New AI Review Checklists for Lesson Planning and Lesson Materials Review

The Digital Literacy and Distance Education (DLDE) Project has created two new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Review Checklists that can be used as you review lesson plans and lesson materials that have been generated using AI. While generative AI is a useful tool for assisting in lesson planning and resource creation, it requires human expertise to ensure the lessons meet learners’ needs, are not biased, and are accurate. Each checklist includes a column listing the AI limitation to look for, what the review criteria is for that element, and a column for you to indicate whether the AI-generated lesson or material meets the review criteria. There is also a column where notes and examples from the lesson can be added.

Adult educators should use the checklist below to review lesson plans that incorporate generative AI into their drafting for common pitfalls and edit outputs to improve quality before using the lesson with learners. These checklists, along with many other AI resources for adult education, can be found in the "Resources for Getting the Most Out of AI" section of the PAAER Artificial Intelligence page.

• Download AI Lesson Plan Review Checklist (Word)
• Download AI Lesson Materials Review Checklist (Word)

2026 Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators Fall Workshop Event Recap

Chrissie Klinger, with the Integrated Education and Training (IET) Project, had the opportunity to present to over 30 adult education career and technical program staff about potential collaboration with adult education providers. The session provided information about math and reading support, bridge programming, English language support, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship preparation, and workplace literacy. Participants were encouraged to reach out to their local adult education providers to establish or strengthen partnerships to help adult learners successfully enter and complete training and obtain employment that aligns to high-priority occupations and career pathways. For more information on how to work collaboratively with your local adult education career and technical program, contact Chrissie Klinger at cok5111@psu.edu or (814) 310-1384.

Families Learning Conference Coming in November

The 2026 Families Learning Conference is coming soon, November 8-11, in San Antonio, TX. If you are interested in attending but need more information, see the recent press release.

Upcoming Professional Learning for Adult Education and Family Literacy Staff

Staff at PDE-funded adult education and family literacy agencies can view a list of upcoming courses now available for enrollment in the PD Portal. For more information about any of these courses, please visit the PD Portal, open the course catalog, and view the syllabus. If you are interested in enrolling in a course, please consult with your in-house professional development specialist (IHPDS) to determine if the course meets your professional learning goals.

COABE 2027 Conference Registration

Registration for the 2027 conference of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) is now open. This conference will be in New Orleans, LA, April 11-14, 2027. See the COABE press release for more information and registration. Early bird pricing ends February 15, 2027.

Partner with OVR to Support Learners with Reaching Their Employment Goals

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), which is a core partner in the PA CareerLink® System, is crucial in the field of disability employment. During an October presentation, an OVR representative explained services that can be provided to individuals with different types of disabilities and how to make referrals to be evaluated for eligibility of those services. If you are working with an adult learner who indicates they have a disability, or you think they might have a physical or mental disability, it is important to share the correct information about OVR services so that they can make an informed decision about whether they want to meet with an OVR representative at your local OVR office. The process to be referred and fully enrolled in OVR services can take several weeks, so it is important to start the referral as soon as possible. If you have additional questions about connecting with your local OVR representative, please contact Loretta Lininger at lml160@psu.edu.

National Career Development Celebrations

November is National Career Development Month; November 16-20, 2026, is National Career Development Week; and November 18, 2026, is National Career Development Day. The National Career Development Association (NCDA) is holding its 61^st annual poetry and art contest which is open to adult learners. NCDA’s contest theme this year is Charting the Unknown: Mapping Your Future – Paths, Pivots, and Possibilities. Participants are encouraged to reflect on the journeys that have shaped them, the pivots that may change their direction, and the possibilities they imagine for the future. Please contact Alexis Vang at amv6178@psu.edu for additional resources to help adult learners explore career pathways including spiral-bound transferable skills workbooks and career planning books. Additionally, Center for Information and Analysis has issued the new 2026 PA Career Guide, and you can request printed copies by visiting their webpage and completing a form. The Guides will be mailed out in November.

Workforce Wednesdays

During November, we will have two Workforce Wednesday events:

• November 4 | 12:30–1:00 p.m. – Exploring Apprenticeship Opportunities

Explore how adult education programs can help learners understand and prepare for apprenticeship opportunities. We’ll also introduce a draft of a new apprenticeship guide designed to support instructors, career counselors, and adult learners that we hope to finalize and have out to the field to use in December.



• November 18 | 12:30–1:00 p.m. – Partnerships to Be Thankful For

A conversation celebrating successful partnerships and the people and organizations that helped support adult learners throughout the year. 

Events Page on the PAAER Website

Do you ever wonder what professional development opportunities are coming up soon? The PAAER website has recently rolled out a new Events page. Here you can see upcoming dates for all kinds of PD events from PAAER, including Workforce Wednesdays, Friday Lunchtime Webinars, and a variety of upcoming webinars from courses found in the PD Portal.

COABE Journal: The Talent Pipeline

COABE has published the Fall 2026 edition of the COABE Journal - the Talent Pipeline: Adult Education's Role in Workforce Development. This edition aims to share and explore ideas and models for equipping American adult education learners with the academic and workplace skills needed to meet modern employers' needs.

2027 Correctional Education Association Forum

The Correctional Education Association (CEA) will hold their annual Forum in Charleston, SC, April 4-6, 2027, and are now accepting proposals for conference seminars. Submit a proposal online before November 30, and the lead presenter will be notified by December 18.

Visit PAAER.org for the latest PA adult education news and resources. Recent additions to the site include:

• Events page
• eData Access Template 2026-27 v1 Webinar

• NCFL Families Learning Conference - November 8-11, 2026 - San Antonio, TX - In-person
• PennTESOL East Conference - November 13-14, 2026 - Philadelphia, PA - In-person
• CEA Forum - April 4-6, 2027 - Charleston, SC - In-person
• COABE National Conference - April 11-24, 2027 - New Orleans, LA - In-person
• PAACE Conference - April 26-27, 2027 - State College, PA - In-person

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. 

Families Learning, News of the Week, National Center for Families Learning

Features information and resources for family literacy, early childhood education, and parent education.

Oct. 16 | Oct. 9 | Oct. 2 | Oct. 1

COABE Connects, Digital Equity, Coalition on Adult Basic Education

Features national information, resources, and initiatives for adult basic education.

October Newsletter | Oct. 16 | Oct. 9 | Oct. 2 | September Newsletter | Sept. 25

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 Transition Network, and many others. 

Oct. 22

Adult and Family Literacy Today

Features updates on adult and family literacy research, policy, and practice from the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy.

October Newsletter