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Saturday, March 8th, 2025
Cataldo Hall Globe Room at Gonzaga University

We hope to see you there!
Thank you to our Silver Sponsor: Data Recognition Corp. (DRC) / LAS Links

Registration Prices: 
  • $75 - February 28th to March 8th
  • $25 - Student with discount code (Contact us if you have questions or need the code.)

To register for the conference, please Sign up for SCHED or Log in to your SCHED account. 
Company: K-12 clear filter
Saturday, March 8
 

10:30am PST

PAWS: A Helpful Mnemonic for Accessible Lessons
Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am PST
Jepson 109
Differentiating can be overwhelming and seemingly impossible. How do we differentiate? PAWS - a mnemonic device used to keep differentiation in the forefront for educators to utilize, helping to ease teacher load and increase language and content gains. PAWS supports classrooms for success!
Presenters
avatar for Betsy Casteel

Betsy Casteel

Eld Teacher, Central Valley School District
Betsy Casteel has been the English Language Development Specialist/Teacher at North Pines Middle School in the Central Valley School District for almost 20 years where she advocates for multilingual learners at all levels. A graduate of Eastern Washington University (BAEd 2003) and... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am PST
Jepson 109
  Instructional Strategies

10:30am PST

Understanding and Implementing Differentiated Instruction
Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am PST
Jepson 108
This presentation explores key elements of differentiation and effective strategies to meet the needs of all students, including multilingual learners, special education, and gifted students. Participants will gain an understanding of differentiation and practical tools for adapting lessons.

Presenters
avatar for Thereza Vahlstrom

Thereza Vahlstrom

ELD Teacher, Mead School District
Thereza Vahlstrom holds a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language and a Bachelor’s degree in Letters. She is currently an ELD teacher at the Mead School District and occasionally teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at Whitworth University. In the past... Read More →
avatar for Heidi Kieper

Heidi Kieper

Special Education Teacher, Mead School District
Heidi Kieper is a National Board Certified teacher with a Master’s in Special Education, a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education, Reading and French, and is trained as a Child Life Specialist. She was raised bilingually (German and English) and has a great love for languages and... Read More →
avatar for Ireland Mayfield

Ireland Mayfield

Special Education Teacher, Mead School District
Ireland Mayfield is a Special Educator with a Bachelor’s in Special Education and Elementary Education who is pursuing her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. She has 6 previous years of experience working with individuals with disabilities at Easterseals Camp Stand By Me... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am PST
Jepson 108
  Instructional Strategies

10:30am PST

Developing a Marshallese Heritage Language Program
Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am PST
Jepson 124 BurlingtonEnglish Room
The Marshallese Heritage Language Advisory Board for Spokane Public Schools presents on their experiences developing a credit-bearing heritage language program for integration in the public high school setting of the United States. In an overview presentation on the program, they share key rationale, core cultural concepts, procedures, local and international partnerships, and more.
Presenters
DE

Darrell Enos

Marshallese Language Specialist, Spokane Public Schools
avatar for Dorcas Taidrik

Dorcas Taidrik

Spokane Public Schools
Dorcas Taidrik is a community leader and the Marshallese Heritage Language instructor for the newly developed Marshallese Heritage Language Program in Spokane Public Schools. She has served as an interpreter, translator, and community liaison in various organizations in Spokane including... Read More →
avatar for Doresty Daniel

Doresty Daniel

Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington
Doresty Daniel is the Community Wellness Program Manager for the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington (PICAWA) here in Spokane. She is a former Bilingual Specialist and Language Specialist for Spokane Public Schools and a founding member of the Marshallese Heritage... Read More →
avatar for Rick Kabua

Rick Kabua

Spokane Public Schools
Rick Kabua is the Marshallese Student Support Specialist for Spokane Public Schools and a founding member of the Marshallese Heritage Language Advisory Board. He is originally from the capital atoll of Majuro in the Ratak chain of the Marshall Islands and is the president of the Marshallese... Read More →
avatar for Rose Kabua

Rose Kabua

Marshallese Heritage Language Advisory Board
Rosa Kabua, wife of Rick Kabua, is from Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands and is a Patient Account Representative at Kaiser Permanente. She is a current member of the Marshallese Heritage Language Advisory Board, and a former member of the Marshallese Community Advisory. She... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am PST
Jepson 124 BurlingtonEnglish Room
  Other

