A proficiency-oriented approach empowers students to confidently use the language to communicate, rather than just knowing about it. By emphasizing real-world communication, this method reduces learner anxiety and increases student engagement as they feel successful using the language. This approach aligns with the NYS world language standards and it allows students to see their progress, boosting motivation and confidence. They also feel more confident to use their growing skills outside of educational settings. Join this session to learn practical strategies for implementing a proficiency-oriented approach in your classroom and developing your students’ communicative competence.
Transform your WL classroom into a space where identity drives acquisition. Using Gholdy Muhammad’s 5 Pursuits (Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality, Joy), we’ll explore how ASL and French students share their stories to foster belonging. Learn to build a supportive environment that empowers students to connect their backgrounds, cultures, and joy through language.
Today’s Gen Alpha and Gen Z learners connect themselves through short videos, cultural updates and authentic media that reflect their daily lives. How can we harness these formats to maximize engagement and language growth in our classrooms? In this session, participants will explore strategies for transforming authentic clips, news segments and cultural spotlights into interpretive, interpersonal and presentational tasks. Join us as we take everyday media and adapt it for student-centered lessons that capture attention while deepening linguistic proficiency!
What if students participated not because they had to, but because they genuinely wanted to? This interactive session explores daily, weekly, and unit-based routines that build authentic communication and connection. Grounded in the ACTFL Core Practices, participants will engage in adaptable, low-prep strategies that promote curiosity, student voice, and meaningful interaction. Learn how to increase participation and create a classroom culture where students communicate with purpose and confidence.
HS Spanish teacher - I'm passionate about creating meaningful relationships with my students and supporting them to achieve (and have FUN) in Spanish class!
I'm an IB/AP teacher who is actively working to promote language output and give my students confidence to use their language skills... Read More →
Friday October 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT Fort Orange 5
How do we maintain a 90%+ target language environment while ensuring students remain on task and engaged? Join a veteran educator and a NYSAFLT Novice Award winner for an intergenerational deep dive into classroom management tailored specifically for the World Language setting.
This session bridges the gap between tried and true routines and modern innovation. We will explore the foundational practices that keep a classroom running like clockwork, alongside high-engagement strategies fresh from recent training. Participants will leave with a practical toolkit designed to lower student anxiety, maximize immersion, and build a community where every student feels safe, supported, and heard.
This session will walk participants through our district's multi-year transition to proficiency-based exams, focusing on the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL). We will share details on how we have managed the technical logistics of district-wide testing and prepared for implementation across several schools. Discussion will include successes and challenges, along with some considerations for schools and districts across the state.
Do you feel like you are stuck at the crossroads of old and new standards and don’t know which road is the right one to take? Join colleagues as we fire up the GPS and help you find the right route to creating assessments that work for you and your students. Together, we will walk through examples of assessments and show you how to create assessment questions of your own that push students to demonstrate their understanding and give you the information you need to guide them on their proficiency journey. We will address assessment questions in all communication modes and give you the opportunity to practice some of your own.
Josh Wigle-Harrisis a graduate of St. John Fisher University with a B.A. in Spanish and a M.S. in Special Education. He is a 7th & 8th grade Spanish teacher and serves as the World Languages Curriculum Leader at East Irondequoit Middle School. He currently serves as Director of Western New York on... Read More →
Managing the Seal of Biliteracy (SoB) often involves complex logistics that overshadow student achievement. This session offers a roadmap to transform the SoB process into an automated workflow using **Google Classroom, AI, and Google Apps Scripting**. Participants will identify key bottlenecks and learn to implement "no-code" solutions—such as automated notifications and AI-assisted data categorization—to ensure accuracy and scalability. By the end of this hour, coordinators and educators will leave with actionable strategies to reclaim their time, minimize errors, and focus on expanding equitable access to biliteracy recognition for all students.
Have you ever wondered how to get your work published in the NYSAFLT Journal? Do you have colleagues with valuable insights and experiences to share but who might not yet see themselves as potential authors? This session, led by the current journal co-editors, will demystify the publication process and outline the supportive steps available to help you publish your first article in the NYSAFLT Journal. We'll provide a detailed overview of the submission guidelines, the review process, and the resources available to assist you from initial idea to published article. Whether you're an aspiring author or simply curious about the process, bring your questions and invite your colleagues to join us for this informative and encouraging session!
