ATLAS ABE

Volunteer Core Training Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners
2025-01-15 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 1/15/25
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.

Support Staff Coffee Break – Digital Inclusion (Virtual)
2025-01-17 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 1/17/25
On January 17, the Support Staff Online Coffee Break Series will continue with Elizabeth Bennett helping participants to understand what the word “digital inclusion” means in ABE. Discussion will focus on how access to technology can help learners be more included and empowered in their education, in their careers, and in their communities. This coffee break will help participants gain a deeper understanding of digital inclusion, examine program policies that might support or work against inclusion, and identify resources to advance digital equity and inclusion for learners. All staff are welcome to attend.

Volunteer Core Training Module 3: Instructional Best Practices: Working with Learners
2025-01-22 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 1/22/25
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 2025 - Bloomington, MN
2025-01-23 08:00 - 16:00, 2025-01-24 08:00 - 17:00 | Embassy Suites by Hilton – Minneapolis Airport, 7901 34th Ave S, Bloomington, MN, 55425, United States
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. No additional registrations can be accommodated.
NOTE: Anyone attending the conference, including presenters, MUST register!
HOTEL GUEST ROOMS: ATLAS is holding a block of discounted rooms at the event venue, Embassy Suites by Hilton-Minneapolis Airport; however, space is limited and based on first come, first served. Register by Sunday, January 5 if a guest room is needed! You can reserve a room only through the ATLAS Registration Form.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE (with Session Descriptions)
Note: All sessions are in-person only and will not be recorded.
If you require ASL interpretation, contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu
AGENDA

Thursday, January 23, 2025
Friday, January 24, 2025

8:30
Welcome & General Updates
8:30
Welcome & General Updates

9:00
Break
9:00
Break

9:15
Session 1 (2 hrs) A, B, C
9:15
Session 4 (2 hrs) A, B, C

11:15
Break
11:15
Break

11:30
Information Sessions (45 min)
11:30
Roundtable Discussions (45 min)

12:15
Lunch
12:15
Lunch

1:15
Session 2 (75 min) A, B, C
1:15
Session 5 (75 min) A, B, C

2:30
Break
2:30
Break

2:45
Session 3 (75 min) A, B, C
2:45
Session 6 (75 min) A, B, C

ADDITONAL ALL-DAY SESSIONS:
Thursday, January 23 – 9:15 am – 4 pm:

CCRS Foundations – Math, presented by Amber Delliger and Genna Hart

Amber Delliger (she/her) is a math instructor with Metro North Adult Education at the Anoka-Ramsey Community College: Rapids Campus. She has been active in adult education and adult numeracy for over 17 years and has been active in CCRS implementation work since 2016. In addition to presenting at the local, state and national level for K-16 instructors around adult numeracy and soft skills topics, Amber participates on the MN Numeracy Instruction Advisory Team and the Transitions Professional Development Advisory Team.
Genna Hart, MEd (she/her), has worked in ABE since 2022 as the lead teacher for Diploma Connect program at Project for Pride in Living in Minneapolis. Before starting her ABE journey, Genna worked as a Special Education Teacher for 10 years with a focus on math and transition skills. In the Diploma Connect program, Genna teaches numeracy skills and math to help adults earn their adult high school diploma.

CCRS Foundations – ELA, presented by Erin Cary and Kristine Kelly

Erin Cary, MA-ESL (she/her), has worked in MN ABE since 2009, as a teacher, administrator, and in curriculum writing and professional development. She currently teaches beginner ELLs for Metro North ABE in Brooklyn Center and coordinates development of a digital skill-building adult ELL civics curriculum project through UMD. She is a co-founder of the teacher/learner self-advocacy movement #IamABE, which supports equity work and activism in MN adult education.
Kristine Kelly (she/her) is the ATLAS Literacy & Language Coordinator and serves as the state lead for implementation of the CCR ELA standards. For 24 years in MN Adult Education, Kristine taught GED/high school diploma, reading and writing, and postsecondary transitions. She presents workshops locally and nationally, researches and identifies resources for adult reading and writing instruction, provides ELA instructional coaching and co-leads the MN Language & Literacy Advisory Team (LLATe).

