VALRC

LINCS: Better Serving Deaf Learners in Adult Basic Education and English Language Acquisition Programs
2024-01-30 15:45 - 16:45 (America/New_York)
Join guest speakers Gemma Gabor and Tonya Stremlau from Gallaudet University’s English Language Institute and English Department in a conversation about best practices for serving Deaf learners with varying levels of literacy participating in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English Language Acquisition (ELA) programs. This impactful discussion will include ASL interpretation. Please bring your questions and experiences. Co-hosted by LINCS Learners with Disabilities and English Language Acquisition community groups.
Register here.

Online Course - ESOL Basics: Instructional Strategies
2024-02-01 08:00 - 2024-02-28 23:59 | Online
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Online Course - Foundations of Reading: Meaning Skills
2024-02-01 08:00 - 2024-03-13 23:59 | Online

VALRC: Teaching Civics for Democracy and Foundational Skills with Cynthia Peters
2024-02-01 15:30 - 16:30 | Online
How can adult educators teach civics content along with foundational skills? How can civic engagement be meaningfully explored with adult learners?
Join facilitator Cynthia Peters as she addresses these questions. Learn about teaching the history of voting rights and how to train students to become Voting Ambassadors.
Register here.

Literacy Minnesota: Teaching Intermediate Alphabetics
2024-02-01 19:30 - 21:30 | Online
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.
Register

VDOE 2024 Data Office Hours
2024-02-06 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-03-05 14:00 - 15:00

LACES Demo: Overview of the Student Record, continued from January 9
2024-02-06 15:00 - 16:00

VALRC: Lessons from the Field with Xavier Muñoz: Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Reduce Lesson Planning Time
2024-02-06 15:30 - 17:00 | Online
In this interactive webinar, explore free AI tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard, Claude) that can help you spend less time on lesson planning and more time on learner engagement. Whether you need to write lessons from scratch or adapt textbook activities, we’ll have fun trying out strategies for giving prompts to an AI tool.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

identify at least two ways that generative AI tools can help tackle challenges they face in lesson planning;
write an effective prompt or iterate back and forth with a generative AI tool to create materials, activities, or lesson plans;
and, identify some limitations of generative AI tools.

Register here.

Literacy Minnesota: Teaching Reading Vocabulary Remotely or In Person
2024-02-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Online
Vocabulary is everyone’s favorite reading component! And helping students master reading vocabulary is a key to helping them master comprehension. But how many words should you teach? And which words are the most important? What strategies are best for helping students learn new words? How do you get students to make new words part of their receptive and productive vocabularies? This webinar will focus on the theory and best practice behind choosing, teaching and reviewing reading vocabulary. You’ll get a chance to learn about (and practice) a variety of activities that can be done remotely or in person. Links to great online resources will also be provided.
Register

LINCS: A Civics Preview for 2024
2024-02-08 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
What challenges and opportunities do you look forward to in the area of civics education, citizenship preparation, and immigrant education? Join the discussion as LINCS looks ahead to 2024 and beyond.
Register Here

EdTech Strategy Sessions: Integrating Digital Literacy Into the Classroom & Using Tech in Correctional Settings
2024-02-09 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
Integrating digital literacy into IET classrooms? Using tech in correctional settings? Sign us up! Susan Grochowski of Virginia’s Peninsula Regional Education Program and Mary Hayes from Workbay join the EdTech Center @WorldEducation for the next EdTech Strategy session to share their insights on these two topics.
Register here.

LINCS: Retention Strategies for Classroom Instructors
2024-02-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Are you passionate about adult education and looking for ways to increase student retention in your classroom? Join LINCS in this engaging and informative session, led by two renowned experts in the field of adult education from Western Illinois University, Anita Kerr, Language Arts Resource Specialist, and Amber Fornaciari, Math Resource Specialist. Our presenters will share their extensive knowledge and practical strategies for enhancing student retention in adult education settings. Whether you’re an experienced educator or just starting your teaching journey, this webinar is packed with insights that can transform your classroom and make a lasting impact on your students.
Register Here

Virtual WIOA Combined State Plan Title II Stakeholder Engagement Event
2024-02-12 14:30 - 16:00 | Online
The next 4-year WIOA Combined State Plan will be open for public comment in February. This February 12 event is designed to capture feedback from adult education practitioners, state and local advisory committee members, stakeholders, partners, students, and graduates. Please share this notice with your partners and staff. Materials for review will be shared with registrants in advance.

