sustaining an Online Teaching Career in 2019.

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
January 2017

The site posted a list of 15 Excellent YouTube Channels For Language Teachers and ESL Learners. Mr. Duncan, Steve Ford, Jason Levine, Rachel of Rachel’s English, and I were among those who got mentioned. Yay for ESL!

Guest Contribution to Englishformydream.com
January 2017

Ryan O’Loughlin from Englishformydream.com invited 10 teachers to join him and offer advice to learners. Click to read our collection of recommendations: How to Take your English from Good to Great: Advice from 11 English Teachers.

Secondary Accents: The Newsletter of TESOL’s Secondary Schools Interest Section
November 2016

NYS TESOL President, Sarah E. Elia, extended the wonderful invitation to interview for one of TESOL’s Interest Section newsletters. Click to view the interview.

USA Learns:  Guest Teacher/Contributor
December 2015

USA Learns invited my contribution to their newly reconstructed site. I shared some tips on learning vocabulary. USA Learns was initially funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Their amazing resources are now owned and managed by the Sacramento County Office of Education.

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: 30+ Great YT Channels
January 2015

This website for educators compiled a list of 30+ YouTube channels that could supplement classroom lessons, from math to ESL. I was happy to make the short list in my category.

WizIQ Blog: Teacher Talk
September 2014

WizIQ featured my Teacher Talk webinar in a blog post. I share the spotlight with Fluency MC (a.k.a. Jason Levine), the host of this free event for teachers and tutors of English. Click here to access the interview.

WizIQ Blog: Keep Learning!
July 2014

Jason Levine, the WizIQ Ambassador, has shown wonderful support of my efforts to explore a new teaching platform as I start teaching groups online. My interview with Jase was published just after my first free trial class. Click here to access  the post.

SmartClass+ Community
March 2014

The site posted a list of the top 8 YouTube channels for teaching English. Minoo Short of Anglo Link and I were two individual teachers who were listed among bigger channels like BBC Learning English.

Teacher Thought: 11 of the Best YouTube Channels for Learning English
February 2014

I was happy to be in good company with other teachers like Rachel of Rachel’s English, Minoo Short of AngloLink, and Steve Ford. Click to see the full list.

Teachers with Apps
November 2013

Teacherswithapps.com created an impressive list: 197 Educational YouTube Channels You Should Know About. I was delighted to see my channel at the top of the list for learning a foreign language!

MWIS Newsletter
August 2013

Thank you to Jayme Adelson-Goldstein for inviting me to inteview for the Materials Writers Interest Section of TESOL. She guided me through a series of reflections. I hope MWIS members got something out of the dialog that Jayme and I enjoyed so much. Click here for Part 1 and Part 2.

VOXY: Top 3 Most Popular Teachers on YouTube
July 2013

Thank you to Voxy for the great mention! My channel got listed along with Mister Duncan’s and Teacher Paul’s.

EnglishClub Site of the Month
June 2012

Thank you to EnglishClub for highlighting my online work in June 2012.  You can catch EnglishClub’s founder, Josef Essberger at Joe’s Cafe.

Co.Exist Recognizes the Power of Online Videos in the Context of Social Media
May 8, 2012

Support for my work is always appreciated, and it means a great deal when people actually “get it.” They understand how something so small, like homemade videos, have great potential. I think the beauty of online instructional videos is that they can be accessed by many around the world, so people who watch a given video then share an experience. Online media has the power to bring us all a bit closer together. Shared experiences can lead to shared understanding, and then the world is just a fraction better because of that. Co.Exsit’s Editor explains the purpose of their site: “This site is focused on groundbreaking innovation, innovation that’s going to change the way we live and the resources we use. We’re for brash and creative solutions, that make everyone rich while helping the people of the world lead lovely, clean, and fulfilling lives.” Wow! To know I can be a tiny part of that is exciting. Thank you to Hunter Walk for posting the article “Can Online Video Usher in a New Age of Empathy.”

GigaOM Recognizes ESL on YouTube
January 8, 2012

In GigaOm’s posting “ESL instruction videos teaching more than English on YouTube” Liz Shannon Miller described ESL channels as often “overlooked” but “genuinely useful.” My channel got a brief highlight, and kudos went to RachelsEnglish along with a featured video of hers.  Hooray for ESL! It’s wonderful when others outside the ESL community recognize the importance and the potential impact of free online educational resources for language learners.

YouTube’s “On the Rise” Contest
December 2011

I was honored with the nomination as a “Rising Partner” on YouTube. I found myself in very diverse company. The other three nominees included an artist, a skateboard videographer, and a pop culture vlogger. First place went to Xiaonan, an extremely talented portrait artist based in New York. I was proud to earn second place in this international social media contest. You may still see the original announcement page here.

