Presentation Abstracts and Biographies

 

Pietro Alongi

Tools for effective academic writing

Friday, October 27, 2006   10:15-11:00   Orly

Publisher Session

  

Clear, focused instruction plays a crucial role in the development of writing skills necessary for academic success.  The presenter demonstrates the approach of Effective Academic Writing, a new three-level series developed to make the teaching and learning of writing as transparent and practical as possible.  Samples provided.


Pietro Alongi is a senior acquisitions editor at Oxford University Press.

Lance Askildson

Developing L2 reading via phonological recoding

Friday, October 27, 2006   3:30-4:15   Room 318

Paper - 45 minutes   AE, AL, GA, IEP / HE

 

This paper will claim that the role of phonology in L2 reading development can be exploited with significant pedagogical effect through simple audio training as an accompaniment to silent reading.  Experimental results from a large-scale study of ESL readers strongly supporting this claim will be presented alongside theoretical and pedagogical implications.


Lance Askildson is a PhD candidate in secondary language acquisition and teaching  (SLAT), coordinator for teacher training, and lecturer at the Center for ESL (CESL), University of Arizona.

Matt Baca

Using U.S. television and movie clips to teach English and U.S. culture

Saturday, October 28, 2006   10:15-12:00   National

Workshop - 1 hour 45 minutes   AE

 

In this interactive training, current U.S. television and movie clips will be used to stimulate discussion and to generate ideas on how to use U.S. media to teach both English language and  frameworks and principles found in the general U.S. and business culture.

 

Matt Baca earned his undergraduate degrees in fine arts and Spanish, with a minor in Russian language and culture.  In 1997 he received his MA in TESOL from the University of New Mexico.  Since 1997, he has served as corporate trainer and instructor of international business students and professionals in universities and businesses spanning the globe, including Latin America, Europe, and Central and Far East Asia.  

 

Amy E. Bennett

SQP2RS: Scaffolding non-fiction texts for all

Saturday, October 28, 2006   11:15-12:00   Room 316

Demonstration - 45 minutes   BE, EE, GA

 

SQP2RS is a step-by-step how-to of the scaffolding technique discussed in Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model, 2nd Ed. Teachers will learn to use this application to teach reading comprehension and summary writing, and as a beginning point for student research projects.


Amy E. Bennett is an experienced ESL teacher who has worked in Chicago and the Denver-area with grades K-8 and adult learners.

Nancy Berry

Bridging academic vocabulary gaps from the outset

Friday, October 27, 2006   11:15-12:00   Room 312

Demonstration - 45 minutes   IEP / HE

 

One challenge facing ESL learners who want to pursue academic studies at American universities is developing the vocabulary necessary to comprehend academic texts and lectures.  The presenter will describe research, assessment tools, materials, and activities used to help beginning learners at an IEP start to bridge the academic vocabulary gap.


Nancy Berry has taught ESL at the Intensive English Program at Colorado State University for several years.

Lisa Blackburn

Intense content vocabulary instruction

Friday, October 27, 2006   11:15-12:00   Room 303

Demonstration - 45 minutes   SE

 

ESL textbooks usually provide basic techniques for teaching content vocabulary, but are these sufficient? The presenter will demonstrate ways of teaching vocabulary that focus on meaning and compare test results obtained through intensive vocabulary instruction with those obtained through the prescribed textbook method.

 

Lisa Blackburn is the English language acquisition language arts instructor and team leader at Sheridan Middle School.

Anne Bliss

Teaching in Chile: A Fulbright fellow's experiences

Friday, October 27, 2006   2:30-3:15   Room 312

Paper - 45 minutes   AE, BE, EE, IEP / HE, SE, GA

 

Discussing experiences of a Fulbright ESL/EFL teacher in Chile, the presenter explains the work of Fulbright Fellows in Latin America and elsewhere.  The presenter includes information about requirements, applications, making country contacts, and the day to day lives of Fulbrighters.

