{"id":7524,"date":"2026-01-14T22:12:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T03:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/?page_id=7524"},"modified":"2026-01-21T01:20:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T06:20:51","slug":"multilingual-magic","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/events\/petec-2026\/multilingual-magic\/","title":{"rendered":"Multilingual Magic for Linguistic Empowerment"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Multilingual Magic for Linguistic Empowerment<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"color: white; background-color: #4472c4; text-align: center;\">Wednesday, February 4, 2026 \u2b25 9:30 AM \u2013 10:20 PM<br \/>\nPresented by Melissa Henning<\/h3>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #b90843;\">Session Description:<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Unlock your multilingual learners&#8217; potential with cutting-edge tools and strategies. Discover how to create inclusive and engaging environments that enhance fluency and comprehension. Transform your teaching, amplify student voices, and bridge language gaps. Join this session to revolutionize multilingual education.<\/p>\n<h3>Download a PDF copy of the slides <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Pete-2026-Slides-Multilingual-Learners.pdf\">here<\/a>.<\/h3>\n<h2 style=\"color: white; background-color: #b90843;\">Resource Materials:<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In this <em><strong>Resource Materials<\/strong><\/em> section, you will find reference materials, tutorials, and how-to information that will help you review or extend your knowledge from the presentation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Resources from TeachersFirst<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"zfr3Q CDt4Ke \" dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a class=\"XqQF9c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/content\/esl\/adaptstrat.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"C9DxTc aw5Odc \">Adapt-A-Strategy<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"zfr3Q CDt4Ke \" dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a class=\"XqQF9c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/spectopics\/enl.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"C9DxTc aw5Odc \">Multilingual Special Topics Collection<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/spectopics\/gblmll.cfm\">Game-Based Learning for Multilingual Learners Special Topics Collection<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\">OK2Ask (free, on-demand recording): <a href=\"https:\/\/the-source-for-learning.trainercentralsite.com\/course\/ok2ask565#\/home\"><span class=\" aw5Odc\">Tech-Tool Smackdown Multilingual Learner Edition<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\">Blog Post:\u00a0<span class=\"C9DxTc \">Infusing Technology Blog (<\/span><a class=\"XqQF9c\" href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.com\/blog\/tag\/mll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"C9DxTc aw5Odc \">posts related to multilingual learners<\/span><\/a><span class=\"C9DxTc \">)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">Blog Post: <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/2024\/07\/tech-tool-of-the-month-padlet-part-1-2\/\">Tech Tool of the Month &#8211; Padlet<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">Blog Post: <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/2025\/11\/tech-tool-of-the-month-wordwall-part-1\/\">Tech Tool of the Month &#8211; Wordwall<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">Blog Post: <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/2024\/03\/tech-tool-of-the-month-teachvid-part-1\/\">Tech Tool of the Month &#8211; TeachVid<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"zfr3Q CDt4Ke \" dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">TeachersFirst Review &#8211; <a class=\"XqQF9c\" href=\"http:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/single.cfm?id=19888\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"C9DxTc aw5Odc \">Magic School AI Review<\/span><\/a><span class=\"C9DxTc \"> (YouTube Question Generator, Text Summarizer, Professional Email Maker, and more)<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">TeachersFirst Review &#8211; <a class=\"XqQF9c\" href=\"http:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/single.cfm?id=19176\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"C9DxTc aw5Odc \">TeachVid Review<\/span><\/a><span class=\"C9DxTc \">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">TeachersFirst Review &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/single.cfm?id=19152\">Wordwall Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">TeachersFirst Review &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/single.cfm?id=10007\">Padlet Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">TeachersFirst Review &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/single.cfm?id=18342\">Immersive Reader<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Articles<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"zfr3Q CDt4Ke \" dir=\"ltr\"><a class=\"XqQF9c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.multilinguallearningtoolkit.org\/instructional-strategies-resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"C9DxTc aw5Odc \">Instructional Strategies &amp; Resources &#8211; Multilingual Learning Kit<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"zfr3Q CDt4Ke \" dir=\"ltr\"><a class=\"XqQF9c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/4-practical-ways-make-instruction-accessible-multilingual-learners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"C9DxTc aw5Odc \">4 Practical Ways to Make Instructional Accessible for Multilingual Learning<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"zfr3Q CDt4Ke \" dir=\"ltr\"><span class=\"C9DxTc aw5Odc \"><a class=\"XqQF9c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.janaechevarria.com\/?p=5377\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reflecting on Teaching Multilingual Learners<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/sitesz\/AClOY7r2YsdUVVJMJtowzTIlY4_2XplA5L3ByYeE34y-Qwu9Ysd3crN11AKotaotC8Rg_hwIxngx50B74DZyeoKFElQFEnAFJeMr1VflW6PLvZoVsvNSWyld48I10UBmR3j33sKxvBXH7IZycP-NO9C-EgAXQMmJu7u06_7xg8Oe-dGJYpoJM_0?key=YgTJ-jaBx6u0CsRxWbBt7_4m\" width=\"443\" height=\"576\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Mentioned During the Session<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.magicschool.ai\/\">Magic School<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/edge\/features\/immersive-reader\">Immersive Reader<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/topic\/immersive-reader-partners-8ce56191-83cd-490f-9dfc-4e69d4bf5308\">List of Immersive Reader Partner Sites<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachvid.com\/\">TeachVid<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wordwall.net\/\">Wordwall<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/padlet.com\">Padlet<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Videos<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u2728Padlet in 10 Minutes!   Game Changer for Teachers!