ESL Library Virtual Conference
Empowering Teachers in the Digital Age
Thanks for joining ESL Library and leading English language experts for a free two-day virtual conference to explore current teaching trends and the future of education technology. We connected with organizations and teachers, shared your experiences and expertise, and helped shape the future of English language education.
Meet the Speakers
These speakers presented at ESL Library Virtual Conference:
Russell Stannard
Russell is a multi-award-winning educational technologist known for his work in using technology to enhance feedback, online teaching, and blended or flipped learning. Russell currently works as a consultant on educational technology for Kings' College London and as an associate trainer for NILE's MA program. His YouTube channel has more than 60,000 subscribers.
Learn more about Russell on our blog!
Details to come
Dr. Margaret Malone
Margaret holds a PhD from Georgetown University and has more than three decades of experience in language education. Her expertise includes the development of language tests and materials, teacher training, data collection, and program evaluation. Her current research focuses on language assessment literacy, the influence of the Seal of Biliteracy on language teaching and learning, and the development of shortcut proficiency measures.
Learn more about Margaret on our blog!
Details to come
Dr. Katie Welch
For two decades, Dr. Katie Welch has taught and trained teachers at the K–12, adult, and higher education levels. She currently provides professional development to language educators through partnerships with institutions like the US Department of State and Cambridge University Press.
Learn more about Dr. Welch on our blog!
Details to come
Robyn Brinks Lockwood
Robyn is an active member of the international TESOL organization, a past chair of both the Materials Writers Interest Section and the Publishing Professional Council, and a frequent presenter at TESOL conferences. She has edited and written numerous textbooks, online courses, and video programs for second language learners and teachers. Her areas of specialty include academic writing and speaking, critical thinking, and flipped learning.
Learn more about Robyn on our blog!
Fely García López
Before her current role, Fely taught ELAR and ESL for 15 years and worked as an educational technology integration strategist. She is a fierce advocate for equity and inclusion in every classroom and learning community. Fely believes in “relationships before curriculum” and is dedicated to empowering every teacher and student to reach their fullest potential.
Learn more about Fely on our blog! To contact Fely, you can send her an email.
Ben Buckwold
After teaching in Tokyo, Japan, for five years, Ben launched Ellii (formerly known as ESL Library) in 2002 as a subscription-based resource site to help language instructors teach a better class, every class. Ellii is now one of the leading content platforms for English language teaching with subscribers in more than 10,000 schools worldwide, including K–12 schools, private language schools, post-secondary institutions, and online tutoring platforms.
Tara Benwell
As a former ESL teacher and now VP of Publishing at Ellii, Tara Benwell leads the Publishing team in creating relevant, high-quality content for English teachers. In the last 16 years, she’s written and revised hundreds of materials for a variety of sections, including her two favorites: Discussion Starters and Phonics Stories.
Tanya Trusler
Tanya oversees the Video team at Ellii, writes and edits scripts, produces content and marketing videos, and manages Ellii's two YouTube channels. Tanya has an extensive background in English language teaching, having taught learners of all ages and levels in Canada and New Zealand. Her favorite topics to create content for and teach are grammar and pronunciation.
Tammy Wik
Tammy manages outreach and teacher training at Ellii. She’s an English language professional with experience as a teacher, teacher trainer, test developer, and school director. Tammy is also an active member of the TESOL community and enjoys sharing her work through conference presentations and her co-authored article in the TESOL Journal.
Ann Dickson
Ann is an Adult Ed English language teacher and Ellii’s editor. She has worked extensively in both the teaching and publishing fields. Ann works closely with Ellii's writers, editing their print and digital materials. She also adapts content for Ellii’s digital platform and writes lessons and blog posts.
Program
This was our program for ESL Library Virtual Conference. Watch the recordings on YouTube.
Join us for live sessions and networking opportunities.
Coffee Talk with ESL Library: Making Grammar Fun and Relevant
Grammar doesn't have to be boring! Grab a beverage and join a few of ESL Library’s writers and editors for a chat about the evolution of grammar teaching. Gain insights and tips and discuss how to make grammar fun and engaging in your classroom.
Details TBA
Welcome Session: The Future of English Language Teaching
Join ESL Library's founder and CEO in reflecting on how language teaching has evolved over the years. This welcome session offers a glimpse into how improved technology will make language materials more adaptive, accessible, and relevant as we move into the future.
