ATLAS ABE

Volunteer Foundations Training – Core Training Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners
2021-12-08 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 12/8/21
Participants develop their personal cultural awareness and learn how expectations around school culture shape how people teach and learn. Motivations and barriers to learning are also covered, as well as guiding principles for effectively delivering instruction to adults. Participants also increase their sensitivity to the challenges of learning English/developing literacy as an adult.
Learn more about Literacy Minnesota’s Volunteer Foundations Training at https://www.literacymn.org/volunteer-foundations-training.

Making the Most of Your Edmentum Courseware
2021-12-08 14:00 - 15:30
Registration Deadline: WED. 12/8/21
This session is for experienced Edmentum Courseware users who would like to learn about new features and strategies for making the most effective use of the system.

Volunteer Foundations Training - Core Training Module 1: Overview of MN Adult Education & Program Accountability
2021-12-07 10:00 - 12:00
Registration Deadline: TUE. 12/7/21
Participants learn about Adult Basic Education programming in Minnesota, demographics of learners, instructional content standards, initial and on-going assessment and other accountability measures.
Learn more about Literacy Minnesota’s Volunteer Foundations Training at https://www.literacymn.org/volunteer-foundations-training.

Volunteer Foundations Training - Core Training Module 1: Overview of MN Adult Education & Program Accountability
2021-12-06 18:30 - 20:30
Registration Deadline: MON. 12/6/21
Participants learn about Adult Basic Education programming in Minnesota, demographics of learners, instructional content standards, initial and on-going assessment and other accountability measures.
Learn more about Literacy Minnesota’s Volunteer Foundations Training at https://www.literacymn.org/volunteer-foundations-training.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Recorded Webinar Training
2021-12-06
Registration Deadline: FRI. 12/3/21
Universal Design for Learning is an approach that minimizes barriers and maximizes learning for all students. Based on scientific insights into how humans learn, UDL can help refine why you teach, what you teach and how you teach.
Training details:

Recorded UDL Webinar
Access to the recording will be available throughout the month of January. Take it at your own pace, at your convenience! Viewing the webinar and stopping to do some recommended activities should take approximately one to two hours.
Classroom Implementation Assignment
The assignment enriches the training and involves implementing UDL principles into your teaching practice and classroom. A short reflection paper about your experience is required. The assignment is due in February.
Follow-up Live Webinar
Participate in a one-hour live webinar to share what you learned with other UDL participants. The live webinar occurs in March.
Upon Successful Completion
Sixteen CEUs intended to address the re-licensure area of Positive behavior interventions and accommodating, modifying, and adapting curriculum, materials and strategies will be awarded upon completion.

Counting with Purpose: Teaching Social Justice and Math
2021-12-03 15:00 - 16:30
Registration Deadline: FRI. 12/3/21
If you require ASL Interpretation, please contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu
Presenter: May Vang Swanson, math instructor
Social justice issues can be intimidating and uncomfortable, but social justice issues have a place in education and especially in math. Last year, May Vang Swanson designed a math course around four major themes: who are mathematicians, the power of mathematics, mathematics in our community, and mathematics for social change. Students worked through their own identity, their own stance around math, their own city data, and a social justice issue of their own choosing. In this webinar, May will share her design process and also invite you to share your ideas. Participants can expect to gain greater confidence in teaching social justice through the lens of math as well as learn structures and routines they can implement.

2021 Virtual Literacy Volunteer Management Conference
2021-12-03 08:30 - 14:45
Registration Deadline: THU. 12/2/21
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. This year, the conference will be virtual, on Zoom. The conference is free for participants in Minnesota; $20 for participants outside of Minnesota.

Learn new strategies and ideas through 12 concurrent session offerings.
Get practical resources you can use right away.
Be inspired by this year’s award winners for Excellence in Volunteer Engagement.
Network and share your professional wisdom with colleagues.
Earn CEUs.

