Indiana Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages


INTESOL 2021 Session Descriptions

You can find session descriptions below, organized by time

9:15 - 10:00

Title Presenters Description Interest Section
Indiana Migrant Education Program Emily Salinas, IDOE- Migrant Education The Indiana Migrant Education Program provides services to more than 1700 migratory students each year within our state, nearly 75% of whom are English Language Learners. Visit us to learn more about our current population, how we provide services to students, and best practices to support our migratory students and families. Adult/Community Programs; Advocacy; K-12; Other: Migrant Education
Exploring Community ESL Teaching  Susan (Feng) Luo, Ball State University; Nell Rose Hill, Ball State University; Safwan Abdulwahhab Malasalih, Ball State University ESL teaching goes beyond school and classroom contexts. Community ESL programs connect learners to relevant real-life materials. This discussion introduces how an ESL program has been implemented in a local community. Through discussion, presenters invite critical thought and suggestions on the improvement of community ESL teaching. Adult/Community Programs; Refugee Concerns; University/Higher Education
Embedding FoK in Teacher Education Pengtong Qu, Butler University According to the U.S. Census (2011), about 22% of school-aged children speak a language other than English at home; the population in K-12 settings is getting culturally and linguistically diverse. Pre-service teachers need to be prepared to teach students coming from diverse backgrounds. This study is about developing pre-service teachers’ understanding of FoK in multilingual families.  Applied Linguistics; Elementary Education; K-12; Teacher Education
Program Models for Bilingual Students Hyunsil Park, Purdue University; Virak Chan, Purdue University This presentation synthesizes emergent bilingual students’ challenges in the U.S. K-12 setting and identifies effective bilingual education models based on existing literature. It also describes how these models can contribute to reducing students’ challenges, and to promoting academic achievement, and language development. Elementary Education; K-12
Wow! Look at that Background Knowledge! Chad Hyatt, Indianapolis Public Schools; Katheryn Ferguson, Indianapolis Public Schools Are your English Learners struggling to engage with classroom lessons and content? Have you heard someone say, “These students don’t have any background knowledge”? Participants will redesign standards-based curriculum and walk away with conceptual examples of how teachers can validate culture and relevant background knowledge that students bring to classrooms. Elementary Education; K-12; Secondary Schools; Teacher Education; University/Higher Education
Development of Alt Can Do Descriptors Laurene Christensen, WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research; James Mitchell, WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research; Kristen Burton, WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research This session will provide an overview of instructional tools to support the ongoing English language development of multilingual learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities, including a language- and disability-related needs framework and Alternate Can Do Descriptors that describe English language development for this population of students.  K-12
All Things EL: Updates from IDOE's Team Erica Sponberg, IDOE; Adam Pitt, Indiana Department of Education; Nicole Leach, Indiana Department of Education IDOE’s EL team will provide English learner-related updates and resources covering a wide scope of areas for the 2021-2022 school year. EL student data is at the forefront and this presentation will take a look at COVID’s academic impact on ELs, a WIDA ACCESS results breakdown, and new WIDA growth and accountability reports. Next, attention will be turned to some exciting upcoming opportunities for professional learning, networking with peers, an overview of the 2020 Edition of the WIDA Standards rollout, and much more. Attendees will be able to discuss key topics with peers as well as participate in a Q&A. K-12; Teacher Education
Teaching lessons on diversity and equity Safia Diarra, Earlham College Since the pandemic, our international students have faced racism and mistreatment in various ways. It is therefore imperative that we begin to focus our teaching lessons on diversity and equity. After teaching a course entitled: Experiencing the U.S. from Many Perspectives, I have found meaningful course materials, assignments and discussion questions that have proved to be successful in understanding the background of racial disparities and why those disparities continue today. Teacher Education; University/Higher Education


