Course
Descriptions
Adult Development
*Strategies for Building
Learning Communities: Research has shown that creating learning
communities or "cohorts" within the classroom helps students to
persist in achieving their goals. In this course you will
examine how learners differ developmentally and learn strategies for
creating community among students.
Access this course
Fee: $24.95
Adult Multiple Intelligences
Research conducted by the National Center for the Study of
Adult Learning and Literacy shows that instructional practices inspired
by Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory have resulted in high levels of
authentic instruction and student engagement.
Adult Multiple
Intelligences Theory: Howard Gardner's research has shown that
adults can possess many different kinds of "intelligences"
beyond the linguistic and logical abilities that teachers usually
expect. Through this course you will learn to recognize the eight
intelligences of MI Theory among your students and plan instruction to
exploit their unique strengths.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Adult Multiple
Intelligences in Practice: Investigate how practitioner
researchers used Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory in their ABE, GED,
and ESOL classrooms and in counseling. Discover their experiences and
consider how MI theory might apply in your situation. You’ll
finish the self-study by naming ways you can use MI in working with your
own learners.
Completion time: 3 hours
Recommended pre-requisite course: Adult Multiple Intelligences
Theory
Access this course
Fee: None
Multiple Intelligences and
Differentiated Instruction: Integrate your understanding
of Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory with the power of differentiated
instruction in this facilitated, eight-session course. You’ll
learn how to apply MI theory and differentiate instruction for all
levels of adult basic education and English for speakers of other
languages. The facilitator will guide you as you develop your own
MI-based lessons. Review the Course Overview and
Schedule [PDF].
Register for this course: Coming soon!
Schedule: TBA
Required text: Viens, J. & Kallenbach, S. (2004).
Multiple Intelligences and Adult Literacy: A Sourcebook for
Practitioners. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. (To order, go
to: http://store.tcpress.com/0807743461.shtml)
Fee: $249.00
Adult Student Persistence
Adults choose to enroll in ABE, ESOL, and ASE classes with
goals that require lengthy time commitments. Due to the complexity of
adult students’ lives, many factors can either support or hinder
students in persisting in programs until they reach their goals. Delve
into the research conducted by the National Center for the Study of
Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) on persistence and its implications
for your instruction and program practices in the following courses.
Helping Adults
Persist: The researchers featured in this course interviewed
Pre-GED students to find out what supported or hindered their persistence
in adult basic education programs. They identified four supports to
persistence—management of positive and negative forces,
establishment of a goal by students, progress toward reaching a goal,
and building self-efficacy. You'll want to learn more about these four
critical supports to persistence.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Supports and Barriers to
Persistence: Find out what students interviewed for the
research study listed as the negative and positive forces that affect
their ability to persist. This course will help you and your
students devise strategies for increasing the positive forces and
reducing the negative forces that hinder them.
Completion time: 3 hours
Recommended pre-requisite course: Helping Adults Persist
Access this course
Fee: None
Goals and Self-efficacy in
Persistence: Building self-efficacy, establishment of a goal by
the student, and progress toward reaching a goal are three supports
suggested by the researchers for increasing student persistence. This
course will help you promote mastery and vicarious experiences and
explore other ways to build self-efficacy. You’ll be challenged to
try out a new idea for supporting student persistence.
Completion time: 3 hours
Recommended pre-requisite course: Helping Adults Persist
Access this course
Fee: None
*Adult Student
Persistence: An Overview: Gain a better understanding of how
adult students participate and what helps them to persist in learning.
Learn how to apply instructional and programmatic strategies for
improving student persistence in this course.
Access this course
Fee: $24.95
*Student Retention
Through Student Success: Explore the relationship between
students' retention and their own sense of self-efficacy. You'll
learn new and more meaningful processes for tracking students' progress
toward meeting educational goals.
Access this course
Fee: $24.95
Assessment
**What Every
Teacher Should Know About Assessment: Standardized assessments
are used everywhere in modern life, but few people really know how they
are put together, how they should best be used, and what underlying
principles govern their design. This course, the first in a
cluster of assessment-related courses, is a layperson's guide to
concepts such as reliability, validity, bias, and standard error of
measurement. A basic knowledge of these concepts would not only
equip you to better understand and deal with standardized assessments
but also help you as a teacher to develop better in-class
assessments.
Note: This course was developed in collaboration with
the System for Adult Basic Education Support (SABES), funded by a grant
from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Massachusetts practitioners should contact their local SABES region for
information about taking this course through SABES.
