Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

DR-TESOL 2021 Annual Virtual Convention Program

Teaching English in a Blended Learning World
August 27th, 2021 at drtesol,org

Opening Words
9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Title Presenter

Building a Collegial Spirit for a National

English Language Education Policy Prof. Juan Valdez,
Executive Director,
Dominican Republic TESOL

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87451649608?pwd=UzFPZUhLSXNadC9wZnZjVzNkL1QxUT09

Meeting ID: 874 5164 9608 Passcode: drtesol

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Opening Plenary
9:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Title Presenter

Setting Course as Learners and Leaders in the Next Normal Dr. Laura Baecher
English teachers in the Dominican Republic and across the globe have navigated through radical Dr. Baecher is Professor of TESOL at Hunter
changes and developed even greater leadership skills. Where do we go from here? What College, City University of New York. Her recent
books are Reflecting on Problems of Practice in
commitments to learning and to our own professional journeys do we want to make? Let’s enter the TESOL and Video in Teacher Learning: Through
conference by considering who we want to be as educators and what course we wish to set for our their Own Eyes. She is the Professional
year to come. Development Blog author for TESOL, has served as
the TESOL International’s Teacher Education
Interest Section Chair, as an English Language
Specialist for the US Department of State, and as
President of New York State TESOL. The winner of
multiple awards for teaching and service, she is
committed to advancing the professional
knowledge base of educators in ways that build
community and sustain collaboration and
reflection.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87451649608?pwd=UzFPZUhLSXNadC9wZnZjVzNkL1QxUT09

Meeting ID: 874 5164 9608 Passcode: drtesol

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Morning Presentations:
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Presentation Presenter
COVID Blueprint: Practical Strategies for Teachers and Students
Dr. Hind Elyas
During these challenging times, educators worldwide had to find different ways to cope with the new Hind works as an English Instructor at Niagara
challenge of teaching online. In this session, the presenter will talk about different techniques and College in Saudi Arabia. She is a committee
member of the TESOL International PLN,
strategies teachers can use in their classrooms to encourage and keep our students engaged during Womentorship in ELT.
these challenging times.

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73533561691?pwd=Qmc2ZVdpSFRYVjRqRyttUVIyTG42QT09

Meeting ID: 735 3356 1691

Passcode: Gjes2p

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Presentation Presenter
Barriers Preventing Hispanics to Enter STEM Careers Dr. Rolando Casado
An experienced educator of 25 years earned a
Hispanic demographics are underrepresented in STEM careers. Identified barrier include poor Doctorate in Educational Leadership, a Master’s
mathematics achievement, low expectancy to succeed, and chronic absenteeism. Literacy acceleration in Curriculum, and a bachelor’s degree in
can build student capacity and comprehension across other subjects including mathematics. business administration.
Implementation of Socorro Herrera’s biography-driven instructional concepts may increase TESOL
students’ opportunities to compete in STEM careers.

https://uticaschools-org.zoom.us/j/97435439423

Reimagining Teaching with Images

Prof. David Lozano specializes in
We can’t escape the power of the visual image—and most of us don’t want to. We’ve grown Bilingual Education with a concentration in
accustomed to watching, not merely listening to, our music; radio gave way to TV, which gave birth Middle Grades from Laurens Institute for Higher
to MTV. Even our music is inseparable from images. Our grandparents grew up listening to the radio Learning, E.S.O.L. and Reading endorsements
from Northwest Georgia RESA, an ELE
for entertainment; kids today grow up watching YouTube. And the pace of this visual expansion certificate from the ACTFL, and training in the
accelerates. Today’s adolescents can aptly be called “screenagers”, as their screen time is not limited Identification and Education of Exceptional
Children.
to a television but has expanded to laptops, video games, tablets and smart phones. Within the next
six years, 90 percent of the content we’ll receive on our cell phones will be visual not verbal.

https://pearson.zoom.us/j/95255476351?pwd=dFhPRzc0SzMza0hYZ0FFU0Q0STJoQT0

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Dr. Kevin Carroll is a full professor at the

Translanguaging in TESOL: Tips to leverage students' linguistic resources University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras where he
coordinates the Master’s Program Degree in
Translanguaging is one of the most popular topics in applied linguistics. Yet many teachers TESL and Doctoral Degree in Curriculum and
and researchers still confuse it with code-switching. This session will cover basic definitions Instruction with a focus in TESL.
of translanguaging as well as some topics and tricks that will allow participants to build on
their students linguistic repertoires.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87919031685?pwd=NnIvYnpnM2ptRTBOMElqQ2tWY3RsZz09

Meeting ID: 879 1903 1685

Passcode: 661885

The Neuroanatomical Approach: Attention in the classroom Prof. César Caldas holds a graduate
Most of the times, attention has been explained as a skill, or even a habit. The Neuroscience degree from Universidad de Oriente, Santiago
de Cuba. He worked in that same University
has proved that those ideas are nothing but just myths. In my workshop, I will explain teaching several subjects, such as: Linguistics,
attention as a neuro-cognitive function of the human brain. Semiotics, Neuro Linguistic Programing, Theory
of Communication, and Speech analysis.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82806984947?pwd=Rll6RVBWUVVkMGNSOGhLU3pjcE43QT09

