UPCOMING CONFERENCES

PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
The Child Caregivers 2009 Professional Leadership Conference will be held on Friday and Saturday, May 1 & 2, at the University of Guam Lecture Hall and School of Education. The theme is “Success Beyond Imagination: Managing the Environment for Young Children.” All child care givers, early childhood teachers, home care educators, and anyone interested in young children and their welfare are invited and welcomed. PRE-REGISTRATION ends April 29. Pre-registration can be made with Anita at the UOG School of Education building, 2nd floor or Joaquin Rivera at My School CDC in Tamuning, 646-2912. For more information, contact Jana Mendiola, 632-2395 or email janamendiola@yahoo.com. If you would like to present a workshop at the conference, please contact Dr. Marilyn Jackson at zoeylancedaisy@yahoo.com.

PIBBA CONFERENCE
The 28th Annual International Pacific Islands Bilingual Bicultural Association (PIBBA) Conference will be held Monday-Thursday, June 22-25, 2009 in Guam. The theme is "Invigorating Languages and Cultures of the Pacific." Visit the PIBBA Conference website at http://www.uog.edu/newsDtls.aspx?id=251 or http://geocities.com/pibba.international.

You can also earn two (2) ED894 graduate credits or CEUs. You must register for the conference before you register for the graduate credits at the Professional Development and Life-Long Learning Center, 2nd floor, MARC/Computer Center/PDLLC Building, Room #217. For more information, call 735-2601 or fax 734-1233.

Please note that the PIBBA course is free to qualified GPSS educators who have an approved contract on file with the Yamashita Educator Corps (YEC) office or who apply by May 1, 2009. For additional information about the YEC Recertification Program, call 735-2470.


PEC
The Pacific Educational Conference (PEC) will take place Wednesday-Thursday, July 15-17, 2009 at the University of Guam. The theme is “Preparing the Pacific Child for Life.” You can register for the PEC at http://www.prel.org/pec/pec-2009-registration.aspx.

LANGUAGE ARTS CONFERENCE

The 22nd Annual Regional Language Arts Conference will be held Friday-Saturday, November 6 & 7, 2009. The theme is “Multicultural Approaches in Language Arts Education.”

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

The School of Education will host its First International Conference on Current Trends and Challenges in Education from December 14-16, 2009 at the Guam Marriott Resort and Spa. Visit the conference website at http://www.geocities.com/uog_soe. For more information contact the Conference Chair, Dr. Lou Ferrer at

(671) 735-2440, or e-mail lourdesferrer@yahoo.com.

UPCOMING PIBBA CONFERENCE

The 28th Annual International Pacific Islands Bilingual Bicultural Association (PIBBA) Conference will be held Monday-Thursday, June 22-25, 2009 in Guam. The theme is "Invigorating Languages and Cultures of the Pacific."

Felis Anu Nuebu Feliz Ano Nuevo

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Felis Anu Nuebu (Cham0rro)

Feliz Ano Nuevo (Spanish)

Parakapw Mwahu (Pohnpei)
Ungil Becheserrak (Palau)
Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu (Japanese)
Hau'oli Makahiki Hou (Hawaiian)
Sut dal kum mum (Korean)
Gung Hay Fat Choy (Chinese)
Chúc Mung Nam Moi (Vietnamese)

May the year 2009 bring you many blessings filled with much love, joy, peace, and happiness!

Using Graphic Organizers to Empower English Language Learners

ESL Presentation: Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera presented an ESL workshop titled, "Using Graphic Organizers to Empower English Language Learners," during the International Reading Association’s “Engaging English Language Learners in Literacy” Professional Development Day on October 11, 2008 at the Guam Marriott Resort and Spa. She received a certificate of appreciation from the organization in recognition of service and valuable contribution.

