Back-To-School World Language Teacher Summit 2.0
25 sessions & PD Certificate for 15 hours
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Back-To-School World Language Teacher Summit 2.0
5 Lessons
Twenty-three inspiring language teachers share exactly how they successfully navigate the beginning-of-the-year! Get the answers you need to thrive this new school year! This Playbook is also your guide to the conference with the presentation schedule, our social media chart to follow every presenter, biographies, summit session themes, and presentation summaries. Get organized and mark the sessions you don't want to miss!
5 Lessons
In this presentation, Jared Romey introduces the Efficient Spanish Teacher Framework, a system designed to help language teachers reduce workload and stress, allowing them to leave work at school. Drawing from his extensive experience organizing the World Language Teacher Summit and collaborating with over 150 language educators, Jared outlines five core areas: lesson planning, classroom management, instructional time, grading, and assessments. By implementing these strategies, teachers can cut 5 to 20 hours from their workload each month, making their teaching experience smoother and more efficient. Though designed for Spanish teachers, these concepts apply to all world language educators.
In this presentation, Allison Wienhold introduces engaging and consistent starters for world language classes in her educational session. She highlights routines like Música Miércoles, where classes begin with a music video on Wednesdays, and emphasizes the use of art, cultural practices, and interactive discussions to foster a dynamic learning environment. Wienhold suggests different activities for each day of the week, catering to varied student levels and focusing on building a positive, inclusive classroom community. By employing set routines, she explains how teachers can save time and mental energy while enhancing student engagement. Lastly, Wienhold encourages educators to adapt these ideas to suit their specific class needs and schedules, ensuring flexibility and sustainability in teaching practices.
In this presentation, Kia D. London shares her insights and strategies on achieving better organization for personal and professional effectiveness. With 18 years of teaching experience, London emphasizes the importance of setting goals, citing examples such as saving money and taking monthly mental health days as long-term goals, and short-term goals like writing in a journal twice a week. She advocates for prioritizing tasks by making necessary sacrifices and remembering one's core motivators. London stresses the utility of tools like planners, timers, and the Asana app to manage time efficiently, and suggests minimizing distractions, such as excessive phone use, by setting boundaries. She highlights the significance of an accountability partner or group for maintaining consistency, and reminds viewers that managing one’s environment is essential. Ultimately, aligning goals and priorities can lead to clarity, progress, and a motivated outlook on time management.
In her presentation on digital organization, Lisa McHargue offers practical strategies for teachers and online business owners to efficiently sort and manage their digital files, emails, and online resources. She suggests creating a personalized folder system in Google Drive, utilizing tips such as archiving emails to reduce inbox clutter, and using labels and folders for email organization. McHargue introduces the use of unit hubs for lesson planning and advises against the replication of outdated resources and cluttering valuable digital space. Tools like Airtable are recommended for organizing and categorizing various resources with tags for ease of searching.
Heather shares various tips to promote daily routines in the classroom in order to achieve better results, make students feel more comfortable, and improve cooperative work. She presents different activities such as games, surveys, task cards, and ice breakers to use in class. These activities not only help teachers with their planning but also serve to motivate students to learn and have fun at the same time.
4 Lessons
In the presentation, Elizabeth Porter, founder of the 'language with the 5 senses method,' explains how incorporating sensory inputs can significantly enhance language learning. She highlights the neuroscience behind this method, noting that the brain grows through learning and that sensory experiences help information move to long-term memory. Porter emphasizes the importance of movement, images, games, and meaningful projects in the learning process, as these activities create robust neural connections. She shares her personal journey of learning French and Wolof in Senegal, illustrating the method's cultural responsiveness. Porter concludes by discussing the reticular activating system’s role in filtering sensory information for brain processing, and how early language exposure increases the brain's plasticity for acquiring new languages.
Timothy Chávez's presentation focuses on the integration of translanguaging and dialogic instruction in the classroom to foster critical thinking and interpretation skills among students. He highlights the importance of allowing students to switch between Spanish and English during discussions, which helps them express their ideas more comfortably and thoroughly. Chávez emphasizes the value of authentic questioning and the analysis of texts through various lenses, including social justice, gender dynamics, and class inequality, to build empathy and critical thinking. The approach aims to create a more inclusive and engaging learning environment by encouraging student interaction with the text beyond literal comprehension.
In this presentation on Total Physical Response (TPR), Connie Navarro explores the brain's inherent ability to learn languages and emphasizes the importance of presenting language learning in a brain-friendly manner. She outlines how TPR not only aids in the creation of neural pathways through physical activity but also enhances long-term retention and spontaneous communication. Through a practical demonstration and insights from educational research, Connie showcases how TPR integrates movement with language acquisition, making the learning process engaging and effective. She provides educators with strategies and tools, including a step-by-step TPR guide and resources for differentiating instruction through auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic elements. Lastly, Connie encourages educators to utilize these techniques widely and share their knowledge to optimize language teaching methods.
