Betsy Kells is an experienced educational technologist, language instructor, and intercultural educator. With a strong background in second language development, she has taught both Italian as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language to university students. Betsy earned an M.A. in Italian Studies and Second Language Acquisition from Middlebury College, a B.A. in Italian Studies from Temple University, and a Certificate in Virtual Online Teaching (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education (GSE). She is currently a doctoral student in GSE’s Educational Linguistics division, where she researches the intersection of technology, teacher training, and Less Commonly Taught Languages.
Betsy is undertaking a significant research project with Dr. Christina Frei, Executive Director of the Penn Language Center, on student and instructor perceptions of artificial intelligence in world language instruction.
In September 2024, Betsy founded the ACTFL Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group (SIG), which is under consideration for formal adoption by the ACTFL Board of Directors in spring 2025. This initiative has already attracted over 100 language educators worldwide.
As the Technology Director at the Penn Language Center, Betsy assists language instructors with the thoughtful integration of technology into their classrooms. She conducts ongoing professional development workshops focused on technology integration, digital pedagogy, and digital literacy, encouraging educators to explore and experiment with new tools to enhance their teaching practices. A comprehensive list of her workshops can be found on the Penn Language Center website.