See the Spring Conference page for more about the keynote speakers, registration, Awards Reception, and hotel reservations.
See below or click on one of these links for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Online Library.
Tuesday, May 19
Keynote: Dr. Margarita Machado-Casas
Dr. Machado-Casas is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar in bilingual, multicultural, and transnational education. She is a Full Professor at San Diego State University and currently serves as President of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE). Her interdisciplinary research focuses on immigrant, Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and multilingual communities, exploring identity, agency, literacy, family engagement, and equitable assessment. Dr. Machado-Casas holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned the prestigious IMPACT Award. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Frank Porter Graham Institute in collaboration with Duke University. With over 80 publications—including the award-winning Handbook of Latinos in Education—she is also co-editor of widely adopted texts on bilingual education. A community-engaged scholar and policy leader, she has advised ministries of education across Latin America and co-developed the first multilingual master’s program for Afro-Indigenous communities in Nicaragua. In the U.S., she co-founded CUPE and BESO, the country’s largest bilingual student organization, and served on the Biden-Harris National Education Policy Committee, helping shape policies on educator diversity. She is Founder and CEO of ISET Pathway and President of Global Supply Exchange, both focused on advancing educational access and equity. A proud Afro-Indigenous migrant and mother of three, Dr. Machado-Casas is committed to uplifting marginalized voices in education through real-world advocacy, research, and leadership.
| Title | Presenters | Session Description |
|---|---|---|
| NJDOE Updates | Lori Ramella, Jackie Leon, & Amy Gallagher | Join us to celebrate and honor New Jersey's Bilingual Education Law. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about current federal and state policies that support multilingual learners. There will also be time for questions and an interactive discussion to deepen your understanding of these important policies. Don't miss out on this chance to learn more and engage with experts in the field! |
| Community Language Programs: Practicing English Together | Panel: Xiaowen Qiu, Aileen Shvartsburd, Kavita Pandey, Amanda Marie Dominguez, & Rosa Morales | The Community Language Program offers a toolkit to support implementation of English conversation groups for newcomer adults. The panel features an overview of the program model and toolkit, and firsthand experiences from participants involved in the program in various roles. |
| Exploring Culturally & Linguistically Responsive Teaching (CLRT) | Fernando Naiditch, Jennifer Mui, Angela Forero | A teacher, a coach, and a professor share insights on applying the core principles of CLRT. We highlight practices for leveraging students’ linguistic repertoires, teaching academic language, designing culturally grounded curricula, and cultivating the knowledge and skills of CLR educators. |
| Strengthening Family Partnerships for MLs | Alexandra Figueras-Daniel & Andrea Fonteñez | Learn simple, high-impact practices to support emergent bilingual learners in PreK–3. Explore ways to elevate home languages, build language-rich routines, and strengthen family engagement to promote children’s confidence, communication, and academic success. |
| Learn from NJDOE Model Programs | Michele Schreiner & Ashley Warren | The NJ Department of Education named Model Programs for 2025 - 2027. Learn how two selected PreK-12 public school districts in NJ are empowering the next generation of students to be multilingual through their heritage language and Dual Language Immersion programs. |
| The Power of Translanguaging in Early Learning | Elise Genao & Bernice Vasquez | Explore how translanguaging empowers young multilingual learners to make meaning, express understanding, and build connections across languages. This session introduces both spontaneous and pedagogical translanguaging and offers practical ways teachers can use these strategies to deepen comprehension and promote language growth. |
| The Science of Reading & MLs | Sharon Cumiskey & Danielle Price | Do you need strategies to help your MLs with reading and writing? This presentation provides information on the latest research in the Science of Reading and its applications for teaching MLs. You will leave the session with activities and ideas you can bring back to your students. The focus is on active learning and scaffolding assessments to meet student needs, while using the WIDA Can Do Descriptors to highlight student strengths. |
| Creating Units Aligned to Language Development Standards | Maggie Churchill & David Gardiner | This session will showcase a bilingual content unit developed to correlate English and Spanish language development standards within classroom practice. A three lesson unit with materials will serve as a planning model for participants to complete a unit sketch. Presentation will be in both English and Spanish. |
| Many Englishes in One Room: Understanding Linguistic Diversity in ESL | Natasha Welcome & Dominique Duvalsaint | Explore how ESL students acquire diverse Englishes, from AAVE to Caribbean and West African varieties, and learn strategies to distinguish difference from deficit. This session equips educators to honor linguistic diversity while teaching academic English without diminishing students’ cultural identities. |
| Everyday Activism & Advocacy for MLs | Michelle Land & Dr Denise Furlong | This session will engage participants in considering ways to increase advocacy for MLs and their families in incremental ways. Advocacy in the classroom, district as well as community will be shared. |