10:30am PST

ChatGPT: Friend, Not Foe
Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am PST
Jepson 111
This presentation offers practical lesson plans and teaching ideas for those interested in incorporating ChatGPT into the language-learning classroom, with a particular focus on writing, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
Presenters
avatar for Audra Lord

Audra Lord

ELCAP Faculty, Highline College
Audra Lord is a tenure-track ESOL instructor at Highline College (Des Moines, WA).. Previously, she served as Academic Director of ALPS Language School in Seattle, where she designed curricula, supported and trained teachers, and taught all levels of ESOL. Other highlights: serving... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:15am PST
Jepson 111
  Technology

11:30am PST

Understanding Spelling: Linguistic Rules and Insight
Saturday March 8, 2025 11:30am - 12:15pm PST
Jepson 108
Revitalize your approach to teaching spelling with reliable, linguistically-based rules and fresh insight into morphology. Get a firmer grasp of the reasoning and patterns behind the seemingly random spelling of English words, and take away valuable tools for instilling this knowledge in students.
Presenters
avatar for Wendy Talené

Wendy Talené

Wendy Talené holds a BA in Applied Linguistics and worked at Canada Institute of Linguistics before becoming a mother. She has been a home educator for several years, developing a fresh approach to teaching spelling.
Saturday March 8, 2025 11:30am - 12:15pm PST
Jepson 108
  Instructional Strategies

11:30am PST

Open Forum: Allyship at Eye Level
Saturday March 8, 2025 11:30am - 12:15pm PST
Jepson 122
Local professors and community partners of the Marshallese Heritage Language Advisory program offer honest insights into the role of allyship in developing collaborative partnerships that decentralize whiteness and decolonize educational systems in the pursuit of equity.
Presenters
avatar for Anny Fritzen Case

Anny Fritzen Case

Gonzaga
Anny Fritzen Case has been involved in K-12 and adult ESL instruction and teacher training for over 20 years. Her scholarship focuses on multilingual learners, in particular, ways in which schools intentionally and unintentionally limit immigrant and refugee students’ access to... Read More →
avatar for Naomi Hagen

Naomi Hagen

ELD, Title III K-12 TOSA, Spokane Public Schools
Naomi Hagen is a dedicated teaching professional with 20 years of experience in the field of education including teaching, administration, and teacher training. Naomi has served on the WAESOL board for over five years as a member at large, assistant treasurer, treasurer, and recording... Read More →
avatar for James Hunter

James Hunter

Director, TESOL Programs, Gonzaga University
James Hunter has taught ESL/EFL for over 30 years and is the director of TESOL Programs at Gonzaga University. He has a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Birmingham, UK, and his research interests include Second Language Acquisition, corpus linguistics, instructional... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 11:30am - 12:15pm PST
Jepson 122
  Other

11:30am PST

Preparing Educators for Excellence in ESL: Competency Based Design
Saturday March 8, 2025 11:30am - 12:15pm PST
Jepson 111
This session explores a practicum course at Washington State University for ESL endorsement candidates. Focused on 10 core competencies, the course culminates in a portfolio showcasing mastery through lesson plans, reflections, and tools. Learn how this model provides excellence in preparing preservice ESL educators.
Presenters
avatar for Kelli Dahmen

Kelli Dahmen

ELD Specialist, Pullman School District
I have over 15 years of experience in ESL education, including 8 years at Washington State University's Intensive American Language Center and 7 years as an ELD Specialist with Pullman Schools. I hold a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 11:30am - 12:15pm PST
Jepson 111
  Professional Learning and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

11:30am PST

Heritage Language Gatherings Support SDOH
Saturday March 8, 2025 11:30am - 12:15pm PST
Jepson 123
Cultural consideration for the social determinants of health is essential for promoting mental health equity among immigrants. Manzanita House’s Heritage Language Gatherings create places of belonging that provide social connection & reduce isolation, supporting immigrant mental health.
Presenters
TS

Teresa Schock

Manzanita House
With 30 years teaching in settings that varied from high school Spanish, to preschool, to university ELD courses, Teresa Schock now connects the Spokane community more deeply with refugee and immigrant newcomers as the MH Community Engagement Coordinator.
SW

Samantha Walters

Manzanita House Spokane
IR

Irshad Rahimi

Manzanita House
Dr. Irshad Rahimi serves as MH Cultural Engagement Navigator, linking Spokane Public School’s ELD families with enrichment activities. He has degrees in dentistry and public health and speaks Dari, Urdu, Pashto, Hindi, and English.
Saturday March 8, 2025 11:30am - 12:15pm PST
Jepson 123
  Refugee and Migrant Issues

