Sessions Info

Concurrent Sessions I
11:10am - 12:00pm 

  See Me": Improving Secondary Content Area Teachers' Knowledge and Perceptions of Students 

with Limited and/or interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) 

Room: 1849

Edlira Beda, Ed.D., ESOL Instructor & ML Specialist, Hartford Public Schools

This study explores how asset-based professional development using SLIFE profiles impacts teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE). Findings show that targeted training enhances instructional practices, shifts deficit-based mindsets, and promotes culturally sustaining approaches that leverage students’ strengths for equitable learning outcomes.

Intended audience: Higher Ed., Secondary (7-12), Bilingual, General, Adult Ed.

Acquiring Strategies for Facilitating Learning Transfer in English for Academic Purposes 

Room: Carleton

Heon Jeon, Associate Professor in Residence at the University of Connecticut

This session aims at nurturing the seeds of teaching for transfer thinking and action in English for Academic Purposes. 

Intended audience: Higher Education

Grammar Playground 

Room: Blue and White 133

Elsiana Ortiz, ESOL Instructor at Quinsigamond Community College

This workshop will equip you with a variety of fun games, ideas and resources to indirectly teach grammar in a non-threatening way and in a comfortable environment.

Intended audience: Higher Ed., General, Adult Ed.

Write, translate, mix, move: Leveraging beginner students' L1 and Google Translate for academic vocab and writing development via a sentence scramble translating task 

Room: Alumni 126

Brendon Albertson, TESOL Instructor, Ella T. Grasso Technical High School

Equip yourself with a simple, tried-and-tested, research-based strategy that helps beginner and newcomer MLLs learn writing and vocabulary alongside advanced academic content, by leveraging their home language and translation technology (like Google Translate and DeepL) to complete a fun sentence scramble task! 

Intended audience: Higher Ed., Elementary (PK-6), Secondary (7-12), Bilingual, General

   Storyboard That: Content Creation, not Content Consumption

Room: Clocktower 134

Lauren Ayube, Head of Curriculum, Storyboard That

 In this session, you will see a demonstration of the Storyboard Creator — an intuitive, drag-and-drop tool that helps students express understanding in ways that AI simply can’t replicate. You will also learn about Storyboard That’s extensive library of ready-to-use resources and templates, which teachers can copy, customize, and use instantly across all subjects and grade levels to bring creativity and critical thinking into every classroom.

Intended audience: Elementary (PK-6), Secondary (7-12), Bilingual, General

Utilizing AI to Provide access and leverage support for multilingual learners 

  Room: Sprague 

  Elizabeth Radday, Director

  Dalia Assem, MLL Consultant-EdAdvance

An overview of AI will be provided as well as an introduction to AI tools that can be used for MLLs to translate, provide summaries and adapt text for MLL learners.

Intended audience: Higher Ed., Elementary (PK-6), Secondary (7-12), Adult Ed.

*Participants will need devices-phones

Concurrent Sessions II 

1:10pm - 2:00pm 

Research, Resources, and Strategies for Multilingual Learners 

Room: Sprague

Wayne Eichen, National Account Executive  Savvas Learning Company

This session will focus on research, strategies, and resources available to empower your Multilingual Learners.  School districts have seen a large influx of Multilingual Learners, and teachers are looking for resources and tips on teaching this growing population.

Intended audience: Elementary (PK-6), Secondary (7-12), Bilingual, General

The Limits of GenAI: A Workshop on Activities for ESL students  

Room: Clocktower 134

Matthew Ciscel, Professor, Central CT State University

How do we help our students understand the limitations of genAI tools?  By assigning creative activities that require them to critique and play with AI-generated texts. This workshop will explore this approach.

Intended audience: Secondary (7-12), Higher Ed., Adult Ed.

The Impact of Art on English Learners by Integrating Image-making into the Writing Process         

Room: Blue and White 133

Yeukai Chiroodza-Imeh, Associate Professor of Education - Elms College

Elizabeth Baader, ESL teacher 

The number of English Learners (ELs) in U.S. schools has increased, often leading to stress and isolation.

Incorporating mindfulness and cultural arts can foster belonging and motivation. This presentation shares 

findings from a study exploring how integrating image-making into the writing process can support ELs' academic

and emotional growth. 