| Stronger Together: Co-Planning Content for Language Development | Rebecca Hanan & Janel Eines | ML and classroom teachers collaborate to design integrated science and social studies units that build content knowledge and language skills. The session highlights co-planning strategies, language objectives, and practical tools to help MLs access grade-level concepts and vocabulary. |
| Vocabulary that Sticks: From Tier Words to Concept Connections | Michelle Ferreira & Jessica Diaz | Explore research-based strategies for teaching Tier 1–3 vocabulary in dual-language classrooms. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, including word sorts, collocation, morphology games, and multilingual word wall creation to deepen MLs’ academic vocabulary. |
| Differentiating Reading Instruction with Canva and AI | Meghana Vaghani & Jessica Sanchez | Discover how to use Canva and AI tools to create engaging, leveled reading materials that support literacy growth for a diverse group of MLs. Learn how these tools can help simplify text complexity, embed vocabulary supports, and build visual comprehension scaffolds. |
| Speak, Learn, Thrive: Co-Teaching for Every Classroom! | Corinne Galasso & Lisa Molina | Through a co-teaching lens, participants will explore how flexible groupings and targeted language can strengthen instruction across subject areas. Educators will learn practical ways to meet diverse student needs, promote engagement, and create classrooms where every learner can succeed. |
| The Power of Syntax: Helping MLs to Build Complex, Cohesive Writing | Kelly Yang & Michelle Wind | Syntax is woven into the WIDA standards and Language Development Charts. Why is syntax instruction important to help MLs gain academic language? Learn how syntax can facilitate word choice so students can write complex sentences and cohesive, vocabulary-rich paragraphs. |
| Supporting Newcomers, SLIFEs, and Refugees to Thrive | Diana Moreno & Myriam Saint Jean | This session offers practical strategies for supporting Newcomers, SLIFEs, and Refugee students. Educators will learn to build inclusive classrooms, leverage MLs’ home languages, apply trauma-informed practices, and foster academic confidence, engagement, and belonging for all students. |
| Maximizing Student Success: WIDA ACCESS Accommodations & Exemptions | Regina Acevedo & Nancyanne Schreck | Ensure that your Special Education ML students have accurate and appropriate accommodations on the WIDA ACCESS test. This workshop provides educators with practical insights and tips to provide appropriate learning, language and testing accommodations for students. |
| Welcoming Resettled Families to Schools | Marina Feldman & Qudsia Qanbary | Welcoming Afghan Families to Schools is a free, community-informed professional development model co-created with New Jersey Afghan families, caseworkers, and educators. Workshop participants will explore multimedia storytelling, teacher strategies, and relational approaches to foster culturally sustaining and trauma-informed school practices. |
| Empowering MLs Through Student-Led Discussions | Yiashira Cosme & Roxanne Peterson | Attendees will discover how student-led discussions empower MLs to develop language, confidence, and critical thinking. This session provides practical scaffolds, talk strategies, and discussion routines that transform classroom participation, helping MLs move from silent learners to active, empowered voices in academic conversations. |
| Supporting Students Holistically through Educational Legal Partnership | Katarina Martucci & Samantha Rumsey | New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children (NJCIC) will discuss the education-legal partnership (ELP) model, which brings pro bono immigration lawyers directly to school. Presenters will examine best practices and challenges when building, implementing, and growing an ELP. |
| TESOL- SMILES (Supporting MLs in Learning Environments Successfully) | Christina Boyle & Virginia Edwards | Join an ELA expert and passionate TESOL educator to learn about how they integrated an existing Heritage Project (ELA) into the design of Student Language Portraits, which showcase learners’ cultural identities, language growth, and academic goals-while increasing learners’ self-efficacy along the way. This session offers teachers across content areas practical, strategic ways to get to know, build rapport with, and support the MLs in their classes in meaningful ways. |
| Creating Portfolios for Expressive Language Assessment | Maggie Churchill | The session will provide an overview of the 2025 WIDA Expressive Language Charts as a tool for classroom end-of-unit assessment. A guided walk-through will explore terms and exemplars that illustrate language functions and features. Participants will evaluate student exemplars to assign scores using the charts. Planning for portfolio development and feedback will be demonstrated with both paper and digital options. |
| Developing Career Competencies in Multilingual College Classrooms | Lindsey Hageman | In this interactive session, we will discuss the development of career readiness competencies in the multilingual college classroom. Several ready-to-use strategies and activities will be presented, including syllabus design, goal letters, and other reflective and language-rich activities. |
| Building Ethical AI Policies in Classrooms | Ana Mendes | This interactive workshop equips teachers to develop ethical, student-centered AI policies for secondary classrooms. Participants will explore AI ethics, engage in collaborative discussions with peers, and create actionable policy prototypes for immediate classroom implementation with students, parents, and educators. |
| Building Foundational Literacy 4 MLs: Phonological Awareness That Works | Laura Petriello | Discover practical, research-based strategies for teaching phonological awareness to MLs. Learn how to connect sound instruction to oral language, leverage home languages, and use multisensory techniques that make foundational literacy engaging, equitable, and effective in elementary schools. |
