I Hear You! Effective Listening Instruction for English Language Learners - Presented by Andrea Echelberger
2025-11-20 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 11/20/25
Venue: Online (see details below)

Come learn how explicit listening instruction builds a foundation for literacy skills and fosters independence for language learners. This workshop will identify authentic learning tasks that English learners encounter daily, try out a variety of listening activities across multiple levels, and discuss which explicit listening strategies are used for each one. Participants will leave with ideas for listening tasks that can be used in remote or in-person instruction.

Apex & Pointful CTE Courses Q&A Session
2025-12-01 15:30 - 16:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: MON. 12/1/25
Venue: Online (see details below)

Did you know that there are state-supported online curricula to help learners explore careers and prepare to earn industry-recognized credentials? Learn more about these Pointful CTE courses and how to access them on the Apex platform. Courses with credential preparation include:

Architectural Design I: Prepare for the AutoDesk Certified User in AutoCAD exam.
LEED Green Associate: Learn about the LEED process and sustainable design and construction. Prepare for the LEED Green Associate exam.
Java SE 8: Learn the basics of programming in Java and prepare for an Oracle Certification exam.
Drones: Remote Pilot: Begin preparing for the FAA exam to become a Certificated Remote Pilot.

Other Pointful courses include Career Exploration in Healthcare, Dentistry, and Finance; three courses related to early childhood and general education; Personal Finance; Entrepreneurship and Small Business; Project Management; Cybersecurity; Construction; and Building Maintenance. View the complete course list here and request a staff account here.

Session audience: Teachers, coordinators, managers, and support staff interested in offering career-focused courses
Do I need an Apex staff account to attend this session? Not necessarily, but an account will be helpful. You can request one here.
How do I join the session? Register above, then look for an email from “MNABE Staff” with a Zoom link.
Accommodations: To request ASL interpretation or other accommodations, please email the DL help desk.
Will there be a recording? Yes! The recording will be posted on the MN Adult Education PD YouTube channel.

Chart Your Course with Exact Path!
2025-12-04 15:00 - 16:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 12/4/25
Venue: Online (see details below)

Join us for an introduction to Exact Path, a state-supported (no additional cost) distance learning platform for individualized instruction and practice in reading, language arts, and math. You’ll learn how to find Exact Path within the Edmentum platform, assign diagnostic assessments, manage individual student Learning Paths, and use reports to monitor progress and track DL proxy hours. The training will be interactive and will include time for hands-on practice and questions.

Session audience: Teachers, coordinators, managers, and support staff interested in using Exact Path with learners
Do I need an Edmentum staff account to attend this session? Yes, an account will be very helpful. You can request one here.
How do I join the session? Register above, then look for an email from “MNABE Staff” with a Zoom link.
Accommodations: To request ASL interpretation or other accommodations, please email the DL help desk.
Will there be a recording? Yes! The recording will be posted on the MN Adult Education PD YouTube channel.

Teaching and Tutoring with Northstar Digital Literacy
2025-12-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 12/5/25
Venue: Online (see details below)

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.

Holding Space: Healing-Centered Routines and Practices for Classroom Instruction
2025-12-08 14:30 - 16:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: MON. 12/8/25
For many learners and teachers, stress and trauma can seem like insurmountable barriers to developing academic skills. However, the resilience and empathy that many people in adult education have developed can form a foundation for a learning community grounded in curiosity and compassion. Incorporating healing-centered routines and instructional practices in the classroom can improve academic outcomes for learners, promote a sense of belonging, and decrease stress and pressure for learners and teachers alike. In this webinar, learn how to apply the Sequence of Engagement framework and healing-centered approaches in a classroom setting to build community, promote personal growth, and create a safe space for everyone to learn and thrive.
If you require ASL interpretation, contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu

Getting Started with Workplace Literacy
2025-12-09 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 12/9/25
Getting Started with Workplace Literacy is a two-hour webinar designed to introduce the foundations of Workplace Education, including key terms such as program definitions, milestones, and MSGs.
Participants will hear from a panel of local ABE managers and workplace literacy partners who will share real-world examples of how programs launch, grow, and demonstrate value. Attendees will also get a first look at a set of customizable tools designed to help programs engage effectively with employers. Panelists will describe their own Workplace Education programs and respond to guiding questions that explore what inspired them to get started, how initial conversations turned into action, and the strategies that helped “seal the deal.”
This session is ideal for anyone looking to understand the essentials and learn from practitioners already doing the work.
If you require ASL Interpretation, please contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu

Ellii December Webinar: Keepin’ It Real: Examples from Your Minnesota Colleagues
2025-12-10 14:30 - 15:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 12/10/25
Venue: Online (see details below)

In this session, we’ll showcase examples of how Minnesota adult education teachers are using Ellii in their classes and for distance learning. Come learn from your peers about the activities and resources that they and their learners have loved.

