ATLAS ABE

Minnesota ABE Leadership Book Club: Cultivating Genius
2026-05-13 12:00 - 13:15 (America/Chicago) | Online
Registration Deadline: By each meeting date
DATES: (YOU MUST REGISTER FOR EACH DATE)
Meeting 1: Wednesday, March 4 – 12-1:15 pm (CST) – REGISTER
Meeting 2: Wednesday, April 8 – 12-1:15 pm (CDT) – REGISTER
Meeting 3: Wednesday, May 13 – 12-1:15 pm (CST) – REGISTER

Join fellow Minnesota Adult Education leaders for a three-part book club exploring Gholdy Muhammad’s Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. Together, we’ll reflect on how Muhammad’s four learning pursuits—identity, skills, intellect, and criticality—can inform leadership and instructional practices across ABE programs. Each session will blend discussion, reflection, and application to our unique adult learning contexts.
Where can I read more about this book?
Scholastic Website: https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/cultivating-genius-an-equity-framework-9781338594898.html
Is there a digital or audio version available?
Yes, this book is available on Kindle and Audible, as well as other platforms. NOTE: ATLAS is not providing digital or audio versions of the book, only physical copies to those who complete the form.
Who is invited to this Leadership Book Club?
All current or aspiring ABE administrators, coordinators, teacher-leaders
What is the format for the book club?
Three online sessions (do please come to all three if you can, but we understand if you can only come to one or two).

For March 4, read Part 1, through pg.61
For April 8, read Part 2, through pg.133
For May 13, read Part 3, through the end of the book, p.171.

Support Staff Coffee Break - Using AI to Analyze Data
2026-05-15 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 5/15/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

The Support Staff Online Coffee Break Series continues with Susan Wetenkamp-Brandt and Elizabeth Bennett sharing about using AI and explaining how your program can take advantage of this technology to analyze your data.
For more information, contact Chrysti Nielsen – cnielsen@nwservice.org

Volunteer Core Training Module 4: Instructional Best Practices: Working with Materials
2026-05-19 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 5/19/26
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 Reading Vocabulary
2026-05-27 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 5/27/26
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.

How Adult Brains Learn Languages Presented by Andrea Echelberger
2026-05-29 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 5/29/26
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 Intermediate Alphabetics
2026-06-11 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 6/11/26
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.

Teaching and Tutoring with Northstar Digital Literacy
2026-06-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 6/16/26
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.

The Learning Styles Myth (and the Teaching Practices Worth Keeping)
2026-06-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 6/18/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

Many of us were taught that students learn best when instruction matches their “learning style.” In this webinar, we’ll take a closer look at where that idea came from, why it stuck, and what research actually tells us. We’ll explore how learning‑style labels can end up doing more harm than good for learners. At the same time, we’ll focus on what is worth keeping — the useful lessons learning‑styles theory offers for language instruction. You’ll leave with practical, research‑based strategies you can use right away, without sorting students into boxes.

SiD Prep for August 2026 Submission
2026-06-25 09:00 - 10:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 6/25/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

It’s almost time to wrap up the 25-26 NRS Program year! Join us as we review the reports due to MDE and share practical tips to help ensure your SiD data is accurate, complete, and ready for the August submission. We’ll also cover changes that go into effect July 1, and how to get a strong start on the 26-27 Program year.
Target audience: Staff responsible for preparing and submitting their consortium’s 25-26 NRS Program Year August Submission to MDE.

Developing and Practicing Reading Fluency
2026-06-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 6/26/26
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.

ATLAS Monthly Webinar - topic TBD!
2026-07-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Online
On Wednesday afternoons, plan on joining ATLAS staff monthly for exciting webinars on a variety of topics!
2:30-4pm on these Wednesdays:
July 15, Sept 9, Oct 21, Nov 18, Dec 16, 2026
Jan 20, Feb 17, Mar 17, April 14, May 12, June 9, 2027

WebChat with MN ABE
2026-07-22 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 7/22/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

WebChat with MN ABE is a webinar discussion led by state ABE staff from the Minnesota Department of Education. WebChat 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, July 6, 2026.

Topics are to be determined.
For those unable to attend, the recording and slide deck will be available on the LAN and MN ABE websites.

