Welcome to Planet IEP!

Welcome, Cyber Travelers.
Planet IEP Changes Phases Again.

Winter 2005

Welcome, cyber travelers, to Planet IEP, a website created some years ago for the students in the Intensive English Program at the University of Central Arkansas, but now on a modified cyber path of uncertain destination.

Planet IEP was launched in Fall 2000 to enhance the instruction of English as a Second Language and to provide a venue for student writing.

A Short History.

Planet IEP has gone through several changes and additions since its genesis four years ago. It began with a homepage and a homework page for three levels of English language learners. The homepage contained a class work summary, announcements, and an overview of the week's lesson plans and activities. The homework page was divided into two parts: assignments-homework and class activities. As the site matured, I added an "Important Dates" feature so that students could check on campus and community activities each week. An "International Links" was also added to feature contributions from myself and from students.

Growth and Diversity.

In 2001, in consultation with Master Web Designer, I expanded the site to incorporate the growth and diversity of content and input. The class homepages and homework pages were streamlined into one page. I created a Home Page to serve the entire site, added the "Reading Room" for supplemental reading, and the "Photo Gallery" to contain visual images of students. The same year I attended the TESOL conference in St Louis and wrote a daily report of the events and activities. During the summer I taught German for the AEGIS program, where Master Web Designer also taught web design. AEGIS-FLICS is the culmination of this project.

The next year, 2002, we modified the site again. I began to publish student work in the Reading Room along with other articles for classes. The coordinator of the IEP program began to use the site for announcements, and another colleague began to publish her students' writings on the site.

Dispatches, Conferences.

By 2003, former students were accepting the request to publish stories about their cultures, so "Dispatches from Afar" was created to store their essays. The last year of activity also featured "Learning Resources," a site for the students to practice their skills and strategies. Once more I contributed a daily report from the TESOL conference in Baltimore. However, because I had begun to work as an advisor for the College of Liberal Arts and was teaching only German classes, Planet IEP went into hibernation in Spring 2004.

The new year of 2005, the spring semester, finds me in the classroom, not only as teacher but also as student. I have been awarded a three-year fellowship to study for my doctorate in education through the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Arkansas. I teach Classroom Learning Theory and Language Development for Educators to education majors. I take classes about instructional theory, multicultural education, doctoral writing, and statistics.

You Can Participate.

Even though Planet IEP is quiet now, you are still invited to submit an essay about your culture, tips about learning English, resources to help other learners; in other words, your participation is encouraged. Send an E-mail today.

Freddie Bowles
January 17, 2005


An Archived Moment.

arrowI've archived the last active page from our days at the University of Central Arkansas. Click the blue arrow to visit the past.

Copyright 2000-2005 by Freddie A. Bowles.
All Rights Reserved.