Earlier this year, Paul M. St. Louis, our longtime Treasurer and Newsletter Editor, passed away unexpectedly.  

Paul was a beloved French teacher at East Hartford High School (CT) before retiring and spending a short time in Glastonbury as an administrative assistant. Paul joined the CT COLT Executive Board of Directors in 1992 as treasurer, a position he has held since then.  He remained an active member of the CT COLT family until his passing. Although Paul was well-known as our Treasurer, he also served a number of other roles within our organization. As a Co-Editor of the World Language News Exchange, CT COLT’s quarterly newsletter, and as the registrar for many of our contests, competitions and even the CT COLT Fall Conference!  Paul was also our webmaster, creating the first CT COLT website, and helping to see it evolve over time. Paul has orchestrated, from behind the scenes, countless CT COLT events celebrating students and their language learning accomplishments. Paul's legacy with CT COLT will certainly be one that we will carry on.  

Childhood friends, college roommates, former students, and colleagues describe Paul as a gentle soul, who was compassionate, professional, and deeply dedicated to supporting language learning. As a French teacher, he inspired others to become language teachers themselves, and balanced meeting the needs of his students with mentoring new language teachers and volunteering for multiple roles on the Board of CT COLT.  Paul’s work was far-reaching both within and beyond our organization.

The CT COLT organization dedicates the 2021 Fall Conference to Paul.

CT COLT is proud to introduce our 2021 Fall Conference Keynote Speaker: Jessica Haxhi

Jessica is ACTFL President for 2021. She is Supervisor of World Languages for New Haven Public Schools, overseeing 85 world language teachers and seven languages.  Previously, Jessica taught Japanese for 20 years in a PreK-5 program in Waterbury. She served on the Board of the Northeast Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, as President of the National Council of Japanese Language Teachers, as Co-President of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese, and on the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements Working Group. Jessica worked with CT COLT to advocate for Seal of Biliteracy and periodically teaches methods at Southern CT State University.

AATF Connecticut

Alliance Francaise

Avant Assessment

Breaking the Barrier

Colegio Delibes

IDIOMA Education and Consulting

LTI

Vista Higher Learning

Yabla

Keep checking back as more exhibitors are announced!

3:30-4:30 p.m.

101 - Rebecca Aubrey and Magali Hannegan: Pre-Conference Workshop for New Teachers and First-Time Attendees 

Come to this session open to teachers new to the profession within the last five years and first-time conference attendees! Participants will have an opportunity to network with other new teachers from across the state and be able to share experiences.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

102 -  Melissa Tubbs: "From philosophy to practice: Mastery learning in grading and assessment"

This workshop will begin with a brief introduction to the concept of Mastery Learning and its intrinsic link to proficiency-based language instruction. The presenter will then address some of the more common obstacles to and solutions for implementing Mastery Learning in the World Language classroom. Finally, the presenter will outline some best practices in terms of assessment design and grading , leading the participants through a sample project-based unit. Participants will be contributing actively throughout the presentation, as they discuss their thoughts about Mastery and begin to explore how they can adapt their existing grading practices and assessments.

103 - Dr. Joseph Parodi-Brown: "Activating HLTP: Create a Classroom Discourse Community Centered in Justice"

Participants will identify teacher behaviors that promote a classroom discourse community, develop interpersonal communicative assessments based in social justice content, and effectively connect interpersonal communication tasks with social justice and language learning objectives. Participants will practice teacher behaviors that elicit extended student talk to promote 90% target language use in the classroom. Participants will share and discuss current assessment practices and adapt these practices to focus on meaning making, clarification, and linguistic spontaneity. Participants will create interpersonal communication prompts focusing on social justice content and language learning objectives to increase fluency and accuracy over the course of the school year.

104 - Gretchen Mancuso & Traci Da Silva: "Cultivating Curiosity and Expanding Communication Skills Through an Intercultural Lens"

We are two veteran middle school French teachers. The past year pushed us to engage and inspire students in new ways. Together we redesigned units to provide opportunities for creative expression through the lens of the ACTFL Intercultural Communication Can-Do Statements.

We present our best practices as we go through two units: clothing and places around town. This workshop can be easily applied to all languages.