Coming soon!
Fee: TBD
**Understanding and
Using Published Reading Assessments with Adult Learners: Perhaps
you've heard of published assessments with good reputationsthe Tests for
Adult Basic Education, for example, or the Diagnostic Assessment for
Readingbut don't really know what they can or cannot do, or how best to
use them. Well, here's your chance to look more deeply into these
well-regarded tests. This course will also take you deeper into some of
the national initiatives, such as the National Reporting System, that
have shaped policy and planning over the past decade.
Recommended pre-requisite course: What Every Teacher
Should Know About Student Assessment
Coming soon!
Fee: TBD
**Assessments Developed
by Teachers and Students: This course in the assessment cluster
takes all the knowledge you've gained in the What Every Teacher Should
Know About Student Assessment into your classroom. By course's end,
you will have expanded your assessment repertoire to include a variety
tools to check student progress more closely along the day-to-day
classroom journey, "push" your assessments beyond simple
quizzes to more dynamic forms, and even involve your students more
directly in assessment design.
Recommended pre-requisite course: What Every Teacher Should
Know About Student Assessment
Coming soon!
Fee: TBD
**Principles of
Diagnostic Assessment and Teaching in Adult Reading Instruction:
Although diagnostic assessment in reading shares features with other
reading assessment used in adult basic education, its purposes are narrow
and specific: to find out a learner's strengths and needs in order to
inform instruction. What do we mean by a learner's strengths and
needs? How can we determine them? How can knowing about those strengths
and needs inform instruction? These are the questions that you will
explore in this course.
Recommended pre-requisite course: What Every Teacher
Should Know About Student Assessment
Coming soon!
Fee: TBD
Authentic Contexts
Research conducted by the National Center for the Study
of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) has shown that the use of
authentic materials in class supports an increase and change in
learners' literacy practices outside of the classroom. Explore the
research and its implications for your instruction in the following
courses.
Overview of
Critical Literacy Practices: If you've been waiting for a
user-friendly way to dip into critical pedagogy, this is it. This
self-study is a starting point to developing a theoretical background on
critical pedagogy. Learn to what extent education programs reflect
critical pedagogy in their structure and practices and analyze your own
practices for the degrees of critical pedagogy across six elements of an
adult education program.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Philosophy of
Using Authentic Curriculum: A curriculum is a guide for
learning. Everyone who chooses or creates curriculum (or textbooks)
needs to develop a personal philosophy of teaching and learning, examine
the values and beliefs behind that philosophy, and design or select a
curriculum that reflects those beliefs and values. Compare three
approaches to curriculum—traditional, learner-driven, and
critical—and begin to articulate your own philosophy of teaching
and curriculum development.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Using Authentic
Curriculum and Materials: The team of researchers led by
Victoria Purcell-Gates found that adult literacy instruction is more
effective if teachers use materials and activities that adults actually
encounter in their daily lives. This course will encourage you to
work collaboratively with your students to identify a topic for a lesson
that uses authentic materials and activities. You will be using the
handbook, Creating Authentic Materials and Activities for the Adult
Literacy Classroom, as a guide in moving toward contextualized
literacy instruction.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Building
Teacher/Learner Collaborations: In coding the data for the
Literacy Practices of Adult Learners study, the researchers found that
the learners themselves were attributing changes in literacy practice to
life changes, such as changes in employment, living situations, family
situations/children, and health. Explore the social nature of your
learners' literacy practices and how those practices may change from the
beginning of instruction. Develop a strategy for collaborating with
learners to identify a topic on which to build instructional activities.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
College Transitions
College Readiness for Adults: Beyond Academic Preparation! The overall objective of this course is to assist educators, counselors, administrators and postsecondary partners to better prepare their students for postsecondary education. You will identify, organize, and reflect on the broad array of readiness skills and abilities that adults need to be successful in postsecondary education and training. Then you will consider how to change our practice to incorporate what we have learned. Review the Course Overview and Schedule [PDF].
Register for this course: Add yourself to the waiting list.
Schedule: April 22–June 16,
2010
Fee: $249.00
Introduction to College Transition Math: Reflect on your own and your students' math backgrounds, examine and experience the college placement test your students take, try out math activities and exercises you can use in your classrooms, and explore the math knowledge and skills you will want to present to your own college transition students. Review the Course
Overview and Schedule [PDF].
Register for this course: Coming soon!
