Justin Garcia

Using FlipGrid as an Assessment Tool  

@kruu_justin  |  Audience: Elementary

In this session, we will learn how to tailor features of FlipGrid to provide students opportunities to share their knowledge as well as practice elusive speaking/listening standards. This session is designed for both beginners and those familiar with the FlipGrid application.

Dr. Katie DiGregorio 

Fostering an Inclusive ELL Classroom using Instructional Technology 

@digenltech |  Audience: K-12 

Using Instructional Technology allows ELL students to participate in complex lessons at a linguistic level that is appropriate for them. It also lowers their affective filter of participation in the classroom. In this session, Dr. DiGregorio will show examples of how to leverage instructional technology strategies and tools to foster inclusive instruction for your ELL students in your classroom. Instructional technology broadens the horizons for ELLs and allows them to master content while acquiring language. 

Dr. Ilene Winokur

Building a Sense of Belonging for ELs in Your Classroom 

@IleneWinokur  |   Audience: Elementary

Forming a strong emotional bond and feeling accepted helps us feel like we belong, makes us happy, and more successful. What are some strategies teachers can use to ensure a sense of community and belonging in their classrooms? During this presentation, Ilene will share a variety of strategies and activities to create a sense of belonging in your classroom for EL students.

 Dr. Maneka Brooks & Dr. Katie Toppel 

Supporting Long-Term ELs During Distance Learning  

@Man3ka @toppel_ELD  | Audience: 6-12 | Pre-recorded

Dr. Maneka Brooks shares some key takeaways from her book Transforming Literacy for LTELs. In this Q&A session, she touches on misconceptions about students identified as LTELs and supporting both their literacy identity and literacy development. Dr. Brooks also shares some ideas for supporting students identified as LTELs in a distance learning setting.

Supporting Multilingual Families From a Distance and Beyond 

@MrsSaid | Audience: K-12

This session will discuss the Three R's of Multilingual Family Engagement during distance learning as a discussed in my recent contribution to Confianza. Relationships , Resources, and Response are critical in how we interact with parents in these times of Covid-19. This session will give you a tool kit to support you in supporting families beyond distance learning.

Dr. Irina McGrath & Michelle Shory  

Give Your Scaffolds a Makeover with the Best of Google and Microsoft  

resources

@irina_mcgrath @michelleshory | Audience: K-12

Google for Education and Microsoft.edu offer a variety of tools to support teaching and learning. It's essential to know the features and limitations of each tool in order create the most dynamic learning experience for English Learners. This session will showcase the strengths of each tool so that educators can make the best decisions for their classrooms. 

Shaeley Santiago 

Community Connections During COVID-19 Closures  

Resources

@HSeslteacher  |  Audience: K-12

School and community connections can be challenging under the best of circumstances. However, matching volunteers with needs can be rewarding on both sides. Learn how one school district leveraged community partnerships with local agencies and worked through several obstacles to provide free books to children during the COVID-19 school closure.

Beth Skelton 

Cultivating Curiosity with Question Formulation Technique  

Resources

@easkelton  |  Audience: K-12

Pre-school students ask hundreds of questions a day, but by middle school many have stopped asking questions at all. Experience the Question Formulation Technique, an innovative strategy that re-ignites students’ natural curiosity and imagination online or face to face. This session is for teachers who work with language learners at all grade levels and in all content areas.

Francisco (Harvey) Oaxaca 

Developing Language through Digital Environmental Print  

@harveyoaxaca  |   Audience: K-12 Admin

Our goal as instructional leaders should be to ensure students leave our educational institutions with the ability to utilize language for a variety of purposes. This session will focus on key practices leaders can embed into their work in order to increase language and literacy for all students in a digital environment utilizing digital environmental print. 

Pamela Broussard

Creativity, Community and Communicating  

@leadingells  |  Audience: 

In on online environment, how can we build community, encourage creativity and provide opportunities for students to express themselves even with limited English? Learn some no-prep/low prep ideas to foster fun and expression in this new online/distant learning environment.