We are excited to share our resources, practices, and assessments. Attendees are invited to participate in examples of student activities.

6:00-7:00 p.m.

105 - Maureen Lamb & Dr. Michael Orlando: "Creating Personalized Learning through Student Choice in IPA Development"

Differentiation of assessment allows students to have greater agency over their learning and bolster their proficiency journey. Additionally, by utilizing a framework for student engagement in a personalized learning model, participants will investigate how building classroom relationships and creating choices within assessments yield opportunities for meaningful learning experiences. Choices enable students to select topics for assessment while choosing a variety of tasks to demonstrate proficiency. Teachers can meet the diverse needs, abilities, cultural background, and proficiency goals of students through differentiated choice opportunities.

106 - Trudy Anderson: "Flexible Grouping- Using playlists to foster independence and proficiency"

As educators, we have had to work with students with varying levels of motivation and proficiency, from IEP's to Heritage Language Learners. These groups have different needs and flexible groups can help address that need. Playlists can be designed to meet the learning differences for all students. Playlists can also foster student independence and help those students who may need an extra challenge or help. Using a playlist will also free up class time for the teacher to work with smaller groups.

4:30-5:30 p.m.

302 - Dr. Helena Curtain & Rebecca Aubrey: "Information-Gap Activities to Promote Communication in the World Language Classroom"

Students are more engaged in learning another language when they are empowered to use it, no matter what their level is. Information gap activities provide a reason and a meaningful context for learners to speak with each other. In this session, participants will develop an understanding of what an information gap activity is, and what it is not, and how they can be used to promote interpersonal communication and build proficiency. Participants will explore a variety of information gap activities for different levels and ages, as well as how they can be differentiated and adapted for virtual learning if necessary.

303 - Roger Burt, Avant Assessment: "The Power of Data-Driven Teaching"

This session will discuss using external proficiency data to address articulation, growing programs, awarding more seals of biliteracy, and creating more opportunities for more students as well as improving teaching practices. The session will include a question-and-answer period at the end, and a Wakelet will be provided with resources.

6:00-7:00 p.m.

304 - Christi Moraga & Jennifer Cheung: "The Américas Award Ignites the Five C’s"

Since 1993, the Américas Book Award has provided teachers and librarians with yearly champion books and commended list of picture books and young adult novels published in the US that reflect the lives of Latin American and Latinx characters. The Selection Committee looks for quality of story, cultural contextualization, exceptional integration of text and illustration, as well as potential for classroom use. In this session, the speakers will present how knowledge of these authentic resources can enhance instructional units as well as ignite the World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages. There will be examples of how books from different age-groups open up new avenues for teaching Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities. Debate use of monolingual books versus bilingual books for the different age groups. There will be examples for Spanish and French World Language classes.

305 - Julie Speno: ADHD & the World Language Classroom

Most likely you've had kids identified with ADHD (and some who haven't, but are). In this session, I will provide some highlights from my journey of working to understand this neurodivergence better, including rethinking some misconceptions that are frequently associated with ADHD, as well as what strategies and activities develop positive relationships with these students & help them experience greater success. A list of resources & links will accompany this session for additional learning.

4:30 -5:30 p.m.

306 - Alfredo Pérez, Colegio Delibes: "Startings, endings and transitions at the Spanish class"

A good structure of the class will allow the student to grow in motivation, attention and development of the activity as the class continues. Without this structure the class continues with a lack of emotion in the students. The characteristics of the classroom, the division of the students in the class, the negotiation, everything is important when planning the ELE class. "If you want different results, do not do the same"

304 - Olga Liamkina: "From kindergarten to college: The pipeline for strengthening German programs"

We present programs that accompany students successively from kindergarten through high school to college by connecting language learning to other academic subjects and learners’ interests in- and outside of school and by highlighting the development of linguistic and intercultural skills as keys to their academic and professional success. Spark for German trains undergraduate and high school students in tutoring younger learners in after-school and community-based programs. German-American Virtual Exchange enables secondary schools and community colleges with and without German programs to conduct online project-based exchanges with schools in Germany. Study Bridge prepares high school students to study at German universities.