In this presentation, Maria Gloria discusses the integration of Socratic seminars into Spanish literature classes, specifically highlighting their suitability for AP Spanish Literature and Culture and IB Spanish Language IBHL courses due to their text-based and student-led design. Borsa elaborates on the structure of these seminars by describing the preparation involved, including selecting themes, providing essential questions, and equipping students with vocabulary and sentence stems to facilitate discussion. She underscores the role of AI tools like ChatGPT and Canva in streamlining the creation of seminar materials, allowing for the efficient generation of discussion questions and vocabulary lists. Throughout the seminars, students engage in in-depth analysis and discussion of literary texts, fostering critical thinking and collaborative learning.
In this live session, Diego will explore the role of AI in language learning and why it should be viewed as a complement, not a replacement, for traditional teaching methods. He will explain the importance of cultural context and nuances, human connection in communication, and the value of interactive learning environments. Additionally, Diego will emphasize the crucial roles of motivation, encouragement, real-world experience, and the development of creative and critical thinking skills in language acquisition.
In this presentation, Courtney Jackson emphasizes the use of passwords to enhance student engagement in Spanish classes. She shares successful strategies like personalized questions and answers (PQA) for initiating class, and utilizing passwords comprehensively in speaking, reading, writing, and listening activities. Jackson highlights the importance of providing varied speaking opportunities and scaffolding to meet diverse student needs, ensuring everyone can participate. She shares a poignant example where a student connected deeply with the class through her personal experience with her pet snake, demonstrating the power of personal connection in language learning. The use of visual aids and intentional classroom activities like the reading gallery walk further supports students' language acquisition and confidence, underlining the effectiveness of Jackson’s teaching approach.
In this presentation, Yulyan Anderson, a seasoned Spanish teacher with 30 years of experience, explores how artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, can significantly ease the workload of world language teachers. She recounts her initial skepticism and subsequent amazement at ChatGPT's abilities when she first encountered it through her children. Anderson highlights AI's potential to create various educational resources, including lesson plans, worksheets, emails, quizzes, and presentations, noting that she crafted her presentation using ChatGPT. She emphasizes the importance of verifying and refining AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and relevance, thus enhancing personalized learning despite the need for teacher oversight. Anderson also shares specific AI tools like QuizGecko, Write cream, and OP Exams, which aid in creating diverse assessments and quizzes, enhancing instructional quality and productivity.
Alasdair Harris's presentation on "AI and Workload Optimization" outlines how AI and platforms like LingoTeach can help educators create personalized and engaging learning content efficiently. He emphasizes the importance of crafting specific and creative prompts to generate the desired educational resources, comparing them to exam instructions. Harris demonstrates practical examples and tools, such as vocabulary lists and interactive games, to illustrate how AI can significantly reduce the time spent on resource creation while supporting diverse learning needs. Additionally, he discusses differentiating materials quickly and adjusting formatting to aid students with visual impairments or dyslexia.
The session presented by Carmen Reyes focuses on optimizing Spanish language acquisition with musical content in elementary school. Reyes introduces herself as a FLES Spanish teacher from Virginia, outlining objectives that include using Zoom as a teaching resource, incorporating TPR and TPRS methods through songs for language acquisition, promoting cultural understanding, reviewing grammatical structures, conjugations, and vocabulary acquisition. The presentation is divided into five sections covering various aspects of using songs to enhance language learning.
Nevien Fahmy, emphasizes her extensive educational background and passion for teaching, disclosing her certifications and commitment to lifelong learning. She introduces LanguageNut, a multifaceted digital language learning resource that supports the acquisition of 25 languages with 38 support languages. Fahmy highlights features like online games, songs, stories, and over 8,000 exam-style questions designed to enhance students' comprehension and production skills. She provides practical teaching strategies using LanguageNut, recommending activities such as vocabulary lists and recall exercises. Fahmy underscores LanguageNut's utility in saving teachers’ time and engaging students, sharing her personal success with the platform in her classroom in Nashville, Tennessee.
In this presentation, Yulyan Anderson emphasizes the necessity of tailored instruction to meet the diverse needs of students. Anderson argues that "differentiated instruction happens the most in the world language classes" and highlights its benefits, including promoting inclusive learning and maximizing student engagement. Techniques such as tiered assignments, flexible grouping, and choice boards aid in catering to varied learning styles and proficiency levels. She underscores the importance of using multimedia resources like YouTube and interactive games to engage different learners and scaffolding to break tasks into manageable steps. Instant feedback and self-assessment are also crucial for student development. Lastly, Anderson encourages teachers to offer various assessment methods and to start small with differentiation strategies, reflecting continually on student outcomes to adjust methods accordingly.
