Introducing the New PA Foundation Skills | |
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During the Adult Education Kick-Off event in August, adult education practitioners were informed about the PA Foundation Skills. These include academic skills, digital literacy skills, and transferable skills. We are excited to now have the PA Foundation Skills graphic and associated skills list available on the PA Adult Education Resources website.
The new PA Foundation Skills were created to help support adult education practitioners with program planning, student goal setting, and instruction. The Workforce Preparation Skills (within the PA Foundation Skills) are divided into two sections: Transferable Skills and Digital Literacy Skills. Practitioners who are familiar with the Foundation Skills Framework may notice that many of the skills that were part of the Framework are now included under Workplace Preparation Skills, specifically Transferable Skills. The Workplace Preparation Skills section provides adult educators, student support coordinators, and learners with a listing of critical workforce preparation skills (including digital literacy and transferable skills) and indicators or tasks that relate to those skills. The Workforce Preparation Skills can be used to support instruction or for planning and developing the Workforce Preparation Skills component of Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs.
In early 2023, the Introduction to Workforce Preparation Skills on-demand course will be available in the PD Portal. Programs may find this course to be helpful in better preparing staff to help adult learners set career goals, develop IETs, contextualize instruction, and implement workplace education. Additionally, customized technical assistance around the PA Foundation Skills is available by contacting the Workforce Development System Liaison Project.
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Teaching Tips and Resources | |
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Teaching Better Online Search Skills
We all use online searches all the time, but not everyone has the skills to find reliable information with every search. A recent Edutopia article, "Five Tips for Teaching Students to Improve Their Online Searches," is focused on students in grades three to eight, but the information can also apply to adult education where students are sometimes new to online searches and other technology. Whether you are conducting searches as a class or you know that your students rely on Google or other search engines to find information, these tips can help you advance your students' skills.
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Searchable Lesson Bank on PA Adult Ed Resources Website
When you have need of a new lesson to address a certain skill, subject, or standard, use the lesson bank found at paadultedresources.org/lesson-bank. Our lesson bank is completely searchable and you can narrow your search with multiple filters to find the online or print lesson that meets your needs. Our library is growing all the time. Please submit your own high quality lesson plans that have worked for you through the website to add to the lesson bank for others.
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Professional Development Opportunities | |
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Tech Talks
Join the Digital Literacy and Distance Education project on December 1, at 3:30 p.m. for the first webinar in a new series, Tech Talks. Each Tech Talk will feature a different technology tool, which will be announced in advance for those who would like to explore the resource and bring their experiences and questions. Canvas will be the first tech tool featured. During the Canvas Tech Talk, the DLDE presenters will show you how to organize your class material, making it easier for you and your students to access coursework 24/7. Features such as tracking progress, creating assignments and quizzes, and encouraging student engagement within the platform will also be covered. You can set up a free Canvas account and try adding content to it before the webinar so that you can bring your questions and ideas to share. Click on the Zoom link to attend the December 1 webinar. Future Tech Talks will be held on February 2 and April 6, 2023.
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Webinar: English Upskilling Drives Workforce Inclusion - Adult Ed's Role in Scaling a Proven Model
As a bridge between classrooms and careers, the U.S. adult education system is a driver of economic mobility for 1.5 million adult learners each year, at least half of whom are English language learners (ELLs). Yet even with this commitment and capacity to connect adult learners with career pathways, English proficiency remains a core barrier to workforce inclusion. The U.S. is meeting the educational needs of just 4% of adult ELLs. Scaling access to effective language instruction is urgent, and adult education is an important part of the solution. Join veteran linguistics researcher Dr. Katie Brown, founder of EnGen, in a science-based, solutions-oriented discussion about how a proven approach—contextualized, career-aligned language upskilling—can help more adult learners meet both educational and career goals. This free COABE webinar will be held on November 30, 2:00-3:00 p.m. Register or learn more online.
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Webinar: New CareerOneStop User Accounts
Mark your calendar! On January 25, 2023, 1:00-2:30 p.m., Workforce GPS will host a webinar that will discuss and explain the new CareerOneStop user accounts. Keeping track of key career and job information is an important activity for our workforce system customers. CareerOneStop now offers user accounts to save searches and other information throughout the website. This webinar will go in-depth on the new user account functionality and demonstrate new how-to guides that help customers find and use the best resources to reach their career and job goals. You can register now online.
