January 19, 2017
Make the Most of Your Upcoming Conference
A conference is a terrible thing to waste. A professional conference can mean two or three days away from home while work piles up on your desk, so why not find ways to get every bit of benefit out of your next conference experience? 

An article on Edutopia.org has five tips for returning from a conference "with ideas for Monday -- not just someday." 
Most conferences consist of a series of sessions for attendees to choose from, but what about all the presentations you do not choose? Look through the conference literature and find things (concepts, products, names) that you can explore on your own. Do this while at the conference instead of when you return home. Talk with people who attended other presentations and check out the resources they picked up or the notes they took. 

While you are in the presentations that you selected, get out of your comfort zone and talk with the people around you. They have different jobs, different experiences, and different perspectives from you, but similar interests and passions. Ask why they chose that session and what they have seen that they learned from. 

Another tip is to interact with the vendors. Even if you are not in the market for a new curriculum or a particular type of resource to use with students, take a few minutes to engage the vendors. Often, they are not just experts in their own product, but in the field of adult education itself. Any conversation has the potential to offer up a nugget of insight or helpful knowledge. 

Be engaged throughout your time at a professional conference. Build relationships with coworkers and peers, but also search high and low for knowledge that you can bring back to your desk or classroom and directly benefit the people you work with. 
Teaching Tips and Resources
Tips for Text Dependent Questions 
Text dependent questions ask students to dig deeper into their reading and to engage the text at hand. There are several ways to improve your techniques for asking your students text dependent questions. You can do some independent reading by looking at some of the resources on the Fisher and Frey website . You can work with some colleagues using the tools found on Achieve the Core’s website. You can participate in the Community of Practice centered on text dependent questions and vocabulary instruction to be offered. Check in MyLearningPlan® for sign up details. Not sure of the best option? Ask your lead consultant for support.
High School Equivalency (HSE) Resources 
HiSET® general brochure can be helpful for beginners
 Anyone who is being introduced to the HiSET® exam for the first time might benefit from seeing the HiSET® general brochure.  It explains the basics of the exam for those who are not familiar with it. The benefits of this over other tests, the content of the exam, and score reports are all covered in the 12-page, online PDF file. This brochure addresses the basic questions of both test-takers and educators. 
Professional Development Opportunities
Developing Career Pathways for Adults Institute: A Virtual Learning Opportunity
The Developing Career Pathways for Adults Institute  is fast approaching on February 1-3. This virtual institute will feature nine 1-hour webinars designed to inform participants about key elements and strategies for successful adult career pathways development and implementation strategies. These webinars are available to adult education practitioners, partners, and others interested in career pathways.  Participants can register for any or all of the webinars. Registration is open now. Please address any questions to KayLynn Hamilton at  [email protected].
Supporting Student Success webinar series
The Supporting Student Success project team of the  US Department of Education will host the first webinar in a four-webinar series on Thursday, January 19, 2017, at 1:00PM. This webinar is titled Supporting Student Success: Contextualized Learning. Three more will follow in the series at the beginning of each month through April with topics of acceleration, student support, and hybrid models. No registration is necessary. Simply join the webinar online on January 19.  
State and National Adult Education News
2017 PAACE Outstanding Adult Educator nominations 
Now is the time to nominate the next Outstanding Adult Educator to be recognized at the 2017 PAACE Conference.  The c onference, and the deadline for nominations ( January 31, 2017 ), are  quickly approaching, so please take a few minutes now to nominate the next  deserving award winner now. Further information about the process can be
found in the Request for Nominations, the Nomination Form, and the
Outstanding Adult Educator Criteria.
PA Adult Education Resources
Upcoming State and National Conferences
State and National Newsletters
These are state or national organizations' newsletters that may be of interest to you. To receive the most recent editions by email, please subscribe directly to the newsletter . 
 
COABE Newsletter,  Commission on Adult Basic Education
Features information and resources from a national organization focused on adult basic education

Rural Perspectives, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Features data and research findings related to a variety of topics relevant to rural PA

Families Learning News of the Week,  National Center for Families Learning
Features information and resources for family literacy, early childhood education, and parent education 
January 13            January 6          December 30          December 22

Workforce GPS Newsletter , US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Features information and resources related to the public workforce investment system