Friday, May 15, 2026
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Registration
May 15, 7:00am – 8:00am60 minMain Foyer -
The Power of Words: Unlocking Academic Language for Student Success
Featured SessionsDr. ET Lead
May 15, 9:40am – 10:50am70 minOak (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 45)Show details
Explore simple, effective strategies to build academic language through structured talk, modeling, and student discourse. Walk away with ready-to-use tools to boost student voice, confidence, and success—perfect for strengthening TELPAS reading and writing. -
EP
Math Talk Matters: Building Content & Language Together Through CBLI
Instructional Practices in ESL ClassroomsEduardo Perez Lead
May 15, 9:40am – 10:50am70 minRiverwalk (Level: Ground Floor, Cap 40)Show details
Math Talk Matters: Building Content & Language Together through CBLI explores how intentional math discourse can simultaneously develop conceptual understanding and academic language in bilingual, dual language, and ESL classrooms. Grounded in the CBLI framework, this session highlights explicit instruction, structured discussion routines, visual scaffolds, and sentence rehearsal as tools to bridge content and language without lowering rigor. Participants will analyze classroom examples and teacher moves that position students as active meaning-makers who justify, question, and build on one another’s thinking. Educators will leave with practical, ready-to-implement strategies that elevate student voice and honor linguistic and cultural assets while strengthening mathematical achievement. -
NG
Advancing Claim-Evidence-Reasoning in Middle School: Bilingual Scaffolds and Structured Collaboration
Instructional Practices in Secondary DLBE ClassroomsNelia Gamez Lead
May 15, 9:45am – 10:40am55 minFiesta (Level: Ground Floor, Cap 30)Show details
This session models how middle school bilingual students use collaborative scaffolds to build Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) responses through structured discussion, reading, and reflection. Participants will learn how group work, academic talk, and guided supports lead students from co-constructed responses and presentations to independent short answers and full essays. The session provides practical strategies that strengthen both language development and critical thinking while promoting equitable participation. -
EC
Beyond the hype: AI Empowers Campeones del Lenguaje to Rise
Technology in Bilingual/ESL ClassroomsElmer Castro Lead
May 15, 9:45am – 10:40am55 minHickory (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 35)Show details
Artificial intelligence is increasingly present in classrooms, yet many bilingual and ESL educators are unsure how to use it in ways that meaningfully support language development and accountability measures such as TELPAS. This session focuses on everyday uses of AI tools (e.g., NotebookLM) to strengthen listening, speaking, reading, and writing in bilingual, dual language, and ESL settings.
Grounded in translanguaging and culturally sustaining practices, the session demonstrates how AI can function as a language scaffold, not a shortcut, supporting academic language growth. Participants will analyze classroom-ready examples that align to TELPAS proficiency descriptors and preserve instructional rigor and assessment integrity.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies for using AI to amplify student voice, increase access to grade-level content, and center lenguaje, cultura, y comunidad as students continue to rise as campeones de lenguaje. -
CM
Igniting Possibilities for Dyslexia Support in Dual-Language Programs
EBs with Diverse NeedsCeleste Martinez Lead with Karla Mariana Escobar
May 15, 9:45am – 10:40am55 minMaple (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 45)Show details
This presentation draws on the emerging research into multilingual and multimodal means of representation (Cioè‐Peña, 2022; CAST, 2024) for students with dyslexia in Dual Language and Bilingual Education programs (DLBE). Participants will identify specific strategies to implement in their classrooms by engaging with an interactive, composite case study. This composite case study highlights current practices to enable access to the curriculum. Participants will leave with resources on actionable strategies to implement in the classroom. -
Building Bridges Between Contemporary Music and Spanish Literature
Instructional Practices in Secondary DLBE ClassroomsEllen Flores Chavira Lead
May 15, 10:55am – 11:50am55 minFiesta (Level: Ground Floor, Cap 30)Show details
This presentation models how contemporary Spanish-language music can be used to build meaningful bridges to literary analysis in bilingual classrooms. Through classroom-tested pairings from AP Spanish Literature, participants will explore strategies that connect students’ lived linguistic and cultural experiences to canonical texts while strengthening biliteracy and critical thinking. The session is interactive and provides ready-to-use comparison prompts that position students as active interpreters, cultural experts, and advocates for their voices and identities. -
AI + ELPS: Streamlining Instructional Planning for EBs
Technology in Bilingual/ESL ClassroomsDelia Reveles Gauna Lead
May 15, 10:55am – 12:05pm70 minHickory (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 35)Show details
This session will demonstrate how to use AI to streamline planning and design instruction that support emergent bilinguals’ language development. By pairing practical AI workflows with explicit ELPS alignment, teachers can produce clear objectives, scaffolded lesson steps, and quick formative checks that elevate instruction and support students’ growth. -
CP
Empowering Multilingual Learners with Disabilities Through Universal Design
EBs with Diverse NeedsCarlos Perez Lead
May 15, 10:55am – 11:50am55 minMaple (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 45)Show details
Language becomes a tool of empowerment when all students can access rigorous academic content through multiple pathways. This innovative session demonstrates how Universal Design for Learning serves as a powerful framework to integrate evidence-based strategies that unlock academic language for multilingual learners, including English learners with disabilities. Participants will explore the synergy between UDL's three principles and structured instructional approaches: the 7 Steps to Language-Rich Classrooms, QSSSR (Question, Signal/Cue, Sentence Stem, Share, Assess), and Preview-View-Review strategies. Through hands-on practice with a dual language 8th grade US History lesson, educators will experience how sentence stems scaffold academic discourse, how multiple modalities support comprehension for students with reading differences, and how choice in expression honors both linguistic diversity and learning differences. Attendees will leave with a replicable lesson template that transforms any content area into a linguistically and cognitively accessible learning experience. When we design instruction that honors every student's linguistic assets while providing structured and explicit instructional support for academic language development and reading differences, we truly make language a source of power for all learners. -