ComputED’s 15th Annual Education Software Review Awards (The 2010 EDDIES)
September 2010
 

 

I was among the honored winners in 2010. It was amazing to find myself in this position after a little under two years of blogging. I was thrilled to receive the ESL Website Blog Award. Thank you to the EDDIES judges.

“The Influence of Public Ratings and Comments on an Online Materials Writer”
March 2010

My article was published in the MWIS Newsletter: The official newsletter of TESOL’s Materials Writers Interest Section. March 2010, Volume 23, Number 1. My goal was to inspire other materials writers to explore online opportunities.

EFL Classroom 2.0 Ning Forum Posting (Click here to view posting.)
March 9, 2010

Mike Marzio of Real English wrote one of the kindest and most supportive reviews of my work to date. The fact that he posted his review on my birthday (which he wasn’t aware of) made it extra special. Thank you, Mike! I’m a fan of your work, too.

EFL Bridges Interview (Click here to watch.)
January 11, 2010

Jeff Lebow of EFL Bridges hosted a discussion as part of the Electronic Village Online session titled My Video Classroom 2.0.

Guest speakers: myself and Dave Sconda of EnglishMeeting.

American English Pronunciation Blog (Link)
August 15, 2009

Susan Ryan, creator of Confident Voice, kindly included my collection of podcasts on her list of recommended resources in the posting titled American English Audio for Listening & Speaking.

Business TV – with Andie
September 24, 2008

Andie, an online researcher for a business television channel  in New Zealand, is a YouTuber like me. On her own channel she features others’ online work via YouTube’s Hottest 500. I was delighted to learn I made her list.

TESOL Story
April 2008

Reprinted with permission from TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.)

When I left my full-time job as an ESL teacher and administrator to devote more time to my family, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to write textbook material from home. Two years later, two books later, and two children later, I again found a way to balance career and family life–online instruction!

YouTube became my medium of choice, and I knew from the beginning that there would be both benefits and challenges in using this popular website. First of all, I would be my own boss, have total creative freedom, and explore the educational potential of this relatively new vehicle of mass communication. That alone was strongly appealing.  Of course, I had seen videos by other English teachers, but no one was offering what I considered to be the “complete package”: an engaging lesson with a thorough presentation and effective practice. The main challenge then was to learn how to teach effectively through video; it wasn’t simply a matter of transferring all my skills from a traditional classroom to a virtual one.  In order for students to assimilate a lesson, a teacher must engage them and gain their faith. After all, the learning process is at its best a relationship between the teacher and the student.  But how was I to establish such a relationship in my videos for a faceless mass audience?  I do this in part by infusing my lessons with personal experiences; if the viewers get a chance to know me, they can begin to trust me. The variety of examples from my own life also captures their interest and makes the lessons more memorable.

My project has met with success. In seven months’ time, I have received well over 1,000 subscribers worldwide.  The numbers confirm that people are eager for online instruction. However, I want to offer more than that. In a traditional school setting my contact with students always extended outside the classroom. I was highly visible and approachable.  I recall numerous times and places when students sought me out: in the hallway, at lunch, in the staff room, and even in the ladies’ room! “How could I make myself approachable and accessible to an online audience?” I thought.  Part of the answer lay in my presentation.  From the very first video I introduced myself simply as Jennifer; without a title or last name, I wanted to come across as confident yet not pretentious, in other words, someone whom students would want to approach.  Next came the task of making myself accessible: I created an e-mail account for my viewers, which I advertise on my YouTube channel. The strategy worked. Every day I receive new comments, requests, personal stories, and questions. People who never thought they would be in contact with an American are excited to correspond. Avid learners who cannot afford classroom instruction request help on specific topics.  New teachers seek guidance in their lesson planning; more experienced teachers appreciate the occasional consultation or debate. My viewers include travelers, immigrants, factory workers, administrators, artists, business people, and even whole families. Their ages range from the early teens to the early seventies. In short, it is a wonderfully diverse community, and I am honored to be at the center of it. I cannot help but think that the experience as whole illustrates the theme of the upcoming TESOL convention: “Building Communities”.

Through this amazing experience I have undoubtedly grown as a teacher. I have learned how to teach with new software, and I have learned to work within new parameters (a 10-minute limit and no copyrighted material). In putting my work online, I have in fact put my teaching on display. On the one hand, I have opened myself up to ratings, criticism, and public comments. On the other hand, the positive and constructive feedback tells me which techniques are effective and which aspects of my teaching can be improved. Other teaching professionals have been particularly supportive, and I am truly flattered when I am told that my material is being used in someone’s classroom or on a school website.

As for the future, I am considering viewers’ requests for instructional CDs or DVDs as well as the possibility of creating my own website. I hope to get more ideas when I attend the New York TESOL convention in April. For now, I have decided to simply enjoy this unique experience. All good things do come to an end, but before it is over, I intend to love and learn from every minute of it.