Keynote Speakers

Friday, November 13th, 2020

Okhee Lee

9:15-9:45 AM

ELP Standards Aligned to Content Standards: Shared Opportunities and Responsibilities

Supporting English language learners to learn content and language has been a focus of educational policies as well as educational research and classroom practices. The presentation describes a research program to develop science instructional materials that promote science and language learning with ELLs through doing science, using language.

Okhee Lee is a professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. She served as leader for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Diversity and Equity Team. Her current research involves integrating science, language, and computational thinking with a focus on English learners.

Diane Larsen-Freeman

11:00-11:30 AM

Coffee Klatsch with Diane Larsen-Freeman about Learner Agency

How can we create the enabling conditions for our students to enact their agency as English language learners?

Diane Larsen-Freeman is Professor Emerita of Education, of Linguistics, and a former Director of the English Language Institute at the University of Michigan. She is also a Professor Emerita at the Graduate School for International Training in Vermont. Her major area of interest these days is Complex Dynamic Systems Theory.

Ofelia García

11:45 -12:15 PM

Translanguaging: Shifting views in TESOL

How would the concept of translanguaging shift our understandings of learning English as a second language, bilingualism, and bilingual learners? How does translanguaging differ from the concept of bilingualism, multilingualism or plurilingualism? This presentation will focus on how the ways in which we theorize language and education impacts what we mean by TESOL.

Ofelia García is Professor Emerita in the Ph.D. programs in Urban Education and Latin American, Iberian and Latino Cultures at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. The American Educational Research Association has awarded her three Lifetime Research Achievement Awards –– Social Contexts in Education, Bilingual Education, and Second Language Acquisition. She is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Education.

Luciana C. de Oliveira

12:30-1:15 PM

Brown Bag Lunch with Luciana de Oliveira about Burning Questions about Teaching Multilingual Learners in Content Area Classes

Please bring your burning questions about teaching multilingual learners in content area classes! Dr. D (as her students call her!) will try to address them and provide resources to those of you who are content teachers, work collaboratively with content teachers, or have other roles in K-12 schools. Come prepared for an engaging discussion while you eat your lunch!

Dr. Luciana C. de Oliveira is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research focuses on issues related to teaching multilingual learners at the K-12 level. She has authored or edited 24 books and has over 200 publications in various outlets. She was the first Latina to ever serve as President (2018-2019) of TESOL International Association.

Diane Staehr Fenner

2:45-3:15 PM

Afternoon Tea with Diane Staehr Fenner

Join Diane Staehr Fenner to chat about ways in which our field has changed at breakneck speed during the pandemic. We will discuss your challenges and successes teaching multilingual learners and engaging with families in distance learning and hybrid learning environments. We will also talk about how professional development is evolving to ensure all teachers of multilingual learners are prepared for today‘s new reality.

Diane Staehr Fenner, Ph.D., is the author of several books and president of SupportEd, a NYS certified Women’s Business Enterprise that provides professional development, technical assistance, and curriculum and assessment support to empower ELs and their educators. You can connect with her at Diane@GetSupportEd.net or on Twitter at @DStaehrFenner.

Deborah J. Short

3:30-4:00 PM

Teacher Development and The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners

This talk describes the vision for ELT education in the 21st century and discusses how to use TESOL’s 6 Principles to support teacher development with effective instructional and assessment practices. By implementing the 6 Principles in strategic ways, English language educators can promote multilingual and multicultural learner success.

Deborah J. Short provides professional development on content-based English and sheltered content instruction. She has directed many research projects on English learner education and co-developed the SIOP Model. Book publications include The 6 Principles (TESOL), SIOP Model (Pearson), and ELD texts (National Geographic Learning). She taught in NY, CA, VA, and the DR Congo. She is TESOL International’s President for 2020-21.

Saturday, November 14th, 2020

Elisa Alvarez

9:15-9:45 AM

Supporting our Multilingual Learners on the Path for Success

Join Associate Commissioner, Ms. Elisa Alvarez, for an overview of the status of Multilingual Learners in New York State and the supports that the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL) has and is putting in place, as well as a candid conversation about the challenges facing our students, educators and schools.

Elisa Alvarez is the newly appointed Associate Commissioner for the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages. Ms. Alvarez has worked in education for more than 28 years, most recently holding the position of Executive Director of Differentiated Learning in the New York City Department of Education’s Multilingual Learners Central Office. In her time at NYCDOE, Ms. Alvarez has held several leadership positions including serving as District 7 Community Superintendent, Middle School Principal for ten years and has extensive experience working with English language learners and students with disabilities. Ms. Alvarez is currently pursuing her doctorate and as well holds a Master’s in Science degree for School Administration & Supervision from Touro College, a Master’s in Science degree for Special Education-Bilingual from Hunter College and a bachelor’s degree from Lehman College. She started her new role in early January.