409 - Mara Malafronte: "Co-Designing with Empathy in Our World Language Class"

As World Language educators and facilitators, where and how do we begin in this “new” time and space? First, we aim to begin with our hearts to engage and connect with our learners' hearts, before their brains. We look to help foster a safe space for learners to develop and grow in their language, intercultural and “empathic” proficiency. Strategies will be shared as to how to continue to build positive classroom culture, strengthen community while preparing students to become empathic leaders. Presentation resources will be shared with attendees.

6:00 -7:00 p.m.

406 - Christine Rapp Dombrowski, Ph.D. (finding dharma): "Freeing Yourself of Your Negative Thought Patterns (No More “Monkey Mind”)"

4:30 - 5:30 pm

201 - Maureen Lamb: "Supporting Neurodiversity in Learning Through Inclusive Technology"

This presentation will demonstrate how to utilize technology tools to create an accessible language classroom for all student by centering the needs of neurodiverse students. Some of the tools will include features, apps, and add-ons in the Google Suite, Flipgrid, Gimkit, Quizlet, Go Formative, and more. These tools will provide a variety of ideas for support, such as establishing routines, task and assessment differentiation and choice, creating community in the classroom, an effective feedback loop, student paced activities, and opportunities for engagement outside of class. Participants will use their devices to engage with and practice activities using these tools in ways that are immediately applicable to their classes.

202 - Sara Hall: "Social Justice in the PK-5 WL Classroom"

I will share an overview of Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards and then simulate lessons designed for K-2, and 3-5 based on those standards. Participants will engage as students during these lessons, experiencing first hand what their own students would. Next, I will share a template for participants to engage in the planning process for their own lessons, incorporating these standards. All resources will be shared electronically via a Link Tree.

203 - Rebecca Aubrey: "Let’s Talk: Supporting target language use with novice learners"

The use of the target language by teachers and students is essential to building communication skills. Many teachers, however, struggle with meeting ACTFL’s 90% target language recommendation, particularly with novice learners who don’t yet have enough language to work with. In this session, participants will develop strategies to make target language input more comprehensible to students, as well as strategies for supporting students in producing more output in the target language. These strategies will be modelled to participants, and participants will walk away with both long term changes to make as well as strategies to try the next day.

6:30 - 7:00 pm

410 - Awards, CT COLT Future Teachers Honor Society Induction (live streamed), and Reception and Trivia, facilitated by Amanda Robustelli-Price and Jimmy Wildman

In this award ceremony and reception that is available to all attendees of the conference, there will be a recognition of various CT COLT award winners, the Future Teachers Honor Society Induction, followed by reception and trivia. Both awards and the ceremony will be livestreamed.

7:30-8:15 a.m.

On-site registration

8:15-9:15 a.m.

A1 - Christi Moraga: "Foreign Language at the Museum"

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art educator Lindsey Fyfe and Retired Public School educator Christi Moraga will present and share variety of free resources created by the Wadsworth Atheneum that allow teachers to connect visual art with Foreign Language instruction in their classroom. This session helps attendees connect art and foreign language through concrete resources that are designed around rich visual resources like our new Art and Writing 6-8 teacher curriculum (middle school) Studio Program videos (geared toward elementary), and virtual museum tours (all ages).

408 - Michele Back, Melissa Tubbs & Jill Griswold: "Recruiting Teachers in the Target Language"

The presentation will begin with an interactive discussion in which participants will share what they already know about world language teacher recruitment, ACTFL’s Educators Rising 2.0, and the challenges of recruiting new language teachers. After presenting the modules, participants will be divided into breakout sections per target language and/or grade level, each headed by a co-presenter specializing in that particular language or grade. In these breakout sections participants will be able to navigate at their own pace through the FLERP curriculum, ask questions, and share ideas about how these modules could be incorporated into their world language courses.

A3 - Corey Borzain: "Course Development: Novice/Beginning Spanish Conversation - Life Skills Focus"

This session will outline Connecticut’s graduation requirement and the structure of our district’s World Languages program. I will describe our school’s path, the structure of the Beginning Spanish Conversation course, and the topics studied. The goals for communication, cultural perspectives, connections with English and with life skills will be explained. The session will include opportunities for the participants to share their districts’ journeys and their schools’ choices for traditional and non-traditional students to meet the requirement. Presentation and any handouts will be emailed to those who request it. A one page brief will be passed out during the session.

