June 9 – Workshops and keynote speaker
After a healthy (and silent!) breakfast at the Monastère des Augustines, we headed to the 2nd floor, where all the presentations were scheduled to take place. The 1st day started with our Provincial Coordination Meeting, followed by a keynote presentation and a series of workshops.
Provincial Coordination Meeting
The annual yet unofficial Provincial Coordination Meeting brings together the coordinators and representatives from all college-level institutions teaching ESL in the province. Rachel Tunnicliffe, the official delegate on the Comité-conseil de la formation générale, updated everyone on various issues. We also had the opportunity to hear from Jean-Pascal Baillie, a representative from the Ministère de l’éducation supérieure (MES), who presented the latest updates regarding the revision of the devis and its upcoming implementation.
Keynote speech: AI in Education: Navigating Change
Dianne Elizabeth Stankiewicz, pedagogical consultant with the Service national du RÉCIT, opened the colloquium with her keynote speech, “AI in Education: Navigating Change.” She explored how generative AI is already reshaping teaching, assessment, and academic integrity in CEGEP classrooms. Her plenary offered practical strategies for ethical use, effective prompting, and fostering critical thinking. Dianne invited participants not to fight the “beast” but to understand it — and perhaps even tame it.
Presentation 1: Doing Less: An Essentialist Approach to Course Design
The 1st workshop I attended was presented by Jérôme Loisel, teacher at Cégep de Lévis. Challenging the idea that course improvement always requires doing more, Jérôme shared his personal journey toward a more balanced approach to teaching. By focusing on what is truly essential and eliminating unnecessary, time-consuming tasks, he showed how streamlining course design can lead to more meaningful teaching and a healthier work-life balance. His presentation offered a refreshing perspective and a powerful reminder to shift our focus back to our essential goal: teaching.
Workshop 2: Interacting with AI
The 2nd workshop I attended was presented by Estefania Moreno, a teacher at Cégep de Trois-Rivières, where she explored the rapidly growing presence of AI tools in education and their potential to transform teaching and learning. Estefania shared how AI can spark interest and student engagement while promoting self-directed learning. She raised important questions about student agency, digital discernment, and academic integrity, offering concrete examples from her own classroom practice, including AI-powered interviews, evaluations, and feedback. Her presentation encouraged us to see AI as a tool to empower both teachers and learners.
Devis workshops: Round 1
The ministerial devis revision committee hosted roundtable discussions organized by course level (100, 101, 102, 103) to provide teachers with a space to reflect on the upcoming implementation of the new ministerial devis, scheduled for 2027. Participants exchanged ideas on how they could adapt their current courses to align with the revised competencies. The workshops sparked lively, engaging conversations and fostered valuable collaboration as teachers prepared to face these upcoming changes together.
Cocktail hour and banquet
After the day’s workshops, attendees made their way to the nearby Morrin Centre for an elegant evening of celebration. The cocktail hour was held in the Morrin Centre’s historic library, where guests enjoyed live music in a warm and charming setting. This was followed by a delightful cocktail dinner in College Hall, the main hall of Morrin Centre. The evening continued with music and dancing — a perfect way to unwind, connect, and celebrate the ESL community.
June 10 – Workshops
Devis Workshops: Round 2
In the 2nd round of devis workshops, attendees had the opportunity to join a roundtable discussion focused on a different course level from the previous day, considering that many teachers work across multiple levels. Once again, these sessions were filled with rich discussions on the implementation of the new devis. Collaboration and idea-sharing were at the heart of the conversations.
Workshop 3: Collaborate to innovate
ESL teacher Kathleen Carter and multimedia teacher Mathieu Legault showcased their joint project, the Virtual Writing Help Centre, a digital platform created in collaboration with students and funded by the Entente Canada–Québec. Designed to support both teachers and learners, the site offers videos and tools for writing instruction, ideal for a flipped classroom model. Students engage with the materials before class, freeing up in-person time for discussion, analysis of writing strategies, and reflection on AI and translation tools. The project promotes personalized learning and highlights the power of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Farewell colloquium lunch
The colloquium concluded on June 10 with a warm farewell lunch at the Monastère des Augustines. A heartfelt thank you was given to the steering committee, Maria Corsetto, Martin Roy and Daniel Boulerice, along with the hosting committee, Rachel Tunnicliffe, Andy Van Drom, and Véronique Drolet.
The vibrant ESL community across the college network came together to share ideas, resources, and practices. True to this year’s theme of Human Intelligence, the colloquium fostered meaningful connections and thoughtful dialogue, reminding us that even in the age of AI, it is our creativity and collaboration that continue to drive teaching and learning forward.