| Math con Palabras: Empowering Bilingual Learners Through Language | Mary Callirgos | Experience how language can unlock the beauty of math for every learner. Together, we’ll explore heartfelt, practical strategies—vocabulary notebooks, CUBE, and cognates—that help bilingual students find their voice, confidence, and brilliance in math. |
| I thought assimilation was a good thing! | kiina dordoni | Explore the impact of the melting pot as a metaphor for assimilation especially when discussing immigration, diversity, and our MLs. This presentation prompts educators to critically examine and reshape their approaches to a term that prompts lasting negative repercussions. |
| AI and Leadership - Building Bridges for MLs | Courtney Pepe | This session explores how AI can support MLs and promote academic growth in K-12 schools. Dr. Courtney Pepe will share how AI tools help meet ESSA accountability goals, engage families in all home languages, and support multimodal creation of content. Practical examples will be discussed to support students, teachers, and leaders in the present and future AI educational space. |
Wednesday, May 20
Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan
Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ed.D, is a Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist and a Certified Academic Language Therapist. She is the Director of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas which was established in 1993. She also works with Texas Institute for Measurement Evaluation and Statistics at the University of Houston. Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan is the author of Esperanza (HOPE), a Spanish language program designed to assist students who struggle with learning to read. Her research interests include the development of early reading assessments for Spanish-speaking students and the development of reading interventions for bilingual students. She was the co-principal investigator of a longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Institute for Education Science that examined the oracy and literacy development in English and Spanish of Spanish-speaking children. She serves as the Vice President for the International Dyslexia Association and has authored curricular programs, book chapters, and journal articles related to oracy and literacy development for English language learners.
President’s Awards Reception – 6:00 PM
| Title | Presenters | Session Description |
|---|---|---|
| Is Black English Relevant in ML Education? | Panel: Sonya Bertini, Keith Perkins, & Amber Ingram | A panel of NJTESOL-NJBE Board Members share reflections on book study Talking Back, Talking Black: Truths about America’s Lingua Franca by linguist and Columbia University professor, John McWhorter. They address the question, Is Black English relevant in ML education? |
| Advocating for Multilingual Learners | Panel: Dr. Nurka Nieves, Kathleen Fenandez, & Jeff Hutchinson | Learn about the advocacy work of NJTESOL/NJBE on behalf of MLs in the State, including those who have been dually identified. We work with various partners to ensure that all MLs are receiving the most appropriate education. Our focus is on providing key recommendations tor the New Jersey Department of Education, state legislators, and school districts regarding language programs for all MLs. |
| Unlocking Collaboration: A Cadre for Multilingual Success | Panel: Reaghan Riley, Faith Caldwell, & Jordana Cullen | Discover how Fair Lawn launched an “ML Cadre” that developed practical tools and resources for elementary teachers. We’ll share our process and resources for teachers to walk away with a template that will guide collaboration and support for MLs. Come prepared with a device in order to explore customize the materials for your needs. |
| NJDOE Updates | Lori Ramella, Jackie Leon, & Amy Gallagher | Join us to celebrate and honor New Jersey's Bilingual Education Law. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about current federal and state policies that support multilingual learners. There will also be time for questions and an interactive discussion to deepen your understanding of these important policies. Don't miss out on this chance to learn more and engage with experts in the field! |
| Supporting SLIFE & Newcomer Students in Content Areas | Mary Kunde & Ashley Singh | We are going to share strategies and resources to support MLs, especially for SLIFE and Newcomers in content area classes. |
| The Science of Reading for Multilingual Preschoolers | Elise Genao & Bernice Vasquez | This session explores what the Science of Reading looks like in preschool settings and how it connects to the language and literacy development of MLs. Participants will unpack the foundational components of early literacy—oral language, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension—and examine how these skills develop in young children learning more than one language. |
| Science of Reading and Sociocultural Literacy for MLs | Elsa Mena & Beth Francis | Learn to combine Science of Reading strategies with culturally responsive literacy, first-language support, and vocabulary development to strengthen MLs’ reading comprehension, bilingual skills, and participation in meaningful classroom discussions. |
| Content-Based ESL: Science & Social Studies | Invited Speakers: Andrea Sodhi & Caitlin Doremus | Learn practical pull-out science and social studies strategies for K–4 MLs, including content-integrated approaches, hands-on activities, and journal-based reflection. Walk away with tips to make learning engaging, accessible, and meaningful for MLs. |
| Navigating Multilingual Language Journeys: Development or Disorder? | Aphrodite Dellaporta & Emily Green-Hamilton, MA CCC-SLP | Join us for a conversation that expands understanding beyond labels to explore typical ML development versus Developmental Language Disorder. Participants will become familiar with key patterns, reflect on guiding questions, and discuss strategies to support learners’ language growth. |