Cost: Free for participants in Minnesota; $20 for participants outside of Minnesota

Responding to Community Trauma in the Classroom (Part 2 of 2)
2021-12-02 16:00 - 17:30, 2021-11-25 16:00 - 17:30, 2021-11-18 16:00 - 17:30, 2021-11-11 16:00 - 17:30
Registration Deadline: THU. 5/27/21
NOTE: If you were unable to attend Part 1 (on May 20), please watch the recording prior to this meeting.
The second part of the training will consist of small group discussions led by ABE teachers that will focus on adapting the practices for adult classrooms to better serve ABE learners of all backgrounds and levels.
If you require ASL Interpretation, please contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu

Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices for Adult Learners
2021-12-01 18:30 - 20:30
Registration Deadline: WED. 12/1/21
Trauma and chronic stress can come in many forms, and impact people’s ability to learn new skills and process information in a variety of different ways. In this webinar, learn how stress and trauma can manifest in the classroom, and learn about trauma-informed teaching practices that can help to support positive learning behaviors and increase retention and learner comfort.

Comprehension Strategies for Intermediate-Level Readers
2021-11-29 18:30 - 20:30
Registration Deadline: MON. 11/29/21
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.

Volunteer Foundations Training – Core Training Module 4: Instructional Best Practices: Working with Materials
2021-11-23 18:30 - 20:30
Registration Deadline: TUE. 11/23/21
Participants learn about the types of materials that they may be working with, including prepared texts and realia. Participants also learn about the practice of explicit instruction, how to effectively give instructions, and suggestions for extending worksheets to maximize understanding and practice.
Learn more about Literacy Minnesota’s Volunteer Foundations Training at https://www.literacymn.org/volunteer-foundations-training.

ABE-DevEd Affinity Group
2021-11-19 10:00 - 11:15, 2021-11-18 14:00 - 15:15
Registration Deadline: NONE; please click the Join Zoom link below to join on the day of the meeting:

JOIN ZOOM (the passcode is Partners!)

The ABE-DevEd Affinity Group was established in academic year 2020-21 and will continue in 2021-22, meeting via Zoom. The group consists of Minn State (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system) faculty and staff, ABE teachers and administrators currently engaged in DevEd classroom partnerships, and educators with an interest to establish successful partnerships.
The group shares effective practices, including the creation of a partnership toolkit, and discusses topics of common interest. The intent of the collaborative work is to increase the quality and quantity of partnerships to improve Dev Ed student outcomes and help students to advance to credit-bearing courses in the most expedient fashion, having gained the confidence and competence to move forward with their higher education goals. This statewide effort is led and funded by the Northwest Transitions Region.
Note: The Affinity Group meeting schedule for 2021-22 includes 5 sessions starting in late September and ending in late April. Each of the five sessions offers two options (same topics) – one on Thursday from 2:00-3:15 pm and one on Friday from 10:00-11:15 am – as follows:

Session One – Sep. 30 or Oct. 1
Session Two – Nov. 18 or 19
Session Three – Jan. 13 or 14
Session Four – Mar. 3 or 4
Session Five – Apr. 21 or 29

In all cases, use this JOIN ZOOM link to join the meeting; the passcode is Partners!
Interested in more Information? Contact Russ Fraenkel, Regional Transitions Coordinator, at rwfraenkel@gmail.com

Teaching Reading Vocabulary Remotely or In Person
2021-11-18 18:30 - 20:30
Registration Deadline: THU. 11/18/21
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.

2021 ABE Support Staff Conference
2021-11-18 09:00 - 2021-11-19 15:00
Registration Deadline: FRI. 11/12/21
Please join SPARC (Support Professionals Resource Advisory Committee) this November as we present the annual Support Services Conference – Reflecting on the Past While Reimagining the Future – virtually via ZOOM.

