2026 NYSAFLT Annual Conference: Full Schedule

Welcome to the 109th NYSAFLT Annual Conference!

4:00pm EDT

Museum Mania, Great Galleries and Excellent Exhibits: Fantasy Trips for All

Friday October 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

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!

Presenters

Lori Langer de Ramirez

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 Spanish... Read More →

Friday October 16, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Town Hall Amphitheater

Session C

Language of presentation English
Examples in Spanish
Applicable to Any
Level Secondary Higher Ed

8:30am EDT

"I'm not a bot!" Can AI Foster Peer-to-Peer Conversation?

Saturday October 17, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT

High Street 26

Ensuring adequate target language conversation practice is difficult, particularly for novice learners who need significant support. AI can help, with always-ready and judgement-free conversation partners. Yet, amid a growing epidemic of loneliness, is filling student time with chatbots where we want to go? Pangea Chat creates a playful, social experience that makes curriculum-aligned, task-based conversation practice fun and impactful for any curriculum. The web and mobile platform leverages AI for personalized scaffolding but keeps peer-to-peer interaction as the focus. Supported by the National Science Foundation.

Presenters

Will Jordan-Cooley

CEO & Founder, Pangea Chat

Pangea Chat is an NSF-backed language learning environment that makes peer-to-peer, curriculum-aligned conversation simple and fun. Playful, task-based activities scaffold learners from texting, to voice messages, to live voice and video calls in their target language. Teachers see... Read More →

Saturday October 17, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
High Street 26

Exhibitor Session

Language of presentation English
Examples in Several
Applicable to Any
Level Secondary Higher Ed

2026 NYSAFLT Annual Conference

4:00pm EDT

Lori Langer de Ramirez

8:30am EDT

Will Jordan-Cooley

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