 

Anne Bliss is a senior instructor in the Program for Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Colorado-Boulder and was a Fulbright fellow to Chile in 2005.

Kat Bradley-Bennett

Ardith Loustalet

Mighty manipulatives, optinmum organizers, terrific teaching tactics

Saturday, October 28, 2006   1:30-2:15   Templehof  

Workshop – 45 minutes   AE, BE, AL,  EE, HS, SE

 

Based on the teaching strategies of Maria Montaño-Harmon, this hands-on workshop will introduce teachers to easy-to-make manipulatives and easy-to-use graphic organizers to enhance ESL instruction. The strategies are simple to produce, require only basic classroom materials (provided), appeal to all learning styles, and make learning fun! 

Kat Bradley-Bennett teaches ESL for St. Vrain Valley Adult Education in Longmont. She has taught English in South Korea and China.

Ardith Loustalet is the ESL component manager for St. Vrain Valley Adult Education in Longmong.  She has taught English in Italy

Christina Brady

Advanced writing: Peers, citations, topics, electronics!

Friday, October 27, 2006   1:30-2:15   Room 305

Paper - 45 minutes   IEP / HE

 

Peer reviews, citation styles, electronic paper correction, genre-specific paper topics, and brainstorming are the main areas to be discussed. Ideas from the audience will be encouraged.

 

Christina Brady has almost 15 years of experience in ESL and has taught advanced writing at the International English Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder for seven years.  Christina has an MA in TESOL from Georgetown University and a BA in professional writing and French from Purdue University.   Her specialties are advanced writing and accent reduction.

Margie Brown

Brain research and English language learners

Friday, October 27, 2006   10:15-12:00   Room 301

Workshop - 1 hour 45 minutes   EE, GA, SE

 

This workshop explores the implications of brain research for maximizing learning in the classroom.  Participants will apply principles from David Sousa’s How the Brain Learns series to refine a lesson plan to increase retention, transfer, and complex thinking.

 

Margie Brown is an ESL coach in Colorado Springs School District 11.

Paula Brown

Gail Carpenter

Linking assessment and instruction

Friday, October 27, 2006   11:15-12:00   LaGuardia

Publisher Session—CTB/McGraw-Hill  

 

Discover a comprehensive system of assessment and instructional tools to promote English language proficiency with Language Assessment Scales (LAS) Links.  These engaging materials go beyond traditional language proficiency tests by integrating assessment, instruction, and professional development.  With LAS Links, teachers can help each student find success both in and out of the classroom.

 
Paula Brown, evaluation consultant for CTP/McGraw-Hill, offers a wide array of assessment services to Colorado districts.  She provides expertise in the area of formative and summative assessments.

 

District Manager, Gail Carpenter has worked for CTB/McGraw-Hill for eight years.  She is an expert in using standards-based assessment results to support student learning.

Julie Bruch

The future of English grammar

Friday, October 27, 2006   11:15-12:00   Room 318

Paper - 45 minutes   AL, GA, IEP / HE

 

English is changing very rapidly and in quite dynamic ways. What will the English of tomorrow be like, and what are the implications of these changes for ESL?  This paper will explore the question of whether the field of ESL is keeping up with evolving forms of “standard” American English.

 

Julie Bruch currently teaches linguistics and foreign languages at Mesa State College.  She has taught ESL in other countries and in intensive university programs in the United States.

Dieter Bruhn

Fun with songs

Saturday, October 28, 2006   1:30-2:15   Room 314

Demonstration - 45 minutes   GA

 

Making lessons fun and exciting is a great way to maintain student interest and encourage participation.  In this lively and interactive demonstration, the presenter will take the audience through several high-interest activities based on songs.  Detailed handouts will be provided.

 

Dieter Bruhn is president of One World Training, which offers TEFL Certificate programs in Boulder, as well as 2nd Vice President of CoTESOL.

