2026 Virtual Track
Virtual Keynote: Andrea Honigsfeld
Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is a professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy University, Rockville Centre, New York. Before entering the field of teacher education, she was an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher in Hungary (secondary and adult) and an English-as-a-second-language teacher in New York City (elementary and adult). She also taught Hungarian at New York University. She was a recipient of a doctoral fellowship at St. John’s University in New York, where she conducted research on individualized instruction. She has published extensively on working with multilingual learners and collaborative instructional practices. She received a Fulbright Award to lecture in Iceland in the fall of 2002.
Over the past 25 years, she has been presenting at conferences across the United States, Great Britain, China, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Sweden, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates. She frequently offers professional learning opportunities, primarily focusing on effective content and language integration strategies and collaborative practices for ELD and bilingual/dual language specialists and general-education teachers. She coauthored more than 60 articles and chapters, and coauthored or coedited more than 35 books, 14 of which are US national bestsellers.
Virtual Program
Note: You will select one session from each time slot to attend on the day of the event. You will not pre-register for virtual sessions.
All session times are listed in Central Time.
- 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.Welcome and Virtual Keynote
- 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.Teaching Newcomers and Caregivers: A Shared Language JourneyNewcomer students thrive when family partnership is treated as an instructional strategy, not an extra. This workshop shares a two-generation approach developed from teaching newcomer high school students and their caregivers in an adult ESL class. Participants will learn practical routines for trust-building, communication, and family-inclusive language support. Educators will leave with ready-to-use tools and an implementation plan. Presenters: Carolyn Monteiro and Angela Steward
- 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.Build Better Lessons: Integrating AI, UDL, and WIDA Without the BurnoutAre you frustrated by your curriculum not reaching all of the learners in your class? Are you wondering how to improve instruction for multilingual learners and students with disabilities? In our session, we will address how to overhaul unit lessons from existing curricula using principles of UDL, and how to use AI tools to integrate the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework in a way that benefits all learners. Presenters: Courtney Pierce and Alexa Viscardi
- 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.Building Content Teacher Capacity Through Collaborative Language‑Focused InstructionELD teachers have limited time with students, and multilingual learners spend most of their day with content teachers. This session provides practical tools that can be used to coach content colleagues on identifying and teaching the language of their discipline. Participants will learn WIDA‑aligned practices, examine real examples, and leave with a coaching tool and action plan to strengthen schoolwide language instruction. Presenters: Renee Hokanson and Katie Lazo
- 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.Bridging Dreams, Language, and Collective PossibilityThis session explores how educators’ lived experiences shape vision, advocacy, and instructional practice for multilingual learners. Participants will examine how collaboration, service-oriented leadership, and effective instructional practices can build collective capacity, strengthen academic language development, and create meaningful educational opportunities in their own school communities. Presenter: Maria Lopez
- 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.Beyond Silos: Cross-Functional Teams Driving Systemic CollaborationExplore how a school district implements WIDA’s Big Idea of Collaboration through a systemic Cross-Functional Team (CFT) model. This session demonstrates how interdepartmental structures build shared responsibility for multilingual learners’ success. Participants will examine effective CFT protocols and leave with practical strategies to break down silos and strengthen academic outcomes in their own districts. Presenters: Farhana Shah and Asha Jackson
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.Words Matter: Promoting Equity Through Vocabulary Instruction in the Math ClassroomThis session explores strategies to support multilingual learners in the math classroom. Participants will examine language demands in math tasks; practice scaffolds like visuals, sentence frames, and structured talk; and learn ways to integrate vocabulary and content instruction. Educators will leave with practical, equity-focused tools to help all students access, understand, and engage with rigorous math content. Presenter: Rita Paolino
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.Considerations for Making Accommodations Decisions on WIDA ACCESSCome to this session to learn about the accommodations students receive on WIDA ACCESS and WIDA resources on accommodations. Participants will gain insights from research on accommodations decision-making conducted by WIDA’s assessment team. The session will highlight the voices of study participants, including how educators engage students and families in the decision-making process. Presenters: Anna Rhoad-Drogalis and Kristen Burton
