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World Languages

World Languages

Professional Learning

We encourage World Language educators to take advantage of the variety of professional learning opportunities listed below.  The Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages provides monthly online workshops to assist educators in making the transition to the revised NYS Learning Standards for World Languages.  These workshops are offered free of charge to any teacher of a world language working in a NYS school, including district, charter, and non-public schools, as well as BOCES and RBERN employees.  These workshops qualify for CTLE credit for world languages. 

Upcoming OBEWL Professional Learning Opportunities (Webinars, Workshops, and Conferences) for World Language Educators

Spring 2025 Webinars

Presentational and Interpersonal Communication for Classical Languages Part 2: Spoken Latin Strategies by Keziah Armstrong on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom

Principles and Guidelines for Adopting or Creating Locally Developed Benchmark Assessments for Checkpoint B (Modern Languages*) by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Bill Heller, and Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez on Tuesday, June 10th, 2025, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom

 

Summer 2025 Workshops

OBEWL will be offering two-day workshops this summer for world language educators and for the administrators that support them.  Each workshop will run from 9am-2pm with a one-hour break for lunch on your own.  8 hours of CTLE credit will be awarded to those who meet the attendance requirements.  Participants must commit to attending both days. Click here for more information.

  • Capital region - Thursday, July 10th - Friday, July 11th (Questar III BOCES)
  • Hudson Valley region - Tuesday, July 8th - Wednesday, July 9th (PNW BOCES)
  • Long Island region - Monday, July 14th - Tuesday, July 15th (Nassau BOCES - Westbury)
  • Mid-State region - Tuesday, July 22nd - Wednesday, July 23rd (OCM BOCES)
  • Mid-West region - Monday, June 30th - Tuesday, July 1st (Monroe 2 BOCES)
  • New York City region - Wednesday, July 16th - Thursday, July 17th (Fordham University - Bronx Campus)
  • Northern NY region - Thursday, July 24th - Friday, July 25th (2 venues:  Jefferson-Lewis BOCES & North Franklin Educational Center)
  • Southern Tier region - Thursday, August 7th - Friday, August 8th (Johnson City Learning Center)
  • Western NY region - Tuesday, August 5th - Wednesday, August 6th (Buffalo PS - Southside Elementary School)

 

 

 

 

 

Most OBEWL webinars for world languages are recorded for on-demand viewing.  Click the link below to check out the recordings available.  All recordings are accompanied by multiple post-assessments that world language educators can take to earn CTLE credit based on a score of at least seven correct answers to 10 questions.

Recordings of previously offered OBEWL webinars

2025 Professional Learning Series

Languages for All:  Universal Design for Differentiation from the Start by Rebecca Aubrey (January 21, 2025)  

Spiraling Instruction for Continued Proficiency Growth Through Checkpoint B (Modern Languages) by Bill Heller, Dr. Joanne O'Toole, and Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez (February 25, 2025)

Administering the Interpersonal and Presentational Assessment Tasks at Checkpoint A by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Bill Heller, and Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez (March 11, 2025)

Presentational and Interpersonal Communication for Classical Languages - Part 1 by David Pellegrino (March 25, 2025)

Creating Meaningful Communicative Contexts by Michael Travers (April 8, 2025)

 

2024 Professional Learning Series

Principles and Guidelines for Adopting or Creating Locally Developed Benchmark Assessments for Checkpoint A (Modern Languages) by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Bill Heller, and Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez (January 23, 2024)

Standards in Action: Interpersonal Communication Strategies by Bill Heller, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Dr. Joanne O’Toole (February 27, 2024)

Principles and Guidelines for Adopting or Creating Locally Developed Benchmark Assessments for Checkpoint A (Classical Languages) by Dr. Joanne O’Toole, David Pellegrino, and Bill Heller (March 5, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)

Standards in Action: Presentational Communication Strategies by Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, Dr. Joanne O’Toole, and Bill Heller (March 12, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)

Linguistic Diversity in the Heritage Classroom:  Educational Practices that Celebrate Home Languages by Maria Quintanilla (April 24, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)

Explore Thematic Unit Plans to Inspire Your Instruction by Barbara Patterson (May 7, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)  