1:15pm PST

Embodied Storytelling: Marshallese Biit
Saturday March 8, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm PST
Jepson 122
In this session, members of the Marshallese Heritage Language Board engage their audience in a structured language learning experience through the Marshallese cultural practice of embodied storytelling called “biit”—a Pacific tradition of embodied storytelling through dance and movement. Participants will learn language, story, and cultural values from the iconic tales of the riMajel.
Presenters
avatar for Dorcas Taidrik

Dorcas Taidrik

Spokane Public Schools
Dorcas Taidrik is a community leader and the Marshallese Heritage Language instructor for the newly developed Marshallese Heritage Language Program in Spokane Public Schools. She has served as an interpreter, translator, and community liaison in various organizations in Spokane including... Read More →
avatar for Doresty Daniel

Doresty Daniel

Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington
Doresty Daniel is the Community Wellness Program Manager for the Pacific Islander Community Association of Washington (PICAWA) here in Spokane. She is a former Bilingual Specialist and Language Specialist for Spokane Public Schools and a founding member of the Marshallese Heritage... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm PST
Jepson 122
  Community Voices and Storytelling

1:15pm PST

Storytelling: Sounder, Trail of Tears, & Lakota Teen
Saturday March 8, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm PST
Jepson 109

Gafar (2024) found that “storytelling…is entertaining, interesting, and memorable.” This session demonstrates how Cherokee, African American, and Lakota elders tell stories in films to reinforce language learners’ identity while increasing listening, reading, and speaking skills. Materials are provided.
Presenters
avatar for LaVona Reeves

LaVona Reeves

Professor of English, Eastern Washington University
LaVona Reeves, past WAESOL President and board member, is an Eastern Washington University Professor of English & Gender Studies. She has taught English Language Learners in the NYC & Boise public schools and at Boise State, the University of Wyoming, Osaka University, and Harvard... Read More →
BB

Blair Benton

Education Student, Eastern Washington University
Blair Benton is an undergraduate at Eastern and loves to write—especially stories of her life and her family’s lives.  She brings many lived experiences to her writing and responding to peers in her literature class. Blair has not declared a major yet, but she is considering... Read More →
AT

Angus Trousdell

Education Student, Eastern Washington University
Saturday March 8, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm PST
Jepson 109
  Community Voices and Storytelling

1:15pm PST

AI As Teaching Assistant: Working Smarter, Not Harder
Saturday March 8, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm PST
Jepson 123
Learn to use AI tools as your teaching assistant to create differentiated materials, provide targeted feedback, and adapt content for various proficiency levels. This hands-on workshop provides practical strategies for reducing teacher workload while maintaining instructional quality.
Presenters
avatar for David Herman

David Herman

Clinical Assistant Professor of ESOL/Bilingual Education, University of Florida
Spokane native, David Herman, Ph.D., received his MA in ESOL from EWU and Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Technology from WSU. He currently works as Clinical Assistant Professor of ESOL/Bilingual Education at the University of Florida's College of Education where he teaches in the... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm PST
Jepson 123
  Technology

2:15pm PST

Rwandan Storytelling: The Difference Between Knowledge and Wisdom
Saturday March 8, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm PST
Jepson 122
Guest professor Dean Batuma provides a structured language learning experience in Kinyarwanda, engaging the audience in the storytelling practices of “The Land of a Thousand Hills.”
Presenters
DB

Dean Batuma

Language Specialist, Spokane Public Schools
Dean Batuma is a polyglot with years of experience in the field of interpretation and translation for the African Great Lakes community. He is the French, Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, and Kirundi Language Specialist for Spokane Public Schools as well as a guest professor in the Gonzaga... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm PST
Jepson 122
  Community Voices and Storytelling

2:15pm PST

Tools for Better Serving Newcomers and SLIFE Student
Saturday March 8, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm PST
Jepson 127
This session provides educators, administrators, and support staff with practical insights and resources to enhance the educational experiences and outcomes of newcomers and students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE).
Presenters
avatar for Katie Sperling

Katie Sperling

Multilingual Program Supervisor, OSPI
Katie Sperling, MIT - Multilingual Program Supervisor – OSPI Katie Sperling is a passionate advocate for Multilingual Education. She has taught in and led K-12 language development programs on the East and West sides of Washington State for the past 24 years.
Saturday March 8, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm PST
Jepson 127
  Instructional Strategies

