VALRC

VDOE July Open Conversation
2023-07-18 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Online
Join an open conversation which will answer questions about this year’s reporting.
Use this link to join
Meeting ID: 898 4096 4263
Passcode: [REDACTED]

LINCS: ADVANCE IET Connecting Jail-Based IET Programs to Career Pathways Webinar
2023-07-11 15:30 - 16:30 | Virtual
Representatives from the Integrated Education and Training (IET) in Corrections federal initiative, Michelle Tolbert and Jessie Stadd from RTI International, will share how to partner with jails to design and deliver Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs. They will present an overview of educational programs in jails and describe how jail-based IET programs can connect learners to career pathways as their correctional status changes. Panelists currently offering programs in jails will also share their partnership experiences and lessons learned from IET development and delivery.
Register Here

LINCS: COABE Follow-Up for Digital Lit & Tech Strand
2023-07-11 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Join Rachel Riggs and Nell Eckersley for the conversation started a few months ago at COABE 2023!

How have we navigated new technologies over the years?
What lessons can we carry into the future?
What’s next for Digital Literacy and Technology in the coming year?

Register Here

VDOE Data Office Hours
2023-07-10 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-06-27 14:00 - 15:00, 2023-06-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Online
This session will offer additional technical assistance with end-of-year data reporting.
Register Here

LINCS: Developing Curriculum Using an Equity Lens (Asynchronous Discussions)
2023-07-10 - 2023-07-15 | Virtual
Discover strategies to develop Adult Education curricula through a robust dialogue with guest experts in the Teaching and Learning, Reading and Writing, Math and Numeracy, Program Management, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion Communities of Practice. This round robin discussion will involve multiple groups with a specific focus each day to aid you in developing a solid understanding of connecting standards based instruction that prepares learners for postsecondary education. Follow us every day in a new Community group as participants provide a deep and rich dialogue.

July 10: Join the Teaching and Learning Community to focus on Standards in Action.
July 11: Join the Reading and Writing Community to continue the discussion as our Guest Expert, Leecy Wise, will help define equity as it applies to adult education instruction and encourage a dialogue sharing IET Reading and Writing activities that align with the Standards in Action and focus on Equity in instruction.
July 12: Join the Math and Numeracy Community as Leecy Wise continues the dialogue on sharing math focused Integrated Education and Training activities that are aligned with Standards.
July 13: Join the Program Management Community to discuss oversight of designing curriculum.
July 14: Wrapping up in weeklong discussion in the DEI Community to close the loop on conversations and connect all the pieces to DEI work.

Access Discussions Here

VDOE June Open Conversation
2023-06-26 13:30 - 15:00 | Online
The VDOE team will host a June open conversation about the conclusion of the current year and start of the new year. This is not mandatory.
Use this link to join
Meeting ID: 858 1354 2792
Passcode: [REDACTED]

DARS Windmills: Employment Disability Inclusion Training, Assistive Technology and Reasonable Accommodation
2023-06-22 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual
In this interactive exercise, participants are asked to evaluate the potential needs of persons with disabilities and to formulate possible creative solutions. Participants learn the interactive communication process to develop reasonable accommodations.
Register Here

LINCS: Culture in the Adult Education Mathematics Classroom
2023-06-20 16:00 - 17:00 | Virtual
Join Dr. Carmine Stewart to discuss the importance of acknowledging and valuing students’ diverse cultures and experiences in the mathematics classroom. We’ll explore ways to incorporate culturally responsive teaching practices by using examples and problems that are relevant to students’ cultural backgrounds and experiences, and how to create safe and inclusive learning environments where students feel comfortable sharing.
Register Here

LINCS: Learn the Skills Needed to Transform, Personalize, and Empower Learning in the Classroom
2023-06-15 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
The ISTE Standards for Educator Certification can transform, personalize, and empower learning in the adult education classroom. Join Ginette Chandler of Second Start to consider the challenge and share lessons learned for how to make digital citizenship a positive practice rather than a list of don’ts.
Register Here