GPSS ELL/ESL Standards Cadre 2008 Presents at UOG's 21st Annual Regional Language Arts Conference

Members of the GPSS ELL/ESL Standards Cadre 2008 presented the Guam English Language Proficiency Standards at the University of Guam’s 21st Annual Regional Language Arts Conference held November 14 and 15 at the University of Guam and Holiday Resort & Spa. The theme of the conference was Reading and Writing Across the Content Areas: Empowering English Language Learners. The cadre’s presentation titled Guam English Language Proficiency Standards (GELPS) introduced the English Language Standards that were developed for social, intercultural, and instructional purposes; language arts; mathematics; science; and social studies. The standards were developed to address the needs of GPSS English Language Learners, close the achievement gap for ELLs, and help ELLs attain English proficiency, or do the same for CHamoru Language Standards. An introduction of the Enhanced Assessment Grant (EAG) Project was also introduced to demonstrate the close relationship between the Standards and the EAG.

Cadre members who presented were Rosa Salas Palomo, Project Director/Coordinator of the Guam ESL Certification Plus Project; Zander David Refilong, Program Coordinator; Gene Dydasco, Education Specialist with the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL); Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, ESL Teacher/Coordinator with the Guam Public School System (GPSS) & adjunct professor for the Language and Literacy, TESOL, and Instructional Technology Programs & Department of English and Applied Linguistics at the University of Guam; Keith Juarez, Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) teacher with GPSS; and Guadalupe (Faye) Camacho Kaible, school program consultant with GPSS. Among the audience members who attended the presentation were Maydelene C. Ganan-Flores and Risa Jade S. Miguel, administrative staff of the Micronesian Language Institute; Menang Diaz, GPSS State Program Officer; GPSS teachers Bobbie Manibusan, Dawn Maka, Cynthia Manibusan & Vina Johnson. Cadre members not pictured are Dr. Margo Gottlieb, LN494/G Instructor & Illinois Resource Center; Lucia C. Leon Guerrero, GPSS School Administrator; Chamoru teachers Teresita C. Flores, Cecilia C. Bermudes, Marilyn R. Perez, Roy M. Leon Guerrero, Jocelyn T.Santos, Rufina F. Mendiola; June E. Taitano from GPSS Special Education; Kirk S. Drygas from Project Hatsa; Dr. Jose Q. Cruz from the Guam Education Policy Board; GPSS ESL teachers, Lois Taitano Gumataotao, Lorena M. Montague, Priscilla C.T. Perez, Melissa R. Pablo, and Marife G. Fernandez.

Jumpstarting Reading Comprehension for English Language Learners

University of Guam School of Education professors presented at the university’s 21st Annual Regional Language Arts Conference held November 14 and 15 at the University of Guam and Holiday Resort & Spa. The theme of the conference was Reading and Writing Across the Content Areas: Empowering English Language Learners. The professors’ presentation titled Jumpstarting Reading Comprehension for English Language Learners introduced the reader’s schema and its importance in comprehending, learning, and remembering ideas in stories and text.

Pictured L-R: Dr. Kate Mastruserio Reynolds, conference keynote speaker and associate professor of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in the departments of foreign languages and curriculum and instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, Dr. Catherine Stoicovy, Dr. Kelle Murphy, and Professor Julie Fee (sitting) from the University of Guam.

Using Internet Tools to Enhance ESL Instruction

Graduate students enrolled in ED638: Teaching with the Internet presented at the University of Guam’s 21st Annual Regional Language Arts Conference held November 14 and 15 at the University of Guam and Holiday Resort & Spa. The theme of the conference was Reading and Writing Across the Content Areas: Empowering English Language Learners. The students’ presentation titled Using Internet Tools to Enhance ESL Instruction explored web sites aimed at enhancing ESL and content area instruction, writing, collaboration, professional development, instructional technology, website designing, blogging, and assessment.

Pictured L-R: Paul Sekine; Ceferino Duarosan Jr.; Dr. Kate Mastruserio Reynolds, conference keynote speaker and associate professor of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in the departments of foreign languages and curriculum and instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, instructor; Kate Pappano; and Gregory Mamay.