In this presentation, Ashley Mikkelsen discusses strategies for integrating comprehensible input (CI) into lessons when constrained by a textbook or district assessments. She outlines her teaching background and methods to align lesson planning with district requirements by understanding assessment structures and specific learning targets. Mikkelsen provides practical strategies like writing short stories tailored to vocabulary and grammar needs, using routines like "Persona Especial" and "Música Miércoles," and implementing engaging activities such as gallery walks. She emphasizes focusing on the end goal to ensure student success. Additional resources are offered for further exploration.
In this presentation, Kathryn Kosmider emphasizes the importance of differentiation in language learning to meet the diverse needs of students. Strategies discussed include using hands-on activities, varying task lengths, offering students choices, and implementing supports like adjusted rubrics and peer assistance. Kosmider encourages the use of technology tools for feedback, routines for predictability, and differentiated content, process, and environment to keep students engaged and successful. The approach aims to make learning accessible for all students without adding extra planning burdens for teachers.
In her presentation, Andrea Olatunji, a Spanish teacher with extensive experience, addressed the critical yet often overlooked role of feedback in language education. She elaborated on the necessity of implementing meaningful and constructive feedback mechanisms that engage not only students but also teachers, administrators, and families. Olatunji outlined specific feedback techniques like elicitation, explicit correction, and recasting that are uniquely suited for language learning, aiming to improve communication accuracy and fluency. Throughout her talk, she emphasized the significance of establishing a secure and open environment for feedback from the beginning of the academic year, advocating for regular and purposeful feedback that supports educational growth. Furthermore, she highlighted peer feedback as a tool for empowering students and fostering essential interpersonal skills.
Silvana Ibañez shares effective classroom management strategies for the beginning of the school year, emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive, inclusive, and engaging environment. She introduces various activities such as word search, friendly competitions, and brain breaks to foster teamwork and refocus students. Ibañez also highlights the use of interactive syllabi and flexible seating arrangements to maintain student interest and collaboration. Additionally, she stresses the significance of a consistent routine and believing in the value of the material being taught to ensure students feel a sense of purpose in their learning.
5 Lessons
In this presentation, Diego Ojeda emphasizes the significance of creating a supportive and interactive classroom environment for motivating students to speak in the target language. He advocates for balanced input, use of gestures, expressive communication, and real-life conversational topics to make language learning engaging and authentic. Ojeda underscores the importance of allowing students to develop language skills naturally at their own pace and suggests various activities such as storytelling, interviews, and interactive games to build speaking confidence. He also highlights the need for empathy in teaching, sharing his own experiences of language learning challenges.
In this presentation, Shannon Ruiz, a seasoned and award-winning middle school Spanish teacher, outlines effective strategies for creating a sense of community in the first days of school. He advises using resources like "The First Days of School" by Harry and Rosemary Wong and employing relationship-building techniques from Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Ruiz emphasizes the importance of positive interactions, understanding student backgrounds and interests, and being empathetically present. He also highlights the value of learning from both veteran and new teachers to continually improve teaching practices.
In the presentation, Pamela Parks explores a variety of innovative and engaging teaching methods to enhance language learning. She discusses techniques such as the Total Physical Response (TPR), communicative approach, audio-lingual method, and GLAD (guided language acquisition development), emphasizing the importance of practical activities like game-based learning and peer tutoring. Pamela highlights the adaptability required in teaching, incorporating technologies and resources like Project Gutenberg and ClassDojo to support diverse learner needs. She also brings into focus methodologies like the Silent Way and TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling), stressing the importance of making learning memorable through creativity and repetition. Pamela shares her educational resources and experiences through her YouTube playlist and promotes a collaborative approach among educators by sharing varied pedagogical strategies and tools.
In this session, Carmen Scoggins, a seasoned Spanish teacher, discusses innovative strategies to enhance language learning by integrating authentic resources and real-world experiences into the curriculum. She emphasizes the importance of scaffolding and differentiated teaching methods to cater to diverse learning styles while gradually increasing student autonomy in language use. Scoggins introduces practical tools and programs like Edpuzzle and choice boards to facilitate student engagement and understanding. She also advocates for continuous professional development and reflects on the need for teachers to be adaptive, align teaching methods with student proficiency levels, and maintain authenticity in the classroom. The overarching theme is to make language learning engaging, relevant, and aligned with real-world applications.
In this presentation, Noemà RodrÃguez discusses leading with cultural topics and social justice themes in the world language classroom using comprehensible input (CI) strategies. She emphasizes incorporating authentic resources, such as art, music, and current events, to engage students. Noemà challenges educators to assess whether their curriculum centers around the target culture and provides various strategies, such as clip chat, gallery walks, picture talk, and using generative AI for interactive learning. She also discusses the importance of humane education and proposes integrating global challenges like climate change into language instruction to deepen cultural understanding and student engagement. Noemà encourages teachers to join collaborative platforms for ongoing support and professional development.