Expanding Possibilities: Adult Education & Literacy Virtual Conference: Full Schedule

1:00pm CST

Welcome and Conference Kick Off

Speakers

Marcela Hermosillo-Tarin

AEL Conference Co-chair/ Education Program Consultant, Iowa Department of Education

Marcela Hermosillo-Tarin is an Education Consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. In her current position, she provides leadership to the state-funded ESL grant, the federally funded EL/Civics grant, AmeriCorps grant, Iowa Literacy Council and the professional development... Read More →

Jayne Smith

Education Program Consultant & AEL Conference Chair, Iowa Department of Education

Jayne is an Education Program Consultant for the Iowa Department of Education and Chair of the AEL Summer Conference! She is the regional consultant for NICC, KCC, EICC, and HCC and responsible for implementing the Iowa HSED Alternative Pathways; professional development (ABE... Read More →

Tuesday January 30, 2018 1:00pm - 1:15pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/633396364 Conference Kick off and Keynote

All content areas

1:15pm CST

Collaboration, innovation, and advocacy: Reshaping our roles as adult educators

This session will provide examples of powerful partnerships and leadership approaches that can help to empower adult educators. We also will examine emerging research and professional development opportunities for adult educators that may inspire new ways to consider our classrooms, our students, and ourselves.

Speakers

Dr. Lyn Cochran

President, Scott Community College

Dr. Lyn Cochran is our newest President of Scott Community College (SCC). Lyn grew up in Sioux City, IA and first began her career in higher education at Western Iowa Tech Community College in 1992, where she taught courses in history, geography, English, and English Language Acquisition... Read More →

Tuesday January 30, 2018 1:15pm - 1:45pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/633396364 Conference Kick off and Keynote

All content areas

2:00pm CST

The Neuroscience of Inclusion: Mitigating Unconscious Bias

Organizations have worked for years to help their employees understand the value of a diverse workforce. One of the primary obstacles we face in leveraging workplace diversity is our own unconscious bias. Research suggests that we instinctively place people into categories based on their appearance, educational level, social status, job title, and so on. Right or wrong, this helps us order our world and saves us time and effort as we process information about people. However, these stereotypes—or unconscious biases—lead us to make assumptions about others. These unconscious biases can affect who is hired, promoted, and developed in the workplace, which can ultimately derail your organization’s culture and diversity efforts. Participants in this session will leave with an improved understanding of how the brain functions and shapes their behaviors, both consciously and unconsciously. Participants will also explore ways to mitigate their own unconscious biases.

Speakers

Claudia Schabel

President, Schabel Solutions

Claudia Schabel, President of Schabel Solutions, combines over a decade of experience as a Diversity and Inclusion practitioner with Fortune 500 companies and her multicultural background to offer coaching and consulting services in the areas of Diversity and Inclusion to businesses... Read More →

Tuesday January 30, 2018 2:00pm - 3:15pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/933185745

All content areas

3:30pm CST

Visualizing Math: Using Desmos and Phet to Model, Demonstrate and Gamify

Both Desmos.com and phet.colorado.edu offer a variety of interactive, visual ways for students to engage with mathematical concepts—and they are free. Come discover how students and teachers can use simulations, games, lesson bundles and a powerful graphing calculator for learning stations, classroom games or individual assessments of learning.

Speakers

Jason Walker

Lead Teacher- Adult Basic Ed, Eastern Iowa Community College

Jason is the recipient of the 2017 Archie Willard Adult Education and Literacy Educator of the Year Award from the Iowa Department of Education. He has a BA in International Relations and French from Morningside College and an MA in Public Administration from Western Illinois University... Read More →

Tuesday January 30, 2018 3:30pm - 4:30pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/639801120

Integrating technology

1:00pm CST

Got Work Goals? Need Employer Engagement

Adult students need literacy AND jobs! People often get employment through their connections. How can you better serve students by being that connection to open doors to create opportunities? Employer engagement is not hard. In fact, it can be both easy and fun! This session will give you the tools to confidentely work with businesses in order to gain valuable network connects. We will discuss the secrets to building long-lasting employer relationships.

