2026 Annual NYACTE/NYSATE Conference

10:30am EDT

When and Why Teacher Candidates Use Technology and Their Perceptions of Its Impact on Student Engagement

Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:20am EDT

We report on a small scale study examining how teacher candidates and recent graduates make instructional decisions about the use of technology in their lessons and how they perceive the impact of these instructional choices on student engagement.

Speakers

Christina Pfister

Siena University

Allison D. Karcher

Siena University

Kaitlyn Agneta

Siena University

Grace Barber

Siena University

Natalie Eppedico

Siena University

Raelynn Peliel

Siena University

Dillon Waldron

Siena University

Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:20am EDT
Hathorn Room

Panel Presentation

11:30am EDT

Critically Reading Multimodal Mohawk Stories in the Fifth-Grade Literacy Classroom

Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:30am - 12:20pm EDT

Hathorn Room

This presentation shares how a cross-disciplinary team designed and implemented multimodal 5th grade lessons analyzing films about Haudenosaunee histories and stories. Findings suggest instruction influenced student awareness of Indigenous representation (e.g. noticing absence of Indigenous culture) and development of critical multimodal literacy skills (e.g. considering a storyteller’s identity).

Speakers

Laurie Miriam Rabinowitz

Associate Professor, Skidmore College

Jessica Somerville-Braun

Assistant Professor - Education Studies, Skidmore College

Krista Senatore

Schuylerville Central School District

Sharon Xu

Skidmore College

Adam Tinkle

Skidmore College

Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:30am - 12:20pm EDT
Hathorn Room

Panel Presentation

2:15pm EDT

Using Asset and Needs Assessments to Improve Educator Preparation in Reading

Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:15pm - 3:05pm EDT

Hathorn Room

Using qualitative interviews and grounded theory analysis of community asset and needs assessments, this presentation examines how the perspectives of students, families, and educators can inform reading instruction and educator preparation. Findings demonstrate the value of intergenerational collaboration in strengthening school-university partnerships and preparing responsive literacy educators.

Speakers

Jessica Benton

SUNY Plattsburgh

Kathryn Alton

Assistant Professor, SUNY Plattsburgh

SUNY Plattsburgh

Teri Deyo

SUNY Plattsburgh

Megan Lawless

SUNY Plattsburgh

Emily Hoeh

Assistant Professor, SUNY Plattsburgh

Emily Hoeh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at the State University of New York, Plattsburgh. She earned her doctorate (PhD) in Special Education from the University at Buffalo, as an Office of Special Education Programs research fellow. Her professional experience... Read More →

Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:15pm - 3:05pm EDT
Hathorn Room

Panel Presentation

3:15pm EDT

Translating Teaching Remotely From P-12 to Higher Education

Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:15pm - 4:05pm EDT

Hathorn Room

This workshop will be interactive in nature. We will share different modalities for engaging students during remote instruction. During the workshop, we will model what has worked for us using a variety of activities to meet the different learning styles of our students. We will teach interactive lessons using myriad hands on activities so that participants can not only learn about what how we teach our preservice teachers, but experience them as students as well. Our goal is for participants to leave the workshop with ideas to create lessons of their own and to be inspired to teach exciting, interactive lessons remotely.

MATERIALS PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BRING
Participants will be asked to bring their laptops to the workshop in order to actively participate.

Speakers

Jane Sileo

Associate Professor, SUNY New Paltz

Cathy Johnan

SUNY New Paltz

Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:15pm - 4:05pm EDT
Hathorn Room

Workshop

10:45am EDT

From General Feedback to Curriculum-Based Coaching: Using Mixed Reality Simulations to Develop HQIM-Aligned Teacher Practice

Thursday October 22, 2026 10:45am - 11:35am EDT

Hathorn Room

The presentation explores how the use of BranchED’s Mixed Reality Simulation (MRS) can operationalize Education First’s Meaningful Shift #3: “From General Feedback to Curriculum-Based Coaching.” Specifically, the work investigates how multimodal simulation environments enable candidates to practice high-leverage instructional behaviors, engage in structured reflection cycles, and receive curriculum-anchored feedback before entering high-stakes classroom environments. The presentation also examines how MRS supports movement across the Teacher Candidate-to-HQIM Practitioner Learning Continuum by strengthening teacher candidates’ confidence, responsiveness, and ability to transfer rehearsal-based learning into authentic teaching settings. At the center of this work is the belief that effective teacher preparation requires opportunities for interactive practice, emotionally safe risk-taking, and aligned coaching experiences that mirror the instructional realities candidates will encounter in classrooms using HQIM. This presentation, therefore, explores simulation as a scalable and practice-centered approach to strengthening coherence between educator preparation and district instructional expectations. Attendees will engage in reflective discussion around how simulated learning environments can support adaptive instructional expertise, curriculum literacy, and equitable access to authentic teaching practice before full classroom responsibility.

