VALRC

VALRC Online Facilitated Course, Beyond Basics: An Introduction to Multilevel ESOL Instruction
2024-09-19 - 2024-10-16 | Online
4 weeks | 16 hours
Most adult ESOL classes are multi-level in some respect; therefore, teachers of adult ESOL become experienced in teaching multilevel classes because. For example, students may come with different reading or speaking levels, different levels of home country education, differing lengths of time living in the U.S. In some programs, limited resources or program size may mean that native speakers and English language learners are in the same class. The multi-level nature of adult ESOL classes can be a benefit, not a detriment, to learning. But it can be challenging to manage as well.
This course is designed for teachers who want to tackle the challenges of teaching multilevel classes. It is for teachers who want to address the varied learning needs of individual students without planning individual lessons and burning out. It is for teachers who want to become highly effective multi-level classroom teachers by using strategies that work.
Through the online course format, you can learn at your own pace from the comfort and convenience of your own home or office. Facilitators, available to help you throughout the four-week course, lead you through the content and technical aspects of the course.
Each week’s lesson addresses a topic in adult education pertaining to multilevel ESOL instruction. Course activities include readings, videos, assignments, and discussions. The lessons are sequential.
Lessons and resources included in this course:

Benefits and Challenges of a Multilevel Class and Building Community
Shared Goals and Needs in a Multilevel Class
Interactive Activities and Grouping Strategies
Differentiated learning
Multilevel Lesson Planning and Standards

Preview the course syllabus.
You can register for this course using this Registration Form. The deadline to register is Thursday, September 12, 2024.

LINCS: Using an Immigrant Integration Approach in IELCE
2024-09-19 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Celebrate Adult Education and Family Literacy Week with the Enhancing Access for Refugees and New Americans (EARN) project! Join a webinar on September 19th to dive into EARN’s new resource, A Guide to Using an Immigrant Integration Approach in Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE).
This webinar will encourage participants to consider how to use the new guide to improve understanding of immigrant integration and how the approach can improve outcomes for multilingual and immigrant learners.
Preview the guide and bring your questions or learn about the guide with the EARN project team!
Register Here

LINCS: Elevating Multilingualism of Adult Learners and Education Professionals
2024-09-19 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Help celebrate and elevate adult and family multilingual learners of English and the professionals serving them, with highlighted panels throughout the week.
Join us for a panel with the TESOL International Association and the National Skills Coalition (NSC) as we discuss and highlight resources available to states, local grantees, and adult education practitioners serving multilingual learners.
Panelists:

Domminick McParland, OCTAE
Amanda Bersgson-Shilcock, NSC
Jeff Hutcheson, TESOL

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Career Pathways PLC #1
2024-09-19 13:00 - 14:30
A 3-part 90-minute Professional Learning Community (PLC) series (1st of 3) for ALL IET, IELCE, workplace literacy, and workforce development practitioners. This PLC will focus on targeted topics related to program design, using data to communicate needs and successes, locating and adapting instructional materials for all skill levels, and engaging employers and other partners to secure supportive services for all learners. Breakouts will focus on targeted topics for specific types of career pathways programming. Details and guest speakers will be announced on the listservs and on the Event Calendar.
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LINCS: Interactive Grammar Presentations that Center Students’ Experience
2024-09-19 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
ESOL teachers know that grammar instruction is an essential component of any adult ESOL class, but how can we teach grammar to support learner engagement and inquiry?
Will Linn, ESOL Specialist and Coordinator of ESOL Certificate Programs at the Literacy Assistance Center in NYC, will introduce teachers to a discovery-based approach to grammar that draws on students’ experiences to support learners to see how grammar is a meaning-making tool for self-expression.
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LINCS: A Look Into the Future: AI in Correctional & Reentry Education
2024-09-20 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Do you have adult English learners who have limited formal schooling in your class? Do you have questions about how to effectively support these learners with the language skills they need to achieve their goals? International expert, Dr. Helaine Marshall, will share highly effective approaches for teaching this population of learners. She will also identify approaches to avoid. Participants will leave with a treasure trove of ideas and resources to implement in the classroom.
Register

