NCSSFL Presentations at the 2021 ACTFL Virtual Convention

Instructional Leadership for New Immersion Programs
Presenters: Brandon Locke (AK), Leslie Baldwin
Leading a language immersion program is a challenging and rewarding endeavor. There are specific skills, strategies, and resources to employ as an instructional leader for programs to achieve the positive results research promises. Two district immersion coordinators will share strategies and resources learned from experience and research to aid new immersion leaders with effective program implementation. Participants will gain practical insights in this interactive session.

French Embassy and School Districts: An Example of Collaboration in Anchorage
Presenters: Brandon Locke (AK), Mathieu Ausseil
This presentation will discuss the ways in which school districts and schools can engage with and benefit from French Embassy support, both financial and pedagogic. Using the example of the public French immersion programs in Anchorage School District in Alaska, the session will outline how this school district has taken advantage of Embassy resources–including funding for classroom materials and teacher professional development through grants from the French Dual Language Fund; tours of visiting French authors/artists for both in-class student workshops as well as teacher development workshops; official partnerships with French school districts to facilitate student-student and teacher-teacher exchange and collaboration; and offering the DELF exam as an assessment tool for French immersion students in the district. The presentation will focus on support for French dual language & immersion programs but will also include relevant resources for French as a foreign language teachers.

Dual Language/Immersion: Equity, Access, and Sustainability
Presenters: Ann Marie Gunter (NC), Johanna Parker, Charlotte Hancock
On-Demand Session
Dual Language/Immersion (DL/I) programs have grown exponentially in North Carolina. From the foothills to the coast, we’ll explore DL/I equity, access, and sustainability through the stories of two different districts: a large urban and small rural district. Tips will be shared for implementing and strengthening DL/I programs.

Interactive Intercultural Learning
Presenters: Jill Woerner (IN), Rebecca Oswalt
Simulive Session, Saturday, November 20 from 3:45-4:30pm EST
In this session, teachers will become their students, as presenters guide the teachers through 3 interactive intercultural learning activities, designed to build cultural awareness and understanding in the classroom. Each can be replicated in the target language…even at the novice level. Prepare for fun. All materials will be provided.

When Global Competence Met Social Emotional Learning
Presenters: Jill Woerner (IN), Rebecca Oswalt
On-Demand Session
Teachers will explore the overlap between social emotional learning (SEL) concepts and those of global competence, a critical skill for today’s learners. Ideas, resources and best practices will be shared so teachers can embed meaningful activities into their units to foster global competence and curb polarization among their learners.

Seals of Biliteracy: A Decade of Policy Progress
Presenters: Ann Marie Gunter (NC), Ryan Wertz (OH)
Simulive Session, November 19, 3:05-3:50 p.m.
Ten years of Seal of Biliteracy implementation have resulted in policies that champion bilingualism and biliteracy across the nation. Join us for a look at the impact of these policies in different states. A variety of models, proficiency levels, and pathways will be examined, and future possibilities for growth and equity will be discussed.

Research and ACTFL: Following the Process to Publication
Presenters: Maria Cristina Ladas (AZ), Julie Sykes (OR), Carolina Bustamante, Miguel Novella, Meg Malone, Rebecca Fox
Simulive Session
We will highlight 2 awardees as they share the process of arriving at publication.

Achieving Proficiency Targets by Designing Learning Progressions
Presenters: Paul Sandrock (ACTFL), Donna Clementi
Simulive Session, November 20, 2021; 4:45-5:30 PM
How can we develop daily lessons to guide learners systematically towards the proficiency targets in instructional units? Build learner competence and confidence in using the target language by developing learning progressions. Design tasks with purposes requiring active listening, follow-up discussion, and increased elaboration and sophistication.

Achievement through Immersion: Louisiana Lagniappe
Presenters: Michele Braud (LA) and Melissa Monroe (LA)
Simulive Session, Sunday, November 21, 10:00-10:45 AM
LDOE reports multi-year DLI achievement data as it relates to diverse populations in both rural and urban settings. Presentation includes results from content and language assessments including state, national, and international tests. Participants will learn how DLI positively impacts students regardless of race, socioeconomic status or setting.

Best Practices for Addressing Social and Emotional Learning in World Language Classrooms
Presenters: Francesca Di Silvio (CAL/DC), Leslie Fink
On-Demand
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning as “the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” SEL standards and instructional approaches are starting to be integrated into frameworks across disciplines, and world language classrooms are particularly suited for addressing SEL and supporting students’ SEL skill development.
This paper will present research and educator insights on SEL best practices in the world language classroom. The information, gathered from a literature review and multiple educator focus groups, will equip participants with strategies to create SEL-based lessons and adapt instruction to account for SEL concerns. Participants will also learn about the benefits of standards- and proficiency-based approaches for promoting SEL.

Secondary to Post-secondary Articulation of Dual Language Immersion
Presenters: Jill Landes-Lee (L2TReC), Johanna Watzinger-Tharp (L2TReC)
On-Demand – Research SIG Session
This presentation reports findings from a research project on articulation from high school to college for students in Utah’s Spanish Dual Immersion Bridge Program, focusing on access for historically underrepresented populations to higher education. Students were tracked for college entry, course-taking patterns, and persistence in college.

Writing in the Immersion Bridge Program: Lesson from Teaching Preparation
Presenters: Jill Landes-Lee (L2TReC), Maria Luisa Spicer-Escalante
On-Demand – Immersion SIG Session
This session will address the main pedagogical strategies that have been used to prepare instructors to teach writing in the Spanish DLI and Bridge Programs in Utah. Special attention will be dedicated to the strategies that DLI teachers can implement in their classroom such as scaffolding, graphic organizers, journalistic writing, and modeling.