COABE: NEW MEASURABLE SKILL GAINS MODELS ARE COMING: ARE YOU READY?
2023-06-13 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
Satisfied with current NRS tests? Probably not. Come learn what the future of Measurable Skill Gains assessment looks like. Assessment researchers and leading adult education practitioners will describe how revolutionary new methods are being applied to support the next generation of NRS assessments under a Department of Education project. Skills developed in IET and workplace learning tasks are hard to measure. This webinar will describe how future assessments will be closely aligned to close this gap.
Register Here

LINCS Discussion: How Can Writing Improve Reading Comprehension?
2023-06-08
LINCS hosts educator and researcher Charles MacArthur of the University of Delaware for an asynchronous discussion of how writing can improve the reading comprehension of adult education students! Ask your questions on this topic and comment on the recommended strategies for answering questions, taking notes, summarizing, and responding to texts.
Join this special discussion and the LINCS Reading and Writing community.

LINCS: Supporting Job-Embedded Professional Development for ELA Instructors
2023-06-01 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Join LINCS to learn how one program teaching English learners is supporting high quality job-embedded professional development for instructors. Laura Smith-Hill will share practical strategies to nurture a team culture among instructors, involve them in collaborative curriculum development, and provide accountability to the most rigorous research available to the field.
Register Here

TSTM: Digital Literacy PLC Wrap Up
2023-05-25 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
This session is for educators who are participating in the Spring 2023 TSTM: Digital Literacy PLC. This session is an opportunity for educators to share how they have been applying the Teaching the Skills that Matter (TSTM) Toolkit and approaches in their own planning and practice.
If you have questions about TSTM or the TSTM: Digital Literacy PLC, contact Hillary Major at VALRC.

LINCS Digital Storytelling for Better Writers
2023-05-25 14:00 - 15:30
From the LINCS Reading & Writing Community: How can we use multi-media storytelling to build better writers? What role does storytelling have in Adult Basic Education? In this live session on May 25 at 2 PM ET, Laura Porfirio will share an overview of the digital storytelling process and important elements to consider when writing a personal narrative script. We will practice sample writing activities and share resources for accessing existing digital stories as a guide for inspiring more authentic and relevant story sharing in our classes.
Register here for the training, which runs from 2-3:15 p.m. ET.

Serving Internationally Trained Professionals Open Discussion
2023-05-05 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
This open discussion will bring together adult education programs and other refugee/immigrant serving organizations to discuss strategies and practices for best serving internationally trained professionals (ITPs) in order to support their ability to access their career pathways in the United States. Participants will also be able to share questions and challenges regarding serving ITPs in their programs to best inform future professional development focused on this topic.
Register Here

VALRC - TSTM: Digital Literacy PLC
2023-04-27 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-04-20 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-04-13 15:30 - 17:00
Do you want to learn more about the classroom-ready lessons and other resources in the Teaching the Skills that Matter (TSTM) Toolkit?
Do you want to gain ideas for incorporating digital literacy and workforce preparation skills and activities into your teaching?
Do you want to work with an experienced facilitator and colleagues from around the state to adapt TSTM lessons to support your adult learners?
If you answered “yes,” then join us for the Spring 2023 TSTM: Digital Literacy PLC. This three-week, ten-hour PLC is streamlined for instructors and designed to help teachers harness the power of the TSTM Toolkit in their current classroom or learning environment.
This PLC includes:

3, 90-minute “live” PLC sessions, held Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on April 13, April 20, and April 27.
Online collaboration and sharing with your PLC colleagues and facilitator, and
A 90-minute follow-up session on Thursday, May 25, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. focused on sustaining TSTM.

Registration is closed for this event; registered participants can access the session here.
If you have questions about TSTM, contact Hillary Major at VALRC.