| Designing High Impact ESL Materials with Canva & AI | Marina Cakan & Gonca Cosgun | This interactive workshop equips ESL educators with strategies to design high-impact, visually engaging instructional materials using Canva and AI. Participants will learn to create vocabulary supports, writing scaffolds, and interactive slides that enhance MLs’ comprehension and engagement. |
| From ACCESS to Accessibility | Seth Mandel & John Romano | How do ESL teachers share data with content area teachers? ACCESS reports are a good start, but the process should not end there. We describe how to turn ACCESS data into individual profiles with specific accommodations for every ML student. |
| Trauma Informed Instruction: Building & Sustaining Safe Classrooms | Kimberly Sharkey & Leah Carmona | This session introduces trauma-informed instruction for adult ESL learners, highlighting key principles, common trauma responses, and practical classroom strategies. Participants will explore safe, supportive learning environments and examine real case scenarios to strengthen engagement and emotional well-being. |
| Engaging in Free Virtual PD: Finding Solutions | Kathleen Fernandez & Mary Mansfield | Educational issues pop up frequently, and new students bring new challenges. Where can you go to find solutions: free virtual professional development. From WIDA to CAL to NJTESOL/NJBE, a variety of free resources are available to educators. |
| Policies for Linguistic Equity in Community Colleges | Nikki Hall & Megan Biondi | Community college content-area faculty are often uninformed on and reluctant to implement best practices for MLs. This session will critically examine barriers to Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogies, offering suggestions for linguistically supportive administrative policies and content-area faculty training. |
| More than words: Creating Opportunities for MLs to Talk Science | Reena Tailor & Michael Dmytriw | This program empowers educators to create science classrooms where MLs actively use language through words and movement to make meaning—not just memorize vocabulary. Through engaging, hands-on experiences, teachers learn how to design science lessons that promote student talk, inquiry, and collaboration while building academic language. |
| Collaborative Success: Co-Teaching Between ESL & Content Teachers | Adrianna Reyes & Michelle Bethe | Empower your co-teaching partnerships! Explore practical, creative strategies for ESL and content teachers in grades K–5 to plan together, share instruction, and integrate language and content learning—helping MLs thrive through meaningful collaboration and engaging classroom practices. |
| From Learners to Leaders: Youth Participatory Action Research Impact | Stephane Amador & Somayah Elsamra | Explore how MLs used the Rutgers/Columbia Civically Engaged project to strengthen literacy/research skills while advocating for positive change in their community. This project-based initiative will empower MLs to become confident changemakers through civic inquiry, collaboration, and public speaking. |
| What Even Is Comprehensible Input? | Jenna Maneri | Learn strategies to make complex texts accessible and engaging for all learners. This session applies Krashen’s comprehensible input theory to support multilingual students through hands-on scaffolds that integrate language and content for more equitable instruction. |
| Promoting Multilingualism Through Dialect and Vernacular Empowerment | Malissa Farrish | To foster pride and identity through local language varieties, we must be willing to challenge linguistic bias and promote inclusive language practices among our students. Participants will recognize the linguistic richness of dialects and vernaculars as legitimate forms of communication, develop tools to integrate dialects into multilingual education and community engagement. |
| Brain Breaks to Foster Community and Engagement | Rachel O'Neill | This presentation will explain the research behind brain breaks. Participants will be inroduced to and have the opportunity to practice physical, quiet, creative, and collaborative brain breaks. |
| Maximizing a High Intensity Program Model to Support MLs | Elizabeth Riello-Connors | How can educators maximize a High Intensity program model to support MLs of various grade levels and/or proficiency levels? Instructional routines and pedagogical resources will be shared. Participants are invited to share their professional experiences related to best practice and adherence to codes and standards. |
| Using AI to Maximize WIDA Resources | Dana Nelson | The WIDA standards, Can-Do descriptors, and new language charts are powerful tools. In this session, we will use AI to efficiently apply them to lesson and unit planning. Come prepared with a device in order to explore how to use AI in combination with these powerful tools! |
| Let's Talk Math: Engaging Newcomer MLs | Janel Eines | Explore simple, effective ways to help newcomer elementary MLs build confidence and communicate in math. Learn how to use visuals, sentence stems, and collaborative routines to support language development, reasoning, and participation in math discussions and problem-solving. |
| Rutgers GSE NJTESOL/NJBE ESL Teachers Book Club | Mary Curran | Please join our book club to discuss Shifa Saltagi Safadi's young adult book, Kareem Between. The book in verse focuses on the experience of Kareem, a middle schooler who has resettled to the Chicago area with his family from Syria. We will share additional resources: lists of books highlighting the experiences of our resettled community members to use in your classrooms. Please bring your recent reading recommendations too! |
| Evaluating the Effectiveness of MTSS for MLs | Danie Orelien | Explore practical, research-based strategies for implementing MTSS to support MLs in grades 9–12. Participants will examine academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports coordinated through collaboration and learn tools for monitoring student progress and ensuring equitable access to interventions. |