2006 CoTESOL Teacher Innovation Grant Recipient

Laurel Cadwallader

Service learning for ELL (Empowered Literate Leaders)

Friday, October 27, 2006   10:15-11:00   Room 303

Demonstration - 45 minutes   EE, SE, GA

 

How can service be integrated with academic learning and help students become empowered literate leaders in their classroom and community?  Through student work and sample activities, the presenter will describe a project based on Paul Fleischman’s novel Seedfolks and share strategies for teachers to implement a text-based service-learning project.

 

Laurel Cadwallader, a teacher at Sunset Middle School in Longmont, is a recipient of a 2006 CoTESOL Teacher Innovation Grant for her service-learning work.  

Shirlaine Castellino

Becos speling has becom an isyu agin

Friday, October 27, 2006   3:30-4:15   Room 305

Discussion - 45 minutes   AE, GA, IEP / HE

 

Spelling problems can interfere with the simplest sentences or paragraphs. Techniques that can be used to help improve spelling in writing classes and possibly other classes will be discussed. Come share your bright ideas and suggestions.

 

Shirlaine Castellino is an instructor at Spring International Language Center and the ESL coordinator at Arapahoe Community College.

Juvenal Cervantes

Michelle Campbell

Getting comfortable with difference

Saturday, October 28, 2006   10:15-11:00   Templehof

Paper – 45 minutes   PA, SE, GA

 

Our classrooms are more diverse than ever before. The challenge of every teacher is to find ways to present a lesson that is relevant to all students. The solution is not necessarily doing something different, but doing what we are doing in a different way.

 

Juvenal Cervantes is program coordinator of Centennial BOCES and a trainer of the REACH Center.


Michelle Campbell is a lead trainer of the REACH Center.

Mark A. Clarke

How to respond reasonably to irrational demands

Friday, October 27, 2006   10:15-11:00   Kennedy

Paper - 45 minutes   GA

 

Intended for teacher educators, administrators, and teachers, this paper explores strategies for responding to mandates from above in ways that do not merely pass the pressure on. Participants will leave with tools for Monday morning.

 

Mark Clarke is Professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of Colorado at Denver.  He has served as president of CoTESOL and second vice president of TESOL.

Mark A. Clarke

Nancy L. Commins

English teaching: Instructional strategies and institutional maneuvers

Saturday, October 28, 2006   10:15-12:00   O'Hare

Workshop - 1 hour 45 minutes   EE

We present vignettes to illustrate common problems faced by teachers of English language learners and will offer specific instructional strategies for diversifying instruction.  We will also explore strategies for working with administrators and colleagues to support ELA instruction.

 

Mark Clarke is Professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of Colorado at Denver.  He is the author of A Place to Stand, Common Ground and Contested Territory, and Reader's Choice.

Nancy Commins is an educational consultant and activist.  She is the author of Linguistic Diversity and Teaching and Restructuring Schools for Linguistic Diversity.

Chris Colias

Scaffolding content reading and writing

Friday, October 27, 2006   2:30-4:15   Heathrow

Workshop - 1 hour 45 minutes   SE

 

This workshop will guide participants through an eight-step framework intended to scaffold reading and expository writing for dependent readers and writers.  Participants will experience portions of the framework which focuses upon incorporating literacy into content and enabling dependent readers and writers to grasp grade level material.

 

Chris Colias is an ESL teacher at Littleton High School.

Mary Colonna

Barbara Sarapata

Fun ways to teach grammar

Friday, October 27, 2006   10:15-11:00   Room 316

Demonstration - 45 minutes   IEP / HE, SE

 

The presenters will focus on ways to make grammar fun. They will share attention-grabbing materials prepared from ads, songs, videos, poems, and newspaper articles. The materials are designed to introduce grammatical concepts to students on varied levels of English proficiency.

 

Mary Colonna, MA Linguistics, Columbia University, has been teaching ESL at Columbia University since 1977. She has written Reason to Write, Advanced, Oxford University Press.

Barbara Sarapata, MA TESOL, Hunter College, has taught ESL at Columbia University since 1998 and teacher training at New School University, Royal Society of Arts.

