Keynote Speakers

Lorena Mancilla, Ph.D., WIDA Director of Early Years

Dr. Lorena Mancilla is an advocate for language learners and their families. In her career as an educator, she has worked in bilingual and ESL programs. Dr. Mancilla currently serves as Director of Early Years at WIDA. In her role, she oversees the development of resources that support young dual language learners in early care and education settings. At WIDA, she also served as the lead researcher and developer for family engagement initiatives, a professional development facilitator, and core member of the team that developed the WIDA Spanish Language Development Standards. Dr. Mancilla completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focused on Latino parent engagement in K-12 language education.

Keynote: Changing the Rules of Engagement: Considerations for Strengthening Family Engagement.

This session highlights the need to critically examine the “rules of engagement” that drive beliefs, conceptualizations, and school-based practices for engaging families in the education of their children. In particular, the focus will be on engaging with families that are racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse. The presenter will introduce participants to six key considerations for strengthening family engagement practices that are grounded in research and essential for building relationships with families. In addition, this session highlights the voice of families of K-12 English learners and presents examples of lessons learned from engaging with diverse families.

Tim Boals, Ph.D., WIDA Executive Director

Dr. Tim Boals is the Executive Director of the WIDA Consortium. He holds a Ph.D. in curriculum from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an emphasis in the education of English language learners. His background includes language education, educational policy for ELLs, and Spanish language and literature.

As the WIDA Executive Director, Tim oversees operations and long-range planning efforts. He serves on the WIDA Research Subcommittee and his research interests involve the interplay between content and language learning for English language learners across the language acquisition continuum and the effects of standards on classroom practice for these learners. He has recently collaborated on articles about re-conceptualization of academic language and the evolving construct of English language testing, the books "Multilingual Learners and Academic Literacies" and "Formative Language Assessment for ELLs," and a book chapter on supporting ELLs with special needs. Tim frequently presents at national and regional conferences on the challenges facing ELLs and how schools and educators can better meet their needs.

http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/About/Staff/1410

Keynote: Promoting Multilingual Student Engagement and Success.

This session will begin with a look at the latest recommendations for creating and sustaining culturally and linguistically engaging spaces for young multilingual learners within which to interact. A video exemplar will illustrate the teacher’s role in facilitating these interactions. These spaces should ensure that language use is promoted in authentic and engaging ways, building on students’ L1 and C1 even as children become more adept at beginning to learn English. The session will then introduce participants the latest WIDA and WIDA Early Years resources designed to assist teachers in creating similarly engaging spaces both in English and the children’s primary languages throughout the school day.

Presentation Topic: Parent communication; the vital link in bilingual Early Childhood Education (ECE)

Presentation Topic: Vocabulary Building Activities

Subject to further updates

Friday, February 2, 2018

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Subject to further updates and changes

Check Guidebook for updated Bus times departing to/from hotel and host school