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Honing Our Craft 2026
The Honing our Craft conference will be held March 19-20, 2026 at Binghamton University, hosted by the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures in collaboration with multiple departments, University at Buffalo, Klett World Languages, and Broome-Tioga BOCES.
Cost: $30.00 / Early Bird: $25.00 (before March 1, 2026)
CTLE credits offered
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About the Conference
Honing Our Craft 2026 is a regional conference designed to bring together world language and TESOL educators from secondary and higher education in a shared professional space.
Hosted by the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at Binghamton University, in collaboration with the University at Buffalo, Klett World Languages and BTBOCES, the conference will serve as a hub for world language thinking, innovation, and collaboration.
While secondary and higher education instructors share the goal of preparing students for multilingual success, they rarely have the opportunity to engage across educational levels. This conference bridges that gap by creating a forum to exchange ideas, reflect on practice, and build sustainable professional connections.
Registration
Cost: $30.00 / Early Bird: $25.00 (before March 1, 2026)
CTLE credits offered
Who Should Attend
This conference is designed for:
- World language teachers (secondary & higher education)
- TESOL educators and specialists
- Department chairs and program coordinators
- University faculty and graduate students
- Curriculum leaders and instructional coaches
Whether you teach in K–12 or higher education, this conference offers a unique opportunity to connect across levels and perspectives.
Why Attend
Participants will have the opportunity to:
- Share strengths and innovative classroom practices
- Update teaching repertoires with research‑informed strategies
- Discover ways to integrate professional opportunities into the classroom
- Build sustainable connections across educational levels
- CTLE credits offered
This conference is designed to be practical, collaborative, and deeply connected to classroom realities.
Schedule Overview
Pre-Conference Session
March 19, 2026 · 5:30–7:30 PM
- This two-hour session is designed as a space to connect, share best practices, and discuss key updates about language education at the regional and state levels.
- 5:30 – 6:10 p.m.- Updates from the Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL), presented by Candace Black
- 6:10 – 7:30 p.m.- Sharing successes and challenges – Structured networking activities
Conference Day
March 20, 2026
Morning
- 8:00–8:30 AM · Coffee & Registration
- 8:30–9:20 AM · Keynote Address – Jessica Haxhi
- 9:30–10:20 AM · Concurrent sessions 1
- Placement guidelines to understand where students belong: Proficiency levels in secondary school and college
- Chat With Me: How Teacher Preparation Programs can Partner with English for Academic Purposes Programs over Zoom to Foster Language Acquisition and Proficiency in Teaching ELLs
- 10:30–11:20 AM · Concurrent Sessions 2
- Translation in the Foreign Language Classroom
- The French Connection: A Creative and Collaborative Journey Across the Ages
- 11:30–12:20 PM · Networking Lunch to continue the conversations
Afternoon
- 12:20–1:00 PM · Concurrent Facilitated Conversation Panels 1
- Virtual exchanges in world language classrooms
- OBEWL conversation
- 1:10–1:50 PM · Concurrent Facilitated Conversation Panels 2
- The Pedagogy of Real Talk in Elementary Spanish
- Seal of Biliteracy
- 2:00–2:40 PM · Concurrent Facilitated Conversation Panels 3
- Making the shift: Discussing how we move from grammar and vocabulary to communication
- Building bridges: fostering a love for Italian heritage and culture
Contact information
- Dr. Marisol Marcin – [email protected]
- Dr. Erin Kearney – [email protected]
Parking Information for Conference Participants
A limited number of parking spaces will also be reserved for conference attendees in the lot adjacent to the venue. These reserved spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. As parking in the immediate area is limited, attendees are encouraged to carpool whenever possible.
Conference attendees may take advantage of the following public parking options conveniently located near the venue:
- Metered street parking is available on both sides of Washington Street (the same street as the conference venue).
- Hawley Street Parking Garage (119 Washington Street), located one block from the conference site.
- Collier Street Municipal Parking Lot (92 Collier Street), situated two blocks from the venue
For additional information regarding parking regulations, rates, and maps, please visit the City of Binghamton’s parking information page:
https://www.binghamton-ny.gov/community/parking
Collaborating Institutions
This conference is organized in collaboration with:
- Binghamton University
- Department of Romance Languages
- TESOL MA and K‑12 Programs
- TLEL
- CLT
- University at Buffalo
- Graduate School of Education
- Romance Languages
- Linguistics
- Klett World Languages
- BT BOCES
Brand & Name Usage Notice
Honing Our Craft is a conference title and professional learning initiative developed by Klett World Languages.
For the 2026 edition, Klett World Languages authorizes its use in collaboration with Binghamton University and participating partner institutions listed on this page.
The name remains part of the Klett World Languages conference series and brand.
FAQs
At the Alvarez College Union, first floor, there will be a registration table. Follow the signs.
We start on Friday, February 6th, at 2:30 pm with registration until 5:30 pm, and on Saturday, it goes from 10:00 am until 5:30 pm. Check the program here.
Yes, if the speakers agree, the organizers will share PDFs of the presentations with you.
Yes, there are coffee breaks, a lunch on Saturday, and a reception at the end of the Encuentro.
The presentations are in person, and there will be time for participants to engage with the speaker.
To cancel your attendance at the Encuentro, visit Eventbrite.
You can pick up your certificate of attendance at the registration desk starting on Saturday afternoon.
The parking locations are above in the “Parking Information” section, and there are location markers on the Davidson map to indicate them.