| Bring Media Literacy into Language Learning Classrooms | Carla Chamberlin | Language teaching and media/information literacy share common goals that can be purposefully integrated into engaging and relevant classroom lessons. This workshop demonstrates diverse activities that simultaneously build language, intercultural, and critical media literacy skills. |
| Cultivating Leadership in Bilingual Preservice Teachers | Alex Guzman | This interactive session explores how bilingual teachers of color can leverage their community cultural wealth to become transformative leaders in education. Drawing from research and practice within a grant initiative, participants will engage in storytelling, collaborative dialogue, and reflective activities that center racial justice and asset-based approaches to bilingual education. |
| Interactive Notebooks in the ML Classroom | Emily Rosenblum | Come explore the ways that interactive notebooks can be used in a variety of proficiency level classes among learners of all ages to increase student ownership over their own progress. |
| Literacy Foundations for English Learners: What You Should Know | Elsa Cardenas-Hagan | Structured Literacy is a comprehensive and evidence-based approach for literacy instruction that is based upon language skills. Evidence-based practices for the successful development of literacy among English learners will be described with model demonstration lessons. |
| Writing Development Among English Learners | Elsa Cardenas-Hagan | Written language represents one of the most advanced forms of language acquisition. This session will describe writing development, typical error patterns among MLs, and research-based strategies to strengthen both foundational writing skills and composition. |
| Standing With Multilingual Students in Uncertain Times | Gillian Ober | This session explores practical strategies educators can use to advocate for multilingual students’ mental health, safety, and sense of belonging amid heightened immigration enforcement and anti-immigrant rhetoric, with a focus on trauma-informed, legally grounded, and community-centered strategies. |
Thursday, May 21
Dr. Sharroky Hollie
Dr. Hollie is a national educator and author known for his passionate advocacy of culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices. With over three decades of experience in education, Dr. Hollie has dedicated his life to promoting the validation and affirmation of underserved students by providing professional development to thousands of educators in the area of cultural responsiveness. After beginning his career as a classroom teacher at the middle and high school levels, he became a professional development coordinator in Los Angeles Unified School District, a school founder and administrator, and a tenured professor in teacher education at Cal State University. Sharroky has also been a visiting professor for Webster University in St. Louis and a guest lecturer at Stanford and UCLA. As the founder and executive director of the non-profit organization, The Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning (The Center), Dr. Hollie has been instrumental in empowering educators in effectively engaging students from diverse backgrounds. Since 2004, The Center has impacted and influenced hundreds of school districts in the US and Canada and thousands of educators with the concept of cultural and linguistic responsiveness. He expresses gratitude “for the opportunity to commune with my colleagues in this work and to collaborate on ways we can collectively create pathways to better our work for all those we serve.”
| Title | Presenters | Session Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual Family Outreach: Connecting Families, Empowering Students | Glenna Gray, Andrea Arechandieta, Leah Mashioff | Somerset Intermediate School launched their Bilingual Family Outreach Night to connect immigrant and ML families with local support services. Over 175 attendees met 25 community organizations offering healthcare, nutrition, and education resources, while students celebrated bilingualism through decorations and messages highlighting language, family, and opportunity. Come learn how to replicate this event in your district! |
| NJDOE Updates | Lori Ramella, Jackie Leon, & Amy Gallagher | Join us to celebrate and honor New Jersey's Bilingual Education Law. Participants will have the opportunity to hear about current federal and state policies that support multilingual learners. There will also be time for questions and an interactive discussion to deepen your understanding of these important policies. Don't miss out on this chance to learn more and engage with experts in the field! |
| Co-Teaching that Clicks | Nicole Cocco & Angelica Hernandez | Discover practical models and communication tools that help ESL and content teachers build truly collaborative, effective co-teaching partnerships that benefits all students. |
| The Power of Presence: Effective Leadership Strategies | Keith Perkins & Anibal Ponce | Program Leaders play a critical role in shaping a culture where students, staff, families, and communities feel valued and engaged. This interactive session explores how intentional leadership presence can improve student success, attendance, and engagement, particularly for MLs. |
| Integration of Language & Content Using Interactive Notebooks | Soyoun Ouh & Annette Bicksler | Learn how to use interactive notebooks to boost engagement, organize notes, and support language growth. This interactive session shows how notebooks can serve as creative portfolios and practical tools for meaningful, hands-on content, and language learning |
