2023 Program Virtual Fall Conference RECAP

2023 Virtual Fall Conference | November 5, 9:30am - 4:10pm

These meeting links are for registered conference participants only. Please do not share the links. Thank you for your cooperation and we hope you enjoy the event.

Shortcuts: Plenary | Session 3 | Session 4 | Sponsors | Survey

Need assistance or have a question? Email conferencecoord1@ortesol.org.

Thank you to our sponsors

9:30am: Welcome

Join the room early and enjoy some music, a hot drink and some pre-event information and fun facts. Catch up with colleagues, check your technology, sound check, and settle in. You will be able to text chat with other attendees. The ORTESOL President will offer welcome remarks.

9:50am - 10:50am Plenary with Ashley Garrigan

Plenary Again: The Landscape of Adult Education in Oregon

This talk will cover the state of WIOA Title II Adult Basic Skills in Oregon with attention to ESOL programs and populations. The speaker will provide insight into how Title II Adult Education is organized in Oregon and will highlight data, recent initiatives, successes, and challenges in the field, particularly as these relate to adult multilingual learners.

Ashley Garrigan holds an M.Ed. TESOL and has more than 10 years of domestic and international experience in the field of education. She has worked in K-12, intensive English program, community college, and university settings. Ashley currently serves as the Adult Basic Education State Leadership Coordinator at the Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Office of Community College and Workforce Development, where she is responsible for professional development and assessment for Oregon’s WIOA Title II Adult Education programs.

Or.. Burning Question Panel (if you already heard plenary)

11:00am - 12:10pm Concurrent Presentations 3

The Social Brain and the C Factor

What is the social brain and how can we take advantage of it in the classroom? A network in our brain is devoted to figuring out other people’s thoughts and intentions: the social brain. It is also important for learning. For example, every teacher knows that some classes click and some don't, the C Factor, but there is little literature on this topic, even though it is crucial for learning, achievement, and even mental health.

Curtis Kelly –Producer of the MindBrainEd Think Tanks

How Can Children's Literature Support Emergent Bilinguals Oral Language Development?

How can teachers use children's literature to support emergent bilingual learner's oral language development? In this interactive session, two teacher educators will share their strategies and approaches for choosing and using rich and culturally relevant literature. Participants will have a deeper understanding of the factors influencing oral language development and the strategies for using literature to support that development.

Joshua M. Schulze - Western Oregon University, Ya Fang Cheng

Teaching Vocabulary to Learners of English

Which words should your students learn? Fortunately, vocabulary research has specific answers to this question! This talk discusses vocabulary size and distribution, how many words students need to know in order to learn from reading, how to test your students' vocabulary size and how to help them select lists for further study. I’ll finish by showing some of the free tools I’ve developed to help your students improved their vocabulary. Q & A to follow.

Heidi Brumbaugh - Vocabulary Systems, Inc.

Digital Storytelling as a Way of Reawakening the Past

What are some ways EFL/ESL teachers approaching retirement can put their LT skills to good use, contribute to international understanding, and have a good time? Peace Corps’ short-term virtual service projects provide one answer; tutoring and/or teaching for your local refugee resettlement agency another. Digital storytelling is a rich pedagogical approach to frame your work in these and many other, even more traditional, educational settings.

Jeff Magoto - University of Oregon

| Video Link

Tracking Progress for Individualized Proficiency Development

How can I provide customized learning opportunities to every learner? Language learners in para-academic settings frequently want something other than isolated language proficiency - they usually want to achieve some life goal, and see language proficiency as part of what they need to get there. This presentation will explore tools and approaches to individualized proficiency planning and tracking that include independent practice activities in real world settings.

Patrick McDade - People-Places-Things, LLC

11:00 – 11:30

D Professional Development (PD)Through Mentoring and Success Story Sharing for Rural School Teachers in Nepal

It is aimed at teachers’ professional development. The target audiences are K12 teachers as well as university level instructors.

Binod Duwadi – Kathmandu University

11:40 – 12:10

Developing Teachers' Self-Efficacy to Support Multilingual Students in Literacy

What is the impact of using co-planning with English language development and classroom teachers on teacher Multilingual Education Self-Efficacy to support multilinguals in literacy? This case study is concerned with the opportunity gaps in literacy between multilingual students and native English speakers. It explores how teachers' self-efficacy to educate multilinguals may be impacted when a team of two kindergarten teachers and an ELD teacher engage in co-planning using an equity related protocol.

Marjeta Bejdo - University of Massachusetts, Lowell

12:10pm - 1:20pm Lunchtime and free talk

1:20pm - 2:30pm Concurrent Presentations 4

Entry into English: An OER Curriculum for Beginning Learners

"How can you start using an Open Education Resource curriculum for beginning learners?" This presentation is for teachers of adult students and high school students who are beginning to high-beginning language learners (Levels 1 and 2 plus Literacy students). We will explain how an OER frees you from the restrictions (and cost) of using a commercial textbook. We will show you how to use this curriculum in the different formats available and how to find supplemental materials in the online companion version.

Sara Packer &Penny Jahraus - Portland Community College

What do students want us to know about online learning?

What do students want us to know about online learning? Why do they choose online classes, beyond convenience? This session will present data from conversations with adult ESOL students about their experiences in online classes. The data will be framed by findings in recent journal articles. Participants will discuss the data, relate it to their experiences, and share ideas for more effectively meeting student needs in online classes. Oriented towards practitioners interested in online education.

Eric Dodson - Portland Community College, SOAR Legal, Linda Bonder - Beaverton Literacy Council

Making A Difference & Making A Living Teaching English

How Can I Make A Living and Make a Difference Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages? This presentation is for those of us who want to do what we love, support a more just and less violent world, and make enough money to pay our bills. We will explore a variety of career and income generating models. Participants will share their goals and perspectives in small groups.

Patrick McDade - People-Places-Things, LLC

Supporting Immigrant Students with Trauma Backgrounds

How can teachers support English learners (ELs) who have experienced trauma? Many ELs come to American schools having experienced trauma that can affect their ability to become academically successful. This session will review the types of issues ELs have faced, how trauma can impact learning, and provide educators and building leaders with specific ideas to become more trauma supportive. The presenter will additionally provide specific ideas and activities for building internal resilience.

Judith O'Loughlin - Language Matters Education Consultants, LLC