A4 - Sarah Hall: "Social Justice in the PK-5 WL Classroom"

I will share an overview of Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards and then simulate lessons designed for K-2, and 3-5 based on those standards. Participants will engage as students during these lessons, experiencing first hand what their own students would. Next, I will share a template for participants to engage in the planning process for their own lessons, incorporating these standards. All resources will be shared electronically via a Link Tree.

A6 - Trudy Anderson: "Flexible Grouping- Using playlists to foster independence and proficiency"

As educators, we have had to work with students with varying levels of motivation and proficiency, from IEP's to Heritage Language Learners. These groups have different needs and flexible groups can help address that need. Playlists can be designed to meet the learning differences for all students. Playlists can also foster student independence and help those students who may need an extra challenge or help. Using a playlist will also free up class time for the teacher to work with smaller groups.

404 - Miguel Angel Benito, Colegio Delibes: "The Spanish gastronomy in the classroom"

Language and culture are inseparable aspects that must be important teaching a second language. The customs and social uses connected with food like schedules, tapas, the category of restaurants or the after-dinner, are very interesting aspects for the students. They can acquire knowledge about socio-cultural areas of the language. Foreign language learners should be aware that people from other countries think and behave differently than them. Presenting some strategies and activities that allow the student to approach, reflect on and consolidate certain aspects of the culture of the target language, is the intention of this workshop.

9:45-10:30 a.m.

301 - Respecting Student Voices: Diverse Perspectives from Learners, Student Panel, hosted by Judith Ojeda & Melissa Tubbs

Join Connecticut students from many backgrounds, districts and levels as they discuss their diverse experiences in the World Language classroom. Their insights and input are extremely valuable as we strive to build curricula and learning experiences that are inclusive and celebrate the diversity of all our learners!

10:45-11:45 a.m.

B3 - Jessica Haxhi & Trudy Anderson: "What do students want? Communities-Based Curriculum in New Haven"

This session will introduce participants to a new Communities-based curriculum for all Level I languages in New Haven Public Schools. We will engage participants by asking them to reflect on what students really want to learn and asking them to make predictions about the unit content. Then, we will prompt participants to brainstorm the principles that may have guided our writing process and then “reveal” the actual document we generated. Finally, we will provide an overview of each unit and share some of the authentic videos and visuals recorded by New Haven teachers for use in the new curriculum.

B4 - Marisa Vattana & Caitlin Murphy: "Implementing SEL and Social Justice for Novice Learners"

To better engage our novice learners in our public high school, we decided to explore and implement Social Emotional Learning practices and Social Justice themes in our lessons. The challenge for us was figuring out how to engage our novice learners with lower language proficiency in the deeper thinking required for these lessons. We will engage participants by having them participate in some of the activities we do in our classroom and by showing some data and student work that we have collected. Participants will learn ideas and techniques for increasing engagement in the novice world language classroom.

B5 - Dr. Joseph Parodi-Brown: "¿Tú, usted, o vos? Which you are you?"

The choice between "tú" and "usted" is not a simple one. Often our students ask us who falls into which category and across the Spanish-speaking world there is not one answer. All of this without even mentioning in nearly any Spanish class the use of "vos" throughout Spanish America. This workshop will encourage teachers to explore why "vos" isn't taught while "vosotros" (used by fewer native speakers) is, offer support for teachers unfamiliar with "vos," and discuss the nuances of which "you" someone is, encouraging students to engage with target cultures with more confidence.

B6 - Rebecca Aubrey: Let’s Talk: Supporting target language use with novice learners"

The use of the target language by teachers and students is essential to building communication skills. Many teachers, however, struggle with meeting ACTFL’s 90% target language recommendation, particularly with novice learners who don’t yet have enough language to work with. In this session, participants will develop strategies to make target language input more comprehensible to students, as well as strategies for supporting students in producing more output in the target language. These strategies will be modelled to participants, and participants will walk away with both long term changes to make as well as strategies to try the next day.