10:15 - 11:00

Title Presenters Description Interest Section
Fostering ESL Conversation Hour at IUPUI Heather Thomas, IUPUI; Diego Padilla Garcia-Moreno, IUPUI From theory to practice, learn how IUPUI's ESL Tutoring Center carries out its Conversation Hour with international and domestic ESL students. Join us as we discuss the creation and development of both program and sessions, along with the benefits that groups like these can have for all ESL university students. Adult/Community Programs; Applied Linguistics; Secondary Schools; Teacher Education; University/Higher Education
Challenging Linguistic Bias Allison Segarra Hansen, Marian University; Nicole Carey, Indy Equity Collaborative In this workshop we will explore the inextricable link between language and identity. We will facilitate an exploration of social identities including an interrogation of participants’ relationship with language(s). This will allow participants to locate unidentified bias or preference they hold for English. In addition, we will provide multiple strategies to build inclusive environments for the emergent bilingual including culturally responsive pedagogy, specifically highlighting translanguaging as an ideology and a scaffold. Advocacy; K-12
Making content accessible to CLD student Virak Chan, Purdue University; Woongsik Choi, Purdue University; Tirtha Karki, Purdue University In this discussion group, we will try to connect theories to practices in examining what make content accessible to CLD students. The section will discuss things like culturally & linguistically responsive pedagogy, genre approach, and translanguaging. Participants will have opportunities to discuss issues and share experiences related to the topics. Applied Linguistics; K-12
Support systems for refugee students Katie Brooks, Butler University; Kameron Packard, MSD Decatur Township Students who are refugees often have experienced trauma and interrupted schooling. This interactive workshop will provide an overview of research-informed district, school, and classroom practices for supporting them. Participants will network and share their successful practices with each other. We will host additional online follow-up discussions throughout the academic year. Elementary Education; K-12; Refugee Concerns; Secondary Schools
Lesson Planning with Language Goals Claire Clark, Franklin Township Community Schools Ever have trouble knowing where to begin with lesson planning when you have Level 1s and Level 4/5s in the same class? Ever wonder how to make WiDA goals feasible with all the content you're required to teach? Have teachers come up to you asking these same questions and you're not sure what to say? If you answer yes to any of these questions then join me with an open mind and a lesson idea for us to practice with together!  K-12
Advancing ALTELLA: Revamping Alt ACCESS Laurene Christensen, WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research; Kristen Burton, WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research; James Mitchell, WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research This session presents an overview of Advancing ALTELLA, a federally-funded project to redesign Alternate ACCESS and build a screening tool that identifies students for the assessment. Participants will leave with an understanding of the project activities and information on how to participate in these activities. Materials will be disseminated.  K-12
Explicit Phonics Instruction for ELLs Ethan Lynn, Reading Horizons This workshop will feature hands-on and active training focused on the teaching of phonological awareness skills and explicit phonics to ELLs of all ages. Specifically, you’ll learn how to effectively teach the alphabetic principle, single syllable word decoding patterns, and multi-syllable word decoding patterns.  Teacher Education; Other: Reading/Literacy
 Technology Based Curriculum PreK-12  Eric Scott, MindPlay, News-O-Matic

MindPlay is an educational software development company.

Our mission: develop, publish, and distribute cost-effective learning tools with clear objectives, inviting graphics, and modern technology to support reading growth and development. MindPlay’s Virtual Reading Coach has been proven to help students with a wide range of abilities. Adequate for all ages, it can serve as an online reading program for Tier 1 students and an intervention for Tiers 2 and 3 students. Additionally, it can be used by students of several categories

What Is News-O-Matic?

News-O-Matic is an educational resource for readers in grades K through 8. Every weekday, News-O-Matic publishes interactive daily news content that teaches children 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, media literacy, and global awareness. Thousands of schools incorporate News-O-Matic articles into their literacy, science, social studies, and social-emotional learning curricula. News-O-Matic is available across the web and all mobile devices, facilitating learning anywhere and anytime.