Leveraging Social Justice Approaches to Affirm and Support World Language Students by Dr. Pamela M. Wesely (May 21, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)

Creating a Proficiency Mindset in Your World Language Classroom by Elise Micale Brown (September 17, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)

Interpretive Communication for Classical Languages by David Pellegrino (October 1, 2024, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)

Enhancing Instructional Design:  Aligning Your Daily Practice with the Revised Standards by Zoey Baird and Josh Wigle-Harris (Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 4:00-5:00pm via Zoom)

Using Authentic Resources for Proficiency Development from Checkpoint A to Checkpoint C by Amanda Silva (Tuesday, December 10, 2024, 4:00-5:00pm via Zoom)

Classical Language Lesson Planning – From Unit Plan to Lesson Plans: Putting the Pieces Together by David Pellegrino (Tuesday, December 17, 2024, 4:00-5:00pm via Zoom)

 

2023 Professional Learning Series

Centering Voices: Representation within and through World Language Classrooms by Ingrid Paredes and Diana Clark Perez (January 24, 2023)

Real Connections:  Leveraging Literacy Strategies for the World Language Classrooms by Elizabeth Slocum (February 28, 2023)

Connecting Technology to the Modes by Françoise Piron (March 14, 2023)

World Languages in the Elementary Schools and the Revised Standards by Marissa Coulehan (April 18, 2023)

Orientation Webinars for Administrators on the NYS Learning Standards for World Languages (Parts 1 & 2) by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Bill Heller and Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez (April 18, 19, 25, and May 3, 2023)

Getting to Know Your Heritage Language Learners:  Basic Sociolinguistic Concepts by Dr. Carolina Bustamante (April 24, 2023)

Getting Ready for Implementation of the World Language Standards: Administrators’ Perspectives by William Anderson and Shawnna Sweet (May 9, 2023)

Starting a NYS Seal of Biliteracy Program at Your School by Candace Black (May 10, 2023)

Expanding Your NYS Seal of Biliteracy Program by Candace Black (May 24, 2023)

Getting Ready for Implementation of the World Language Standards for Teachers by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Bill Heller, and Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez (May 30, 2023)

Discover Authentic Resource Gems in the World Language Wakelet - Thursday, June 15, 2023, 4:00-5:00 p.m. (Zoom)

Standards in Action:  Interpretive Communication Strategies by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Bill Heller, and Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez (September 12, 2023, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)

One Department's Journey Into the Standards by Zoey Baird and Joshua Wigle-Harris (October 24, 2023, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)

Strategies for Target Language Use at Checkpoint A by Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez (December 5, 2023, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom)

 

2022 Professional Learning Series

Understanding Vocabulary Development in Standards-Based Teaching by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Bill Heller (January 13, 2022)

Understanding the Role of Grammar in Proficiency Development Parts 1 and 2, by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Bill Heller  (February 24th & March 3rd, 2022)

Understanding Standards-Based Lesson Planning, by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Bill Heller  (March 31st, 2022)

Preparing for Standards-Based Curriculum Planning, by Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, Dr. Joanne O'Toole, and Bill Heller  (May 19th, 2022)

Assessment Part 1: Creating Standards-aligned Rubrics for Performance Assessment Tasks, by Bill Heller, Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez  (September 27th, 2022)

Assessment Part 2:  Creating Formative and Summative Performance Assessment Tasks, by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Bill Heller  (October 11th, 2022)

Lesson Planning Part 1 – From Unit Plan to Lesson Plans: Putting the Pieces Together (November 1, 2022)

Lesson Planning Part 2 – Lesson Planning Options for Thematic Units (December 13, 2022)

 

2021 Professional Learning Series

Embedding Authentic Resources into Lesson Plans by Leslie Grahn (January 20, 2021)

From Skills to Modes - Standard 1: Interpretive Communication by Dr. Joanne O'Toole (March 10, 2021)

From Skills to Modes - Standard 2:  Interpersonal Communication by Bill Heller (March 24, 2021)

From Skills to Modes - Standard 3:  Presentational Communication by Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez (April 7, 2021)

