BC TEAL 2025 Annual Conference

Portfolio-Based Language Assessment (PBLA) is a cornerstone of language instruction in Canada, yet its implementation can sometimes feel rigid or overwhelming. This session aims to disrupt traditional PBLA practices by reframing its five pillars-Needs Assessment, Goal Setting, Learning Activities, Collecting Evidence, and Reflection as dynamic tools for learner empowerment and engagement.
 
Participants will first explore each pillar’s role in supporting student learning. Through guided discussions, they will share challenges and successes in PBLA implementation. The session will provide practical strategies for making PBLA more meaningful, such as using diagnostic assessments to personalize learning, embedding goal-setting into classroom routines, and leveraging formative assessment to drive instruction.
 
A key focus will be on shifting PBLA from a teacher-driven process to a collaborative one, where students take ownership of their learning. Strategies for fostering student reflection and self-assessment will be highlighted, along with techniques for providing actionable feedback.
 
This session is designed for instructors seeking to make PBLA more effective, engaging, and adaptable to their teaching contexts. Attendees will leave with concrete ideas for integrating PBLA pillars into their daily practice while ensuring students remain at the center of the learning process.
 

LINC classrooms serve as more than just spaces for language instruction—they can foster meaningful connections that support students’ settlement journeys. This session provides educators with hands-on approaches to create inclusive environments where learners feel valued, engaged, and empowered.
Participants will explore practical strategies that encourage student autonomy, peer collaboration, and emotional well-being. Through goal-setting techniques, instructors can help learners develop personalized objectives that align with their settlement and career aspirations. Student-led activities, such as role-plays and cultural exchanges, will be highlighted as effective tools to boost confidence and participation. Additionally, the session will introduce trauma-informed teaching strategies that acknowledge students’ lived experiences while fostering a safe and supportive classroom atmosphere.
This interactive session includes real-life case studies, group discussions, and hands-on activities that enable educators to apply these strategies to their own classrooms. By the end, participants will leave with concrete tools and ideas to transform their teaching practice—ensuring that their classrooms become thriving communities where students not only improve their language skills but also build resilience, social connections, and confidence in their new environment.

Discover dynamic, hands-on strategies to transform language learning for immigrant and refugee adults. This interactive workshop blends kinesthetic activities, digital tools, and personalized techniques to seamlessly integrate new language skills with learners' existing talents. Walk away with powerful, adaptable methods that boost confidence, engagement, and real-world application! 
 

This presentation will showcase a recently launched, innovative online courseware: The National LINC Online Curriculum (NLOC), funded by IRCC.  Developed for the Language Instruction to Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Program, this courseware fills a language learning gap for self-directed, asynchronous learning, offering off-the-shelf, comprehensive eLearning units that learners can do anytime, anywhere. The presentation will explain and demonstrate how the courseware can be used asynchronously, in blended learning, and in synchronous in-class settings.


This courseware includes the principles and best practices for a PBLA-aligned curriculum, incorporating real-world tasks, prior knowledge and experience, skill-building activities, skill-using and assessment tasks, and reflection. The presentation will walk attendees through some of the content to demonstrate how it is organized across 21st century themes. It will also outline how activities are designed to take learners on a journey to coherently build skills and strategies needed for integration in work, education and community.  


75 NLOC eLearning units across CLBs 3-5 are currently accessible through the course builder on avenue.ca, with brand new eLearning units to come over the next three years.  Attendees will appreciate how eLearning units have a consistent and intuitive look and feel for seamless use and integration. Accessibility and specialized content are top priorities for this project. Likewise, incorporating the principles of universal design and weaving topics distinct to Canada (ex. Indigenization, Francophone Perspectives, Inclusivity) are also evident across the courseware.   In this presentation, instructors will be familiarized to all elements of the eLearning and get the chance to preview and demo some activities in a group.

The evolving demands on educators and students underscore the importance of integrating wellbeing and resilience into educational frameworks. This presentation will equip teachers with critical insights and tools to transform their teaching practices. Participants will understand how external circumstances, such as trauma or systemic stress, affect the brain and impact the learning process. By leveraging neuroscience, educators will discover how to promote their own wellbeing while fostering greater learner engagement. Practical strategies will be introduced for incorporating neuroscience and metacognition into the classroom, empowering students to become autonomous and motivated learners. Teachers will also explore the features of a resilient brain and learn actionable techniques to build resilience in themselves and their learners.
 First, we briefly highlight the many ways the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified mental health challenges, significantly impacting cognitive, social, and emotional development, especially among children and teenagers. Teachers, grappling with systemic stress and shifting learner needs, require innovative solutions to navigate these challenges effectively.
Then, we demonstrate how neuroscience offers a transformative approach to education by emphasizing the brain's malleability (neuroplasticity) and fostering metacognition—the ability to think about thinking. Research highlights that learners who understand brain functions and neuroplasticity become more efficient and confident, leading to improved academic performance. We will provide insights and opportunities for teachers to reflect on their current practices and explore ways to enhance the use of metacognition strategies in their classrooms.
Finally, we will talk about resilience. A cornerstone of wellbeing, it is characterized by the brain’s capacity to recover from adversity. We will introduce key strategies including mindfulness, fostering a growth mindset and promoting attentional focus to sustain motivation and engagement.
By merging neuroscience, metacognition, and professional coaching, this session inspires educators to break traditional paradigms and create dynamic, compassionate learning environments suited for the 21st century.