LINCS: Get Them Writing Everyday: Simple Strategies for Bringing More and Better Writing into Your ABE Classroom
2024-02-12 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
We all want our adult education students to write but finding class time to do this can be challenging. Join the guest presenters from Hamline University, Stephanie Sommers, Adult Education Instructor, and Kristine Kelly, Literacy and English Language Arts Coordinator as they share concrete ways to bring writing instruction in your ABE classroom and ways to leverage technology in writing instruction.
Register Here

VALRC: Science of Reading Overview
2024-02-14 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
This session presents a basic overview of the science of reading and effective reading instruction, including alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. During the session, we discuss strategies for each component of reading and how to use them in the classroom. Participants will leave with resources for teaching each component.
Register

LINCS: Picture Perfect! Mastering Visual Literacy in Adult Education
2024-02-14 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
In today’s digital age, visual literacy is a critical skill for students to navigate and communicate effectively. Join LINCS this month to explore the fundamental concepts of visual literacy and discover how it can be integrated seamlessly into various subjects and levels. Expand your teaching toolkit and empower your students to become visually literate thinkers and communicators.
Register Here

LINCS: Making Math Matter
2024-02-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Many adult learners struggle to learn math. LINCS offers a new, online Universal Design for Learning (UDL) module – Making Math Matter. Join us to take a deep dive into this UDL course with our guest presenters Donald Walker, Career and Technical Education Trainer at the Center for Applied Special Technology, and Carl Trank, Professor of Mathematics at Rock Valley College. You will leave this session ready to use UDL to increase access to math learning for adult students.
Register Here

Career Pathways Data Webinar
2024-02-20 15:30 - 16:30 | Online
Career coaches, adult educators, workforce professionals, and colleagues are invited to attend a webinar featuring the Virginia Office of Education Economics (VOEE) on February 20 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. to learn more about the data analytics, high-demand occupation list, and customizable dashboards available by Virginia region. Learn how to make use of these fresh data insights for your program planning and client coaching from the VOEE team!
Register HERE.

Literacy Minnesota: Comprehension Strategies for Intermediate-Level Readers
2024-02-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Online
Research shows that explicitly teaching a set of comprehension strategies is a great way to help intermediate-level readers maximize their understanding of texts. Come learn a handful of great comprehension tools that will help students develop critical thinking skills and comprehension skills.
Register

LINCS: Building Community in Adult Education Classrooms
2024-02-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
To increase their likelihood of success, adult English learners need to feel accepted and welcomed in a classroom. The guest presenter, Johanna Gleason, ESL Instructor for the San Diego College of Continuing Education will equip teachers with several tips and tools for building a welcoming classroom community that supports learners in achieving their important goals.
Register Here

Literacy Minnesota: Phonics in Beginning ESL: Recommendations, Activities and Resources
2024-02-21 19:30 - 21:30 | Online
Phonics–the knowledge of the sounds letters make when they are combined to make words–is essential to beginning literacy and beginning level English language instruction. But, many teachers and tutors lack the knowledge, confidence and resources to teach the topic. Attend this session to learn why phonics instruction is important and leave with several ideas for phonics activities and resources to bring back to your teaching and tutoring sessions.
This session will be most useful to tutors and teachers working with beginning literacy, low beginning and high beginning English language learners.
Register

DARS WINDMILLS: Harness the Power of Inclusion
2024-02-22 14:00 - 15:30
Windmills has a proven history of assisting those with and without disabilities to better understand the culture of disability in the workplace.
We will be rotating the following modules:

Fact or Fiction: Jan 25
Whose Fault: Feb 22
Perspectives: Mar 28
Taking Emotions out of Emotional Disabilities: Apr 25
Profiles (coming May 23)
AT and Reasonable Accommodations (coming June 27)

Pre-registration is required. Register HERE.