Schedule: TBA
Required text: Safford-Ramus, K. (2008).
Unlatching the Gate: Helping Adult Students Learn Mathematics. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris Corporation. (Copies can be ordered from Xlibris Corporation at 1-888-795-4274 or Orders@Xlibris.com. The cost is $19.99 per copy.
Fee: $249.00
Research-based Strategies and Models for Adult Transitions to Postsecondary Education: Read and discuss the research on
the changing workforce and examine the reasons why adult learners need to go beyond the GED to advance their earning potential. Examine program models that support adult transitions to postsecondary education. Review the Course Overview and Schedule [PDF].
Register for this course: Add yourself to the waiting list.
Schedule: April 22–June 16,
2010
Fee: $249.00
ESOL and Technology
Creating Engaging
ESOL Activities Using Computers I: Research shows that interesting, engaging learning activities using productivity software increases students' motivation and helps them learn English for all the reasons they come to our classes. More and more jobs require computer skills. Students who can use computers effectively expand their career options in countless ways.
Through this course, you will integrate computer software into your ESOL instruction. You'll identify the steps necessary to incorporate computer software applications into lesson plans, including analyzing specific language and computer skills. You will finish the course having developed, tested, and refined a learning activity for your own classroom.
Register online
Schedule: April 12–May 21, 2010
Fee: $179.00
Creating Engaging
ESOL Activities Using Computers II: In this follow-up course,
you will interact with other practitioners and a facilitator to explore
research and best practices on developing successful computer-based
activities and projects. You will create and try out an activity or
project and evaluate it with the support and feedback of the course
community. Want to learn more about this course?
Coming soon!
Schedule: TBA
Fee: $179.00
General Educational Development
(GED)
Research conducted by the National Center for the Study of
Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) has determined that GED students
experience educational and financial gains when engaged in GED
preparation courses that focus on cognitive development in addition to
exam preparation. Recommendations from the study suggest that programs
support students who want to transition to postsecondary education and
training.
GED Research and
Policy: In this self-study, you’ll focus first on general
GED information and the research on the economic benefits of attaining a
GED credential. Then you’ll think about the policy and program
issues related to preparing students for the GED examination and
supporting them for the transition to postsecondary education and
training.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Going Beyond the GED:
Learn why the adult education system should focus on enabling
students to develop the academic skills necessary to not only complete
the GED, but also to enter postsecondary education and training.
Identify strategies for supporting adult education-to-postsecondary
transitions for adult education students in your own program or
classroom.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Activity-based
Instruction: Why and How: Activity-based instructional
approaches emphasize cognitive development, a critically important
ability for GED students who plan to enter postsecondary education and
training. Examine the implications of the research reported in
Cognitive Skills Matter in the Labor Market, Even for School
Dropouts. Outline the pros and cons of two activity-based
instructional methods—collaborative learning and project-based
learning.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Using Beyond
the GED: Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices About the
GED and Your Future, offers lesson plans and helps teachers create
activities that will give adult learners an opportunity to practice
writing, use graphs, read charts, and analyze research findings on the
economic impact of the GED. Learn why it is important for students to
understand the economic impact of the GED, preview the lessons, and
think about how your students might benefit from the lessons.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Health Literacy
Health Literacy: New
Field, New Opportunities: Learn about the challenges associated
with low health literacy, meet some of the new health literacy
practitioners in the field, hear about successful strategies and
practices, and apply what you have learned to a challenging health
literacy scenario. This online tutorial is designed for health and
literacy educators interested in addressing health literacy barriers to
good health in their work. The tutorial was developed with funding from
the National Network of Libraries of Medicine New England Region.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Numeracy
**Foundations of
Teaching Adult Numeracy: In this foundational course you'll learn how to keep students at the center of numeracy instruction. You'll explore the context, content, and cognitive and affective components of numeracy, how to address the needs of students with learning gaps, how students' styles of learning math and levels of math knowledge affect their math skills, and ways to build student's success in learning math. You'll plan classroom activities, test them with your students, and share your experiences with fellow teachers.
Register online
Schedule: September 20–October 29, 2010
Fee: $179.00
**Teaching
Reasoning and Problem-Solving Strategies: Numerate adults do more than calculate figures. They think about the relationships between mathematical concepts and real-life situations. They look for patterns, make predictions, and evaluate their conclusions. They can form problems, represent them, and solve them. They apply critical thinking skills. This course examines mathematical reasoning and problem solving strategies and provides numerous teaching strategies and activities that you can apply to your teaching right away.