Mary Colonna

Barbara Sarapata

Adapting authentic materials for varied levels

Saturday, October 28, 2006   10:15-12:00   Heathrow

Workshop - 1 hour 45 minutes   IEP / HE

 

This workshop will focus on how to design ESL materials which encourage the students to think critically regardless of their language levels. Lesson plans will be organized around the same authentic materials for both beginner and high-intermediate levels.

 

Mary Colonna, M.A. Linguistics, Columbia University, has been teaching ESL and training at Columbia University since 1977. She wrote Reason to Write, Advanced, Oxford University Press.

Barbara Sarapata, MA TESOL, Hunter College, has taught ESL at Columbia University since 1998 and teacher training at New School University, Royal Society of Arts.

Nancy L. Commins

Connecting language and literacy instruction to content area themes

Saturday, October 28, 2006   1:30-3:15   National

Workshop - 1 hour 45 minutes   BE, EE, SE

 

Participants will experience and practice several strategies for connecting language and literacy instruction to content area themes.  The presentation will focus mainly on poetry but will also include several other strategies to get at and play with the language of the content areas (alphabet walls, mix & match, sentence building).

 

Nancy Commins, co-author of two books on linguistic diversity, is a Bilingual ESL Network faculty member.  She works on school reform in Colorado and beyond.

Rachel Connell

Incorporating the multiple intelligences in the ESL classroom

Saturday, October 28, 2006   11:15-12:00   Room 301

Paper - 45 minutes   GA

 

How can an ESL teacher enhance, encourage, and strengthen students' different learning styles as they are learning the English language?  The presenter's action research paper describes significant improvement in English language acquisition in secondary students when Gardner's multiple intelligences were incorporated in her teaching methods and curriculum.

 

Rachel Connell has been teaching ESL at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs for five years.  She earned her MA in education from the University of Phoenix in 2004, where she completed an action research project on the multiple intelligences in the ESL classroom.

Lonnie DaiZovi

Music--no pain--so much gain

Saturday, October 28, 2006   10:15-11:00   LaGuardia

Publisher Session—Vibrante Press  

 

Music is a very powerful tool to use in the ESL classroom at any age and any level.  This presentation will show how music and musical chants can be used to teach all aspects of language (pronunciation, grammar, syntax) effectively and pleasantly.  No singing ability is required to attend.

 

Lonnie DaiZovi is a high school ESL teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  She is also the author of over a dozen books and 10 CDs.

Dena Daniel

Preparation for success in academic listening and discussion

Friday, October 27, 2006   2:30-3:15   Orly

Publisher Session—Oxford University Press  

 

ESL students in mainstream courses face tremendous challenges in understanding lectures and participating in discussions.  In the Lecture Ready series, students attend lectures via DVD or video, practice target language, and learn key listening, discussion, and note-taking strategies, thus preparing them for the realities of the academic classroom.  Samples provided.

 

Dena Daniel is an editor at Oxford University Press.

Tom Dare

Sally Howard

The New Quest, 2nd edition series: An accelerated approach for English for academic purposes

Friday, October 27, 2006   2:30-3:15   LaGuardia

Publisher Session—McGraw-Hill ESL/ELT  

 

The presenters will introduce the new Quest, 2nd Edition series, which bridges the gap between English learning and successful college-level academic study.  They will demonstrate Quest, 2/e’s combination of “scaffolding” techniques and critical thinking skills, enabling students to succeed with both college content and the new TOEFL iBT test.  Complimentary copies provided.

 

Tom Dare is an ESL professional with 27 years in educational publishing.  He has done over 300 ESL workshops and staff development seminars.

 

Sally Howard has been in telemarketing sales for the McGraw-Hill ESL/ELT Division since March 2004.  She started her career with ESL publishing sales in 1987.
 

Connie Davis

Juli Lamb

Using authentic literature to build language skills

Saturday, October 28, 2006   1:30-3:15   O'Hare

Workshop - 1 hour 45 minutes   AE, GA

 

The presenters will use The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, as the basis for interactive and kinesthetic classroom activities which are inclusive of all four language skills, and adaptable for different student proficiency levels.  Attendees will participate in activities during the session.  Suggestions for other books and materials will be offered.