Sponsored Presentation 


11:15 - 12:00

Title Presenters Description Interest Section
Tech to the Families  Amanda Crecelius, PATINS Project This presentation will cover G-Suite, Google Meet, Google Assistant, Google Translate, Google Interpretor Mode, Gmail, Chrome Extensions: Google Translate, MOTE, Google Read & Write, as well as, YouTube& Book Creator App and some extra tools for building supportive relationships with multilingual families.  Adult/Community Programs; Elementary Ed; K-12; Secondary Schools; Teacher Education; Technology
Audiovisual Effects in the ELA Classroom: Contextualizing Stories in the Modern World Layney Kirchoff, Purdue University With reference to texts Romeo & Juliet, Greek Mythology (Odyssey and Iliad), and The Outsiders, Miss Layne Kirchoff provides a session regarding the audiovisual accompaniment used consistently in her 8th grade Language Arts classroom. Audiovisual accompaniment techniques mentioned include background music, visual display, decor, low lighting, and Virtual Reality. Underlying theory of audiovisual effects in the general and ELL Language Arts classroom will be attributed with references to John Hattie's (2009-2021) "Influences of student learning," along with student testimonies.  Advocacy; Secondary Schools; Teacher Education
How Globalization Shapes ELT Practices Vikrant Chap, Purdue University This research presentation challenges the notion of culture as a static concept by employing a critical theory to investigate the perspectives of social actors within the context ELT curriculum. It contributes to the understanding of how globalization affects local culture, and how social actors preserve cultural identity in their discussions of global issues in ELT classrooms.  Avocacy; Teacher Education
Coaching learning communities for equity Katie Brooks, Butler University; Cathy Bhathena, College of Education, Butler University Instructional coaching typically focuses on teacher compliance to a model or professional growth. Our emerging coaching model supports teachers in both professional growth and addressing systemic inequities. In this workshop, we will share our model and elicit feedback from educators that will help us to grow in our thinking. Elementary Education; K-12; Refugee Concerns; Secondary Schools; Teacher Education
Nonverbal Communication and Disability Laurene Christensen, WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research; Shyyan Vitaliy, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium This session will discuss intercultural implications of nonverbal communication for multilingual learners with disabilities. It will provide an overview of important cultural similarities and differences in nonverbal communication as well as important considerations for this diverse population of students. Materials will be provided. K-12
Book Talks - Latinx Identity in Kid Lit Julie Majercak, Belzer Middle School MSD Lawrence Township How can teachers promote Latinx mIddle- grades and young adult fiction authors and their books to tween and teen readers? In this interactive session, we will review some favorites and create a comprehensive list to share with Indiana educators and librarians. Come prepared to talk up a book and share literature activities you have done with your students.  K-12; Secondary Schools
African students in online MEd TESOL  Jan Dormer, Messiah University Research suggests that African international graduate students in American programs may face challenges, especially when instruction is online. Research was conducted with African graduates of an online M.Ed. TESOL program. Perceptions of the effectiveness and applicability of the program for African contexts, and implications for programming, will be shared.  Teacher Education; University/Higher Education