Meeting ID: 828 0698 4947

Passcode: 401192

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

How to Create Project-Based Learning with Art + Science for English Prof. Frederic Lim: Msc-Edu (City
Learners (PBL STEAM for ELLs) College, New York) and ESL/TEFL Certificate:
ESL teacher for 12 years (K-12); 6 years
university (Guatemala); Teacher Trainer;
Plant Club (Art + STEAM) allows students to explore, discover, and deliver unique products Specialist (Vietnam, Mexico, and China).
through Project-Based Learning. In this session, participants will learn low-tech models to
create sustainability lessons to develop students’ skills in growing plants, combining Art
with Science. Participants will learn how to create opportunities to share with local and
global classrooms.

https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kAKLWyfXN

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

All the live presentations will be accessible at drtesol.org in the Option Convention 2021

Please, make sure to have the Zoom App installed in your computer or phone.

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Afternoon Presentations
2:30 pm-3:30 pm
To participate, go to drtesol.org

Presentation Presenter
Bedtime Stories: Virtual Family Engagement Monica Baker is the President of New
York State TESOL. She teaches English to
elementary students and advocates for English
Family engagement can be challenging. This presentation will look at a bilingual family Language Learners in upstate New York.
literacy program that went virtual... and thrived. The presenter will share this unique
model of family engagement and explore how strong home/school connections can
support and empower multilingual learners and their families.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4754928401

Exploring a Writing Activity: How to Write an Introduction Prof. Pam Flores-Lowry taught
English as a Foreign Language, Spanish and
This presentation explores a lesson plan centered on developing students’ writing skills. Ancient Greek in Argentina for ten years.
The main objective is teaching students how to produce the opening of an introduction to Nowadays, she is teaching Spanish in New
a persuasive essay using knowledge of culturally appropriate forms and styles and with York.
a developing sense of degree of formality.

https://zoom.us/j/4989247093?pwd=ZUkwNmpjTG5iR0g0QlJEN281c3Rqdz09

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Presentation Presenter
It is easier to talk about Dominican rice than Apple Pie Prof. Alejandro Clavijo is an
The English language has been taught in Colombia for more than 60 years and so far only English teacher, content creator and
Director of More than English Colombia.
10% of the population can speak the language. This leads us to conclude the teaching of
English in Colombia has been ineffective. In this presentation we will share strategies used
to make English easily understood and close to our day to day life.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86431755011?pwd=bFlySTJIU2ZGbko3QzIra2JyNGJSUT09

Tips to Help Students Reconnect in the Classroom Prof. Joel Álvarez is the academic
Director of LETS Panama. He has an MA in
Students are excited and motivated to learn. Many, however, haven’t been socially TESOL, Education, and an MBA. He is has
extensive ELT experience in Panama and
connected for the past year and a half, so we need to have strategies in place that will abroad. He is a Panama TESOL former
build up relationship skills and encourage them to work together. president.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82650498842?pwd=TEl2Tjd6S1d1WFVUdjZYYUN2NVBVUT09

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Imposter Syndrome: How to Avoid Feelings of Insecurity When Teaching Prof. Hannah Smith
in your Non-Native Language
Hannah Smith holds a Master’s Degree in
In this presentation, we will engage in a panel discussion in order to debunk the TESOL and New York State Certifications in
prevailing notion that native speakers of English are the most effective teachers of the TESOL and English Language Arts. She has
language and explore ways in which non-native teachers of English can build confidence previously taught English in South Korea and
in their unique skills and abilities. We will review research on the effectiveness on non- Mexico and is currently an ENL teacher in the
native speakers of English as language teachers and share our experience as well as Utica City School District in New York.
having time for questions and discussion at the end.

https://uticaschools-org.zoom.us/j/97435439423

Meeting ID: 874 5164 9608 Passcode: drtesol

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Closing Plenary
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Title Presenter
Teachers are not the problem. Teachers are the solution.
Prof. Juan Valdez
This research-based presentation focuses on debunking the myths about the possibility of DR-TESOL’s Executive Director
learning English in Dominican public schools and how the wrong vision and agendas of Prof. Valdez is a specialist in bilingual
foreign political interests and local corporate groups may intend to assault the opportunity to education, educational research and
develop the area of English language learning in the Dominican Republic. technology, with more than 30 years’
experience in educational leadership. He
is currently the Director of Professional
Training Systems, Executive Director of
The Education Observatory, Academic
Director of the Saint Lawrence
International School and the proponent
of the Bilingual Republic Project for
Dominican Public Schools.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86253209710?pwd=ck9pdlQ1QVFJeXdoYUg2R0lhZjJjUT09
Meeting ID: 862 5320 9710
Passcode: drtesol

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.
 Dominican Republic Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

If you wish to attend in person, the event will be held at Politécnico Maria de la
Altagracia. Calle Ulises Heureaux, #16, Villa Duarte, Santo Domingo Este, from 8:30
AM to 4:30 PM.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/18%C2%B028'47.0%22N+69%C2%B052'45.7%22W/@18.4797
192,-69.8815527,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d18.4797192!4d-69.879364?hl=en

Please, call 809-594-9562 to confirm attendance in person and reserve your lunch
and snack.

Please, remember that in order to receive your certificate, you must attend at least one morning presentation and one afternoon presentation.