Fall 2026 CoTESOL Convention: Full Schedule

Welcome to the 48th Annual CoTESOL Fall Convention!
Dates: November 14-15, 2025
Location: The Conference Center, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, 1500 E. 128th Ave., Thornton, CO 80241

9:50am MDT

Making Complex Text Accessible to Experienced Multilinguals

Saturday May 9, 2026 9:50am - 11:20am MDT

Piñon Pine

This session addresses the specific needs of multilingual learners who have reached the ‘developing’ stage of language acquisition. These students in grades 3-12 can decode text, but they may not always understand what they’ve read. This session provides concrete strategies for making even grade-level content texts comprehensible for these students.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.11 Quality Standard III; 5.11(2) ELEMENT B

Audience: Secondary Education (SE)

Speakers

Beth Skelton

Consultant, Educational Consultants, LLC

Beth Skelton @easkelton has over 30 years of experience as a language educator and holds a master’s degree in multicultural teacher education. She has worked with early childhood, elementary, middle, high school and adult language learners in rural, urban, suburban, and international school settings... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 9:50am - 11:20am MDT
Piñon Pine

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Workshop (1 hr. 30 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

10:45am MDT

Bringing High School Multilingual Students Together: DCSD's Youth Multilingual Conference

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am MDT

Dogwood

In spring 2025, Douglas County School District hosted its first ever Youth Multilingual Conference, designed to connect multilingual high schoolers from across our schools. In this session, we will discuss how we planned it, what went well, and how you can bring the idea to your school, district, or region.

Audience: Secondary Education (SE)

Speakers

Jesse Van Divier

ELD Teacher, Douglas County School District / Legend High School

Saturday May 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am MDT
Dogwood

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)

11:10am MDT

Mastering Academic Vocabulary and Content: Practical Routines for Secondary ELLs

Saturday May 9, 2026 11:10am - 11:30am MDT

Executive Board Room "Teaching Tips Theatre"

This presentation provides a research-driven, no-preparation classroom routine designed to aid secondary ELLs in their effort to learn, use, understand, and remember academic vocabulary. This easy-to-implement routine also provides ELLs of all proficiency levels with a deeper understanding of the content taught in their core classes.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.11(2) ELEMENT B

Audience: Secondary Education (SE); Content Area (CA)

Speakers

Mishelle Kehoe-Seamons

Researcher, Brigham Young University

Saturday May 9, 2026 11:10am - 11:30am MDT
Executive Board Room "Teaching Tips Theatre"

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Teaching Tip (20 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

1:00pm MDT

A Whole New World: Preparing Newcomer Students for Classroom Success

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT

Flatirons

In this session, National Geographic Learning (NGL) will present ideas to engage middle and high school newcomers with the basic academic language and literacy skills they need. Attendees will gain practical strategies from NGL programs they can use right away to support students’ needs—from learning the alphabet to mastering content-area vocabulary.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.11(2) ELEMENT B

Audience: Secondary Education (SE)

Speakers

Robin Amrine

National K-12 MLL Content Specialist, National Geographic Learning/Cengage

Robin Amrine holds a MA in Bilingual and Multicultural education and has worked as a K-8 teacher, Adult ESL instructor, teacher trainer, educational consultant, and adjunct professor for the Teacher’s College at Western Governors University. As an educational consultant, Robin... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Flatirons

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Exhibitor
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

1:00pm MDT

EFL Online Teaching/Learning: Insights from the Cameroon Distance Education Center

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT

Dogwood

This session explores EFL online teaching insights from the Cameroon Distance Education Center, focusing on strategies for engaging secondary and high school learners in resource-constrained environments. Participants will discover practical activities and digital tools used, gaining adaptable techniques for diverse online EFL contexts.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.11(2) ELEMENT B

Audience: Secondary Education (SE); Adult Education (AE); Intensive English Program/Higher Education (IEP/HE); Teacher Education/Action Research (TE/AR); Educational Technology (TECH)

Speakers

Robert Kenfack

English and French Language Teacher, Ministry of Secondary Education Cameroon/ Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers Association (CAMELTA)

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Dogwood

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

1:00pm MDT

Global Citizenship in the Language Classroom: Teaching the UN SDGs

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT

Snowmass

Discover how to bring global issues into the classroom by integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This interactive workshop offers practical strategies, engaging activities, and adaptable resources to help foster global citizenship, cultural awareness, and sustainability through language teaching.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.11 (2) Element B

Audience: Secondary Education (SE)

Speakers

Erik Wennermark

Instructor, CU Denver - ESL Academy

Erik Wennermark has been teaching English as a Foreign Language since 2011, when he moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and received a CELTA certification. He quickly gravitated towards teaching college preparatory courses in Vietnam and then on to working in Universities or Colleges... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm MDT
Snowmass

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)

2:00pm MDT

Broadening Access to the Seal of Biliteracy in Rural & Mountain Districts: A Peer-Led Dialogue

Saturday May 9, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT

Cottonwood

Peer-to-peer dialogue on expanding equitable access to the Seal of Biliteracy in rural districts. Dr. Salinas will share his Spring 2025 research to provide insights on advising students, and address barriers like transportation, staffing, and assessment. Participants share practices, trade tools, design next steps, and leave with an action plan.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.10 (2) Element B

Audience: Secondary Education (SE); Elementary Education (EE)

Speakers

Dr. Miguel Salinas

Associate Professor of Teacher Education, Colorado Mountain College

Saturday May 9, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Cottonwood

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Dialogue (45 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