UB's Institute on Teaching French is a 5-week program for those pursuing an EdM and professional certification via a three-summer track, or non-matriculated students attending for one summer. Our signature pedagogies—critical intercultural experience, place-based learning, and creative... Read More →
Friday October 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT High Street 22
There’s a growing focus on College and Career Readiness (CCR) and career-connected learning, but where do world language programs fit in? This session explores how educators can leverage language credentialing with industry recognized assessments to align language programs with CCR initiatives. We’ll examine how language proficiency credentials support college and workforce readiness, offering students a competitive edge. Attendees will gain insights into employer recognition of language skills, real-world applications, and strategies to advocate for language programs within CCR frameworks, ensuring their long-term value and sustainability.
Proficiency & Learning Specialist, Language Testing International
Language Testing International (LTI), the exclusive licensee of ACTFL, is a leader in proficiency-based language teaching and learning. ACTFL assessments maintain stringent levels of rigor and reliability that ensure a valid measure of communicative skills, recognized by K12 and higher... Read More →
Friday October 16, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT Shaker Room
In this era of multi-tasking, never-ending phone usage, internet sites, computers, tablets, and technology use at everybody’s fingertips, along with markets which are competing for people’s time and presence, it seems like educators are constantly fighting for students’ attention. Instead of trying to get their attention, we should be commanding and directing it to the content to be learned in and outside of the classroom. Recognizing that technology is here to stay, this workshop will be an exploration of how technology has encroached attention and memory, and a dialogue where we can explore how to regain the mental presence of our students in our classes; how technology can be helpful to student learning, but also what the dangers of overusing it could be.
This showcase highlights the curiosity and creativity of undergraduate students from diverse fields such as education, psychology, biology, and health sciences, and more. Through their research and projects, students explore new ideas, perspectives, and ways of understanding the world. Just as cultural awareness grows one language at a time, these projects show how students build knowledge, insight, and connections one discovery at a time.
This session will provide practical, classroom-ready strategies to increase student speaking and writing from novice low to intermediate high. Participants will explore engaging, proficiency-aligned activities that lower student anxiety, promote risk-taking, build confidence in interpersonal and presentational communication, and make your job easier!
Through modeling and interactive practice, attendees will experience techniques such as structured speaking routines, scaffolded writing tasks, and communicative activities that prioritize meaning over perfection. Special attention will be given to creating a classroom environment that supports sustained target language use while remaining accessible to all learners.
This workshop and facilitated discussion invites World Language Educators to explore dynamic approaches and activities to spark joy with their students and strengthen their interpersonal speaking skills. Participants will engage with classroom ready activities (examples in Spanish and English) that bring language learning to life while providing students the ability to foster community and build on cultural learning both in and beyond the classroom. This session highlights practical examples such as incorporating culturally authentic recipes, exploring local New York City cultural field trips and curating personalized International travel experiences for students. Educators will leave with adaptable strategies that will motivate students to speak, broaden their cultural confidence and inspire authentic communication.
Upper-level language classes should be dynamic, culturally rich, and proficiency-driven. This session explores practical, classroom-tested strategies to keep Checkpoint C students engaged through the use of authentic resources such as films, articles, podcasts, and social media. Participants will examine adaptable lesson frameworks that promote spontaneous communication, higher-order thinking, and cultural inquiry, and will leave with ready-to-implement strategies to support advanced learners, including those pursuing college credit or the NYS Seal of Biliteracy.
HS Spanish teacher, Bethlehem Central School Distric
HS Spanish teacher with a passion for languages and culture. I love to travel, sing and dance badly, and just enjoy life. Webmaster of @Natashalagata1, the most beautiful feline Spanish teacher in New York. I also post as myself in @profeeled.
This interactive session will explore activities that increase student communication while intentionally building a strong classroom community. Participants will participate in ready-to-use strategies that engage students in all modes of communication—Interpretive, Interpersonal and Presentational—while encouraging collaboration, friendly competition and shared responsibility for learning. Attendees will leave with adaptable, low-prep activities and practical strategies they can implement right away to foster engagement, confidence, and connection while promoting proficiency-driven instruction.
I have a Bachelor's Degree in Adolescent Spanish Education, and an Master's Degree in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology from SUNY Albany. I have been teaching Spanish at Bay Shore Middle School for 9 years, and have taught all levels of Dual Language (6, 7, 8), Spanish... Read More →
Have you ever thought about hosting a student teacher but were afraid of the time commitment? Join us as we chat about the value of supporting future language educators and to explore the opportunities available at local universities to work with student teachers. Participants will walk away with a newfound understanding of how collaborating with a student teacher can be both empowering and possibly the best world language PD ever.