Friday, January 24 – 9:15 am-4 pm:

Beginning ESL Literacy-Level Session, presented by Jennifer Christenson

Jennifer Christenson creates and shares resources for teachers working with adult English learners at the beginning literacy level through her website abc English. The materials are designed to be clear, engaging, and relevant for adult and adolescent English learners from refugee and immigrant backgrounds. Jennifer has taught literacy level adult English learners in a variety of settings including traditional classroom instruction as well as family literacy, onsite workplace education, 1-on-1 literacy tutoring, and remote virtual teaching. She also has 11 years experience as a program coordinator for a medium sized adult English learner workplace partnership program in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jennifer is a certified K-12 teacher, and completed graduate level study in Adult Education and Curriculum Development through Westminster College in Salt Lake City, UT. Jennifer was a runner-up for the 2016 COABE Teacher of the Year Award and was selected as the Utah Adult Education Association’s Outstanding Leader of the Year in 2020. To learn more about resources for teaching adult English learners with emerging literacy skills, visit abceng.org.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Cost: $35 for one day, $45 for both days (after January 17, a $15 late registration fee will be applied)

Need to pay for multiple registrations at once?
Or need to pay for a registration that already was submitted?

By credit card/PayPal: Have your staff mark “Please bill my organization” when registering, and contact Marisa Geisler (mgeisler02@hamline.edu) for the appropriate payment form.
By check/PO: Have your staff mark “Please bill my organization” when registering, and ATLAS will invoice your program. Please do not send checks until you are invoiced.

Travel Scholarships:
ATLAS will cover both mileage and hotel costs for Minnesota Adult Ed practitioners traveling over 50 miles one-way to the event. There is no scholarship application to fill out; ATLAS will pay the hotel directly for your lodging IF you choose that option upon registering, and you can simply submit an ATLAS invoice after the conference to receive your mileage reimbursement. Please visit https://atlasabe.org/submit-invoice/ for instructions on submitting your invoice (and Form W-9, if needed). DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: FRI. 2/14/25

Hamline Graduate Credit Available! Would you like to earn 1 graduate credit for attending the Language & Literacy Institute 2025 for the reduced rate of $200? Simply register via this form by February 14, 2025, attend both days of the Institute on January 23 & 24 and submit a summary and application task of something that you learned to the instructor, Kristine Kelly at kkelly01@hamline.edu. For more information about Hamline’s ABE license (this Language & Literacy Institute credit can be applied as an elective!), click here.

LGBTQIA+ Topics in ABE Spaces Presented by Erin Cary and Grayson Betz
2025-01-27 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: MON. 1/27/25
What do welcoming spaces in adult education look like? How can we make sure LGBTQIA+ learners, volunteers and professionals feel they belong? In this session, ABE professionals in the LGBTQIA+ community will invite participants to reflect on and discuss topics of gender and sexuality in ESL/ABE classrooms and instruction. Participants will brainstorm how to include more queer representation in adult education curricula, program environments and materials. Presenters will provide lesson examples for teaching gender-inclusive language. It is our intention to create a space where participants are welcome but not required to share aspects of their identity or experiences related to the topic.

AI Playgroup & Makerspace
2025-01-28 15:00 - 16:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: Date of each webinar
You’re invited to our playgroup! Join your adult education colleagues and members of Literacy Minnesota’s Digital Learning team for a fun, informal, and interactive learning experience. Each month, we’ll focus on a different application of generative AI to support teachers and volunteers in their work with learners. You’ll get to see lots of examples, talk about pros and cons, and have “playtime” to develop resources that you can use in your teaching context right away. Most importantly, we’ll share our creations with each other and develop a collection of open resources for adult educators.
Instead of focusing on specific AI tools or platforms, we’ll look at various “use cases” for AI:

January 28: Teaching Academic Vocabulary
February 25: Dialogues and Speaking Practice
March 25: AI and Math
April 22: AI and the Writing Process
May 27: Adapting and Developing Appropriate Texts for Adult Learners

Minnesota practitioners can earn 1.5 CEUs for attending each meeting and additional CEUs for creating, sharing, and evaluating teaching resources outside of the meeting time.
Additional information:

After registering, you’ll receive an email from “MNABE Staff” with a link to join the meetings.
Attendance at all five sessions is NOT required. Register for the series, and you can join on the days that work for you.
NO prior knowledge or AI expertise is necessary! We’ll help you get started with a free AI tool if needed. Just bring yourself (and a sense of humor).
A portion of each session will be recorded.
To request ASL interpretation or other accommodations, contact support@mnabedistancelearning.zendesk.com
This will be fun!