2:15 - 3:00

Title Presenters Description Interest Section
MA TESOL Students’ Motivation G Yeon Park, Korea National Open University; Yunjoo Park, Korea National Open University This study overviews the research on the significance of motivational factors in learning English as a second or foreign language. The researchers analyzed 30 MA TESOL graduate students’ short English language learning autobiographical essays, presentations, and conversations with the researchers to explain different types of motivational factors. Adult Community Progams; Applied Linguistics; University/Higher Education
Pathway to Literacy: The Ongoing Story Ginger Kosobucki, Immigrant Welcome Center; Kari Moore, Exodus Refugee Immigration A group of TESOL educators in Indianapolis, USA has teamed up to develop a pilot program for adult ELL emergent readers in our city. This session will describe the development process of the pilot program, the assessment methods used to gauge learner growth, and the recent post-pilot findings. Adult/Community Programs; Refugee Concerns
ELL & SPED Intersectional Practices Susan Adams, College of Education, Butler University; Katie Brooks, Butler University College of Education; Kelli Esteves, Butler University College of Education; Suneeta Kercood, Butler University College of Education; Jessica Feeser, Indianapolis Public Schools K-12 Multilingual students with exceptionalities are often caught in a service gap with either English Language Development or SpEd services getting short shrift. Come join us as fellow research participants as we examine current practices in this participatory workshop session.  Advocacy; Elementary Education; K-12; Secondary Schools; Teacher Education; University/Higher Education; Other: Special Education and Dually Identified ELLs
CLT textbooks for ELs' reading practices Sung-ae Kim, Purdue University This presentation discusses the benefits of culturally responsive texts for young ELs/bilinguals' reading practices. Specifically, the presenter will demonstrate how to design literacy instruction with CLT textbooks and talk about the effective outcomes of the designed instruction for ELs' heritage language and English language learning.  Applied Linguistics
Co-Teaching for Multilingual Learning Amy Halsall, MSD Warren Township; Anna Handy, MSD Warren Township This session will give participants a plethora of resources and strategies to use with multilingual students to develop social and academic vocabulary and literacy. Both the classroom teacher and EL teacher will share information from their “lens” and demonstrate how collaborating and using these methods leads to student growth-socially and academically. Elementary Education/K-12
SEL for ELL Debra Pratt, Purdue University Northwest; David Pratt, Purdue University Northwest Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has been a hot topic in P-12 schools, and now even applicable in higher education. But what is the value of SEL for English Language Learners? This practical session explores five elements of Social Emotional Learning and provides strategies for incorporating inclusive practices.  Elementary Education; K-12; Teacher Education; University/Higher Education
Leer en dos idiomas: Finding right paths Viviana Hall, Founder Implementing Dual Language Programs make differentiated instruction a mandatory necessity! Participants will learn how to meet language proficiency standards in all four domains writing, speaking, listening and reading while working with emergent bilinguals focusing on individual students' bi-literacy goals. Many examples of remote learning lessons and evidence-based models that are technology supported will be presented for an ideal implementation of individualized instruction  Elementary Education; Technology; Other: Teaching and Learning Toward Biliteracy
Reading strategy training for ELLs  Okyoung Lim, Marian University; Vanessa Von Essen, Marian University This study will examine the impact of explicit reading strategy instruction in improving EL students’ reading comprehension skills. After 5 weeks of reading interventions, the changes in ELLs’ reading comprehension performance will be measured through pre- and post- tests. The results will be discussed during the session. Intensive English Program; Teacher Education
Writing Successful Conference Proposals Karen Newman, University of Indianapolis Would you like to learn how to write an effective conference proposal for submission to INTESOL 2022 or another professional conference? This hands-on workshop will offer tips for crafting a clear proposal to share research and/or your teaching ideas with colleagues in our field.  Other: Professional Development
Pedagogical Coaching of Content Teachers to Support English Learners Aneela Teemant, IUPUI; Brandon Sherman, IUPUI The presenters report findings from a multi-year study of pedagogical coaching of content teachers with impact ELs learning outcomes. Descriptive and inferential statistics as well as teachers’ perspectives and examples empirically highlight the merits of collaborative, language and literacy rich, contextualized, challenging, dialogic, and agentive instructional practices for ELs. Other: Professional Development
Equity with Six Enduring Principles Gina Borgioli Yoder, IUPUI; Michelle Greene, IUPUI; Amy Wilson, IUPUI Researchers from a federally-funded NPD grant project, aimed at implementing and scaling up professional development solutions that result in individual and institutional change toward equity for multilingual students, will share how the Six Enduring Principles of Learning frame their ENL certification program and support teacher change toward equity. Teacher Education; University/Higher Education
Teach Abroad w/English Language Programs Terrell Hawkins, English Language Programs, English Language Programs, U.S. Department of State Learn how you can enhance English language teaching capacity abroad through in-person teaching fellowships and virtual teaching projects designed by U.S. Embassies for experienced U.S. TESOL professionals. As an English Language Fellow, you can provide English language instruction, conduct teacher training, and develop resources. Join us to hear from program staff and alumni. Intensive English Program, Teacher Education, University/Higher Education