MT
Beyond the Code: Building Language and Vocabulary Through Decodable Readers
Sponsored by Werling Nexus (Diamond) Sponsored SessionsMandy Turner Lead
May 15, 10:55am – 12:05pm70 minOak (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 45)Show details
Decodable readers are essential for building accurate word reading—but decoding alone is not enough. Beyond the Code: Building Language and Vocabulary Through Decodable Readers explores how educators can use decodable texts to intentionally strengthen vocabulary, oral language, and comprehension, especially for upper-elementary striving readers, students with dyslexia, and emergent bilingual learners. Participants will learn how to evaluate decodables for language richness, design instruction that supports both receptive and expressive language, and leverage culturally relevant texts to build meaning, engagement, and background knowledge while maintaining phonics integrity. -
Scaffold Writing Across Mixed Proficiency Levels
Instructional Practices in ESL ClassroomsAbraham Perez Lead
May 15, 10:55am – 11:50am55 minRiverwalk (Level: Ground Floor, Cap 40)Show details
This interactive session models a scaffold progression from vocabulary development to collaborative paragraph writing in mixed proficiency ESL/ELD classrooms. Teachers will explore how to use a visual stimulus to activate background knowledge and generate student created vocabulary, which is then analyzed and grouped by language features such as cognates, verbs, nouns, and synonyms to build metalinguistic awareness. Participants will engage in randomly grouping strategies where students collaboratively construct sentences based on group size, requiring each member to contribute one word, followed by whole class analysis of sentence structure and language targets. The lesson culminates in a roving paragraph activity that transforms oral rehearsal into written production, demonstrating how structured interaction, movement, and student generated anchor charts support academic writing development across proficiency levels. This progression centered approach shifts writing instruction from teacher centered delivery to scaffold, student driven language production. -
MC
“¡Juguemos! Let’s Play! Estrategias de vocabulario que incorporan el puente.”
Instructional Practices in Secondary DLBE ClassroomsMichelle Camacho Lead with Michelle Morales
May 15, 1:35pm – 2:45pm70 minFiesta (Level: Ground Floor, Cap 30)Show details
This interactive session will go over the what & why of traditional bridging, and showcase a variety of vocabulary strategies that can be used in any content area. -
Beyond Google Translate: Using AI to Support Biliteracy Development
Sponsored by TABE (Partner) Sponsored SessionsKarina Chapa Lead
May 15, 1:35pm – 2:45pm70 minOak (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 45)Show details
This session explores how artificial intelligence tools can move educators beyond basic translation to intentionally support biliteracy development. Participants will learn practical strategies for using AI to enhance reading, writing, and language transfer across English and Spanish, while maintaining linguistic integrity and academic rigor. The session emphasizes ethical use, culturally responsive practices, and classroom-ready applications that strengthen students’ bilingual identities and outcomes. -
LV
Voices Unlocked: Creating Digital Escape Rooms for Bilingual Classrooms
Technology in Bilingual/ESL ClassroomsLinda Esmeralda Villareal Lead
May 15, 1:45pm – 2:40pm55 minHickory (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 35)Show details
This interactive session demonstrates how to design escape rooms that combine digital platforms such as Google tools, Flippity, and Genially with hands on paper puzzles placed around the classroom to create engaging content review experiences for bilingual, dual language, and ESL classrooms.
Participants will first experience an escape room from the student perspective. The second portion of the session will guide educators step-by-step through the design process, equipping them with practical tools and templates to immediately implement escape rooms in their own classrooms. Aligned with the theme “Still We Rise: Campeones de lenguaje, la cultura, y la comunidad,” this session demonstrates how collaborative learning empowers students to rise as champions of their languages. -
Still We Rise: Creating Pathways for Bilingual Students in GT
EBs with Diverse NeedsDr. Apolonio Trejo Lead
May 15, 1:45pm – 2:40pm55 minMaple (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 45)Show details
This session explores the underrepresentation of bilingual students in Gifted and Talented (GT) programs and provides practical strategies for equitable identification, culturally responsive assessment, and inclusive instruction in bilingual, dual language, and ESL classrooms. Drawing on current research (Medina, 2025; Trejo, 2021), it highlights systemic barriers and emphasizes the value of students’ home languages, bilingualism, and translanguaging as assets for learning. Participants will leave with actionable tools to create pathways that honor bilingual learners as campeones de lenguaje, la cultura, y la comunidad. -
Jugando y Aprendiendo: Gamifying SWIRL in HS for Multilingual Success
Instructional Practices in ESL ClassroomsBailee Thompson Lead with Jose Solis, Myra Chavez, Edgar Sifuentes, Shantell Colebrooke
May 15, 1:45pm – 2:40pm55 minRiverwalk (Level: Ground Floor, Cap 40)Show details
Jugando y Aprendiendo: Gamifying SWIRL in HS for Multilingual Success
How do we move beyond passive language learning and create classrooms where Emergent Bilingual students actively engage in academic language across all domains? This highly interactive session showcases how the LEE High School ESOL and ELD team leverages gamification to promote SWIRL (Speaking, Writing, Interaction, Reading, and Listening) in culturally and linguistically responsive ways at the secondary level.