Details TBA
Making Our Lessons More Connected: What Blended Learning Really Means
Discover the key principles of blended learning and gain practical ideas for the classroom from language technology expert, Russell Stannard. This hour-long session highlights Russell's personal approach to organizing and delivering blended-learning lessons. Russell will also share ideas from engaging tools and technologies to show how and why every lesson should be connected to maximize the impact on student's learning.
Details TBA
Flipgrid and the Language Domains
With a high number of English learners in our classrooms, it is vital to design activities that target both academic and language needs. In this session, teachers learn how to get started with Flipgrid and create discussion topics that incorporate best practices for second language acquisition.
Details TBA
Lunch & Learn: Teaching Online with ESL Library
More than 10,000 schools worldwide trust ESL Library's digital teaching platform and materials. Join teacher trainer, Tammy Wik, for a quick overview on how to use the site and navigate its features: organize materials, teach online classes, assign digital homework, and see student progress in real time. This session is especially useful for anyone new to ESL Library or teaching online.
Details TBA
Assessment in the Digital Age: Maximizing Technology to Improve Relationships
The pivot to online learning has created both opportunities and challenges for developing and implementing assessments through media. This session describes ways to administer assessments in digital settings that maximize instruction and the connections between testing and learning while also fostering instructor-student relationships.
Details TBA
Digital Speaking Tasks for Assessment & Engagement
Learn about ESL Library's speaking tasks and how they can be used for student placement and assessment, in-class debates and discussion, and speaking practice outside the classroom.
Details TBA
Social Hour & Speed Networking
Connect with educators worldwide by joining a themed discussion table or participating in one-on-one speed networking. This session is an excellent opportunity to learn what other teachers are doing and share your own classroom experiences. Clever, Flipgrid, and ESL Library will have tables available to answer any questions you have.
Details TBA
Wrap-Up
Join us in reflecting on what we've learned at today's sessions.
Details TBA
Coffee Talk with ESL Library: Social-Emotional Well-Being
Let’s check in with each other and focus on our mental health! Please come and share your own thoughts and insights about building emotional resilience in our students and ourselves. We’ll explore our new Social-Emotional Learning collection and take requests for new materials related to mental health and well-being.
Details TBA
Welcome Session: Celebrating & Supporting English Language Educators
Join ESL Library's founder and CEO in recognizing and celebrating the importance of language teachers in a global community and learn about ESL Library's mission to support English language educators.
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SEL in ESL: How to Incorporate Social-Emotional Learning into Adult ESL Classrooms
Maximize human connection and mitigate Zoom fatigue by incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) into your ESL lessons. Attendees will learn how to structure online and face-to-face lessons around three signature practices for adult learners and will leave with a variety of practical, easy-to-implement SEL ideas.
Details TBA
Panel Discussion: Elevating Teachers' Voices & the Future of English Language Education Technology
Join our panel of industry experts for a discussion on trends in the English language education, publishing, and technology spaces. Our experts will share their perspectives on how best to incorporate these trends and teachers' voices into the future of English language education materials and technology.
Details TBA
Lunch & Learn: Teaching Online with ESL Library
More than 10,000 schools worldwide trust ESL Library's digital teaching platform and materials. Join teacher trainer, Tammy Wik, for a quick overview on how to use the site and navigate its features: organize materials, teach online classes, assign digital homework, and see student progress in real time. This session is especially useful for anyone new to ESL Library or teaching online.
Details TBA
Creating & Using Flashcards in the Language Classroom
Flashcards are a useful tool for teaching all language learners—from pre-school to business school! Join this session for ideas on how you can use ESL Library's printable and digital flashcards for assessment, classroom discussion, and introducing or reviewing vocabulary.
Details TBA
Social Hour & Speed Networking
Connect with educators worldwide by joining a themed discussion table or participating in one-on-one speed networking. This session is an excellent opportunity to learn what other teachers are doing and share your own classroom experiences. Clever, Flipgrid, and ESL Library will have tables available to answer any questions you have.
Details TBA
Wrap-Up
Join us in reflecting on what we've learned at this year's conference. Let's discuss how we can best support educators moving forward.
Details TBA
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