B7 - Natalie Ardagna, Vista Higher Learning: "Content Stories for Proficiency"

Teachers will learn how to effectively integrate textbook resources including authentic print and audio visual media to create engaging and culturally relevant stories. I will use interactive technologies such as Nearpod and Jamboard to engage audience. All resources will be shared through Google.

A5 - Megan Villanueva & Rita Oleksak: "Authentic Instruction with a Global Reach"

Today’s learners need to be able to actualize what they are learning right away in order to see the purpose behind it. When students know why they are doing something, they tend to have a better understanding of how it will benefit them. This session will provide examples of how classroom instruction and performances lead to proficiency in the real world. Examples of authentic activities will be shared which help to prepare students to live and work in global society.

12:00-1:30 p.m.

Lunch, keynote, and membership meeting

1:35-2:35 p.m.

C2 - Tara VanHaelen-Smith: "SEL and Proficiency"

In the session I will briefly present some research on SEL and the positive impact it has on students and their willingness to take risks. (I want to discuss how the beginning of class is a little bit like the beginning of the OPI - you start at the participants comfort level.) Participants will engage in turn and talk and share ideas of what they already do in the classroom. I will share some of the activities that I do in my classroom. I will point participants toward the resources that Leslie Grahn has curated.

C3 - Melissa Tubbs & Laura Faga: "Keeping it Real: Interdisciplinary Projects for the Upper Levels"

The workshop will begin with Faga and Tubbs providing examples of projects they have used in their ECE courses. The presenters will then outline a set of criteria to “vet” interdisciplinary projects for upper level students, and provide suggestions on how to engage with the community, connect to existing university language programs and specializations, and solicit and honor student voices in the process.

C5 - Marisa Lewis: "Interdisciplinary Exploration of Indigenous Legends of the Americas"

Methods on how each discipline approaches the theme of Indigenous mythologies to work together over a period of several months to explore historical Puerto Rican, Mayan, Incan and Aztec cultures with their students will be presented. The overlapping connections made between disciplines provide students a cultural context in which to better understand the Indigenous cultures. Students are immersed in Indigenous mythologies across multiple content areas using song, dance, poetry, stories, artifacts, art and language. Participants will have an opportunity to independently or collaboratively work with other participants to brainstorm interdisciplinary opportunities that can be implemented at other schools.

C1 - Louisa D'Amore, Carla Destefanis, Lorena Snell & Gina Gallo: "Tips and Tricks for the Language Classroom"

Virtual games, music, art and more! Join us for a hands-on learning experience guided by the CT Italian Teachers Association executive council. This professional development opportunity will be organized as 15 minute learning segments. Each session will rotate allowing participants to engage in brief, yet meaningful teaching strategies.

C6 - James Wildman, Rita Oleksak & Efmorfia Efthimiou: "Taking the First Step: Incorporating Social Justice in the WL Classroom"

World language teaching has always focused on change. As a profession we have always looked to debunk myths and stereotypes of other people and cultures. But how do we now address the social unrest occurring in the United States with the Black Live Matter movement? How do we give a voice to the voiceless? Educators have an ability to help raise awareness of important social issues through their curricula, but when was the last time that anyone reviewed the content of the taught curriculum? In this session, teachers from one school district will share how they have worked to incorporate social justice into the pre-existing curricula without having to make major modifications and changes. This is the first step in a much more intense project of curriculum review and redesign in the future. The process begins now in examining what and how we teach for social justice, about human rights, and giving voices to the voiceless.

403 - Retired Teachers meetup, facilitated by Vincenza Mazzone-McNulty

Retired teachers are invited to come to connect and network!  This session is a chance to connect with old friends and to make new ones.

2:40-3:40 p.m.

D2 - Luisa Piemontese & Veronica Egas: "Here and Now: Spanish in the Workplace"

We encourage learning world languages for a better future, however our students are more interested in the here and now. Many of our students are employed on a part-time or seasonal basis and have regular contact with Spanish speaking communities. This session presents thematic, task based units in Spanish, tailored to fit the needs of our working students. Some themes include landscaping, retail, and fast-food. Presenters will share sample units and demonstrate a variety of tasks. Participants will be able to create their own activities in order to help their students use their acquired skills in their places of employment.