Audience: Teachers and volunteers who are using or interested in using Ellii, all levels
Do I need an Ellii teacher account to attend this session? No. An account is helpful (get one here), but not required.
How do I join the session? Register here, then look for an email from “MNABE Staff” with a Zoom link.
Accommodations: To request ASL interpretation or other accommodations, please email the DL help desk.
Will there be a recording? Yes! The recording will be posted on the MN Adult Education PD YouTube channel.

2025 Virtual Literacy Volunteer Management Conference
2025-12-12 08:30 - 14:45 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 12/11/25
Cost: FREE for participants in Minnesota and Wisconsin; $25 for participants outside of Minnesota or Wisconsin. Registration is not refundable, but recordings and materials will be available to registrants after the conference.
Venue: Online (see details below)

The Volunteer Management Conference (VMC) is a one-day professional development opportunity that brings together Adult Basic Education staff who work with volunteers: coordinators, teachers and managers alike. The conference is virtual, on Zoom.
Get Ready To:

Learn new strategies and ideas through a keynote presentation and concurrent session offerings.
Get practical resources you can use right away.
Network and share your professional wisdom with colleagues.
Earn CEUs.

Comprehension Strategies for Intermediate-Level Readers
2025-12-15 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: MON. 12/15/25
Venue: Online (see details below)

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.

How Adult Brains Learn Languages - Presented by Andrea Echelberger
2025-12-18 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 12/18/25
Venue: Online (see details below)

Learn what research has to say about how adult brains learn a new language, how trauma and stress impact learning, and how this influences the teaching practices that we use in the language classroom. Participants will leave the webinar with suggestions for ways teachers and tutors can apply brain-based teaching practices as we are helping adult ESL students develop their language skills.

Teaching Reading Vocabulary
2026-01-09 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 1/9/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

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.

Volunteer Core Training Module 1: Overview of Minnesota Adult Education and Program Accountability
2026-01-13 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 1/13/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

Participants learn about Adult Basic Education programming in Minnesota, demographics of learners, instructional content standards as well as initial and on-going assessment. This session wraps up with learner motivations, barriers and persistence.

Supporting Future Paraprofessionals: Integrating Content Standards into ABE Instruction
2026-01-14 14:30 - 16:00 | Online
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: WED. 1/14/26
Paraprofessionals play a vital role in classrooms, supporting student learning and fostering inclusive, effective instruction. This interactive webinar will explore the essential skills needed to succeed as a paraprofessional and how Adult Basic Education programs can help learners build those skills. Using content standards integration as a framework, we’ll examine key transition, digital literacy, math, and literacy skills critical for paraprofessional success—and share practical strategies for embedding these skills into classroom instruction.
If you require ASL Interpretation, contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu

Teaching and Tutoring with Northstar Digital Literacy
2026-01-14 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 1/14/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

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.

Minnesota State – ABE Corequisite Affinity Group Meetings
2026-01-15 14:00 - 15:15, 2026-01-16 10:00 - 11:15 | Online
Registration Deadline: Day of Event (see below)
Developing and advancing effective College and ABE co-req classroom partnerships is the business of ABE and Minnesota State educators working together through periodic Affinity Group (AG) meetings. The Affinity Group’s composition by role includes ABE Educators, Faculty, College Deans and Administrators, anyone with co-req reporting responsibility, and ABE Regional Directors. The Affinity Group sessions bring together all these practitioners who wish to explore and promote effective partnership models for student success in the co-req environment. All voices are welcome to help shape local and statewide collaboration strategies.
Additional information about the Affinity Group >>
Meeting Dates:

1. Thursday, October 30, 2-3:15 pm – REGISTER
2. Friday, October 31, 10-11:15 am – REGISTER
3. Thursday, January 15, 2-3:15 pm – REGISTER
4. Friday, January 16, 10-11:15 am – REGISTER
5. Thursday, April 9, 2-3:15 pm – REGISTER
6. Friday, April 10, 10-11:15 am – REGISTER

Volunteer Core Training Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners
2026-01-20 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 1/20/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

Participants develop their personal cultural awareness and learn how expectations around school culture shape how people teach and learn. Guiding principles for effectively delivering instruction to adults are also covered. Finally, participants increase their sensitivity to the challenges of learning English and developing literacy as an adult.