Leadership Book Club FY25
2025-01-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: Day of Each Meeting
The books have already been ordered for this round (Brene Brown, Dare to Lead). If you already have a copy and are interested in the Leadership Book Club (or might want to join the next book!), please email Patsy Egan, pegan02@hamline.edu.
Please note that all attendees need to register to receive the Zoom link to join.

Meeting 1: WED. 1/29/25 – REGISTER
Meeting 2: WED. 3/5/25 – REGISTER
Meeting 3: WED. 4/9/25 – REGISTER

Comprehension Strategies for Intermediate-Level Readers
2025-01-29 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 1/29/25
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 Core Training Module 4: Instructional Best Practices: Working with Materials
2025-01-29 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 1/29/25
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.

Minnesota State - ABE Corequisite Affinity Group Meeting
2025-01-30 14:00 - 15:15, 2025-01-31 10:00 - 11:15 | Online
No Registration – use this JOIN LINK to join each Zoom meeting.
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 & TIMES: JOIN LINK
Fall 2024 (both meetings will have the same content; attend the one that best fits your schedule)
Meeting 1: Thursday, October 31, 2024 – 2:00-3:15pm (CDT)
Meeting 2: Friday, November 1, 2024 – 10:00-11:15am (CDT)

Winter 2025 (both meetings will have the same content; attend the one that best fits your schedule)
Meeting 3: Thursday, January 30, 2025 – 12-1:15pm (CST) NOTE TIME CHANGE!
Meeting 4: Friday, January 31, 2025 – 10:00-11:15am (CST)

Spring 2025 (both meetings will have the same content; attend the one that best fits your schedule)
Meeting 5: Thursday, April 3, 2025 – 2:00-3:15pm (CDT)
Meeting 6: Friday, April 4, 2025 – 10:00-11:15am (CDT)
If you require ASL interpretation, contact Gail Rutan at grutan01@hamline.edu

Teaching and Tutoring with Northstar Digital Literacy
2025-01-30 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 1/30/25
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.

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.

Phonics in Beginning ESL: Recommendations, Activities and Resources
2025-01-31 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 1/31/25
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.

Teaching Intermediate Alphabetics
2025-02-03 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: MON. 2/3/25
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.

Burlington English Lunch and Learn: Multi-Level Strategies and Differentiation
2025-02-04 13:00 - 13:45 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 2/4/25
In this session, we will explore the challenges and advantages of teaching a multi-level classroom, share ideas on how to overcome these challenges, and brainstorm other strategies that we can use in the classroom.
NOTE: Attendees must have current login credentials for their BE account.

Google Sheets Series, Session 1: Introductory Data Analysis
2025-02-04 15:00 - 16:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 2/4/25
Google Sheets is a powerful tool to summarize data and understand trends in learner data, but many users don’t understand how to maximize its potential. In this session, beginning users of Google Sheets will learn how to filter data and use a few basic functions to discover valuable data points within their learner population. This PD session will be useful for teachers looking at class data or administrators looking at data across a whole program.
Additional information:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from “MNABE Staff” with the link to join.
To request accommodations (ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact the DL helpdesk.
A recording will be available after the training.

Math Content Webinar: Dyscalculia
2025-02-06 14:30 - 16:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 2/6/25
Join us for a session on dyscalculia; a specific learning disability that makes numerical reasoning and comprehension challenging for our learners. This session will build on previous trainings on dyscalculia, diving into identifying students with math learning needs and working to shift students’ mindset and reduce math anxiety. This session will look at previously discussed number sense routines and work on coaching teachers on how to implement and use these routines in the classroom to build confidence in their math learners, while providing support for atypical learners.

Learn more about dyscalculia >>

Volunteer Core Training Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners
2025-02-07 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 2/7/25
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.

It Begins With Us
2025-02-10 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-02-11 09:00 - 16:00 | The Upper Room – Marshall, 100 West College Drive, Suite #300, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Registration Deadline: FRI. 2/7/25
COST: $45 per day
Come join us for our annual It Begins with Us Conference on February 10-11! We will be at a new location this year at The Upper Conference, located in downtown Marshall.