Thursday, November 18, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm: CASAS and TABE Implementation trainings (intended for anyone who is not CASAS or TABE certified, or anyone new to ABE)
Friday, November 19, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm: Keynote address by the Minnesota State Adult Education staff, plus a full day of concurrent sessions on topics important to ABE support staff

We will provide CASAS and TABE Implementation Trainings on Thursday, November 18, and a Keynote address by the Minnesota State ABE staff along with a full day of concurrent sessions on topics important to ABE support staff on Friday, November 19.
For more information, visit https://www.mnabeassessment.com/support-services-conference

Volunteer Foundations Training – Core Training Module 3: Instructional Best Practices: Working with Learners
2021-11-16 18:30 - 20:30
Registration Deadline: TUE. 11/16/21
Participants learn how to apply teaching practices that support language and skill development for all learners. These practices include checking comprehension of all learners, using an appropriate level of teacher talk, delivering error correction and feedback, facilitating learner questions, and ensuring that instruction is learner centered.
Learn more about Literacy Minnesota’s Volunteer Foundations Training at https://www.literacymn.org/volunteer-foundations-training.

Teaching Them to Fish: Using ACES/TIF to Support CCRS Instruction
2021-11-16 14:30 - 16:00
Registration Deadline: TUE. 11/16/21
Join Stephanie Sommers, ATLAS ACES Coordinator, and Kristine Kelly, ATLAS Literacy Coordinator, to identify connections between basic skills and soft skills instruction, practice incorporating ACES/TIF skills to support students with ELA academic tasks and reflect on how building ACES/TIF skills with learners allows for more rigorous CCRS instruction and increases student self-direction!

HyFlex Community of Practice Group
2021-11-16 14:30 - 15:30
Registration Deadline: NONE; please click the Join Meeting link below to join on the day of the webinar:
JOIN MEETING >>
Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex) classes (classes that are taught synchronously in-person with a remote synchronous option) offer students the opportunity to participate online or in the classroom, but can be intimidating for teachers to implement. Literacy Minnesota and the Support Services Distance Learning team would like to invite you to join a new HyFlex Community of Practice facilitated by Cathy Grady from Hubbs Center (Saint Paul Public Schools) and Kirsten Collins from Literacy Minnesota.
This informal group will be a fun place to share and build on our collective knowledge and experience in this new and growing area. We will decide as a group areas for future exploration, but some options are: exploring HyFlex technology options, hearing from teachers currently using HyFlex, and classroom management tips for the HyFlex class.
This group will meet online periodically throughout the school year and our second meeting is set for November 16 at 2:30. As discussed at our initial meeting, this meeting will focus on sharing resources and include a “show and tell” from teachers using HyFlex in the classroom.
All meetings will be held in Google Meet and are open to both teachers and managers. No need to sign up, just use the link above to join! We look forward to seeing you then!

MN Lunch & Learn: English for Specific Careers
2021-11-16 12:30 - 13:15
Registration Deadline: TUE. 11/16/21
In this session, we will explore the English for Specific Careers section and brainstorm ways to incorporate this into your classroom for your students.
NOTE: Attendees must have current login credentials for their BE account.

Fall 2021 Managers Meeting
2021-11-16 09:30 - 12:30
Registration Deadline: FRI. 11/12/21
Registration is now open for the Fall Adult Basic Education (ABE) Managers Meeting. Each Minnesota ABE consortium is expected to send at least one representative to this workshop.
Agenda topics will include:

Opening announcements
Programming models
Recruitment and marketing
Partners and collaborations
Accountability
HiSET

Please Say That Again: Pronunciation Instruction for Adult ESL Learners
2021-11-11 18:30 - 20:30
Registration Deadline: THU. 11/11/21
English pronunciation is a challenge, but important to teach! In this training, learn about three different pronunciation features that can be taught and practiced during virtual and in-person instruction. Participants will learn how the three features impact speakers’ intelligibility, and explore activities designed to help learners practice using these features in their daily speech.