Speakers

Diane Hernandez

Disability Resource Coordinator, IowaWORKS/ Disability Employment Initiative

Shannon Myers

Employment Specialist, Iowa Department for the Blind

Shannon Myers, M.S., CRC, is an Employment Specialist at Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB). She collaborates with businesses, VR Counselors, core WIOA partners, middle and high schools, colleges, area education agencies, community partners, community rehabilitation providers, and... Read More →

Wednesday January 31, 2018 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/134543123 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/134543123

All content areas

1:00pm CST

Best Approaches to Computer-Assisted Language Learning in Teaching Writing

The development of the fields of technology education has enabled Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) tools to provide opportunities to expand knowledge of English through writing, offer automated feedback, and improve the writing skill as well as the autonomy of English learners. CALL tools reduce the working load while inspiring learners to write and promoting awareness of self-correction in writing. This session will illustrate the effective use and design of various CALL tools or websites in a writing class to evaluate and provide feedback to English language learners and meet the student learning objectives.

Speakers

Imelda Bagun

Academic English Instructor, University of South Florida.

Imelda Bangun has worked with adult English learners for seven years as an educator and administrator. She is a doctoral student in Technology in Instruction and Second Language Acquisition (TESLA) and an academic English instructor at INTO English language program at the University... Read More →

Wednesday January 31, 2018 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/764585875 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/764585875

Integrating technology

2:15pm CST

A Whole Person Approach to Guiding Adult Learners

This session is an overview of a best practice initiated in Fall 2016 at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges that views the basic needs of the adult learner as central to guiding the learner through their chosen educational pathway. The Student Success Store is an extrinsic motivator to guide learners in how and why to value education, thereby breaking cycles of negative views of education and beginning to place education as an intrinsic value in the home.

Speakers

Sarah Rissler

ELA Coordinator, EICC

Wednesday January 31, 2018 2:15pm - 3:15pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/713853527 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/713853527

All content areas

2:15pm CST

Twitter for Beginners

Twitter is an online news and social networking service where users post and interact with messages, called "tweets. This session will be an introduction to Twitter. It will be a session for all adult education and literacy instructors that want to know more about this useful "thinking aloud" tool. If you know nothing other than the name of the program, this is the session for you.

Speakers

Brandi Parsons

HSDL Instructor/Coordinator, Kirkwood Community College

Brandi Parsons is the Kirkwood Community College High School Distance Learning Instructor/Coordinator. She is committed to lifelong learning and has recently completed two online classes in accounting. She holds a master's degree from MidAmerica Nazarene University in Educational... Read More →

Wednesday January 31, 2018 2:15pm - 3:15pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/292720478 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/292720478

Integrating technology

3:30pm CST

Linking Sector Partnerships to Adult Education Program Success

One of the primary goals of a collaborative sector partnership is to bring together local employers from the same industry to collectively discuss, identify, and resolve local workforce issues, such as Iowa's shrinking and aging workforce. Joe Collins was recently hired in a newly developed position with the Iowa Department of Education to connect, assist, and empower these employer-driven, community-based programs across the state. With an expanding list of over 60 sector partnerships in a wide range of industries and at different stages of development, this is an exciting time for sector partnerships in Iowa! Join for this session to learn more about newly developed statewide materials, strategies, and initiatives to continue to support the development and growth of collaborative sector partnerships to keep Iowa's employers strong, growing, and competitive. Specific attention to be paid to inclusive career pathway development, engaging with adult learners, and how to get involved in local initiatives.

Speakers

Joe Collins

Workforce Education Consultant, Iowa Department of Education

Joe works as an Education Consultant for Sector Partnerships, Career Pathways, and Work-Based Learning for the Iowa Department of Education. In this role, he helps to connect, assist, and empower groups of employers in Iowa to address their skilled workforce, economic, and community... Read More →

Wednesday January 31, 2018 3:30pm - 4:30pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/368495587 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/368495587

All content areas

3:30pm CST

Workplace Technology for ELLs

Do you remember your first experience turning on a computer? Do you remember your first time learning about email? English Language Learners may have never had the experience - so how do we help them build those technology skills? Kirkwood has offered a seven week Workplace Technology course specifically to English Language Learners to work on a few of these skills. Come listen to what we've learned and what changes we intend to make in the future.