| Representation & Culture as Catalyst for Student Leadership | Gabriella Guerriero & Erika Gambuti | Explore how representation and advocacy support student empowerment through a student-led Hispanic Heritage Month event. Featuring research, student voices, and multimedia, this session highlights the impact of culturally responsive education on identity, leadership, and community celebration. |
| Building Accountability: Supporting MLs at Every Level | Keith Perkins & Florencia Girman | Shared accountability is imperative in order to ensure every educator is equipped to support MLs. This session will highlight how collaboration, aligned goals, and reflection help us build a strong foundation and elevate the success of every ML. |
| Is "AI" the Magic Wand for Content Comprehensibility? | Andrew Dorman & Joe Amaroso | Many content specific colleagues view us as having a magic wand for making their class comprehensible to all MLs. AI just might be that magic wand, offering scalable solutions to bridge comprehension gaps in every classroom. |
| Developing New Teachers Who Can Reach Every Learner | Nicole Rios & Julie Mitschow | Learn how leaders can effectively support novice teachers in today’s diverse classrooms. Explore practical coaching tools, feedback strategies, and inclusive practices to help new teachers confidently reach MLs and build strong, equitable learning environments. |
| Culturally Responsive MTSS and UDL for Literacy | Aphrodite Dellaporta & Kathryn Tepedino | Join us to explore how Culturally Responsive MTSS and UDL supports empower MLs to reach their full literacy potential. Learn research-based frameworks that honor development, provide appropriate support, and help to distinguish growth from learning differences. |
| Beyond Compliance: ESL Instruction Look-Fors for School Leaders | Joanne Salvatore & Kimberly Sharkey | Administrators will learn what to look for during ESL instruction, how to identify effective language supports, and how to provide feedback that strengthens instructional practices and ensures MLs have equitable access to rigorous, language-rich learning environments. |
| Making Learning Visible with Can Do Descriptors | Emily Lamboy & Melissa Thorpe | Explore how Can Do Descriptors support language development, guide instruction, and empower young MLs through clear, student-centered goals. Practical strategies for K–2 classrooms will be shared, including examples of scaffolds, interactive routines, formative assessments, and collaborative activities that build language, literacy, and content understanding together while nurturing confidence, engagement, and a love of learning |
| ESL and the Arts | Jessica Duran & Michelle Eng | Come join us to explore ESL through an artistic lens! Arts expression is a great tool for enhancing students’ language and reading comprehension skills. This PD session will offer hands-on practice, show real-world classroom examples, and provide strategies for implementing tools to foster an inclusive, language-rich learning environment. |
| Guiding Students toward Appropriate Educational/Vocational Pathways | David Housel & Paula DaSilva Michelin | Guidance regarding appropriate educational and vocational trajectories must be individualized. In this workshop, the presenters will share their experiences overseeing vocational training and academic English-language programs and encourage participants to bring what they have learned back to their own communities. |
| Preparing SLIFE for High School Graduation & Beyond | Anna Rose Gable & Pilar Medina | Senior year brings a special set of challenges and opportunities for SLIFE. Participants will learn strategies and receive customizable tools to help students access special senior opportunities and privileges, pass their graduation proficiency assessments, and develop achievable post-secondary plans. |
| Supporting and Assessing Early Childhood MLs | Michelle Kohutanycz & Sarah Gerstein | This session explores effective strategies to support and assess MLs in early childhood classrooms. Participants will learn how to create inclusive learning environments that value and build upon children’s home languages while promoting English language development. |
| Give ‘Em Something to Talk About | Christiana Dalton & Sarah Regn | Attend this session to learn how to maximize communicative language in the ESL classroom. Specific strategies and tips will be provided for elementary, middle, and high school Sheltered Instruction and High-Intensity ESL programs. |
| Words Connect Worlds: Empowering Learners Through Translanguaging | Carla Jorge & Virginia Jorge | Discover how translanguaging transforms classrooms into spaces where words truly connect worlds. This session offers practical strategies to build confidence, understanding, and engagement while connecting students’ home languages to classroom learning in meaningful, real-world ways. |
| Explain Fractions through Cake Cutting | Qawwee Shabazz | Attendees will take an experience of explaining a step-by-step process of cutting a cake using fraction terms. |
| Unlocking Students’ Potential as MLs | Michelle Land | Being multilingual in today’s society is an asset. This interactive presentation will share research on the bilingual brain while highlighting ways to capitalize on students’ language abilities as they learn English in your classroom. All “-linguals” welcomed! |
| Building Relationships with ML Families | Veronica Murillo | This session provides early childhood educators with practical strategies to build meaningful relationships with ML families. Participants will explore ways to understand their community, incorporate cultural traditions, reflect on bias, create welcoming environments, and strengthen home–school partnerships that support young learners. |
| From Ideas to Impact: Empowering Multilingual Writers | Denise Furlong | This session will engage participants in ways to scaffold authentic and meaningful writing experiences for middle- and secondary-level MLs. |
| Equity Through Proficiency-Based Policy | Carol Martinez | This session explores how proficiency-based policy eliminates seat-time barriers, honors MLs’ skills, and expands access to AP and advanced coursework. Participants will examine a model board resolution and gain tools to advocate for equitable graduation and placement policies. |