D3 - Richard De Meij: "Reframing "Language-Learning" as a Birthright for Inclusivity and Diversity"

Though our profession recognizes that all learners, of every ethnic/racial background, ability and socio-economic status have the innate ability to learn languages and develop cultural competence, it often fails to equitably present, promote and support language learning in minoritized groups. Reframing language learning as a birthright, rather than an academic pursuit, can increase inclusivity & diversity to benefit all learners, especially African American students. Participants will discuss and discover why and how reframing language-learning as a Birthright benefits all learners, honors Diversity & Inclusion and eliminates Antiracism in the World Language Classroom. Many ready-to-use resources will be provided.

D4 - Dahmane Soudani: "Origins and evolution of the French language"

Spoken by 300 million people around the world, almost 4.5 times the country's population, today, French is a thriving language. However, when the Oath of Strasbourg, the first known text in this language, was written, a little over twelve centuries ago, French – at the time vernacular Romance language - was only a Parisian idiom. But before moving to the written form, the language of Molière undoubtedly went through a long phase of oral development.
Today, it is commonly accepted that French comes from Low Latin, but did the imprint of Celtic and Francique - the language of the Franks- substrata completely disappear? What ways did this language take to supplant Latin, the learned language at the time? It is to these two questions that I would like to provide some answers during this talk.

D5 - Dr. Joseph Parodi-Brown: "Allyship and Authenticity: LGBTQ+ Inclusive World Language Classrooms"

The 2020 GLSEN School Climate Survey Report shows that only 1.7% of students report learning positive representations of LGBTQ+ identities in world language classrooms. Attendees will have the opportunity to collaborate in the session on specific ways to interact with and integrate specific LGBTQ+ inclusive resources in their classrooms. Through material sharing and active conversation with attendees, this session will highlight the most frequent questions arising from teachers looking to include more queer identities. Participants will leave the session with examples of LGBTQ+ materials that can be used in the classroom in support of other world language readiness goals.

D6 - Yensen Sierra Lambert: "El mestizaje latinoamericano: Building a Proficiency-based Unit that Celebrates Diversity"

We will begin the session by analyzing the many trajectories a GOOD essential question can produce, not just to inform the teacher with their unit-planning but also to guide the students through their investigation of the Spanish-speaking world. We will then explore a variety of authentic resources and consider how they can contribute to proficiency and cultural competence. Throughout the session we will hear the sounds of Africa as it manifests in poetry (Guillén), music (Candombe), art (Lam) and language (prestamos lingüísticos). We will also explore the construct of Latin American identity, its influences and variations.

D7 - Karen E. Murano: "Digital Tools to Further Proficiency / As Interactive Notebooks"

This session will be a hands-on workshop that engages participants in thoughtful conversation to shift from traditional note taking to a digital platform, and the shift from traditional teaching materials to a digital counterpart. Additionally, time will be dedicated to best practices for using digital tools and digital tool strategies and digital slide decks to increase L2 proficiency, prepare for proficiency tests (APPL, MOPI, AP), etc.. Participants will take away examples in two languages, Italian and Spanish, that they can use the next day for all lesson segments or activities, including assessment. The workshop will provide teachers with digital tools for students that are culturally relevant and real world, interactive and/or for pair work, leveled or targeted for specific proficiency levels, easy to follow up for review or checks for understanding, and more. Discussion will include national technology standards, best practices for digital tools, tools that include the three modes of communication and opportunities to practice proficiency, replacing traditional materials with a digital counterpart, etc.. The workshop will be participatory in format and participants should bring laptops if possible.

3:45-4:30 p.m.

401 - CT COLT Networking Fellowship, facilitated by Rebecca Aubrey and Dr. Joseph Parodi-Brown

This invite-only session will include the participants in this year’s 2021-2022 COLT World Language Networking Fellowship. During the session, newer and
more experienced teachers who are participating in this group will have the opportunity to get to know each other and to set goals for their school-year collaborations.