Conference & workshops
Keynote Presentation
Bilingualism and Biliteracy: A superpower within reach of all learners
Presented by Caroline Erdos
During this keynote presentation, Caroline Erdos will present evidence-based research and recommend practical strategies that administrators can use to support their French Immersion students and teachers. She will share practices to best reach all French Immersion learners so that students remain in the program from kindergarten to grade 12 and graduate with a double dogwood diploma as a bi·plurilingual person.
During this keynote presentation, the following questions will be answered:
- French immersion more than 55 years later – what do we know?
- What does research evidence tell us about bilingualism and biliteracy in the context of diverse education needs?
- How can we best support bilingualism and biliteracy for all in educational contexts?
First, we will look at how multilingual learners compare with monolingual learners. Next, we will provide an overview of the academic and language outcomes of neurotypical and at-risk students in French immersion. This will be followed by a focus on strategies and pedagogical approaches that maximize learning an additional language for all students.
ABOUT THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Caroline Erdos is the coordinator of Speech-Language Pathology at Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board and S-LP advisor for Speech-Language and Audiology Canada. Previously, she was the Advancing Learning in Differentiation & Inclusion coordinator for the 10 English school boards in Quebec, where she supported resource teachers through various professional development initiatives. With over 20 years of experience as a pediatric S-LP in a university health centre, her areas of expertise include bi/multilingualism, reading and language disorder, learning disability, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and craniofacial differences in children aged 0 to 18 years. Caroline has lectured at several Canadian universities. She has also been invited to present at numerous conferences across North America and has written and collaborated on several publications.
Workshop 1
Discover CAIT’s (Canadian Association of Immersion Professionals) new Administrator Zone website
Presented by Kara Bowles
Whether you speak French or not, you are a leader of the French Immersion program and need answers to day-to-day routines and problems that you can access quickly. During this workshop we will explore ACPI’s Administrator Zone and explore the new resources that will support you:
- 15 practical situations
- Videos
- Guides
- Research
- Bilingual supports
Explore the new administrator zone within the ACPI website and discover why this is a site for you to bookmark and explore.
By attending this conference, you will receive information from OFFA to activate your free one-year ACPI membership. This membership will give you access to ACPI admin website, including all the other resources offered to members.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Kara Bowles loves to help change mindsets! Throughout her 25-year career, she has had many opportunities to work with French Immersion teachers, principals and FSL stakeholders from across Canada to strengthen FSL programming. As a principal, her perspective stays rooted in practical implementation tips that work in classrooms and schools. Her work as an Education officer at the Ministry of Education in Ontario has allowed her to develop a broad knowledge base in the CEFR, FSL research and the importance of stakeholder investment. She has presented workshops across Canada for ACPI, the Ontario Modern Language Teachers Association, the Ontario Principal Council (OPC) and the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium.
Workshop 2
French Federal Funding: Using OLEP funding to support your school’s French Immersion program
Presented by Duncan McIndoe
B.C Ministry of Education & Child Care staff will provide an overview of the upcoming Canada-B.C. 2024-2028 Official Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction (OLEP) along with information on the federal funding that is provided to school districts. This session will also include updates, information, and best practices pertaining to French teacher recruitment and retention, school district French programming, and what’s happening within B.C.’s larger French education community.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Duncan McIndoe is the Manager of French Education at the Ministry of Education and Childcare, where he oversees a variety of provincial-federal projects, including French teacher recruitment and retention. Prior to working in provincial government, Duncan enjoyed 10 years in the French immersion classroom, with experience at the Middle and Secondary levels. Duncan was Coordinator for Languages at School District 62 (Sooke) from 2013 to 2020 and served as Treasurer for the BC Language Coordination Association from 2015 to 2019.
