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2019 COFLT Fall Conference
The fall COFLT conference will be held at the Portland Community College Rock Creek Campus October 11-12, 2019. This year's theme is "50th Anniversary", not only COFLT's but also the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. So let's "Reach for it!" There will be entertainment, language lunches, optional post-conference workshops, in addition to exceptional keynote addresses and presentation sessions. Conference Registration (click here)
Hotel and Transportation Make your hotel reservations now. Here are links to hotels with whom we have arranged a small number of rooms at a special rate for conference attendees interested in staying nearer to the conference. You can choose between Embassy Suites or Hampton Inn, which are next door to each other. The hotels are located approximately 3.5 miles away from the conference site at the PCC Rock Creek, please arrange for your own transportation. Conference Address Public Transportation and Parking Cancellation procedure Conference material will be made available upon receipt from presenters | Quick LinksConference Details at a GlanceFriday Schedule 8:15-8:45 Registration and snacks 9:00-9:55 Keynote: Esperanza De La Vega 10:00-10:55 Session 1 11:00-11:55 Session 2 12:00-1:00 Lunch and Marimba entertainment 1:00-1:55 Session 3 2:00-2:55 Session 4 3:00-3:55 Session 5 Saturday Schedule 8:15-8:45 Additional Registration 9:00-9:55 Keynote: Carrie Toth 10:00-10:55 Session 6 11:00-11:55 Session 7 12:00-1:30 Lunch and Exhibitor Raffle 1:30-4:30 Optional workshops |
Professional Development Units
Portland State University credit available for $250. Please inquire at the conference to be provided with the appropriate information and requirements.
Keynote Speakers
Friday Keynote Address: "The Magic of Words: Bilingual Development in the Teaching and Learning Environment"
Dr. Esperanza De La Vega (and Saturday workshop)
Esperanza De La Vega is the fifth daughter of an immigrant mother who raised six daughters in Los Angeles, California. Navigating a subtractive schooling experience and a long journey into academia, De La Vega earned her PhD in language, literacy, and culture in education at UC Berkeley. She has a 30-year history of teaching on the West Coast as well as abroad, always considering the linguistic and cultural assets of her students. Today, she coordinates the award-winning Bilingual Teacher Pathway (BTP) program in the department of Curriculum and Instruction at Portland State University. Dr. De La Vega’s research agenda focuses on the intersections of language and culture in the educational process for linguistically and culturally diverse children and families. More currently, her research interests include bilingual teacher candidates' conceptions and development of teaching for equity and social justice.
Saturday Keynote Address: "Lean into the Horizon"
Carrie Toth (and Saturday workshop)
Carrie Toth has been teaching all levels of Spanish since 1994. A National Board certified teacher in WLOE, Carrie serves as a mentor to National Board candidates and presents at various local, state, regional, and national language conferences. Her passion is helping teachers enhance cultural knowledge in the world language classroom using CI-based strategies and backward planning (through Understanding by Design). Carrie is the 2012 recipient of the Illinois Principal’s Association Horace Mann “Innovative Educator Award,” the 2013 Teacher of Year for the state of Illinois, the 2014 Central States Regional Teacher of the Year, and a finalist for the 2015 National Teacher of the Year. In addition to Carrie’s achievements as a teacher and trainer, she is also an accomplished author, writing comprehension based readers teacher’s guides, and ancillary materials for Fluency Matters and curriculum for Señor Wooly.
Saturday Workshops
Option 1: "The Power of the Written Word: How to Incorporate Writing in Language Classrooms"
with Dr. Esperanza De La Vega
Building off the theme of The Magic of Words, the workshop on the Power of the Written Word will help frame how we interact with, teach, and learn with our students in language classrooms today. Bilingual Education scholar, researcher, and teacher educator Esperanza De La Vega will share activities used in various language classrooms to connect students’ passion for sharing and expressing themselves in order to develop their written communication skills. The Power of the Written Word workshop will examine our role and responsibility in facilitating engagement and writing among our language learning students. Dr. De La Vega will discuss the importance of building trust and community among our language learners as a foundation for a successful and effective language development classroom environment. The strategies to be shared can be applied to all language learning classrooms whether a bilingual, dual-language or a world language setting. Tenants of culturally responsive practices will be used throughout the workshop in order to remain true to the goal of social justice and equity in our language learning environments. Through guided activities, the workshop participants will experience first-hand, the power of constructivist activities in generating deep conversations and moments that have the potential to transform spoken words into written words. At the end of the workshop, participants will walk away with ideas and material that they can implement in their classrooms the next day.
Option 2: "All for One, Input for All" with Carrie Toth
How can I help my students gain proficiency in language while drawing on resources available through modern technology? Many teachers ask themselves this question as they try to navigate the waters of language education in the 21st century. Participants will look at 3 backward planned units that can be adapted for any level of student. With this unit design in mind, participants will be encouraged to map out their own content-based units that incorporate culture and technology and that will help students achieve their language learning goals and greater fluency as well!