Participants will not just learn about strategies—they will experience them firsthand. Attendees will actively engage in a variety of classroom-tested games that promote academic language development, collaboration, and student discourse across content areas. Through guided play, participants will see how these strategies increase engagement while providing meaningful opportunities for students to practice language in authentic, low-risk environments.
Grounded in research on translanguaging (García & Wei), comprehensible input (Krashen), and Funds of Knowledge (Moll et al.), this session demonstrates how game-based learning supports both language acquisition and academic success while honoring students’ cultural and linguistic assets.
In addition, participants will take part in a “make-and-take” experience, where they will create and leave with ready-to-use game materials and templates that can be immediately implemented in their classrooms. Whether you are new to working with Emergent Bilinguals or looking to elevate student engagement, this session provides practical tools and strategies to transform instruction and empower multilingual learners. -
JR
Beyond Handwriting: Recognizing Dysgraphia in Emergent Bilingual Students
Technology in Bilingual/ESL ClassroomsJulissa Romero Lead with Lucia Cintron
May 15, 2:55pm – 3:50pm55 minHickory (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 35)Show details
Dysgraphia is far more than messy handwriting, and for emergent bilingual students, it can be even harder to see. This session explores how motor coordination challenges, spelling difficulties, disorganized written expression, and the complexities of second language acquisition can combine to obscure a very real learning difference. This presentation equips educators with the knowledge and tools to identify dysgraphia through a culturally and linguistically informed lens, ensuring that no student's struggles are dismissed as simply part of 'learning the language.' -
EBs, Former EBs, and Non-EBs: Developing Language in Diverse Classrooms
EBs with Diverse NeedsStephen Fleenor Lead
May 15, 2:55pm – 3:50pm55 minMaple (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 45)Show details
The modern general-education classroom is highly heterogeneous, with emergent bilingual (EB) students at different levels of English language proficiency, students with unique socioemotional needs, and students with diverse background knowledge about academic content.
How can we practically meet the language needs of all students in a diverse classroom? This session shows educators practical ways to meet students where they are at, give them a voice, and help to grow their language, self-confidence, and academic performance. Additionally, this session models how to achieve success for all students by making the development of academic language the primary objective of every lesson and challenging all students to engage with thinking and language at the highest levels of Blooms’ taxonomy. In this session, participants will:
• Engage as students in language-rich simulations
• Discuss with peers how second-language acquisition (SLA) strategies and diverse support can help all students realize their potential
• Learn how to give students a voice through open-ended, culturally responsive activities -
The Language of Discovery: Empowering Emergent Bilingual Scientists through Phenomenon
Sponsored by Summit K-12 (Diamond) Sponsored SessionsJessica Torres Lead with Jesse Garcia
May 15, 2:55pm – 4:05pm70 minOak (Level: 2nd Floor, Cap 45)Show details
By anchoring instruction in phenomena, 3-Dimensional science empowers Emergent Bilinguals to prioritize sensemaking over memorization, ensuring English proficiency is never a barrier to high-level discovery. This interactive session demonstrates how the 3-Dimensional model’s emphasis on scientific discourse and collaborative practices naturally aligns with the linguistic needs of all learners. Participants will learn to leverage the new Texas Science ELPS Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) to scaffold rigorous inquiry through translanguaging and academic discourse strategies. Leave equipped to foster a classroom culture where students use their diverse communication assets to argue, model, and think like scientists. -
GS
Rising Together: Elevating Language and Content Through Comprehensible Design
Instructional Practices in ESL ClassroomsGabriela Sandoval Lead with Heather Williams, Ariana Garza, Melissa Olivarez
May 15, 2:55pm – 3:50pm55 minRiverwalk (Level: Ground Floor, Cap 40)Show details
This interactive session highlights how intentional instructional practices in Content-Based Language Instruction (CBLI) empower educators to support emergent bilingual (EB) students in every classroom. Participants will explore how to design comprehensible learning intentions and align them with purposeful success criteria, using targeted EB supports as actionable “SWIRLing moves” that drive both language and content mastery.
Presenters will model how structured conversations, real classroom scenarios, and reflective planning can shift mindsets—helping all educators see themselves as language teachers. Through discussion, modeling, and collaborative practice, participants will engage in creating their own aligned learning intentions, success criteria, and SWIRLing with supports.