Tutoring with Northstar Digital Literacy
2021-11-11 13:00 - 15:00
Registration Deadline: THU. 11/11/21
The last year has shown just how vital digital literacy skills are in society. Northstar Digital Literacy provides a wide-range of tools and resources to help learners develop their digital literacy skills. This training will focus on how tutors and teachers can guide learners through these resources. In the webinar, participants will learn:

The features of Northstar Digital Literacy.
How to access and use the Northstar Admin Portal.
How to set up and proctor a Northstar assessment (remotely or in person).
How to find and use the Northstar curriculum.
How to guide learners through the Northstar Online Learning units.
Where to find and how to use Northstar’s External Resources.

If you are not familiar with Northstar Digital Literacy Assessments, please go to digitalliteracyassessment.org and take the Computer Basics assessment prior to the training.

Edmentum Courseware: New & Refresher Teacher Training
2021-11-10 14:00 - 15:30
Registration Deadline: WED. 11/10/21
In this session we will cover what new teachers need to know to get up and running with Edmentum Courseware, one of Minnesota Adult Education’s state-supported distance learning options. New teachers can request an account using the request form on the Distance Learning website at: literacymn.org/distancelearning/dl-platforms/edmentum.

Forward Together Ambassador Training
2021-11-10 12:00 - 12:45
Registration Deadline: TUE. 11/9/21
The Graduate! Network will be hosting a virtual Forward Together Ambassador training on November 9 and 10 from 12:00-12:45 pm.
This training is a part of the Minnesota Forward Together initiative. Minnesota has partnered with The Graduate! Network to recruit and train local volunteer ambassadors to encourage their friends, neighbors, and colleagues to enroll in or to return to college or workforce training and complete their programs.
With support from the National Governor’s Association Innovations Grant, the Ambassadors will be trained on not only higher education, but also Adult Basic Education integrated programs, state supported workforce training programs, and accessing workforce or career services – ensuring a centralized source of information for Minnesotans. For staff currently working with adult learners, the training and toolkit provide great resource links and information that can be integrated into our daily work
Ambassadors will have training and support in this work. Being an Ambassador might involve face-to-face conversations, sharing information via social media, or exploring other ways that make sense for their community. The program is flexible and the possibilities for making a real impact are almost limitless!
Get more information >>
Forward Together Ambassadors flyer (click to view)

Volunteer Foundations Training – Core Training Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners
2021-11-09 18:30 - 20:30
Registration Deadline: TUE. 11/9/21
Participants develop their personal cultural awareness and learn how expectations around school culture shape how people teach and learn. Motivations and barriers to learning are also covered, as well as guiding principles for effectively delivering instruction to adults. Participants also increase their sensitivity to the challenges of learning English/developing literacy as an adult.
Learn more about Literacy Minnesota’s Volunteer Foundations Training at https://www.literacymn.org/volunteer-foundations-training.

Administrator Webinar #2 - Building the Ship While Sailing It! Learning Models: How to Make Decisions and Shift as a System
2021-11-09 15:00 - 16:00
Registration Deadline: TUE. 11/9/21
If you require ASL Interpretation, please contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu
This webinar is the second in our ABE Administrators Webinar Series this year! We are pleased to be offering more targeted support to those coordinating, managing, and otherwise leading adult education programs in Minnesota. Join us to talk about learning models (blended, hybrid, HyFlex, etc.) – specifically how to make decisions and shift as a system. The last year and a half has given us a glimpse of our technological capabilities and potential when it comes to the programming we offer. How can administrators lead their programs in making decisions about learning models and guiding their staff as they make system shifts? Join us to learn more and to share your insights!

MN Lunch & Learn: Teaching in a Multi-Level Class
2021-11-09 12:30 - 13:15
Registration Deadline: TUE. 11/9/21
In this session, we will go over strategies for teaching multi-level classes as well as share and brainstorm things that have worked for other teachers in their classes.
NOTE: Attendees must have current login credentials for their BE account.