Day 1 will be an immersive and interactive Virtual Dementia Tour (taking place on site) facilitated by a representative from Minnesota River Agency on Aging. The Virtual Dementia Tour is the original patented, evidence-based scientific method of building a greater understanding of dementia by building awareness and empathy in individuals caring for people living with dementia.
Day 2 will be filled with speakers, panels, and our keynote speaker, Dr. Anton Treuer. Dr. Anton Treuer is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of many books such as Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask. There will be space created for participants to have reflective discussions to deepen awareness and understanding centered around belonging.

Lunch will be provided from local ethnic restaurants.
CEUs will be available and this event has approval from PELSB to meet the cultural competency requirement for educators.
Student rates and scholarships are available. Please call the Southwest ABE-Marshall office at 507-537-7046 for student rates and scholarship promo codes.

WebChat with MNABE
2025-02-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 2/12/25
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 27, 2025.

Topics will include:

Follow-up around topics from the Fall Manager Meeting, including Statewide Online Training Courses, post-testing expectations, Barriers to Employment, and collection of SSNs
Assessment updates
Statewide contact hours update

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

Developing and Practicing Reading Fluency
2025-02-18 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 2/18/25
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 - It's All About Students
2025-02-19 09:00 - 10:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 2/19/25
In this interactive session, we’ll spotlight student records – entry and re-entry; shared students; barriers to employment and other history items; assessments; and more!

Essential Zoom Skills for Online Instruction
2025-02-19 18:30 - 20:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 2/19/25
Join this hands-on session to learn and practice essential Zoom skills for the virtual classroom that may not be in your repertoire if your experience with the platform is limited to meetings with friends and colleagues at work.
The workshop will cover:

Turning off participants’ cameras and microphones
Re-naming participants
Sharing your screen
Annotating your screen
Setting up and visiting breakout rooms

Burlington English Lunch and Learn: Multi-Level Strategies
2025-02-20 13:00 - 13:45 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 2/20/25
In this session, we will explore the challenges and advantages of teaching a multi-level classroom, share ideas on how to overcome these challenges, and brainstorm other strategies that we can use in the classroom.
NOTE: Attendees must have current login credentials for their BE account.

Google Sheets Series, Session 2: Deep Dive into Data Summarization with Pivot Tables
2025-02-20 15:00 - 16:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 2/20/25
Pivot Tables are one of the most powerful tools in Google Sheets and Excel, but they strike fear into the hearts of most casual spreadsheet users. Join this PD session to learn more about how to use Pivot Tables in Google Sheets to summarize data easily and quickly. Participants will walk away with an understanding of how to import a file into Google Sheets, perform quick and basic data cleaning, and then use pivot tables to summarize information and draw conclusions.
Additional information:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from “MNABE Staff” with the link to join.
To request accommodations (ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact the DL helpdesk.
A recording will be available after the training.

Support Staff Coffee Break - CASAS eTesting (Virtual)
2025-02-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Online
Registration deadline: FRI. 2/21/25
On Friday, February 21, 10:00-11:00 a.m., the Support Staff Online Coffee Break Series will continue with Linda Keller and Jeff Galbavy virtually sharing their experiences with CASAS eTesting. They will offer some tips and tricks, along with local lessons learned during the implementation of eTesting. Join us, and bring your specific questions and concerns, so that they can facilitate a lively discussion. All staff are welcome to attend.

Reading Activities for Beginning Literacy and Beginning English Language Learners
2025-02-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 2/21/25
Teaching and tutoring very beginning level ESL readers can be intimidating for volunteers and professional teachers alike. Attend this webinar to get practical activities and ideas for one-on-one, remote and in-person instruction with tech and no-tech options. Leave feeling ready to provide your learners with meaningful and effective reading activities.

Adult Education Check-In: Q&A on Federal Funding and Policy Changes
2025-02-21 14:30 - 15:30 | Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 2/21/25
In response to the recent LAN survey on immigrant rights, we will be offering a webinar where we’ll explore topics from the survey findings, address questions, and provide a space for discussion. Stay tuned for details and join us for this important conversation! This webinar will be co-hosted by LAN, MN ABE, ATLAS, and #IamABE.