Cristiane Howard 

Asset-Based Journey to Accessible Education - WhatsApp and Youtube  

@howardcristiane  |  Audience: K-12 | Pre-recorded

Resource 1  Resource 2  Resource 3   Resource 4

How can families without home Wi-fi have access to online education? How do teachers explain how to use technology to parents with little to no background knowledge on technology? How to utilize the knowledge students and families do have to make it all happen? How to help provide accessible online education for our most at-risk EL families? This session will discuss these issues and show my journey to provide accessible online education to ELs using WhatsApp - a message app widely-known and used by international families; and Youtube bilingual videos - homemade, with little to no-editing; and how to focus on the precious assets EL families bring to the table, even through a pandemic. Bilingual (English/Spanish) video links will be shared, as well as strategies used to overcome the "technology gap". 

 Christina Nelson & Jon Nordmeyer

Virtual Fishbowl: Student & Teacher Discourse Moves  

Resource # 1  &  Resource # 2

@nordmeyerj @MissNelsonEAL | Audience: Secondary 

We know that multilingual students strengthen both content and language development by actively participating in rich oral discourse. We will be discussing the language that students need to engage and inquire in digital classrooms by examining student and teacher discourse moves. We will unpack this particular dimension of language by using WIDA research-based practices. Together we will explore using a virtual fishbowl to empower students to participate while also raising metalinguistic awareness about how we communicate together in a virtual environment. 

 Ashley, Allyson  & John 

7 Strategies for Increasing ELs Engagement in Virtual Learning  

@readysetcoteach  | Audience: K-12

Virtual learning presents very different challenges when it comes to active student engagement, especially for English Learners. How do we boost motivation, interest & access for ELs online? Join us as we discuss how to overcome barriers and increase EL participation and learning in this new virtual environment!

Dr. Chris Tennyson 

Engaging Readers During Distance Learning  

@cbtennyson  |  Audience: Secondary

Motivating readers seems more challenging during distance learning. For those of us who connect students with engaging texts in a f2f setting, we want to continue to develop students' love of reading in the new distance learning setting. Using the overarching theme of student choice and reflection, this presentation will include different components to support students distance reading needs. Aspects addressed are access to books (including audio books), platforms to create discussions about what students are reading, and different digital writing ideas and platforms. 

Sherry Liptak

Creating Interactive Images with ThingLink  Resources

@SherryTeacher   |  Audience: Elementary

Think PWIM (Picture Word Induction Model) but interactive and available to students online. It is possible to develop and practice vocabulary through imagery and translation. It is also possible to target parts of speech. There are a plethora of possibilities here!

Michelle Van Balkom 

Raising their Voices  

@msVanBalkom | Audience: Secondary

Using read-aloud non-linear texts with secondary ELLs to guide them to write their own dual language vignettes.  By using texts that honor cultural voices, students are engaged and motivated to share their own stories in short form that is not intimidating but requires higher order creativity and writing skill.

Jody Nolf 

Supporting Content-Area Teachers with ESOL Strategies  

@JodyNolf  |  Audience: Secondary

My session will focus on ESOL strategies specifically designed to facilitate language acquisition and engagement in secondary content areas. These strategies will help content area teachers and ESL teachers work together effectively in a collaborative setting. Most importantly, they are easy scaffolds to use and will work with all levels of learners.

Carly Spina

Sweet Surprises: Innovative Ways to Connect with Students  

@MrsSpinasClass  |  Audience: K-12  

In this session, we will explore fun ways to connect with our students even while distance learning. Today and always, our students must feel seen- how can we accomplish this while we aren't face to face? We will explore ways for our students to feel seen, known, heard, and connected. This session will get your creativity flowing for thoughtful ways to show students that we care for them, we value them, and we miss them. Now's a great time to teach and connect "outside the box" as we are outside of our classrooms!