World Education: Equipped for the Elections: Media Literacy and Voting (Part 1)
2024-09-20 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Navigating Echo Chambers, Fake News, and Misinformation in an Election Year — presented by Jen Vanek and Cynthia Peters
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VALRC: Lesson Planning for Adult ESOL Instruction
2024-09-24 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
Lesson planning is an important part of instruction but can also be overwhelming and time-consuming. Are you interested in learning and sharing strategies, tips, and templates for effective lesson planning?
During this webinar, we will discuss the importance and impact of lesson planning, lesson plan routines and templates that support English language instruction, important content and engaging activities to include in a lesson plan, and how to create a lesson plan strategy. In addition, participants will leave the webinar with customizable lesson plan templates and resources.
Register Here

LINCS: Financial Literacy Skills for the 21st Century: Results from PISA 2022
2024-09-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Please join AIR, the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to discuss the latest Financial Literacy results from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), an international assessment of 15-year-olds. The webinar will include results from the recent 2022 release as well as comments on the implications for policy around youth financial education mandates and opportunities that exist to bring equity in the area of youth financial education.
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ProLiteracy: Developing Vocabulary: Effective Strategies for Adult English Learners
2024-09-26 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Building vocabulary is key to language development. Join ProLiteracy to discover practical techniques for expanding vocabulary in adult English language learners from low beginning to advanced. Explore engaging methods, useful tools, and real-world applications to enhance retention and usage. This session is perfect for educators and tutors looking to support adult learners in achieving language proficiency and confidence.
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LINCS: Facilitating Conversations About Difficult Topics
2024-09-26 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Wondering about best practices for having difficult classroom conversations on topics like race, politics, and other controversial issues? The live event will provide answers.
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VATESOL Conference
2024-09-27 - 2024-09-28 | Richmond Marriot, 500 E Broad St, Richmond, VA, 23219, United States
Virginia TESOL will return to Richmond, Virginia for the 2024 VATESOL Conference!
Richmond Marriott – 500 E Broad St. Richmond VA 23219
The Future of Multilingual Education: Innovative Approaches for Supporting Multiliteracies
Keynote: Ayanna Cooper
Register Here

World Education: Equipped for the Elections: Media Literacy and Voting (Part 2)
2024-09-27 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Get Out the Adult Education Vote! — presented by Cynthia Peters, Jennifer Gagliardi, and others.
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edWeb: Teenagers with Dyslexia: Empowering Adolescent Learners
2024-10-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
In this edWebinar, we will explore effective classroom practices and interventions tailored specifically for adolescents with dyslexia. Attendees will gain valuable insights into fostering academic success and promoting positive well-being among adolescent learners with dyslexia, while receiving actionable tips for creating learning environments that support students with dyslexia.
Attendees will be empowered with tools and strategies to champion adolescents on their educational journey. Together, we can cultivate a supportive community where every learner thrives, regardless of their unique learning profile. Attendees will learn about:

Characteristics of teenagers with dyslexia
Advanced concepts for improving literacy outcomes for secondary students
Classroom strategies applicable for older struggling readers and writers
Social and emotional support for teenagers with dyslexia
Resources and tools to support adolescent learners

This edWebinar will be of interest to middle and high school teachers, school leaders, district leaders, literacy coaches, and intervention specialists. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.
Register here

edWeb: Conquering Dyslexia: Strategies Based in Science to Help ALL Students
2024-10-02 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
Join this enlightening edWebinar as Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, esteemed literacy expert, researcher, and author, draws from both professional and personal experience to dispel dyslexia myths and emphasize the need for differentiated, systematically designed explicit instruction based on science. She’ll share Nancy Young’s infographic The Ladder of Reading & Writing to learn about the rationale and a framework for literacy instruction based on students’ identified needs and strengths. Attendees will learn:

How to connect the Science of Reading to your teaching
To understand the power of differentiating instruction to meet ALL students’ needs
The current research on identifying and designing appropriate instruction for students with dyslexia and other word-level reading challenges
Ideas for successfully differentiating literacy instruction to meet the needs of ALL learners in real-world classrooms