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State and National Adult Education News | |
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New Career Pathways Student Report Submission Options
The new 2022-2023 Career Pathways Student Report (CPSR) is now available on the PA Adult Education Resources website. CPSRs are used to collect data that can be analyzed and used to inform statewide and individual program career pathways programming and activities. Adult education and family literacy programs will now have the option to submit reports in December as well as in May. Programs that submit reports in December will receive a summary report in January which may be used to inform career pathways’ activities for the remainder of the program year. Please submit reports to Loretta Lininger (lml160@psu.edu) by December 22, 2022. After programs receive the summary report, the Career Pathways Student Report Companion Summary can be used to help investigate ways to use data for program improvement, to align activities to your workforce development area local plan, and to improve students’ transitions to self-sustaining careers. Additionally, Loretta is available to provide customized technical assistance around career pathways report summaries.
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Study Circle on Data Literacy and Communicative Justice
World Education's EdTech and San Francisco State University are offering a stipended, virtual professional development opportunity to adult educators that investigates the question, "How can data literacy change how our learners see and think about our world and themselves?" This Communicative Justice Learner Leadership Study Circle aims to explore the links between data literacy, language learning, and social justice. Participants will work together to design reusable classroom activities that support critical themes related to communicative justice such as data fears, speaking data, playing with data, data storytelling, data in healthcare, myth-busting with data, data resilience, and data for community action. Monthly meetings will take place from December 2022 through May 2023, and participants will receive a $1,250 stipend. To learn more or to sign up, view the information form.
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COABE National Awards Applications
The Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) has opened the nomination process, and it will remain open until December 20, 2022. The 2023 COABE awards will include awards for Outstanding Adult Learner, Teacher, Administrator, and State Innovation of the Year, as well as Local Excellence in Advocacy, Advancing Workforce Development for Adult Learners, Programs Success When Learners Lead Incentive Grant, Behind Every Employer Incentive Grant, and a Scholarship Grant. Winners will receive a cash prize of $2,000 and an expense-paid trip to the 2023 COABE conference. Visit the COABE award page for more information or to make a nomination.
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PAACE Conference Presentation Submissions
The Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE) Conference will be held at the Lancaster Marriott April 23-25, 2023. The PAACE Conference team is searching for adult educators and leaders to deliver a 60-to-75 minute presentation to participants with innovative and effective tools that will enhance and enrich instruction and student support services in the field. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2022. Presenters will be notified of the status of their presentation by January 15, 2023. Please email paaceadulted@gmail.com with any inquiries. Topics can include administrative leadership, math, career pathways, case management, corrections and rehabilitation, student support, English as a second language (ESL), family literacy, technology and digital literacy, or engagement, recruitment, and outreach. Submit your proposals through the online form.
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PA Adult Education Resources | |
Upcoming State and National Conferences
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State and National Newsletters
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State and national organizations' newsletters are listed below and may be of interest to you. To receive the most recent editions by email, please subscribe directly to the newsletter.
Early Childhood Education Recap, PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning Features weekly and monthly news and information relating to early childhood education.
Nov. 21 Nov. 14 Nov. 7 Oct. 31
Families Learning: News of the Week, National Center for Families Learning
Features information and resources for family literacy, early childhood education, and parent education.
Nov. 11 Oct. 31 Oct. 28
WorkforceGPS, Workforce3 One Features career pathways and workforce development information.
Nov. 15 Nov. 8 Newsletter Nov. 1
COABE Connections, Coalition On Adult Basic Education Features national information, resources, and initiatives for adult basic education.
Nov. 21 Nov. 18 Nov. 11 Nov. 4 Oct. 28
World Education/U.S. Features resources and information from World Education projects including EdTech Center News, The Change Agent, College for Adults, E-Learning, LINCS Region 1 Professional Development Center, National College Transitional Network, and many others.
Nov. 16 Nov. 9 Nov. 2 Oct. 26
OCTAE Connection, US Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education Features news and resources for adult basic, career, and technical education.
Nov. 1
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