Friday Keynote Address is “Keeping It Real: Reaching Global Competence through Authenticity, ” presented by Noah Geisel, 2013 ACTFL Teacher of the Year.

Reaching Global Competence is more than a beneficial side effect of a high quality world language education; it is one of the primary goals. Noah Geisel will explore the role of engaging students in authentic problems and tasks that intrinsically motivate students to generate real solutions and make useful products.

Noah has been teaching high school English, Spanish and Technology for 13 years. An addict of sharing and collaborating with other teachers, he is a constant on Twitter and a contributing writer to the education blog TeachPaperless.com. His presentations have been selected Best of Colorado, Best of SWCOLT and Best of CSC. He is a traveler, learner and hardcore fan of Duke Basketball.

Saturday Keynote Address by Dr. Mary Lynn Redmond is “Linking Standards and Proficiency to Your Classroom.”

Mary Lynn Redmond is Professor of Education and Coordinator of K-12 Foreign Language Education at Wake Forest University (NC).  She teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in K-12 methodology and research and also supervises student interns. Prior to her work at the university level, Mary Lynn taught French in grades K-12.

Mary Lynn is currently president of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). She has held numerous state and national positions, including president of the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina (FLANC), president and executive secretary of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL).

Mary Lynn is dedicated to the promotion of high quality K-12 proficiency-oriented foreign language programs for all students. Her research covers a wide range of topics in foreign language education, and her most recent book, Action Research in the World Language Classroom, was published in 2013.