The International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF) Trustees and Anaheim University TESOL Professors Dr. Kathleen Bailey, Dr. Denise Murray and Dr. MaryAnn Christison will present "A Case for Online Language Teacher Education" at the TESOL 2013 International Convention in Dallas, Texas on March 21, 2013. This presentation highlights case reports on 18 organizations that offer online professional development opportunities for teachers.

The report was commissioned by TIRF and sponsored by Anaheim University. TIRF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to generate new knowledge about English language teaching and learning. TIRF plans to apply research findings to practical language problems by working collaboratively with teachers, researchers, authors, publishers, philanthropic foundations, government agencies, and major companies.

Dr. Kathleen M. Bailey, a Past President of TESOL (1998-1999) and International Research Foundation for English Language Education Chair (TIRF), received her M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (1976) and her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics (1982) from UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles). Dr. Bailey is Professor of TESOL in Anaheim University's Graduate School of Education. She also works full-time as a professor of Applied Linguistics at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. She was the Director of the TESOL M.A. Program there for six years and the Director of the Intensive English as a Second Language Program for three years. In addition, she was instrumental in developing the Monterey Institute's Certificate in Language Program Administration. She is a recipient of the Allen Griffin Award for Excellence in Post-secondary Teaching on the Monterey Peninsula, the Monterey Institute's Teaching Excellence Award 2006 and the James E. Alatis Award for service to TESOL 2007.

Dr. Denise Murray served as President of TESOL from 1996-1997 and on the Board of Directors of TESOL for 7 years, and currently a Trustee for the International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF). A TESOL Professor at Anaheim University, Prof. Murray is Emeritus Professor at Macquarie University, Australia, and at San José State University, California. She was Executive Director of the AMEP Research Centre and of the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR) at Macquarie University from 2000 to 2006. Prior to her appointment at Macquarie, she was founding Chair of the Department of Linguistics and Language Development at San José State University for 9 years. Her research centers around computer-assisted language learning; cross-cultural literacy; use of L1 in the second language classroom; intersection of language, society and technology; settlement of adult immigrants; language education policy; and leadership in language education. She has published her work in 17 books and more than 100 articles in professional journals, as book chapters, or conference proceedings. She edited two volumes in 2008: Planning change; Changing plans: Innovations in second language teaching (University of Michigan Press) and Leadership in English language education: Theoretical foundations and practical skills for changing times (Routledge). The leadership volume was co-edited with M.A. Christison. In 2011 she and M.A. Christison co-authored two volumes on teacher education: What English language teachers need to know I: Understanding learning and What English language teachers need to know I I: Facilitating learning(Routledge).

A past President of TESOL (1997-1998), Dr. MaryAnn Christison serves on the Board of Trustees for The International Research Foundation (TIRF). Holding a Ph.D. in English/Linguistics from the University of Utah, Dr. Christison has been teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in applied linguistics for over 30 years. She is the author of over 80 refereed articles in journals on language teaching and second language research and 18 books including Leadership in English Language Education: Theoretical foundations and practical skills for changing times (with D. E. Murray), A Handbook for Language Program Administrators (2nd Edition) (with F. L. Stoller), What language teachers need to know: Understanding learning (with D. E. Murray), What language teachers need to know: Facilitating learning (with D. E. Murray), Multiple intelligences and language learning, and Learning to teach languages. She has been a classroom teacher for 38 years, teaching in U.S. K-12, adult education, and university contexts. She has developed many multi-media projects, and online ESL Endorsement program, and four online courses for language teachers. Christison has been a teacher educator for over 20 years, working with teachers in the U.S. and in over 30 different countries. Her current research interests are in leadership, second language teacher development, and language and the brain.