\" width=\"648\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Dd4dQSUPJ3w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Magic School AI:   Language Tutor Tool\" width=\"648\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Q9G9G8fUWfI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Interactive Games for ESL students | Wordwall tutorial for beginners\" width=\"648\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4hlRcu36mgc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Use TeachVid in Spanish Class #Shorts\" width=\"648\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Li7OmT6s6pM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Your guide to Immersive Reader\" width=\"648\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bvUgo3VvLMs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: white; background-color: #b90843;\">In-the-Classroom:<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Our <em><strong>In-the-Classroom<\/strong><\/em> section is where you will find ideas and examples for integrating the tools shared into classroom instruction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><b>Category: Translation &amp; Communication\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Translation Strategies:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use translation tools for important documents like IEPs, report cards, and school policies. AI may not always be perfect, but there are some good tools out there.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create a library of commonly used documents already translated into your school&#8217;s primary languages<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use visual aids, diagrams, and pictures alongside text to support comprehension across language barriers<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Communication Strategies:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Send communications home in families&#8217; native languages whenever possible, and provide advance notice for meetings so families can arrange interpreters if needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use clear, jargon-free language and avoid educational acronyms that may not translate well<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offer multiple communication channels\u2014written notes, phone calls, text messages, and video calls\u2014to meet different family preferences<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><b>Category: Visual &amp; Content Creation\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Visual Supports for Instruction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Display word walls with pictures, cognates (words similar across languages), and translations to build vocabulary<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use color-coding systems to highlight key information, text structures, or grammatical patterns<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Multimedia and Technology Tools:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrate videos with subtitles or captions in multiple languages to support comprehension<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leverage text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools to support reading and writing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create digital vocabulary journals with images, audio pronunciations, and student-generated examples<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Content Creation Opportunities:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Encourage students to create bilingual books, posters, or presentations that showcase their home language as an asset<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide choice boards that offer various ways to show understanding\u2014comic strips, models, art, video demonstrations, skits, digital slideshows, or annotated drawings<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><b>Category: Assessment &amp; Feedback\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Alternative Assessment Methods:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offer choice in how students demonstrate their learning (visual presentation, video, model, diagram, or oral defense)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implement performance-based assessments that evaluate content knowledge rather than solely English language proficiency<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Assessment Accommodations:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide extended time for multilingual learners to process questions and formulate responses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read test questions aloud or provide audio versions to support reading comprehension<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Break longer assessments into smaller chunks to reduce cognitive load<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Ongoing Formative Assessment:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use quick checks like thumbs up\/down, exit tickets with sentence frames, or visual response cards to gauge understanding<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use digital tools like Kahoot, Wayground, or Nearpod that provide immediate feedback and allow for visual\/interactive responses<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Effective Feedback Strategies:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focus feedback on content and ideas first, then address language development as a separate element<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide feedback in multiple modalities\u2014written, verbal conferences, visual annotations, or recorded audio\/video comments<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Category: Collaboration &amp; Community Building\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>Creating an Inclusive Classroom Culture &amp; Community Building:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Celebrate linguistic diversity by displaying &#8220;Welcome&#8221; signs, classroom labels, and student work in multiple languages<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Share positive narratives about bilingualism as a cognitive asset and valuable skill, not a deficit<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use literature, music, and art from diverse cultures to build connections and validate students&#8217; identities<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Collaborative Activities That Build Community:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use icebreakers and team-building activities that don&#8217;t rely heavily on verbal English proficiency<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incorporate collaborative art projects, music, drama, or movement activities that transcend language barriers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plan service-learning projects where students work together toward a common goal in the community<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Return to the <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/events\/petec-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pete&amp;C 2026 Session Listings Page<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Multilingual Magic for Linguistic Empowerment Wednesday, February 4, 2026 \u2b25 9:30 AM \u2013 10:20 PM Presented by Melissa Henning Session Description: Unlock your multilingual learners&#8217; potential with cutting-edge tools and strategies. Discover how to create inclusive and engaging environments that enhance fluency and comprehension. Transform your teaching, amplify student voices, and bridge language gaps. Join &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/events\/petec-2026\/multilingual-magic\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Multilingual Magic for Linguistic Empowerment<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":7514,"parent":7517,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/full-width-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7524","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","user-has-not-earned"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7524"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7524\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7570,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7524\/revisions\/7570"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7517"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}