3:15 - 4:00

Title Presenters Description Interest Section
Using OER to Reinvent Course Materials Megan Hansen Connolly, Indiana University - Bloomington Open educational resources (OER) are free learning resources which educators may adopt or adapt; in the ESL classroom, OER are a particularly underutilized resource. This session will address how to begin incorporating OER into the ESL classroom as a way to increase equitable access to course materials for multilingual learners. Adult/Community Programs; Intensive English Program; University/Higher Education
Advocacy for Dually Identified Students Britt Burns, Hamilton Southeastern Schools; Susan Adams, College of Education, Butler University This study reveals problems, gaps and challenges that impede collaboration to support dually identified students. The research question, “What conditions do classroom teachers, special education teachers, and ENL teachers believe allow them to collaborate effectively to appropriately support dually identified students and their families?” yields policy and practice recommendations.  Advocacy; Elementary Education; K-12; Secondary Schools; Teacher Education; University/Higher Education
ELL PD Needs for School Leaders Kelli Bernedo, Indiana University Southeast Do you work with school leaders who want to learn more about ELLs? Are you a school leader who wants to learn how to better serve the ELLs in your school district and community? This session is based on a research study focused on Indiana School Principals and their Professional Development Needs in the area of English Language Learners. It will conclude with an open forum to discuss further needs and how to address gaps in information. Advocacy; Elementary Education; Secondary Schools; Teacher Education
What's Critical about ELL Literacy? Susan Adams, College of Education, Butler University ; Cathy Bhathena, College of Education, Butler University; Kailyn Scobie, College of Education, Butler University; Cole Eder, College of Education, Butler University; Jamie Christian As districts across the US debate the merits of CRT, we seek to identify pedagogical approaches for developing critical thinking and critical literacy skills in K-12 ELLs. The presenters’ experiences with the Critical Literacy Invitation (Van Sluys, 2005) provide a launching point for our discussion in this participatory, interactive session.  Elementary Education; K-12; Secondary Schools; Teacher Education; University/Higher Education
Head, Shoulders, Knees and TPR Debra Pratt, Purdue University Northwest; Elizabeth Lopez, Purdue Northwest Come and join this presentation to learn about Total Physical Response (TPR) and how this can be helpful to young learners in our learning environments. You will learn the basics of what TPR is and what it looks like in a learning environment. Explore the teacher’s role in providing TPR. Teacher Education; Other: Early Childhood Education Pre K-3rd Grade
Reinventing the Teaching of Writing Leslie Gabriele, Indiana University In recent years, there have been increasing calls for the reinvention of the teaching of writing, moving beyond the 5-paragraph essay. This roundtable discussion invites different perspectives, practices, and writing tasks in the teaching of academic writing, resulting in shareable resources that can be used in the classroom. Intensive English Program; Secondary Schools
Teacher Quality and EL Performance Patricia Morita-Mullaney, Purdue University; Wayne Wright, Jennifer Renn, Haiyan Li The Leveraging the Lectura y Lenguaje project has increased the overall literacy and English language development capacities of Indiana’s elementary in-service educators over the last 4 years. Our research shows that teachers engaged in intensive online courses and coaching show significant gains in their teaching capacity, positively impacting their ELs’ English proficiency gains. K-12; Elementary Education
Power Imbalances in the L2 Classroom
Lisa Oglesbee, Notre Dame; Katie Bennett, Bethel University This session is a discussion on power imbalances in the classroom, especially between teachers and students. We will discuss when they occur, what effects they have, and action steps for mitigating them. Audience participation is anticipated and encouraged.  Other: Professional Development
Strengthening EFL Education in Egypt Rehab Morsi, IUPUI; Matthew Hume, IUPUI The International Center for Intercultural Communication at IUPUI partnered with Balanced Education, an Egyptian educational foundation, to provide 14 Egyptian EFL teachers with six weeks of virtual training and to develop a basic English skills curriculum. This presentation discusses both the partnership and the process of curriculum development and delivery. Teacher Education; Other: International Programs
Games & Collaborative Language Learning Sam Yousefifard, University of British Columbia Over the last decade, there has been growing recognition of the social benefits of using games such as collaboration, and metacognitive skill in language education. This study aims to address how interactive games could be effectively used to promote collaborative learning through interaction and interactive tasks in ESL/EFL contexts. Technology
ESL Teaching and Race in the Caribbeans Clara Moore, IUPUI Today, we are still lacking diversity in study abroad programs, volunteer programs, and ESL teaching programs in the Caribbeans and many other areas of the world. As a community, we need to step up again and provide extra support and guidance for students of color who wish to travel abroad and make a difference.  University/Higher Education


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