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.Supporting Multilingual Learners Through Clear ObjectivesClear lesson objectives are essential for multilingual learner access but are often overlooked. In this interactive session, educators will explore how WIDA- and SIOP-aligned content and language objectives drive instruction, assessment, and differentiation. Participants will analyze real lessons and practice revising objectives to support academic language development across proficiency levels. Educators will leave with tools ready for immediate classroom use. Presenter: Maleah Jackson
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.Beyond Quick Fixes: Schoolwide Language Development in High SchoolWhat does it take to move beyond quick fixes and build sustained language development in high school? This session explores a collaborative learning progression that leverages ELD expertise to support schoolwide instructional initiatives. Participants will leave with practical tools for planning, teaching, and leading academic language development. Presenters: Alyssa Williams and Michelle Hunsberger
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.How Do You Get Your Students to Work Like That? Instilling Motivation in Our Multilingual LearnersJoin us for an engaging session designed to provide you with practical strategies that will boost multilingual learners' motivation! You will learn a simple framework you can apply to any teaching situation. Whether you are a seasoned educator or are new to the field, this session will provide you with valuable insights and practical techniques to create the foundation for learning to flourish! Presenter: Elizabeth Goff
- 1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.From Talk to Text: Collaboration That Builds ACCESS ScoresTurn collaboration into measurable language growth. This interactive session models high-engagement speaking routines that work with any middle or high school ESL/ELA curriculum. Participants will practice protocols, apply scaffolds aligned with the WIDA Can Do Descriptors, and leave with ready-to-use templates and quick rubrics that strengthen academic conversations and convert talk into stronger writing for student success on WIDA ACCESS. Presenter: Angelina Martinez
- 1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.Collaborating Across Content Areas to Implement Schoolwide ELD Instructional RoutinesAttend this session to learn ways K–12 educators can accelerate multilingual learners’ academic language development across content areas. Explore how to collaborate with colleagues to implement consistent ELD instructional routines schoolwide. Participants will examine routines for structured partner interactions, explicit vocabulary development, building reading fluency, and analyzing writing exemplars, and will walk away with ready-to-use strategies. Presenter: Kate Kinsella
- 1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.Gateway to Collaboration: Bridging Structured Literacy, Intervention, and ELDIs there tension between ELA, literacy intervention, and ELD in your structured literacy model? This session explores practical ways to maintain the integrity of ELD while bridging instruction across these areas. Participants will use the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework and WIDA Language Charts to analyze student work, guide instruction, and strengthen collaboration. Presenters: Jenny Leroux and Heather Nyseth
- 1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.Building Gateways to Colaboración Through Instructional CoachingThis session explores how instructional coaching serves as a gateway to integrated content and language instruction for multilingual learners. Grounded in Knight’s partnership principles and systemic functional linguistics, participants will examine collaborative planning aligned to content standards and WIDA Key Language Uses. Educators will leave with practical coaching moves and planning tools that strengthen language development and access to rigorous instruction. Presenter: Ashlee Miller
- 1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.Equitable by Design: Embedding MLL Expertise Across MTSS and Eligibility SystemsHow do we ensure MTSS and disability-identification decisions truly account for language development? To help schools embed ML expertise into high-stakes decisions, this session introduces a research-based MTSS rubric and an MLL teacher checklist for eligibility-related meetings (evaluation, eligibility or IEP decision-making). Participants will leave with clear, adaptable structures to improve collaboration, equity and outcomes for MLs. Presenters: Jacqueline Barnette and Rachel Koester
Don’t miss out on a single moment!
Virtual attendees will receive access to recordings of all virtual sessions, as well as recordings of the in-person keynote presentations.
Justify Your Attendance
The WIDA Annual Conference is designed to meet the needs of today's educators to help you meet the needs of your multilingual learners. You'll experience interactive learning with innovative ideas to take home.
Does your boss need more convincing? Use our customizable letter to further justify your attendance.
Recording-Only Access
Interested in catching the virtual track on your own schedule? A recording-only option is available so you can participate in your own place, at your own pace. Recording-only participants will receive access to recorded virtual sessions and both the virtual and in-person keynote speakers on October 12, 2026. The recordings will be available through January 31, 2027.