Stephen Krashen

11:00-11:30 AM

Coffee Klatsch with Stephen Krashen

Dr. Steven Krashen will lead a conversation on the importance of coffee, his war against the publishing industry and the BIG BREAKTHROUGH: self-selected fiction.

Stephen Krashen is an Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Southern California. He is the author of more than 525 articles and books in the fields of bilingual education, neurolinguistics, second language acquisition and literacy. He has received numerous awards including the Mildenberger Award (1982) for Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning, the Pimsleur Award, given by the American Council of Foreign Language Teachers for the best published article in 1985, the Dorothy C. McKenzie Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Field of Children’s Literature, a Doctorate of Humane Letters awarded by Lewis and Clark College, Portland (2011), and the Kenneth S. Goodman In Defense of Good Teaching Award.

Alicja Winnicki

11:45 -12:15 PM

Expanding Access to Bilingual/Dual Language Programs

Building upon the Equity and Access agenda for District 14 to Bilingual/Dual Language programs for multilingual learners, we recognize that we must expand access to rigorous instructional programs aimed at developing bilingualism, biliteracy and providing a multicultural perspective to all students within the school community. As we look to expand access, we will explore how to meaningfully involve the voices of all families, provide increased professional learning on pedagogical approaches and benefits of language learning to all staff members and augment community support for programs through increased community outreach.

Alicja Winnicki has been serving as Superintendent of the Community School District 14 in Brooklyn, NY from 2012. She promotes diversity of cultures and languages of the students and families in the district-wide literacy initiatives, the advancement of the Culturally Responsive Education, and by embracing multilingual learners through dual language, early immersion, enrichment and transitional bilingual programs, including Spanish, French, Japanese, Polish, German, Chinese, Italian and Yiddish. She also advocates for student voice and participation in school decision making and created a district-wide student advisory to the superintendent. In her tenure, she also gave voice to parts of the district that have been silent and overlooked.

Emily Francis

12:30-1:15 PM

Brown Bag Lunch with Emily Francis about Shifting From Statistics to Stories

Students with the English learner label are more than just a statistic. Each individual brings unique life experiences and assets into the classroom. Emily Francis shares her journey as an unaccompanied minor from Guatemala to the United States and her experiences as an English learner high school student. Her persistence and resilience will inspire. Emily’s incredible story from high school dropout to Cabarrus County Teacher of the Year will not only show the potential and possibilities English learners have, but how a shift from statistics to stories can impact a school, community, and society.

Astrid Emily Francis is a nationally recognized English as a Second Language teacher at Concord High School in Concord, North Carolina. She serves students in 9th-12th grade with various English proficiency levels. Emily is a native Spanish-speaker who is originally from Guatemala, and came to the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor. Her experience as an English Language Learner inspired her to become an ESL teacher and affords her a deep understanding of the challenges her students must overcome to find success. Emily earned a BA in Spanish and a MAT in ESL from UNC-Charlotte. She serves as a professional development facilitator, motivational speaker, and Keynote. Emily forms part of the Executive Board of The Carolinas TESOL (teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages). Emily is a contributing author for Community College Teacher Preparation for Diverse Geographies: Implications for Access and Equity for Preparing a Diverse Teacher Workforce Emily served as teacher liaison to the Cabarrus County Board of Education as Teacher of the Year 2016. As a leader, Emily’s focus is to inspire students to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more.

Andrea Honigsfeld

Maria G. Dove

3:30-4:00 PM

Building Partnerships in Support of Multilingual Learners

In this collaborative keynote, the presenters explore the foundations needed to develop and sustain effective collaborative partnerships in support of multilingual learners. These fundamentals include communication skills, establishing trust, negotiating conflict, mutual respect, and periodic celebration. Practical strategies for classroom teachers, ENL specialists, coaches and administrators will also be shared.

Andrea Honigsfeld is a professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York. She serves as the director of the Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities doctoral program. In the past 15 years, she has been presenting at conferences across the United States and internationally.

Maria G. Dove, Ed.D. is also professor at Molloy College, where she teaches courses to preservice and inservice teachers on the research and best practices for developing effective programs and school policies for English learners. Before entering the field of higher education, she worked over thirty years as an English-as-as-second-language teacher in public school settings (Grades K–12) and in adult English language programs in Nassau County, New York. Andrea and Maria have coauthored several Corwin Press bestsellers including Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader's Guide (2015), Co-teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection (2018), Collaborating for English learners: A Foundational Guide to Integrated Practices (2019); Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learners’ Success (2019).