Skip to main content

My CATESOL Takeaways

 

Hello Everyone!

I have so much enjoyed the conference on the days it happened as well as dipping into the CATESOL sessions over the course of the week! I spent my morning preparing my coffee, cozying up on my couch in my pajamas, and listening to inspiring session that have really reminded me why I love this field so much!

Overall thoughts on the virtual format

The Pros of virtual conferencing

Okay. One thing to note that I thought was so great is that we have access to these presentations until 2025! Usually there is this conflict inside me. 

"Do I choose a super interesting session over a super intriguing session?" 

"Am I going to miss out on something great if I choose this other session?"

"Dang! I really wish I could go to both!"

Well, I didn't have to wrestle with this because I knew I could go back and watch it later. I really love this idea and hope this is something that carries over to future CATESOL conferences!

One of the cons

One thing I missed that this conference didn't have was the conversation amongst the participants. I have always seen these conferences as a way to network with other TESOL instructors. I enjoyed meeting up with people, having conversations about the sessions, and asking more seasoned instructors questions about things like AB-705 or classroom practices. I am looking forward to having this aspect back when things get better.

Some sessions I attended

A few of the sessions I have seen have been

  • Language as a Vehicle for Connection and Belonging (Keynote)
  • The Advocacy Institute PCI: Defining Linguistic Equity for California Community Colleges
  • The Impact of School Closures on ESL Student Learning in the Pandemic
  • Preparing Future ESL/EFL Teachers: From Theory to Practice

One session in particular that has stuck with me

My favorite one so far has been the "Defining Linguistic Equity for California Community Colleges".

I was curious to see what the conversation around equity looks like in the community colleges. I have some experience working in a community college, but I have been curious to hear about what is being done to actually ensure community colleges are implementing equitable programs. I learned a lot, and I learned that I have a lot to learn. I have heard of things like AB-705 and have been exposed to the importance of collecting data for funding but I didn't realize how much these impact howe we teach our students!

Okay, so this is just one of the MANY things I learned that was brand new to me. There are these education codes (EC) that community colleges have to abide by. EC 78222 basically states that schools cant discriminate funding based on race, gender, etc. Every school has to have an Equity plan (EC 78220) which ensures that certain populations of students are receiving funding to support learning. In order to figure out which populations get a certain amount of funding, the institution relies on data. There are about 7 different categories for data collection, but none of them focus specifically on English language learners. ELLs can fall under other categories such as DSPS, Foster care students, people of various ethnicities, but ELLs do not have their own category. 

So how are we supposed to take care of this population of students if we are not even collecting data on these students? Some of the concerns educators brought up during the session was that they were worries the institutions would only rely on numbers to provide funding. 

One other thing I am curious about that was mentioned was the Common European Framework of reference/Global scale of English. I really did not understand fully what this was. This was mentioned in a few of the sessions I attended and seemed commonly known in the ESL world. I will need to do more research on this particular topic. 

Resources/activities


I didn't look too much into the resources/activity sessions. I tended to gravitate to more theoretical or practical studies done by educators in the field. I will continue to watch more and more of these sessions over the next few weeks and can include some of my favorite resources/activities here. 


I really appreciated the opportunity to learn from so many incredible, passionate educators. TESOL is truly a remarkable field.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EdTech Tool Presentation

    Each presentation was amazing. I learned many new features from my team. I might use some of them in my future classes. I like learning something new from others because each of us has a different expectations and world view. I believe the reading platform can be helpful for students who wants to read more and for students who do not like to read. Also, it will help teacher to get themselves ready for the discussion in the class, especially it can be useful for teachers at the beginning of their career.  Pear Desk is interesting and help to set up a visual learning and build a community, and it might be right decision to pay for a good platform. However, it is a plenty of technology to use that is free of charge. I think anyone can find their preferable technology to use in the classroom environment. The Lyricstraining is cool. Everyone loves listening the music, and so many people start to learn English, including myself, to understand the meaning of their favorite s...
1 comment
Read more

Aha! Moments in EdTech Tools Presentation-Meilin

     Hi guys!       Thank you for sharing these fantastic EdTech tools, which allowed me to experience the infinite possibilities that technology brings to the classroom  again . By incorporating tech tools like AI, for instance, teachers can develop more creative and innovative lesson plans to hold students' attention. Technology can enhance individual learning, removing traditional educational boundaries that teachers may face, especially in the current trend of "online education" and "distance learning," appropriate tech tools can improve students' learning quality. " Pear Deck " that makes slides more interactive. Students can draw, write and respond to questions created by teachers on slides. It is undoubtedly an excellent way to keep the classroom active and fresh. Pear Deck can provide teachers with activities throughout the entire lesson: at the beginning of the lesson (check prior knowledge, ask students what they are curious about);...
1 comment
Read more

Happy Friday!

  Reflections on Week 5 As always I'd like to try out some of the functions of the tech tool we're using, so I'm starting with a picture of my backyard. I may have mentioned before that I've gotten in the habit of sitting on the patio and studying or drinking my coffee most mornings. Though lately there've been a lot of mosquitoes so it's been harder.  I can't believe it's week 5 already, I don't think that truly hit me until I started writing this blog post. Of course, I saw it this week when accessing Blackboard for homework, but I guess I wasn't really paying attention. I also just submitted my petition for graduation in the Spring so that was also crazy. It really brought it home to me that we just have 1 semester to go. We can do this!  The past few weeks have been really busy and I'm guessing the next few weeks will too because my sister's wedding is next Sunday! I am so happy that this week we'll be focusing on the CATESOL conf...
1 comment
Read more