 

Connie Davis has taught Spanish and ESL in Bolivia as well as in schools and programs in Boulder Valley School District.  She currently teaches ESL at Front Range Community College's Boulder Campus and is the director of the Northern Colorado Literacy Resource Center in Longmont.  

Juli Lamb is the lead faculty for the ESL program at Front Range Community College's Boulder Campus.  She holds an MBA; her MA in linguistics from the University of College at Boulder is in progress.

Burna L. Dunn

Barbara Sample

Myrna Ann Adkins

Refugee health, mental health, and cultural adjustment

Friday, October 27, 2006   1:30-2:15   Room 316

Paper - 45 minutes   AE

 

Most life skills curricula for adult ESL learners include vocabulary on body parts and role plays for making a doctor’s appointment. This session will demonstrate additional classroom health activities which focus on prevention and improve health literacy.

 

Burna L. Dunn is the director of the English Language Training Technical Assistance Project which Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning manages for the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.


Myrna Ann Adkins is the president and chief executive officer for the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning.


Barbara Sample is a founder of the Spring Institute and currently serves as its vice president and director of educational services.

 

Jean Echevarria

Rebecca Hicks

Avoiding burnout: Recharging yourself and your students

Friday, October 27, 2006   3:30-4:15   Room 314

Discussion - 45 minutes   GA, IEP / HE

Teaching is a demanding profession.  Both teachers and their students can feel burned out over time.  The presenters will introduce ways to avoid energy-draining workplace situations, to create energy enhancing practices within work routines, and to create options for energizing students throughout the semester.

 

Jean Echevarría and Rebecca Hicks teach for the English Language Institute of Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Andrea Feldman

Joining hands: Moving beyond the classroom to create community

Saturday, October 28, 2006   1:30-2:15   Room 303

Paper - 45 minutes   AE, AL, IEP / HE

 

Many ESL students report on the difficulty of forming friendships with native speakers in the university community. This presentation will draw on the research regarding service learning as a way of forging community in the classroom.  Examples of materials, portfolios, and student writing will be shown.

 

Andrea Feldman holds a PhD in linguistics, MA in Japanese, and two BAs, in Spanish and linguistics.  Her academic interests include first and second language acquisition, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and multicultural rhetoric. Andrea teaches ESL and multicultural issues in the Program for Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Colorado at Boulder.  

Jean Louise Ferguson

Student scrapbooks as culminating grammar projects

Saturday, October 28, 2006   11:15-12:00   Room 305

Paper - 45 minutes   GA, IEP / HE

 

The presenter describes a scrapbook project which provides ESL students with an opportunity to apply newly-learned grammatical knowledge and writing skills to an authentic, personally meaningful, creative task.  The presentation details elements and offers guidelines for this very adaptable project.  

 

Jean Louise Ferguson teaches ESL at Garden City Community College.  She is completing her dissertation for a PhD in applied linguistics from Penn State.

Dan Fichtner

Accelerated language learning prepares for high-stakes tests

Friday, October 27, 2006    3:30-4:15   Orly

Publisher Session–Pearson Longman 

 

Students need to develop skills and strategies for taking high-stakes exams.  This demonstration will offer an instructional model integrating academic language and content with explicit instruction in learning strategies and differentiating learning through the use of various learning-group configurations.  Free samples of materials that help students succeed will be provided.

 

Dan Fichtner has been involved with English learners for the past 25 years.   He has a PhD in international education/cross cultural communication and   presently is involved in the TESOL program at UCLA education extension.

Mimi Fowler

Jian Guatney

Chinese education: Realities

Saturday, October 28, 2006   2:30-3:15   Room 305

Paper - 45 minutes   IEP / HE, GA, SE

 

International comparisons of test scores rate Chinese education highly, but would you really want to exchange American education for Chinese? This presentation focuses on English language education in the People’s Republic of Chine to exemplify the philosophy and workings of Chinese education including: class size, hours spent in class, methodology, homework, tests, college entrance and teachers' responsibilities.