From Skills to Modes - Part 4 -  Planning for Learning:  Integrating the Modes of Communication by Laura Terrill (May 19, 2021)

From Facts to Functions - The Cultures Standards by Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez and Dr. Joanne O'Toole (June 9, 2021)

Understanding Checkpoint Proficiency Targets by Bill Heller & Dr. Joanne O'Toole (July 21, 2021)

Understanding Performance Indicators and Can-Do Statements by Bill Heller & Dr. Joanne O'Toole (August 11, 2021)

Understanding NYS World Language Themes & Topics by Bill Heller, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Dr. Joanne O'Toole (September 28, 2021)

Understanding Unit Planning with the Revised NYS World Language Standards - Part 1 by Bill Heller, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Dr. Joanne O'Toole (October 26, 2021)

Understanding Unit Planning with the Revised NYS World Language Standards Part 2 - Checkpoint A with Rebecca Blouwolff  (November 9, 2021)

Understanding Unit Planning with the Revised NYS World Language Standards Part 3 - Checkpoint B with Lisa Shepard (November 30, 2021)

Understanding Unit Planning with the Revised NYS World Language Standards Part 4 - Checkpoint C with Regina O'Neal (December 7, 2021) 

 

2020 Professional Learning

Curating Authentic Resources for the World Language Classroom by Leslie Grahn (November, 3, 2020)

2024-25 Book Studies for World Language Educators

2024-25 Facilitator Book Study on Words and Actions: Teaching Languages Through the Lens of Social Justice   (We have reached our capacity for this book study and are no longer accepting registrations.  Educators who wish to participate in a book study on this book can do so in the 2025-26 academic year when it will be the focus of our statewide book study.  Registration will be available in early spring 2025.)

2024-25 Book Studies on the Keys to Strategies to Language Instruction:  Engagement, Relevance, Critical Thinking, Collaboration  (We have reached our capacity for this book study and are no longer accepting registrations.)

Professional learning is also provided by a number of partner organizations, including the two statewide world language organizations - NYSAFLT (the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers) and NYSAWLA (the New York State Association of World Language Administrators), as well as regional organizations within our state.  Click the link below to explore these learning opportunities.

World Language Leadership Council

The World Language Leadership Council was created to provide a regular forum for world language educators and administrators to discuss and share their questions, concerns, and suggestions with NYSED.  The Council will also serve as an additional means of communicating information and initiatives regarding world language programs to the field, complementing our professional learning offerings, website, and newsletter.  Membership is open to teachers of world languages, department chairpersons, administrators, and school counselors.  The Council will meet virtually (via Zoom) for one hour on one Monday of the month from September to June.  Attendance at meetings is completely voluntary and CTLE credit will be awarded on a semester basis for those meetings attended.  Interested educators should complete this brief Google form with their name and contact information.  Previous members of the World Language Leadership Council do not need to re-register.  Links to join the meetings will be sent out on a rolling basis.  All meetings for 2024-25 will be on Mondays from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Meeting dates

  • May 12th
  • June 2nd
World language-related workshops and conferences hosted by other organizations

State & National Events

18th National American Sign Language Roundtable Conference, October 31-November 2, 2024 - National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology.  For more information on this event, please click here.

107th New York State Association for Language Teachers (NYSAFLT) Annual Conference, "Building Bridges Through Language Education", November 8-9, 2024 – Niagara Falls Convention Center and Sheraton.  For more information on the New York State Association for Language Teachers (NYSAFLT), please visit their website.

Future NYSAFLT Events

  • 108th NYSAFLT Annual Conference, October 17-18, 2025 – Crown Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel
  • 109th NYSAFLT Annual Conference, October 16-17, 2026 – Crown Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel
  • 110th NYSAFLT Annual Conference, October 15-16, 2027 – Marriott Syracuse Downtown

NECTFL 2025 Annual Conference, "Empowering Language Learners for Global Change", February 27-March 1, 2025, New York Hilton Midtown.  For more information on the Northeast Conference, please visit their website.

NCSSFL 2024 Annual Business Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, November 19-21, 2024

ACTFL 2024, Philadelphia, PA, November 22-24, 2024

 

Regional Events in 2024-25