| Bridging Languages for Better Writing | Alia Hadid | Join this session to learn about how MLs develop their writing skills when they have access to their full linguistic repertoire. Giving them the freedom to choose their preferred language helps create a space where they can share their knowledge and build on it as they grow as bilingual writers. |
| Strategic Grouping: Setting MLs Up for Success! | Mary Callirgos | Discover how intentional grouping can transform your multilingual classroom! Learn to use language and academic data to create dynamic, collaborative groups where students learn from one another. Leave with practical strategies, templates, and tools to group for success all year long. |
| How Leaders Expand Equity for MLs | kiina dordoni | Leaders have the capacity to expand or constrain equity for MLs through policy. Is your leadership transformative or focused on checking boxes? Let’s self-assess and discuss what you can do to move from compliance to equity for all. |
| Beyond Busy Work: ML Centered Learning | Lauren Ventresca | Tired of reinventing worksheets for MLs during independent work time? This session will cover how to use different technologies to help design work for students that is aligned with their abilities and proficiency levels so that completion can build their self-confidence. |
| Predictable Routines That Unlock Multilingual Potential | Laura Dzieciolowski | Learn trauma-sensitive routines that help multilingual newcomers feel safe, regulated, and ready to learn. Adapted from successful use in both higher education and K–12 ESL settings, these predictable openings, transitions, and closings support emotional safety and language development across instructional contexts. |
| ML Approaches in the General Education Classroom | Elizabeth Farro | In high school, MLs often thrive in their sheltered English instruction classes, but struggle in the general education classroom. Content-area teachers want to help these students, but often do not have the knowledge or toolkit to do so. This presentation looks to alleviate some of the stress that content area teachers feel with MLs in their class by showcasing strategies and tips to help MLs thrive! |
| Six Ways To Know If You Are Culturally & Linguistically Responsive | Sharroky Hollie | This keynote challenges educators to examine whether they are truly culturally and linguistically responsive. Through insights, strategies, and real-world examples, participants will learn how to strengthen their mindset and skill-set to better support all students, especially those historically underserved. |
| Culturally & Linguistically Responsive Keynote Breakout Session | Sharroky Hollie | This breakout session extends the keynote by giving educators a hands-on space to explore culturally and linguistically responsive practices. Participants will discuss key ideas, ask questions, and engage in guided activities to strengthen their understanding and implementation of CLR. |
| Is it a difference or a Disibility? | Joanne Negrin & Julie Ochoa | To address this question,Two of the co-authors of the NJPSA Guidance document on this topic will highlight key information from the publication. Topics will be explored in an engaging Q & A format based on common scenarios. Bring your questions ! |
| Supervisor SIG/NJPSA Meeting | Andrea Fontenez & Keith Perkins | During this joint NJTESOL/NJBE and NJPSA session, participants will engage in collaborative dialog on current issues affecting MLS, examining leadership practices, instructional priorities, and policy considerations that promote equity, program quality, and student success across New Jersey schools. |
Video Library Conference
Access starting on May 27th through August 20th
By using your unique login, your hours will be tracked so that you can earn PD hours through August 26th.
More workshops will be added.
| Title | Presenter | Program Description |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Media Academy = Student Voice | Courtney Pepe | This session highlights how the well established Digital Media Academy at Perth Amboy High School elevates student voice by showcasing the innovative work of MLs. The work in this academy highlights the success of our Transitional Bilingual and Dual Language programs in our district, where students have the opportunity to excel in our theme-based high school, the Digital Media Academy. |
| Scaffold UP to Curriculum using PWIM | Jenna Maneri | This presentation will highlight the strategy of using Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM), which is grounded in research, to scaffold UP to content area curriculum that MLs need equitable access to in Grades K-12. |
| What Even Is Comprehensible Input? | Jenna Maneri | Learn strategies to make complex texts accessible and engaging for all learners. This session applies Krashen’s comprehensible input theory to support multilingual students through hands-on scaffolds that integrate language and content for more equitable instruction. |
| Say More with Nina and Ms. Lee! | Jenna Maneri | Discover key WIDA ACCESS Speaking skills and practical strategies to lower student anxiety. Explore resources, mini lessons, and scaffolds that build confidence and strengthen MLs’ speaking abilities for authentic, successful language performance during assessments. |
| Engaging in Free Virtual PD: Finding Solutions | Kathleen Fernandez | Educational issues pop up frequently, and new students bring new challenges. Where can you go to find solutions: free virtual professional development. From WIDA to CAL to NJTESOL/NJBE, a variety of free resources are available to educators. |
| Developing Career Competencies in Multilingual College Classrooms | Lindsey Hageman | In this session, we will discuss the development of career readiness competencies in the multilingual college classroom. Several ready-to-use strategies and activities will be presented, including syllabus design, goal letters, and other reflective and language-rich activities. |