VALRC: Serving Refugees, New Americans, and Immigrants PLC
2023-04-27 15:00 - 16:30 | Virtual
This professional learning community (PLC) will connect adult education practitioners (regional specialists, ESOL coordinators, instructors, tutors, etc.) who are serving or expect to serve the refugee, new American, and/or immigrant populations to discuss strategies and resources for working with these learners.
This session will focus on trauma-informed care and social-emotional learning. Visit this Google Doc to learn more about the PLC!
Register Here

VALRC: IET/IELCE Instructor PLC
2023-04-25 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
This PLC is an opportunity for integrated training and education (IET) and Integrated English Literacy and Civics (IELCE) instructors to network and collaborate in order to develop IET/IELCE lesson plans, curriculum, learner activities, assessments, etc.
The purpose of this PLC is to be responsive to and relevant for IET/IELCE instructors as our first ever IET/IELCE offering geared towards instructors. See this Google Doc to learn more about this PLC!
Register Here

EdTech Webinar: The Change Agent
2023-04-20 14:00 - 15:00
Come learn about The Change Agent‘s most recent series of issues on immigrants and immigration.

VALRC Spring Math Webinar Series - Session 1
2023-04-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
The first session will cover the math interest survey responses, including a discussion of the strategies and topics and math instructors want to learn about most.
We will also explore how The Change Agent, an adult learner publication, can be used for contextualized math instruction.
The content focus for webinars 2 and 3 will be determined through discussions and feedback from the first webinar.
Register here.

Beyond Basics: Multilevel ESOL Classes (Online Course)
2023-04-06 - 2023-05-17
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.

VALRC: Contextualized Phonics Instruction
2023-03-29 15:00 - 16:30 | Virtual
This webinar will present strategies for contextualizing phonics instruction in the ESOL beginning literacy or multilevel classroom as well as during one-on-one tutoring sessions. We will discuss strategies for contextualizing phonics instruction and walk through the steps of implementing this strategy in different ESOL instructional settings. Participants will leave the webinar with an understanding of this approach, how it benefits ESOL beginning literacy instruction, and strategies for implementing this approach in the adult ESOL classroom.
Register Here

GEDTS Tuesday for Teachers: Have You Talked about “Zero” Lately?
2023-03-28 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
GED Testing Services offers the Tuesdays for Teachers series as a free professional development offering. Here’s their description of the upcoming March session: We often “talk about nothing, or zero” in day-to-day conversations. A conversation about the “zero” in RLA is certainly “nothing” and has become a serious concern for many educators and their students. We hear the concerns and need to address “the elephant in the room:” the zero in the scoring rubric. In this session, we will answer your questions about “why a zero?” and provide a deeper understanding of the zero. Join us to help students improve their writing skills on the Extended Response and real-world writing. Register today!

VALRC: IET/IELCE Instructor PLC
2023-03-28 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
This PLC is an opportunity for integrated training and education (IET) and Integrated English Literacy and Civics (IELCE) instructors to network and collaborate in order to develop IET/IELCE lesson plans, curriculum, learner activities, assessments, etc.
The purpose of this PLC is to be responsive to and relevant for IET/IELCE instructors as our first ever IET/IELCE offering geared towards instructors. See this Google Doc to learn more about this PLC!

VALRC: Serving Refugees, New Americans, and Immigrants PLC
2023-03-23 15:00 - 16:30 | Virtual
This professional learning community (PLC) will connect adult education practitioners (regional specialists, ESOL coordinators, instructors, tutors, etc.) who are serving or expect to serve the refugee, new American, and/or immigrant populations to discuss strategies and resources for working with these learners.
This session will focus on culturally responsive education and asset-based approach strategies. Visit this Google Doc to learn more about the PLC!

VALRC: Key Shifts Series - Teaching to Build Knowledge
2023-03-21 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual
Teaching with the CCRS Key Shifts is a series of workshops designed to provide evidence-based strategies for working with complexity, evidence, and knowledge. Each workshop focuses on a different English language arts/literacy key shift and encourages an interactive learning experience. Participants will engage in several activities they can take back to the classroom to help their learners interact with texts in a more meaningful way. The workshops are appropriate for anyone teaching reading, writing, or language skills, and last 90 minutes.
Dates:

Teaching with Complex Texts: A Workshop – Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 1-2:30pm
Teaching Learners to Use Evidence: A Workshop – Tuesday, March 7, 2023, 1-2:30pm
Teaching to Build Knowledge: A Workshop – Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 1-2:30pm