2:15pm PST

Power in Community: Conversations of Advocacy, Engagement, and Opportunity for MLs
Saturday March 8, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm PST
Jepson 109
Feedback Survey
Multilingual learners (MLs) interact in spaces everyday with the greater community outside of the familiar welcoming spaces of our classrooms. As educators and advocates, we not only teach, but aid our students by forwarding resources or sharing important community information.  Bringing together a panel of community organizations that serve BIPOC and immigrant/refugees will explore the intersection of learning, advocacy, and community engagement for our learners. We also propose actions to support our students and community in an even more increasingly challenging environment for education and MLs.  
Presenters
AF

Asians for Collective Action

Asians for Collective Action
CM

Carl Maxey Center

Carl Maxey Center
LI

Latinos in Spokane

Latinos in Spokane
Exhibitors
avatar for Manzanita House

Manzanita House

Manzanita House
Saturday March 8, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm PST
Jepson 109
  Policy and Advocacy

3:15pm PST

Using Language Assessment Data to Impact EL Success
Saturday March 8, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm PST
Jepson 108
Advancing educational opportunities for ELs must include language assessment data to guide and monitor program implementation and track student language growth over time. This session will highlight the role of assessment and accountability to guide instruction and monitor student progress.
Presenters
avatar for Norma Godina-Silva

Norma Godina-Silva

Data Recognition Corp. (DRC) / LAS Links
During her 38 years in education, Dr. Godina-Silva has collaborated extensively with educators across the nation to support second language acquisition and dual language programs. She believes that the right use of data can ensure linguistic and academic progress and success for English... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm PST
Jepson 108
  Other

3:15pm PST

Does Morphology Matter for Multilingual Readers?
Saturday March 8, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm PST
Jepson 127
Students in middle schools need strong literacy skills across the content areas and engage with dense academic vocabulary. Come learn about a research study that examines morphology as a component of L2 English reading and discuss how we can use these insights to help guide multilingual readers.
Presenters
MT

Melissa Tobey LaBelle

Visiting Asst. Prof. of Secondary Education/Educational Leadership, Bridgewater State University
Dr. Melissa Tobey LaBelle is a former world language teacher—also trained to instruct English, ESL, and reading—who now focuses on training teachers. A native of Massachusetts, she is new to the Pacific Northwest and excited to meet fellow educators and collaborate with them to... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm PST
Jepson 127
  Research

3:15pm PST

Multilingual Identity Development
Saturday March 8, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm PST
Jepson 111
How can we implement systems which develop multilingual identity and culturally responsive pedagogy? Although it is easier said than done, success can only be achieved through collaboration across educational domains with student-centered intention.
Presenters
avatar for Joselyn Pierce

Joselyn Pierce

Whitworth University
Josie Pierce is an Assistant Director for graduate studies at Whitworth University. Prior to her time at Whitworth, she worked as an English Language instructor at the Global Language English Education (GLEE) Center in Gapyeong, South Korea. Josie will finish her M.Ed. this summer... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm PST
Jepson 111
  Research

3:15pm PST

Quick AI-Powered Strategies for ML Classroom Success
Saturday March 8, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm PST
Jepson 123
Discover how AI tools like ChatGPT can transform your teaching! This session equips educators with quick strategies to build background knowledge, vocabulary, and oral language opportunities for multilingual learners. Leave with practical ideas and tools for your tier 1 classrooms.
Presenters
avatar for Bridget Clark

Bridget Clark

K-6 ML Instructional Coach, Eastmont School District
Bridget Clark is an ML instructional coach with a background as both a classroom and ML teacher. She specializes in aligning ML instruction with tier 1 practices by designing resources along a structured Support Continuum. Bridget is passionate about integrating technology, such as... Read More →
Saturday March 8, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm PST
Jepson 123
  Technology
 
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Saturday, March 8
Globe Room - Cataldo Hall
Jepson 108
Jepson 109
Jepson 111
Jepson 122
Jepson 123
Jepson 124 BurlingtonEnglish Room
Jepson 127
  • Community Voices and Storytelling
  • Instructional Strategies
  • Keynote Panel
  • Networking
  • Other
  • Policy and Advocacy
  • Professional Learning and Interdisciplinary Collaboration
  • Refugee and Migrant Issues
  • Research
  • Technology
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