Teaching Level 1 Spanish is often associated with novice middle school learners who are being introduced to a new language for the first time. At the high school level, however, many students enrolled in a Level 1 course tend to be learners who have previously struggled in a traditional world language setting and may not have achieved baseline proficiency. These students often enter the classroom with significant learning gaps, low confidence, and a belief that success in a second language is out of reach. This engaging and practical workshop will explore the unique instructional, emotional, and motivational needs of struggling and non-traditional language learners. Participants will leave with ready-to-use resources, differentiated instructional strategies, and interactive classroom activities designed to increase engagement, build student confidence, and promote meaningful language acquisition. Presenters will share successful approaches for creating a supportive classroom environment where all students can experience growth and success in the world language classroom.
Hello all, my name is Kyle Davis. I am a dedicated high school Spanish teacher in my fifth year of teaching 9th and 10th grade. As a heritage speaker and former student in a bilingual education program, I bring a deep personal connection to language learning. I hold a bachelor’s... Read More →
During the 2024-2025 academic year, Abroadia and West Street Elementary School (Geneva, NY) facilitated an exchange between students in Geneva and their counterparts in Havana, Cuba. Throughout the course of several months, Kaci Sciarabba guided her students in activities that helped them extend their friendship to Cuban students, while a teacher in Havana did the same. The lesson we hope everyone will take from this presentation is that it is never too early to introduce international pen pal programs to students.
Abroadia is a study abroad provider based in Geneva, NY. We develop short-term programs for high school and college/university students, faculty, administrators and community members. We design and lead programs in Spain, Cuba and Latin America.
This presentation will address the needs of teachers currently teaching native and heritage Spanish speakers who are looking for ways to keep students engaged, improve literacy skills, and foster a culture of growth and love for their home language. The main focus will be on how to upscale the three modes of communication to match the students’ proficiency levels aligned with the World Readiness standards for Learning Languages and the Next Generation Learning Standards for ELA to create meaningful learning experiences to improve their Spanish literacy skills. As a result, clear initial instruction in their home language can encourage the successful completion of the Seal of Biliteracy.
This interactive workshop is designed for world language teachers seeking to deepen student engagement and proficiency through an art unit at the Checkpoint B level. Grounded in the three modes of communication—interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational—participants will explore practical, classroom-ready strategies that bring art, culture, and language together in meaningful ways.
This interactive session invites world language educators to explore practical strategies that spark curiosity and build confidence among novice learners. By the end of the workshop, participants will take away a toolkit of adaptable strategies that prioritize engagement, reflection, technology integration, and cultural inclusivity—essential components for nurturing confident, communicative novice learners in any world language classroom.
Elementary Spanish Teacher, Harrison Central School District
#Earlylang Spanish teacher in suburban NY, grades 4 - 5. NYSAFLT past president. I love teaching with singing, games, puppets, and humor. Let's connect!
Discover how engaging with professional organizations such as LILT Inc., NYSAFLT, ACTFL, AATs and NECTFL can elevate both your teaching practice and your students’ experiences. This session will highlight the wide range of benefits available through membership, including high-quality instructional resources, professional learning, leadership opportunities, and advocacy.
Participants will also explore the powerful opportunities these organizations provide for students, such as national exams, scholarships, honor societies, and cultural competitions. Walk away with practical strategies to get involved, increase student engagement, and bring meaningful recognition and enrichment opportunities into your world language program.
No time, funding, or chaperones for an in-person, real-world trip to a museum with your students? Don’t fret! A museum fantasy trip can be just the ticket! In this session, we will explore ways to design a thematic unit around a virtual visit to any exhibit – real or imaged. Participants will consider ways to incorporate cultural products, practices, and perspectives into a standards-based unit that incorporates the three modes of communication for students at any proficiency level. A model virtual visit to the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, Colombia, will be shared and there will be time for participants to brainstorm a fantasy trip for use in their own classrooms. Come join the tour!
K-12 ChairWorld and Classical Language Department, The Dalton School
I always knew I would be a teacher. My mom is a teacher and I grew up around red marking pens, gradebooks, and worksheets. But it wasn’t until 7th grade that I knew what I wanted to teach. That first day of Spanish class when Señor jumped up on a desk and started singing in Sp... Read More →
Multilingual families bring rich linguistic, cultural, and experiential assets to school communities, yet these strengths are often overlooked or framed as challenges. This session explores how educators and organizations can partner with multilingual families to intentionally build cultural capital through language, positioning home languages as powerful resources for learning, identity development, and belonging. Session highlights how schools can shift from deficit-based narratives to collaborative models that elevate family knowledge and lived experience. Attendees will learn strategies for fostering trust, shared leadership, and inclusive communication across languages and cultures.
Executive Director Capital Region RBERN, former Director of World Languages and ENL for Guilderland Schools, Spanish Teacher, Assistant Principal, Language lover and Bilingual advocate.
Friday October 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT High Street 24