Developing and Practicing Reading Fluency
2026-01-21 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 1/21/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

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.

SiD Class Setup Essentials
2026-01-27 09:00 - 10:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 1/27/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

Join us for an in-depth webinar about how to set up classes in SiD. We’ll cover the basics of creating, duplicating, and removing classes. We’ll also dig into how to build specialty classes like IET, Workplace, and Distance Learning. If you’re new to the process of creating classes or looking for a refresher, this is the session for you!

Volunteer Core Training Module 3: Instructional Best Practices: Working with Learners
2026-01-27 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 1/27/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

Participants learn how to apply teaching practices that support language and skill development for all learners. These practices include ensuring that instruction is learner centered, using an appropriate level of teacher talk and delivering error correction.

Language & Literacy Institute 2026 - VIRTUAL EVENT - Day 1
2026-01-29 08:15 - 15:30 | Online
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: THU. 1/29/26
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must register for EACH day you plan to attend!
If you require ASL Interpretation, contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu

TENTATIVE AGENDA:

GENERAL SESSIONS:
General Session A: Designing for Difference: Scaffolds that Support Adult Learners’ Voice and Choice, presented by Jayme Adelson-Goldstein
Session Description: Adult learners bring a spectrum of goals, strengths, and needs into every learning space. With this variability in mind, we can intentionally design instruction that amplifies learner agency and provides multiple pathways to engage with lesson content. By embedding scaffolds and differentiation strategies into instructional routines, it’s possible to balance structure with learner autonomy and thrive in the process. In this webshop, we’ll reflect on the role scaffolds and differentiation play in deepening learners’ understanding of core content and collaborate to use instructional routines (including choice boards) that increase learners’ connection to that content and to each other.

Jayme Adelson-Goldstein has over 40 years of experience as an instructional designer, teacher educator, and instructional coach. She focuses on refining instructional practices in ways that respect and differentiate for the needs of multilingual learners and the teachers, tutors, and instructional leaders who serve them. In her work as Lighthearted Learning, she provides in-person and virtual professional learning opportunities that emphasize instructional approaches which contextualize, scaffold, and customize adult learning while fostering learner agency. She has served as a subject matter expert on federal projects including Digital Resilience in the American Workforce (DRAW), Teaching the Skills That Matter (TSTM), and LINCS ESL Pro, and is the recipient of the 2025 Ideal Consortium Impact Award for Innovating Digital Education for Adult Learners. Her publications include The Oxford Picture Dictionary, Step Forward, and numerous open educational resources for adult instructors.
General Session B: The Power of Talk: Building Literacy and Career Readiness Through Oral Language
In this workshop, we explore how harnessing and strengthening oral language can act as a springboard for literacy development and career readiness. Using the Teaching & Learning Cycle, which scaffolds academic and professional writing through deep and critical thinking tasks, academic discussions, interactive reading, and language development, instructors can connect seamlessly to the CCR Shifts in Complexity/Evidence/Knowledge. Learn how structured academic conversations serve to build and deepen content knowledge; see how using mentor texts can move adult learners to constructing complex texts of their own while supporting ideas with evidence. This workshop will benefit teachers both of English learners as well as learners whose primary language is English.
Betsy Parrish is Professor in the TESOL Program at Hamline University. She has worked for over 35 years as an English language teacher, teacher educator, and consultant in the US, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, France, India, Russia, and Vietnam. She is a frequent presenter at state, national, and international conferences on adult education issues, including academic and career readiness, innovative PD models, and learner-centered teaching practices. As co-founder of ATLAS, Betsy participated in the development of the Minnesota Transitions Integration Framework (TIF). She has been a subject matter expert on several OCTAE-funded projects, including ESL Pro, Teaching the Skills that Matter in Adult Education (TSTM) Civics Toolkit, the LINCS course on Principles and Practices for Meeting Adult EL needs, and trainings for the English Language Proficiency Standards for Adult Education. Betsy is the author of Teaching Adult ESL:English Language Learners: A Practical Introduction (Cambridge 2019).