Speakers

Brandi Parsons

HSDL Instructor/Coordinator, Kirkwood Community College

Wednesday January 31, 2018 3:30pm - 4:45pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/212109384 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/212109384

Integrating technology

1:00pm CST

DIY: Blog Page

After participating in a webinar where Jason Walker shared the blog page he created for the Muscatine Community College Adult Education, Iowa Central Community College decided to follow suit. Learn what Iowa Central has done to include the blog page, interactive quizzes, and Essential Ed into the HSED curriculum.

Speakers

Susan Doyle

Coordinator Adult Education/Literacy, Iowa Central Community College

Thursday February 1, 2018 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/147384357 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/147384357

Integrating technology

1:00pm CST

Evidence Based Reading Instruction: Lesson Plans

Join Martha Bell and Ashleigh Richmond as they share lesson plans and resources for evidence based reading instruction. Lesson plans will address reading instruction needs of lower, intermediate, and advanced AEL students.
Lesson Plans: https://goo.gl/UWSLce

Speakers

Martha Bell

Director of Adult Education & Literacy, Southeastern Community College

Martha Bell is the Director of Adult Education & Literacy at Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa. She taught adult basic education and HSED preparation classes for 17 years (2004-2021) prior to accepting the director position in June 2021. She certified as a... Read More →

Ashleigh Richmond

Director, Adult Education & Literacy, Indian Hills Community College

Ashleigh Richmond is the Director of Adult Literacy and Job Corps Scholars at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa. She has taught literature and communications classes for 13 years, including five years in AEL as Lead Instructor for Language Arts. She became a STAR certified... Read More →

Thursday February 1, 2018 1:00pm - 2:00pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/162806984 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/162806984

Reading and writing

2:15pm CST

Effective Writing Strategies

The session will introduce participants to effective, research-based writing strategies that will offer practitioners opportunities to rework writing instruction, allowing for more positive interactions with the task of writing for both teachers and learners. The webinar will be interactive and include a “round-up” of next steps for practitioners to employ in their teaching.

Speakers

Kathy Houghton

Executive Director, Literacy New York

Kathy Houghton is the Executive Director of Literacy New York. In this position, she creates, implements, and monitors systems and procedures to ensure delivery of grant and project deliverables, and supports staff in meeting outcomes. Prior to becoming LNY's Executive Director, Kathy... Read More →

Thursday February 1, 2018 2:15pm - 3:15pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/291394822 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/291394822

Reading and writing

3:30pm CST

Adult Learning Theory as the Foundation for Innovative, Advanced, Online Learning

With innovations in technology, adult educators can begin to create learning opportunities in very expansive terms. But, innovative, technologically advanced learning environments still benefit from a solid foundation in adult learning theory, instrumental theories like John B. Watson’s Behaviorism, Lev Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory, Jack Mezirow’s Critical Reflection and John M. Dirkx’s Nurturing the Soul in Adult Learning. These theories should serve as the foundation for an enriched online learning experience. The following presentation will discuss and demonstrate how to build an innovative online course that has a significant foundation in key adult learning theories. Specifically illustrating what Behaviorism, Social Development Theory, Critical Reflection and Nurturing the Soul looks like in the online classroom and how to merge established learning knowledge with advancing technology so adult educators can implement a broad vision of opportunity.

Speakers

Jillian Yarbrough

Clinical Assistant Professor, West Texas A&M University

Dr. Yarbrough joined the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business at West Texas A&M University in 2016. She received a B.S. in Education from Texas Christian University in 1997, an M.S. in Educational Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University in 1998, a Ph.D. in Educational... Read More →

Thursday February 1, 2018 3:30pm - 4:45pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/527533178 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/527533178

Integrating technology

3:30pm CST

Reading Strategies

Speakers

Kathy Houghton

Executive Director, Literacy New York

Thursday February 1, 2018 3:30pm - 4:45pm CST
https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/919172432 https://IDOE.zoom.us/j/919172432

Reading and writing