| Creating Portfolios for Expressive Language Assessment | Maggie Churchill | The session will provide an overview of the 2025 WIDA Expressive Language Charts as a tool for classroom end-of-unit assessment. A guided walk-through will explore terms and exemplars that illustrate language functions and features. Participants will evaluate student exemplars to assign scores using the charts. Planning for portfolio development and feedback will be demonstrated with both paper and digital options. |
| Everyday Activism & Advocacy for MLs | Michelle Land | This session will engage participants in considering ways to increase advocacy for MLs and their families in incremental ways. Advocacy in the classroom, district as well as community will be shared. |
| Unlocking Students’ Potential as MLs | Michelle Land | Being multilingual in today’s society is an asset. This interactive presentation will share research on the bilingual brain while highlighting ways to capitalize on students’ language abilities as they learn English in your classroom. All “-linguals” welcomed! |
| Many Englishes in One Room: Understanding Linguistic Diversity in ESL | Natasha Welcome | Explore how ESL students acquire diverse Englishes, from AAVE to Caribbean and West African varieties, and learn strategies to distinguish difference from deficit. This session equips educators to honor linguistic diversity while teaching academic English without diminishing students’ cultural identities. |
| Explain Fractions through Cake Cutting | Qawwee Shabazz | Attendees will take an experience of explaining a step-by-step process of cutting a cake using fraction terms. |
| Using AI Hacks to Scaffold and Support Students | Rachel O'Neill | This workshop introduces teachers to practical ways to integrate AI into instruction. Participants will explore accessible tools and strategies that enhance engagement, differentiation, and assessment. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use resources and classroom applications to implement immediately. |
| From ACCESS to Accessibility | Seth Mandel | How do ESL teachers share data with content area teachers? ACCESS reports are a good start, but the process should not end there. We describe how to turn ACCESS data into individual profiles with specific accommodations for every ML student. |
| Building Relationships with ML Families | Veronica Murillo | This session provides early childhood educators with practical strategies to build meaningful relationships with ML families. Participants will explore ways to understand their community, incorporate cultural traditions, reflect on bias, create welcoming environments, and strengthen home–school partnerships that support young learners. |
| School-Family Partnerships: Dual-Capacity Building | Cathy Clitus | Empower multilingual families through dual-capacity building: learn bilingual engagement strategies, co-designed programs, and cultural celebrations that boost confidence, social connections, and partnership in education for diverse communities. |
| Bridging the Gap for Advanced Heritage MLs | Esther Kang | In this session, we will explore how collaboration between ESL and World Language instructors can meet the needs of Advanced SLIFE heritage language speakers. We will discuss successful strategies and setbacks when working with French and Spanish speaking heritage learners. |
| Building an Inclusive Multilingual Learner System of Support | Giselle Carpio-Williams | MLs bring rich linguistic and cultural assets into the classroom—yet their needs are often generalized or overlooked in traditional systems. During this session, participants will explore the various classifications and learning characteristics of MLs in our classrooms. We will discuss the English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards, assessments, and reclassification criteria we may encounter while supporting our MLs. |
| Empowering Multilingual Voices: Exploring Democratic Dialogues | Gloria Culmone | This session provides educators with innovative, practical strategies for teaching social studies to MLs within a democratic classroom environment. Participants will actively engage with content and learn techniques they can immediately implement. |
| Using Kinesthetic Learning to Reach MLs | Lindsay Baum | This is a workshop about how kinesthetic learning is beneficial for MLs. I will discuss how this can be incorporated before/after lessons as a means of an "exit ticket" to ensure comprehension, or during lessons, if time and classroom space allow. I will delve into how this is developmentally appropriate for students in grades K-8 and can be changed to accommodate the upper elementary and middle school as well. |
| ESL/EFL in the Face of Humanitarian Crises | Michelle Land, Meaghan Abrahamsson, & Noreen Drucker | In this presentation, we present what trauma is and how it affects the brain's ability to learn. Then we share specific examples of working in the face of humanitarian crises abroad. These examples will share strategies to support students as well as educators at home and abroad who are working in these most challenging of environments. |
| Speak Up! Learning Language Through Dialogue | Rebecca Hanan | Explore strategies to support grades 3–5 Multilingual Learners by integrating speaking activities across all subjects. Learn practical techniques to strengthen oral language, foster collaboration, and increase student participation in science, social studies, math, and language arts classrooms. |
| Teaching Students to Successfully Navigate Speaking Situations | Robyn Brinks Lockwood | Writing classrooms teach the rhetorical moves of writing. Let’s do the same with speaking. This session shares classroom activities and the “moves” that office hours, discussions, and other interactions follow to equip students for success in authentic, English-speaking, academic settings. |