 

Mimi Fowler spent five months in China in 2005, including doing teacher training in Suzhou and volunteering at Eastern Tibetan Language Institute in northwest Yunnan. Jian Guatney is a native of Shanghai and returns to visit family and friends every year. Both teach at the Community College of Denver.

Susan Garza

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP):  Observations and cognitive coaching

Friday, October 27, 2006   2:30-3:15   Room 305

Discussion - 45 minutes   EE, SE

 

This session will be a discussion about improving instruction for all students.  Using the SIOP Observation Tool and Cognitive Coaching Conversations, teachers can continually improve delivery of content by participating in observations and conversations with coaches or other teachers.

 

Susan Garza has worked as an ESL teacher and coach for the last 11 years.  She has two master's degrees in education (reading and ESL/Bilingual).  

Mary Glazier

Using technology to improve language learning outcomes

Friday, October 27, 2006   3:30-4:15   LaGuardia

Publisher SessionAuralog

 

Auralog has been synonymous with language mastery since its inception in 1987.  Auralog’s language learning software Tell me More is one of the highest acclaimed solutions available today.  Equipped with advanced speech recognition exercises in addition to advanced traditional language learning exercises, students using Tell me More achieve unprecedented learning outcomes.

 

Mary Glazier is a highly valued asset to Auralog. Her dedication to the education industry and her professionalism are rare to find.

Kate Goodspeed

Can they truly do the job?

Saturday, October 28, 2006   11:15-12:00   Room 314

Paper - 45 minutes   AE, GA, IEP / HE

 

What skills and qualities do refugees need to get and keep entry-level jobs and how can ESL curriculum be re-designed to ensure that students obtain these quickly?  Results of research and job-shadowing in two industries as well as trial changes in curriculum are shared along with copies of the paper.

 

Kate Goodspeed has an MA in education, teaches at Emily Griffith Opportunity School, and is writing a memoir about her eight years teaching in China.

Sharlie Graham

Chanon Adsanatham

Rebecca Smith

Fun, hands-on ideas for the multicultural classroom

Saturday, October 28, 2006   1:30-2:15   Logan

Demonstration - 45 minutes   AE

 

How can teachers incorporate multiculturalism into the classroom that moves beyond the curriculum and into one's teaching philosophy and practices? How is multiculturalism an advantage to language acquisition? Multiculturalism, the presenters believe, begins with recognizing each student's cultural and linguistic uniqueness. This demonstration provides fun, hands-on activities for the multicultural classroom.  

 

Rebecca Smith is a graduate student in applied linguistics at the University of Colorado at Denver. She also teaches writing at the Community College of Denver.

Chanon Adsanatham was a community college ESL instructor and administrator. Now a graduate student of English, he has interests in rhetorical diversity, rhetoric, and language teaching.

Sharlie Graham received her MA in teaching writing at the University of Colorado at Denver.  She has taught ESL/ABE for more than six years,  one year in Barcelona, Spain, and four years at the Community College of Aurora.  Currently she teaches GED at the Center for Work Education and Employment (CWEE).

Leslie Grant

Michael Brunn

Promoting cohesive groups and meaningful discussions online

Friday, October 27, 2006   3:30-4:15   Room 303

Paper - 45 minutes   AL,  IEP / HE, GA

 

Many online courses include discussions, but most of the time they are flat, uninteresting, and surface level responses to a preformed question.  Presenters discuss the design and implementation of an online discussion format that promotes cohesive groups and fosters meaningful discussions.  Student sample interactions and feedback are included.

 

Leslie Grant is an instructor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.


Michael Brunn is an associate professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He developed the ESL Education Program on site and online courses.

Elizabeth Grassi

Obdulia Castro

Learning locally:  Community-based "abroad" programs for teachers

Friday, October 27, 2006   11:15-12:00