Speakers

Nicole Dobbins

BranchED

Deirdre Armitage

Dir. Clinical Collaborations, College of Staten Island, CUNY

Contessa McNulty

New York City Public School - District 31

Walt Stepnowski

College of Staten Island, CUNY

Christopher Bejar

New York City Public School - District 31

Thursday October 22, 2026 10:45am - 11:35am EDT
Hathorn Room

Panel Presentation

11:45am EDT

Course-Embedded Literacy Micro-Credentials: Challenges and Opportunities in Curriculum Development in Teacher Education

Thursday October 22, 2026 11:45am - 12:35pm EDT

Hathorn Room

As Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs) engage in curricular redesign to include the components of the Science of Reading, they face challenges of ensuring consistent candidate learning across courses and faculty. This panel shares the development of course-embedded literacy micro-credentials designed to strengthen literacy preparation while creating coherence across early childhood and childhood education programs.

Speakers

Bobbie Kabuto

Associate Professor, Queens College, CUNY

Marcela Ossa Parra

Queens College, CUNY

Anna Malyukova

Queens College, CUNY

Ted Kesler

Queens College, CUNY

Kristin Anderson

Doctoral Lecturer, Queens College, CUNY

Ann Ebe

Director of Professional Practice & Community Partnerships, Queens College, CUNY

Thursday October 22, 2026 11:45am - 12:35pm EDT
Hathorn Room

Panel Presentation

2:00pm EDT

AI & Student Support in Teacher Education: How 5 Practitioners Are Navigating the Shift

Thursday October 22, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT

Hathorn Room

This panel explores how artificial intelligence has reshaped, supported, and at times complicated the ways educators and student support professionals work with students. Panelists will reflect on the benefits and challenges of AI use in advising, teaching, communication, accessibility, feedback, and relationship-building, considering where AI has enhanced student support and where human connection remains irreplaceable. Together, the discussion will examine how institutions can thoughtfully integrate AI while keeping student well-being, belonging, and individualized support at the center of educational practice.

Speakers

Gina Riley

CUNY Hunter College, CUNY

Jason Riffaterre

Hunter College, CUNY

Veshno Kumar

Hunter College, CUNY

Valerie Lyons

Hunter College, CUNY

Sofy Solomon

Hunter College, CUNY

Thursday October 22, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Hathorn Room

Panel Presentation

3:00pm EDT

Navigating the Changing Waters: Empowering Faculty through Innovative Mentorship

Thursday October 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT

Hathorn Room

This panel presentation will explore the impact of innovative and collaborative mentorship as faculty members navigate the different stages of a career in teacher education. A model for leveraging cross-generational knowledge will be discussed and five central themes will be explored: disconnect, isolation, institutional expectations, collaboration, and empowerment.

Speakers

Joanna Weld

Faculty Fellow, Niagara University

Mary Lou Stahl

Assistant Professor, Niagara University

Richard Violanti

Assistant Professor, Foundations and Pedagogy, Niagara University

Jeff Faunce

Faculty Fellow, Niagara University

Maria Nader

Niagara University

Thursday October 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Hathorn Room

Panel Presentation

4:00pm EDT

Beyond Observation: Building Sustainable, Partnership-Driven Fieldwork for Prospective Teachers

Thursday October 22, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT

Hathorn Room

Using a collaborative self-study methodology, we examine the design, implementation, and outcomes of a fieldwork model situated within a high school–university partnership. Drawing on reflective journals, stakeholder feedback, field notes, and program artifacts, we analyze the model from multiple perspectives to identify its affordances, challenges, and implications.

Speakers

Mara Markinson

Assistant Professor of Secondary Mathematics Education, Queens College, CUNY

I am a member of the mathematics education faculty at CUNY Queens College.

Melanie Waller

Queens College, CUNY

Leslee Grey

Queens College, CUNY

Agnes Montesinos

East-West School of International Studies, NYC Public Schools

Thursday October 22, 2026 4:00pm - 4:50pm EDT
Hathorn Room

Panel Presentation

7:30am EDT

New York Deans and Directors Convening

Friday October 23, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am EDT

Hathorn Room

Convening deans and directors from across the state to address critical opportunities and shared concerns in shaping the future of educator preparation. Against a backdrop of evolving state certification standards, shifting P-12 student demographics, and persistent teacher shortages, the gathering served as a strategic forum for alignment, advocacy, and institutional collaboration.

Friday October 23, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am EDT
Hathorn Room