Intended audience: Elementary (PK-6), Secondary (7-12), Bilingual

TESOL Lessons for Global Citizenship: People and the Environment

Room: 1849 

Dorothea Panayotou, Educational Consultant

Discover activities (simulations, concept mapping and more) that use environmental stewardship as an organizing theme to build disciplinary content and skills in language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Receive lesson plans that motivate and engage ELL students in real-world issues.

Intended audience: Elementary (PK-6)

Bridging Language and Learning: Integrating SIOP and Marzano in the Secondary Classroom & Practical Strategies for Adolescent Learners 

Room: Alumni 126

Carmen M. Humphrey, Co-Founder, Guided Learning Solutions

Lily Cornielle-Cordero, District Administrator - EL, Equity & Student Support

This session demonstrates how SIOP techniques and Marzano’s high-yield strategies transform secondary classrooms into language-rich, engaging spaces. Participants will explore lesson examples, interactive activities, and scaffolds that build background knowledge, promote academic language, and deepen conceptual understanding—equipping educators with practical tools to support all learners, especially English learners.

Intended audience: Higher Ed., Secondary (7-12), Bilingual, General, Adult Ed.

Concurrent Sessions III 

2:10pm - 3:00pm 

  CT DOE Policy Updates (Resource Document)

Room: Carlton

Megan Alubicki Flick, English Learner/Multilingual Learner Consultant and Title III State Director, Connecticut State Department of Education

In this session, we will discuss changes and updates to policy and guidelines that impact instruction for ELs/MLs and the teachers that serve them. Participants will leave the session with a better understanding of how recent policy and guidance impact their work and with access to tools and resources for their professional learning. The session will provide an opportunity to hear updates in an informal setting to allow for discussion, questions and answers, and brainstorming as a group. Feel free to bring challenges of practice and/or questions.

Intended audience: Higher Ed., Elementary (PK-6), Secondary (7-12), Bilingual, General

AI Tools for Equity: Scaffolding Complex Tasks for MLs

Room: 1849 

Christina Golgozeanu, Educational Consultant, LEARN

Pamela Santerre, Educational Consultant, LEARN

Explore how AI tools like ChatGPT, Diffit, and Suno can scaffold complex texts for multilingual learners while amplifying student voice and identity. In this interactive session, participants will rotate through hands-on stations and leave with ready-to-use classroom strategies.

Intended audience: Secondary (7-12)

B.E.L.I.E.V.E.! Academic Language Literacy: Improving our MLs' Academic Achievement 

One WORD at a Time  

Room: Alumni 126

Dorina "Dorito" Ebuwa,  Founder of B.E.L.I.E.V.E.! LLC, TEI Coach & Unapologetic Advocate for ML      

Educators!

An overlooked inequity in ML education is the lack of consistent instruction using high academic vocabulary. According to research, this phenomenon is from the fossilized belief, “It’s too hard for them.” Au contraire! In this highly interactive and energetic session, participants learn the backed-up research whilst engaging in evidence based proven strategies that empower MLs to absorb the “Big Words” for big gains! That is, if you B.E.L.I.E.V.E.!  Intended audience: Higher Ed., Elementary (PK-6), Secondary (7-12), Bilingual, General, Adult Ed.

Revolutionizing Student Success with Individual Language Plans 

Room: Clocktower 134

Lisanne Kaplan, ML Supervisor/Consultant, LEARN

Minely DeJesus, TESOL Teacher, Waterford Public Schools

Billie Shea, Principal, Great Neck School, Waterford

Learn about the LEARN/Waterford Public Schools partnership to launch Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for all ML students. Using LEARN's Focus Team process, teachers receive embedded professional learning which allows them to monitor multilingual learners' language acquisition through custom AI tools, data-driven scaffolding, collaboration, and an asset-focus.

Intended audience: Elementary (PK-6), Secondary (7-12)

Beyond the Classroom: Building Trust and Leadership Through Home Visits for ELs 

Room: Blue and White 133

Lily Cornielle-Cordero, District Administrator - EL, Equity & Student Support

Gloribel Barreto-Ramirez, Bilingual Teacher (Spanish)

 Discover how relationship-based home visits can transform family engagement and empower families as co-leaders in learning. This session shares lessons from 20 home visits conducted across schools—including multilingual and Open Choice families—highlighting increased trust, communication, and student motivation. Attendees will explore practical strategies, hear real feedback from families and staff, and leave with a customizable action plan to implement or expand home visit practices in their own schools.

Intended audience: Elementary (PK-6), Secondary (7-12), General