Summer Institute 2026
2026-08-12 08:00 - 16:00, 2026-08-13 08:00 - 16:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 8/11/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

Save the date for Literacy Action Network’s annual Summer Institute 2026. More information to come!

ATLAS Lounge - ESL with Patsy!
2026-08-28 09:30 - 10:30 | Online
Welcome to a new endeavor for ATLAS – open office hours! Join the zoom on Friday, August 28th, between 9:30-10:30am, for the inaugural virtual “ATLAS Lounge.” This first office hour is dedicated to language teaching, and Patsy will be sipping coffee, awaiting a conversation with you! (Learn more about Patsy Egan and her language experience below)
What is the ATLAS Lounge? ATLAS Lounge time is meant to be an informal, drop-in conversation with an ATLAS staff member. Each of us holds interests and expertise in different areas, and we are eager to talk about teaching and learning with you. Come to connect with others doing similar work and chat with ATLAS folks! Bring your questions, new resources, & frustrations. We’re eager to hear more about your classroom and program.
[Note: CEUs not available for these informal, drop-in events]
Patsy Egan, PhD, is the ATLAS Director. She has been involved with language teaching & learning in various ways since she began teaching English in Russia in 1994. She holds a BA in Russian, an MA in ESL, and a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction in the area of Second Languages & Cultures. After her time abroad, Patsy returned to her homebase in Nebraska and worked as the Refugee Coordinator for the Lincoln Literacy Council. After relocating to Minnesota in 1998, she taught English and composition at the U of M in the late 90’s, and she taught adult ESL in the early 2000’s at Lao Family Community Center and Metro North-Brooklyn Center. While she is enamored with all things related to ESL, her particular wheelhouse is lower levels, those who with emergent print literacy.
Fun fact: Patsy just returned from Brno, Czech Republic, where she attended the LESLLA Symposium! (www.leslla.org) This year at LESLLA, Patsy and colleague Janet Issleris (Brown University) offered a workshop on the legacy and learnings from Dr. Heide Wrigley, a beloved LESLLA colleague who passed away last December.
Fun fact #2 – Patsy was the first President of LESLLA.

WebChat with MN ABE
2026-09-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 9/16/26
Venue: Online (see details below)

WebChat with MN ABE is a webinar discussion led by state ABE staff from the Minnesota Department of Education. WebChat 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, August 31, 2026.

Topics are to be determined.
For those unable to attend, the recording and slide deck will be available on the LAN and MN ABE websites.

Math Institute 2026
2026-10-09 08:30 - 15:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 10/9/26
Join us for a day of purposeful PD grounded in effective math instructional practices.
Guest Speaker: Heidi Schuler from TERC, and our CALM facilitator.
More information forthcoming!
NOTE! Also, join us for the Math Institute Follow-up Webinar on THU. 1/14/27 – REGISTER!
If you require ASL Interpretation, contact Lindsey Pust at lpust01@hamline.edu

Math Institute - Follow-up Webinar
2027-01-14 14:30 - 16:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 1/14/27
Information forthcoming!
If your require ASL Interpretation, contact Lindsey Pust @ lpust01@hamline.edu

Language & Literacy Institute 2027 - IN PERSON EVENT!
2027-01-28 08:00 - 16:00, 2027-01-29 08:00 - 17:00
Registration opens December 2026!
Information forthcoming!
If you require ASL interpretation, contact Patsy Egan at pegan02@hamline.edu

WebChat with MN ABE
2027-02-10 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 2/10/27
Venue: Online (see details below)

WebChat with MN ABE is a webinar discussion led by state ABE staff from the Minnesota Department of Education. WebChat 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 25, 2027.

Topics are to be determined.
For those unable to attend, the recording and slide deck will be available on the LAN and MN ABE websites.

WebChat with MN ABE
2027-05-05 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 5/5/27
Venue: Online (see details below)

WebChat with MN ABE is a webinar discussion led by state ABE staff from the Minnesota Department of Education. WebChat 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, April 19, 2027.

Topics are to be determined.
For those unable to attend, the recording and slide deck will be available on the LAN and MN ABE websites.