2:00pm MDT

SE SIG FEATURED SPEAKER: Every Teacher is a Language Teacher: Building Systems that Empower CLDE Staff and Multilingual Learners

Saturday May 9, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT

Aspen

As the population of multilingual learners continues to grow across Colorado, schools face the dual challenge of ensuring equitable access to content while accelerating language development. This session will highlight how Harrison School District 2 is reimagining professional learning through a coaching model grounded in Jim Knight’s Impact Cycle and districtwide initiatives such as Newcomer Support, Co-Teaching Academies, Comprehensible Input, Translanguaging, and increasing high-quality student output.
Participants will explore how to design and implement systems that (1) empower CLDE teachers as experts in their buildings, (2) position every teacher as a language teacher, (3) provide asset-based support for students and families, and (4) hold staff accountable for student growth without losing the relational core that makes professional learning effective. Attendees will leave with ideas and examples that they can adapt to their own contexts.
This session is designed for educators, coaches, and leaders who want to move beyond compliance and create sustainable, relationship-driven systems that raise expectations and outcomes for multilingual learners.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.12(1) ELEMENT A

Audience: Secondary Education

Speakers

Tamie Hollon

CLDE Director, HSD2

Tamie Hollon has been dedicated to education for over 24 years, serving multilingual learners and their teachers with passion and vision. She has taught across all grade levels, K–12, creating inclusive and engaging classrooms with high expectations so that all students thrive... Read More →

Saturday May 9, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm MDT
Aspen

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Invited Speaker
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

3:00pm MDT

Developing and Piloting a Secondary Newcomer Welcome Week

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm MDT

Snowmass

The presenters partnered together to design a welcome week for secondary newcomer students. They will describe the collaboration between the facilitators and the district, logistics of program and material development, successes and challenges of the pilot, next steps, and recommendations for others interested in doing something similar.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.09 Quality Standard I; 5.09(1) ELEMENT A

Audience: Secondary Education (SE)

Speakers

Audriana Alvarado

CLDE Newcomer Instructional Coach, Harrison School District 2

Stephanie Dewing

Associate Professor of Education, University of Southern California

Mary Hanson

Associate Teaching Professor, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm MDT
Snowmass

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

3:00pm MDT

Supporting Secondary Students New to Country

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm MDT

Flatirons

Using two Denver case studies, participants will be able to understand wholistic program elements crucial to success for secondary sife students. Program design, high school trajectories, community engagement and leadership training will be discussed. Participants will leave with concrete ideas for how to fine tune their current program to meet the urgent needs of our secondary students new to country.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.10 Quality Standard II; 5.10(2) ELEMENT B

Audience: Secondary Education (SE); Intensive English Program/Higher Education (IEP/HE); Socio-Political

Speakers

Jen Hanson

Director, Multilingual Education, Cherry Creek Schools, Cherry Creek School District

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm MDT
Flatirons

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

3:00pm MDT

Teaching English and High School Agency to Highly Mobile Agricultural Students and Out of School Youth through the Title I-C Family Education Program and the Innovative Services for Out of School Youth’s Supplementary Academic Activity Program

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm MDT

Cottonwood

Presentation of virtual/in-person programs with promising strategies for engagement, language learning, building essential skills, and increasing academic growth, participation, and retention in the education system. Featuring a summer virtual course focused on academic language and teaching high school knowledge (credit system, required courses, extracurriculars, and the importance of graduation or its equivalency).

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.11 (2) Standard B

Audience: Secondary Education (SE); Teacher Education/Action Research (TE/AR)

Speakers

Paulina Cisneros

Daisy Fuentes

Title I Administrator, Centennial BOCES

Lauren Radin

Principal Consultant / Student Pathways Unit, Colorado Department of Education

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm MDT
Cottonwood

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

3:25pm MDT

"Proud to Be Bilingual" Project

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:25pm - 3:45pm MDT

Executive Board Room "Teaching Tips Theatre"

ACCESS testing season is a high-intensity, high-stress time for multilingual students. To offer some balance, this session highlights a "Proud to Be Bilingual" project as a way for students to celebrate their cultural and linguistic strengths and interests in a middle school classroom.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.09(1) ELEMENT A; Option 1: 5.09 Quality Standard I

Audience: Secondary Education (SE)

Speakers

Lauren Plomer

English Language Development Teacher, Overland Trail Middle School, 27J

Saturday May 9, 2026 3:25pm - 3:45pm MDT
Executive Board Room "Teaching Tips Theatre"

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Teaching Tip (20 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

10:45am MDT

ELL Strategy Library from Colorin Colorado!

Sunday May 10, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am MDT

Cottonwood

This session addresses the specific needs of multilingual learners who have reached the ‘developing’ stage of language acquisition. These students in grades 3-12 can decode text, but they may not always understand what they’ve read. This session provides concrete strategies for making even grade-level content texts comprehensible for these students.

CDE CLDE Credit: 5.12 Quality Standard IV Element A

Audience: Elementary Education (EE); Secondary Education (SE)

Speakers

Beth Skelton

Consultant, Educational Consultants, LLC

Sunday May 10, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am MDT
Cottonwood

Secondary Education (SE)

Speaker Type Academic
Session Type Presentation (45 min.)
CDE CLDE Credit CDE CLDE Credit

9:50am MDT

10:45am MDT

11:10am MDT

1:00pm MDT

1:00pm MDT

1:00pm MDT

2:00pm MDT

2:00pm MDT

3:00pm MDT

3:00pm MDT

3:00pm MDT

3:25pm MDT

10:45am MDT

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