Free for members! Join us on Thursdays through May 14 for a webinar series to support finishing this school year strong!
April 16: "Goal setting and feedback in the language classroom" with Stephanie Bellot-Donaldson, 2026 ACTFL TOY Finalist
Stephanie Bellot-Donaldson is a first-generation American from Argentina, a National Board Certified Teacher in Early and Middle Childhood Literacy, and the 2025 SCOLT Teacher of the Year. She teaches Spanish Immersion at Hawthorne Elementary in Louisville, Kentucky, and is a 2026 New Leaders Council Fellow focused on advancing childhood literacy for newcomer families.
April 23: "Your Oasis for the Coming Tech Desert" with Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell, KWLA Secretary
Remember when #edtech was forefront in our minds and at our conferences and we were starstruck by all the shiny things the technology could do? In today's screen-heavy environment, education is undergoing what is probably a much-needed reality check on how all that screen time may have distracted us and our students from the kind of learning that's best for our brains. And it's not going to stop at less phone access. In world language teaching, we have the opportunity to use this correction to refocus on what really works for developing proficiency anyway: hands-on experience with the language. In this session, we'll explore, brainstorm, and walk away with strategies that will help us be prepared for the probable reality of less technology access in the classroom, but more importantly, return us to more of the sociocultural learning that is critical to successful language acquisition.
Once upon a time, Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell taught Spanish, trained teachers, and blogged about it all at Musicuentos.com, presenting and collaborating across the country on what steps bring real gains in curriculum development and classroom practice for world language teachers. These days, she teaches kids from kindergarten to college, focusing on learners who need help speaking English, writing better, or teaching in future classrooms.
BONUS! Monday, April 27: LIIINK Finale
April 30: "AI as a Bridge: Expanding Authentic Language Input in Non-Immersion Learning Environments" with Na Li, 2025 KWLA TOY
World language teachers in small-town or non-immersion contexts often face a shared challenge: students have limited access to authentic oral language beyond the classroom. Without sustained exposure to real-world input, learners may struggle with listening comprehension, confidence, and communicative competence. This session explores how thoughtfully integrated AI and digital tools can expand students’ access to meaningful oral language while maintaining a proficiency-oriented, human-centered pedagogy. Drawing on classroom practice and research-informed principles of second language acquisition, the presenter will demonstrate practical strategies for using AI to provide authentic oral language practice beyond the classroom, scaffold meaningful interaction, and create low-anxiety opportunities for communication.
May 7: "Building Community with Special Person Interviews" with Donna Tatum-Johns
Special Person Interviews are a flexible, engaging routine that help students feel seen, heard, and valued — at any level. These brief, personalized conversations fit seamlessly into daily instruction, recycle high-frequency language and support comprehension. They also create natural opportunities to co-create texts — capturing key details, revisiting conversations and building shared class narratives that deepen understanding.
Donna Tatum-Johns is a veteran French educator with 36 years of classroom experience and more than two decades of work with Acquisition-Driven Instruction (ADI). Her shift to an acquisition-focused approach led to increased enrollment, improved retention, and strong student outcomes on assessments, including the AAPPL, AP exam, and National French Contest. A sought-after presenter, Donna has led workshops at local, regional, and national conferences for more than 20 years. She currently serves as a Professional Learning Specialist at The Comprehensible Classroom.
May 14: "ET Phone Home: A closer look at classroom, student-centered management in World Language Classrooms using ELEOT!" with Dr. Nicole Rouse, JCPS World Language Specialist
Dr. Nicole Rouse is a dedicated educator with 20 years of experience teaching and leading in both rural and urban settings across Kentucky, in private and public schools. As a teacher, teacher leader, positive behavior intervention coach, academic instructional coach, principal, and now the JCPS World Language District Specialist, Dr. Rouse will share strategies to reduce teacher stress in the world language classroom and increase focus on high expectations for students. Using the ELEOT, we explore what a highly structured, student-centered world language classroom looks like, feels like, and sounds like, so we can become more curious about strategies that hold students accountable for learning.