Register online
Schedule: March 1–April 9, 2010
Fee: $179.00
**Number
Sense: Teaching About Parts and Wholes: Teaching students how to use estimation, mental math, benchmarking, and calculators will enhance their conceptual understanding of numbers and what numbers represent. This course focuses on helping adult students develop number sense by addressing two key questions: When is it necessary to have an exact answer, and when is an estimate sufficient? When calculation is necessary, which tool is appropriate to use? You'll design math activities that are permeated with estimation, mental math, and reasonableness strategies.
Register online
Schedule: April 12–May 21, 2010
Fee: $179.00
**Geometry: Teaching About Shapes and Measures: Adult basic education students need foundational geometry and measurement skills not only to succeed in GED math, but also in the workplace. In this course, you will explore key topics in geometry, such as area, perimeter, and volume, and their importance in everyday life. You'll look at numerous instructional activities for teaching about angles, spatial relationships, symmetry, similarity, and figure transformations on a coordinate graph system.
Register online
Schedule:February 21–April 1, 2011
Fee: $179.00
**Data: Helping Students Interpret Numeric Information:
Data, or numerical information, can be described, represented, analyzed, and interpreted in various ways for various purposes. This course looks at some common uses (and misuses) of data. Learn about the measures of central tendency statistics, graphs, and probability. Through the course readings, activities, and discussions, you'll review basic concepts and explore strategies for introducing and teaching these concepts to your adult students.
Register online
Schedule: March 14–April 22, 2011
Fee: $179.00
**Algebra: Introducing Algebraic Reasoning: Research suggests that math topics, including algebra, should be taught at all levels, not just when a student is ready for GED preparation. In this course, you'll learn how to introduce algebraic reasoning to your students, and you'll experiment with strategies for teaching numeric patterns, relationships, and functions based on real-life situations. You'll also explore strategies to help students model quantitative relationships using graphs, tables, words, and equations.
Register online
Schedule: April 14–May 13, 2011
Fee: $179.00
Reading
Reading Profiles:
The Adult Reading Components Study, conducted by the National Center for
the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL), found that adult
readers at the same comprehension level have varying skills in fluency,
decoding, and vocabulary. The researchers identified 11 reading
profiles. Learn why developing reading profiles for students will help
you, as a teacher or tutor, to plan better, more focused reading
instruction. Learn how to prepare instructional plans for students using
the tools and reading profiles on the Assessment Strategies and Reading
Profiles website.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Teaching
Learners What Reading Is All About: Understanding What
Reading Is All About: Teaching Materials and Lessons for Adult Basic
Education Learners, is based on findings from reading research
conducted by NCSALL and others. This guide offers 13 lessons designed to
help learners understand the components of reading that are part of
becoming a more fluent reader. Review Understanding What Reading Is
All About, consider why it is important for learners to know about
the components of reading, and determine how and when you could use this
guide with learners.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Reading Difficulties:
In “Lessons from Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young
Children for Adult Learning and Literacy” the authors outline risk
factors identified in children with reading difficulties and compare
these to those of adult literacy students. Instruction should address
the social risk factors with which adult learners contend as well as the
component reading skills. Reflect on your assumptions and beliefs about
teaching reading and consider how the personal and social risk factors
may impact learning how to read.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Ideas for Teaching
Reading: Explore some of the research on
reading and its implications for the development of curriculum and
instructional techniques. Read articles that relate to your role in the
program—ABE instructor, ESOL instructor, or program
administrator/counselor. Consider how the findings or practices might
apply to your situation and develop plans for trying out some of the
ideas.
Completion time: 3 hours
Access this course
Fee: None
Study Circle on
Research-based Adult Reading Instruction: This facilitated,
eight-week course, developed by the National Center for the Study of
Adult Learning and Literacy, explores differing theories of the reading
process, the four major components of reading and the implications for
teaching, the development of learners’ reading profiles, and the
Equipped for the Future framework. It is based on a review of adult
reading research conducted by the Reading Research Working Group and
published in a report by John Kruidenier, Research-Based Principles
for Adult Education Reading Instruction.
Review the Study Circle Overview [PDF].
Register for this course: Submit registration form
[PDF] or Register online
Schedule: March 25-May 26, 2010
Fee: $249.00
*Course developed for ProLiteracy
**Course produced and offered by ProfessionalStudiesAE.org,
a partnership between ProLiteracy and World Education/U.S.
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