LINCS: The Digital Equity Act: Correctional Education Getting in the Game
2024-02-22 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
The Digital Equity Act now moves into the next phase of implementation across the country, and it’s important for everyone in the correctional and reentry community to get up to speed on what’s happening. Join LINCS to learn from Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, a recognized expert on state and federal workforce policies as she shares the current state of the Digital Equity Act. Learn more about what’s happening, and what’s not when it comes to digital access and digital literacy behind and beyond the wall of our prisons and jails. This is one event you just cannot afford to miss.
Register Here

VALRC: Multilevel ESOL Classes Webinar Series, Session 1
2024-02-22 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
Do you want to tackle the challenges of teaching multilevel ESOL classes? Are you looking to address the varied learning needs of individual students within one classroom and become an effective multi-level teacher?
This 3 part webinar series will present strategies for effective multi-level instruction and planning for ESOL classes or multi-level classrooms. We will discuss the characteristics of a multilevel class, planning for differentiated instruction and implementing different classroom management strategies for effective instruction. Participants will leave the webinar with an understanding of what multilevel classroom needs consist of, how to prepare and plan for individual students needs, and strategies for implementing differentiated instruction in the adult ESOL multi-level classroom. The resources will include articles, videos and supplemental materials.
Objectives:

Understand the factors of a multilevel classroom and how to identify the needs of all students.
Identify strategies to effectively differentiate instruction in both multi level classrooms as well as leveled ESOL classes while accommodating literacy learners and more advanced students.
Discuss next steps for implementation, including adaptation of materials and strategies with a specific group of learners.

Session 1 will focus on an overview of the multilevel classroom & differentiation strategies.
Register Here

GEDTS Tuesdays for Teachers: Close Reading & GED Tech Apprenticeship Program Update
2024-02-27 15:30 - 17:00 | Online
Register here.
Content Session (1 hour): Starting the New Year with Close Reading Session
It’s time to be serious about close reading. Survey responses received from you echoed a desire for more strategies to improve Reasoning Through Language Arts results. Over the past few years, we have focused on mathematics. We’ve worked hard to help students build their math skills — and we are seeing results. Now, we need to transfer some of that instructional energy to reading. Join GEDTS as we explore strategies to help students build their reading skills. We will explore reading skills students need across the content areas.
Topic of the Day (1/2 hour): GED Tech Apprenticeship Program Update
The GED Tech Apprenticeship Program, a partnership between WithYouWithMe and GED Testing Service, continues to build momentum since the successful Job Fair held in Los Angeles in October 2023. Join Gregory Larson, GED Coordinator/Adjunct Faculty at Los Angeles City College (LACC), Vicki Greene, and Tom Moore as Gregory reflects upon the impact the program is having on participating LACC students following the Job Fair.

Literacy Minnesota: Teaching Reading Vocabulary Remotely or In Person
2024-03-04 19:30 - 21:30 | Online
Vocabulary is everyone’s favorite reading component! And helping students master reading vocabulary is a key to helping them master comprehension. But how many words should you teach? And which words are the most important? What strategies are best for helping students learn new words? How do you get students to make new words part of their receptive and productive vocabularies? This webinar will focus on the theory and best practice behind choosing, teaching and reviewing reading vocabulary. You’ll get a chance to learn about (and practice) a variety of activities that can be done remotely or in person. Links to great online resources will also be provided.
This workshop will be most useful for instructors working with low-intermediate to advanced readers.
Register

LACES Demo: Data Outputs from LACES
2024-03-05 15:00 - 16:00

VALRC: Helping Your Students Identify, Develop, and Utilize Transferrable Skills Webinar with Cynthia Peters
2024-03-07 15:30 - 16:30 | Online
Adult education students have strong transferable skills (aka, soft skills). They just don’t know it yet! Leadership, communication, and critical thinking skills are being cultivated daily by hard-working adult learners. Employers value and seek these crucial competencies. In this webinar, adult educator and The Change Agent editor Cynthia Peters shares powerful student-written stories and demonstrates classroom activities that teach basic skills in ways that enable students to identify and amplify the transferable skills essential for employability.
Register here.

Literacy Minnesota: Developing and Practicing Reading Fluency
2024-03-11 19:30 - 21:30 | Online
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