Register here

edWeb: What Do I Do Now? Using Data to Intensify Reading Interventions
2024-10-03 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
Students with dyslexia often require intensive reading interventions to experience success. Trying to find the right intervention can be a difficult and frustrating process. Join this applicable edWebinar that goes beyond identification and gives attendees an in-depth look at using data for the most successful reading interventions.
Our presenter, Dr. Matthew Burns, who is widely known and respected for his experience in working with striving readers, will present a framework educators can use to examine data and student performance. The framework and the strategies Dr. Burns will share empower educators to be able to select interventions with a higher likelihood of success and to modify current intervention efforts to enhance student outcomes. Attendees will learn:

The importance of improved reading instruction rather than solely focusing on identification
The significance of individualized instruction for dyslexic students
Strategies to use in small group instruction
An understanding of a practical framework to select reading interventions for students with dyslexia
Skills to match reading interventions to student needs
Knowledge of specific reading interventions to address student needs

Register here

ProLiteracy Conference
2024-10-06 - 2024-10-09 | Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, 700 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, MD, United States
We are passionate about leading the adult literacy field to the best practices for program and student success. This is why every two years we host our national conference to share the latest instructional trends, up-to-date research, and expert-led panel discussions on policy and innovation to influence practice and build program capacity.
Join us in Baltimore, MD, on October 6-9 and immerse yourself in this vibrant community of adult literacy practitioners and leaders for four days of open dialogue, idea sharing, and collaboration with peers from around the country.
The ProLiteracy Conference on Adult Education brings together a diverse range of individuals from organizations of all sizes to address the most pressing adult literacy and basic education issues today.
Join us and gain perspective on new technologies, innovative instructional tools and strategies, and leadership skills that you can take back to build the capacity of your program.
Register Here

Literacy Minnesota: Teaching Intermediate Alphabetics
2024-10-07 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual
Teaching intermediate alphabetics (syllables, prefixes, suffixes, root words) is a great way to help students build their decoding and comprehension skills. Come learn a variety of fun and easy-to-use routines and activities for helping intermediate-level readers develop these important tools.
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VALRC: Integrating Digital Resilience Skills Development Into Daily Lesson Plans
2024-10-10 15:00 - 17:00 | Online
Is your class time split into separate English practice and then digital literacy skills practice? Are you challenged by using technology throughout a lesson plan to support instruction?
This webinar will introduce strategies for seamlessly integrating standards-based activities, aligned with the Seattle Digital Equity Initiative Digital Skills Framework, throughout a lesson. You’ll also explore how to use AI to differentiate content and design effective lesson plans.
After a brief overview, participants will select and discuss one of the unit, collaborating on ways to integrate a specific objective into a contextualized lesson. You’ll learn how the same AI promptcan be used across various tools and utilize the Digital Skills Glossary to support your objective. Participants will review lesson plans that combine contextualized objectives with digital literacy skills practice.
This webinar is meant for anyone supporting learners developing digital resilience while improving their English skills. Attendees will receive valuable resources, including links to the framework and glossary.
Register Here

Literacy Minnesota: Teaching and Tutoring with Northstar Digital Literacy
2024-10-14 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
You don’t need to be a computer expert in order to teach computer skills! Come learn how help students build their digital literacy skills using Northstar Digital Literacy.
In the webinar, participants will learn:

The features of Northstar Digital Literacy.
How to help learners navigate Northstar digital literacy assessments.
How to use the Northstar instructor-led curriculum.
How to guide learners through the Northstar Digital Literacy Online Learning Modules.
Additional digital literacy resources.

Register Here

VALRC: Disabilities and the Adult Learner Webinar Series, Session 1: Introduction to working with adult learners who have disabilities
2024-10-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
It is important to keep in mind that learning disabilities are life-long. Children with disabilities grow-up to be adults with disabilities. Although, many adult learners go undiagnosed. Learning disabilities affect the ability to understand or use spoken or written language, do mathematical calculations, coordinate movements, or direct attention. This session focuses on how adult educators can help their learners by better understanding the different characteristics of learning disabilities, implementing universal designing for learning (UDL), and utilizing partnerships.
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Literacy Minnesota: Refining Your Teacher Talk
2024-10-16 19:30 - 21:30
Many tutors know they should limit their talking time, but struggle to do so. In this webinar, revisit the importance of reducing teacher talking time and learn ways to improve it to maximize learner engagement and comprehension.
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LINCS: Building Inclusive Teams
2024-10-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
This live event is for you! Whether you are helping adult learners learn how to work effectively in teams or if you’re struggling to build and maintain strong internal teams. Our guest speaker, Andrea Horton-Meriçli from Diversifuse will share useful strategies for “Building Inclusive Teams”.
Register Here