Language & Literacy Institute 2026 - VIRTUAL EVENT - Day 2
2026-01-30 08:15 - 15:15 | Online
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FRI. 1/30/26
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must register for EACH day you plan to attend!
If you require ASL Interpretation, contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu

TENTATIVE AGENDA:

GENERAL SESSIONS:
General Session: From Academic Language to the Language of Access: History, Harm, and New Possibilities in Adult Education, presented by Michelle Benegas, Hamline University
Session Description: Adult educators across Minnesota work with learners navigating many linguistic worlds — high school equivalency, college preparation, workplace expectations, digital communication, and more. Yet the term “academic language,” once proposed as a neutral support for learners, has increasingly functioned as a racialized hierarchy that privileges certain ways of speaking and writing.
This session slows down the history: how scholars such as Cummins and Zwiers framed academic language, why their models resonated at the time, and how more recent work — including that of Nelson Flores — challenges us to rethink what we are actually asking learners to do. Using storytelling, brief video clips, and interactive breakout reflections, we will explore the shift toward the language of access: a practical, justice-oriented approach that asks not “How do we correct learners?” but “How do we equip them with multiple linguistic resources to move through unequal systems?”
Participants will leave with concrete strategies, fresh perspectives, and a deeper understanding of how language can either reinforce barriers or open doors in adult education settings.

Volunteer Core Training Module 4: Instructional Best Practices: Working with Materials
2026-02-03 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 2/3/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

Participants will engage in a couple of classroom activities to experience scaffolding, checking comprehension and the gradual release of responsibility. These aspects of teaching and tutoring are then defined, explained further and participants get opportunities to practice them.

Teaching Intermediate Alphabetics
2026-02-06 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 2/6/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

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.

WebChat with MN ABE
2026-02-11 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 2/11/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

WebChat with MN ABE is a webinar discussion led by state ABE staff from the Minnesota Department of Education. Web Chat webinars provide updates from the state ABE office on new and emerging issues and an opportunity for local ABE staff to ask questions and provide information to the Minnesota Adult Ed state team.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
If you need ASL interpretation for this event, please contact Wendy Lindblom at info@literacyactionnetwork.org by Monday, January 26, 2026.

Topics are TBD.
For those unable to attend, the meeting and materials will be available on the Literacy Action Network website after the meeting.

Comprehension Strategies for Intermediate-Level Readers
2026-02-12 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 2/12/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

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.

Teaching Reading Vocabulary
2026-02-16 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: MON. 2/16/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

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.

Developing and Practicing Reading Fluency
2026-02-24 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 2/24/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

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.

Antiracist Praxis Study Circle
2026-02-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Online
Registration coming soon!
Participation in this activity is by application only. The application will be made available soon!
Learn more here: https://atlasabe.org/key-activities/cultural-competency/antiracist-praxis-study-circle/
Questions? Patsy Egan, pegan02@hamline.edu
Study Circle Dates:
Wed. 2/25/26 – 2-4 pm (CST)
Wed. 3/4/26 – 2-4 pm (CST)
Wed. 3/11/26 – 2-4 pm (CST)
Wed. 3/18/26 – 2-4 pm (CST)
Wed. 4/8/26 – 2-4 pm (CST)
If you require ASL interpretation, contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu

Manager Retreat
2026-02-26 08:30 - 16:00 | Embassy Suites by Hilton – Minneapolis Airport, 7901 34th Ave S, Bloomington, MN, 55425, United States
Registration is now through Eventbright. See this tutorial for questions about registration.
Registration Deadline: FRI. 2/20/26
Take a break from the daily fires and join fellow ABE Managers for a day designed to reconnect, reflect, and re-energize. The upcoming Manager Retreat will focus not on policies or paperwork, but on who we are and how we lead. Participants will share experiences, explore strategies, and discover tools for managing time, projects, and people with confidence. Check back soon for detailed session descriptions and registration in January 2026.
GUEST ROOM ACCOMMODATIONS: If you are in need of a guest room, you must request one through the registration form no later than FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2026.
If you require ASL interpretation, contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu
