ÃØÃÜÑо¿Ëù

The Office of Bilingual ÃØÃÜÑо¿Ëù and World Languages (OBEWL) continues to provide a variety online and in-person professional development opportunities for world language educators to build their capacity in implementing the NYS Learning Standards for World Languages.Ìý These events are offered free of charge to any educator working in a NYS school, including district, charter, and non-public schools, colleges and universities, and BOCES, RBERN, and other educational organizations.Ìý As a NYSED approved Continuing Teacher Leader ÃØÃÜÑо¿Ëù (CTLE) sponsor, OBEWL issues certificates of attendance and CTLE certificates for those who meet the attendance requirement for a professional learning event.

Ìý

Webinars

• Each school year, we offer monthly after-school webinars on topic related to high-leverage teaching practices and guidance for planning, instruction, and assessment.Ìý These one-hour webinars are offered from 4-5pm via Zoom.Ìý To register for these webinars, educators must have a valid email from a NYS educational institution.Ìý The presentation portion of the webinar is recorded and the recording made available on the webinar's page for on-demand viewing.Ìý Educators attend the webinars live or can watch the recordings and then attempt to earn a certificate for doing so by taking an online post assessment on the webinar and scoring at least a 7 out of 10.
• Each November, OBEWL generally offers a full-day webinar based on the previous summer's in-person workshops.

Click here to access the recordings of previously aired webinars.

We will soon be posting a list of our upcoming professional learning webinars for 2025-26.

Ìý

---

Ìý

Book Studies

Each school year, we offer several book studies for world language educators.Ìý These professional learning communities meet for 1.25 hours once a month after school via Zoom to discuss the information presented in the book, how it relates to the NYS Learning Standards for World Languages, and how high-leverage practices can be implemented into the world language classroom.Ìý There are two opportunities for educators to participate for each book:Ìý (1) in the first year, the book study is offered to a small group (50) of educators who may serve as turn-key trainers for the following year's statewide version of the book study; (2) in the second year, the book study is offered by teams of the prior year's facilitators working with regional or statewide groups of about 30 participants each.Ìý Participants must commit to attending in full at least eight (8) of the nine (9) book study meetings and can receive a certificate of up to 22.5 hours of attendance or CTLE credit.

This year, we will offer two book studies:

• Facilitator book study on Teaching Intercultural Citizenship Across the Curriculum:Ìý The Role of Language ÃØÃÜÑо¿ËùÌýÌý(Click here for more information and to register.)
• Statewide book study onÌýWords and Actions: Teaching LanguagesÌýThrough the Lens of Social JusticeÌý (Click here for more information and to register.

Previous book studies offered

• 2022-23: Enacting the Work of Language Instruction: High Leverage Teaching Practices, Vol. 1 (Facilitator)
• 2023-24: The Keys to Strategies for Language Instruction: Engagement, Relevance, Critical Thinking, Collaboration (Facilitator),ÌýEnacting the Work of Language Instruction: High Leverage Teaching Practices, Vol. 1 (Statewide)
• 2024-25: Words and Actions: Teaching LanguagesÌýThrough the Lens of Social Justice (Facilitator), The Keys to Strategies for Language Instruction: Engagement, Relevance, Critical Thinking, Collaboration (Statewide)

Ìý

---

Ìý

In-person workshops

Each summer, OBEWL offers two-day, in-person workshops in various locations across the state on topics of vital importance to the implementation of the revised standards.Ìý Registration generally opens in early spring for these events.Ìý Each workshop runs from 9am-2pm with a one-hour break for lunch on your own.Ìý 8 hours of CTLE credit are awarded to those who meet the attendance requirements.Ìý Participants must commit to attending both days.Ìý These workshops are designed and led by members of our World Language Executive Committee:Ìý Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Bill Heller, and Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez.

• 2022 - Checkpoint A Unit Design Workshops
• 2023 -ÌýCheckpoint B Unit Design Workshops
• 2024 - Checkpoint A Proficiency Assessment Guidance and Item Writing WorkshopsÌý
• 2025 -ÌýCheckpoint B Proficiency Assessment Guidance and Item Writing WorkshopsÌý (Click here for more information and to register.)

Ìý