LINCS: Artificial Intelligence for the Adult English Language Acquisition Classroom
2024-10-17 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
What questions do you have about artificial intelligence and its practical applications to your work supporting English learners? In what ways have you already used AI in your program and specifically in your teaching?
AI is likely the most consequential technology to become available to all of us. How can we teachers draw upon artificial intelligence to enhance our work teaching English? Join us for this LINCS event with guest expert Rachel Riggs, Technical Advisor, AI and Emerging Technologies at World Education. Rachel will provide a brief orientation to the topic of artificial intelligence and its impact and use in adult education. Participants will gain and share practical ideas, tools, and perspectives to support the ethical, effective, and equitable use of AI in ESOL classes.
Register Here

LINCS: Teaching Math to Non-native English Speakers
2024-10-17 16:00 - 17:00 | Virtual
LINCS is excited to invite you to a special webinar titled “Teaching Math to Non-native English Speakers,” featuring an exclusive interview with esteemed adult educator, Connie Rivera, Professional Development Specialist, SABES. In this webinar, we aim to inspire and equip math practitioners in adult basic education with practical strategies, insights, and resources for teaching non-native English speakers. Discover ways to enhance engagement and improve learning outcomes for adult learners in math education. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and tools to support your teaching practice.
Register Here

EconEdLink: Teaching Economics Using Rockstar Current Events Resources & Strategies
2024-10-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Teachers are super busy and do not have a lot of time to keep up with current events to use in the classroom the next day. Yet, current events are an important and effective way to contextualize secondary subjects for real-world learning, including economics. This webinar, sponsored by the Council for Economic Education, features three presenters who share free resources and strategies for successfully teaching current events in real-time with minimal teacher preparation and maximum student engagement. Mr. Joel Miller will present the timely “Monday Morning Economist” newsletter and accompanying Foundation on Economic Education (FEE) teacher resources that easily integrate current events and pop culture into economics lessons. Ms. Ariel Slonim will share Marginal Revolution University’s (MRU) “Econ in the News” subscription that combs through the news to find relevant current events for teaching economics on a regular basis as well as how to structure related productive student discussions. Dr. Cheryl Ayers will share her research-based, economic-way-of-thinking instructional strategies and tools for making any current event more accessible to students. Join the webinar to enhance your teaching toolkit!
Register here. (A free EconEdLink account is required to register.)

EdTech: Digital Literacy for Families + Media Literacy in the Age of AI
2024-10-18 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual
This month’s EdTech Strategy Session features two lightning talks by:

Cassandra Kramer
Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra

Register Here

Literacy Minnesota: Developing and Practicing Reading Fluency
2024-10-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Come and review the important role of fluency in reading instruction. We will discuss the three key components of reading fluency and look at a variety of activities tutors and teachers can try. We will talk about the mechanics of doing fluency practice via Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or any other remote tutoring tool (including the phone!). Participants will have plenty of opportunity to ask questions and share resources.
This workshop will be most useful for instructors working with low-intermediate to advanced readers.
Register Here

VAACE
2024-10-21 - 2024-10-23
Save the dates! This year’s annual VAACE conference will be in person in Charlottesville, Virginia. Check back often for updates!

GEDTS Tuesdays for Teachers: Critical Reading and the RLA Extended Response
2024-10-22 15:30 - 17:00 | Online
Previous Tuesdays for Teachers sessions on the GED® RLA Extended Response have focused on many aspects of writing including grammar skills, the writing process, and creating effective arguments. Yet the extended response is just as much a reading task as it is a writing one.
In this session, participants will discover strategies for critically reading the source text arguments and using a T-chart to gather evidence. Participants will also learn an effective method for analyzing evidence and where to find other resources to help students practice this task. There will be time at the end to process thoughts and pose questions.
Register here for October’s webinar.
Tuesdays for Teachers is GEDTS’ free professional development series designed for educators. This bi-monthly series takes a deeper dive into classroom strategies and techniques for the GED® test. Find previous webinar recordings on ged.com.
