Northwest Spring 2008 Regional
Thurs. March 27 evening & Fri. March 28, 2008
Paul Bunyan Center
(Bemidji Area School District Office)
3300 Gillett Drive NW
Bemidji, MN  56601

This ABE training opportunity is being offered in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Education and the ATLAS program at Hamline University.  CEUs indicating attendance will be provided.

Thursday, March 27
(Thursday evening sessions are designed to address teacher licensure requirements.)

4:30- 5:00 PM   Check-in and Registration

5:00-6:00          Supper & Announcements

6:00-7:30          Breakout Session 1 – Choose one:

1a) Increasing Vocabulary Acquisition – Burgen Bourne-Nisson, ESL Specialist, MN Literacy Council (addresses the requirements for further reading instruction)

How many words should be taught in one lesson? What types of words should be taught together? What does it really mean to know a word? What activities and strategies promote vocabulary acquisition? Learn what research has to say about these questions and try some vocabulary activities.

1b) Teaching the Adult Learner with ADHD – Gabby Geisler, ADHD Specialist, Learning Disabilities Association (addresses the requirements for positive behavior intervention strategies)

This session will address specific strategies for helping students with attention deficits learn.  Through a combination of lecture and activity, content will focus on two topics – (1) understanding the learner’s experience and (2) strategies for maximizing achievement.

7:30-9:00         Breakout Session 2 – Choose one:

2a) Addressing Mental Health Issues in Adults – Jan Guggenheimer, Clinical Director of the Counseling Center, Bemidji State University (addresses the requirements for key warning signs of early onset mental illness) – more details forthcoming

2b) Becoming Culturally Aware Teachers and Learners – Kimberly Johnson, ATLAS
(addresses the requirements for adapting the curriculum to meet the needs of adult learners)

How aware are you of the impact culture has on learning?  How aware are learners of their classmates’ cultural perspectives and backgrounds?  What do learners need to know about cultural behaviors and norms in the US in order to thrive and become active members of their communities without letting go of their own belief systems?  In this interactive, hands-on session, participants take part in a series of activities that can be used for multiple purposes; to raise teachers’ awareness of the role of culture in learning; to help learners understand the multiple perspectives of their classmates; and finally, to help learners make sense of US cultural practices.  Many of the activities can be used at all levels and with teachers and learners in many settings.

9:00                Dessert and Networking

Friday, March 28
(Friday sessions are geared toward ESL, ABE/GED, and Technology-related content.)

8:30-9:00 AM    Registration, Coffee and Rolls

9:00-9:15          Welcome and Introductions / Opening Announcements

9:15 – 10:15     General Session – Introduction to ATLAS (ABE Teacher and Learner Advancement System) – Kimberly Johnson, PhD, ATLAS Coordinator and Assistant Professor with Hamline University’s Graduate School of Education

10:15                Break

10:30-12:00     Breakout Session 3 – Choose one:

3a) Teaching Multi-level Classes – Burgen Bourne-Nisson, ESL Specialist, MN Literacy Council (ESL related)

It can be very challenging to teach students of varying abilities, yet nearly all ESL classes are multilevel in some way, whether the students differ in oral skills, literacy skills, or language backgrounds.  Come learn effective strategies and activities fro working with mixed-ability ESL groups.

3b) MindQuest Academy – Bella Hanson, ATLAS (ABE related)

MindQuest Academy (MQA) is an innovative resource of college preparatory online materials, staff development, and program development for ABE, MnSCU, and individual ABE programs and community/technical colleges. Come and learn more about how you can access MQA for your learners.

3c) Minnesota Curriculum Development Showcase – Jason Brazier, Technology Specialist, MN Literacy Council (Technology related)

Many new products come out each year for teachers, but did you know that some are developed by Minnesota ABE teachers?  This hands-on training will give you a look at some of the newest FREE resources available to you.

12:00 – 1:30    Lunch and Presentation: Blue Sky Online Charter School

BlueSky Online Charter School was the first 100% online charter school in Minnesota, serving students in grades 7-12.  With a fully licensed staff of teachers, counselors, and social workers, BlueSky is dedicated to working with students and families to make sure they learn, earn credits and graduate with a high school diploma. BlueSky is currently working with an area ABE consortium to offer high school diploma programming for adult learners.

1:30 – 1:45    Literacy MN update

1:45-3:15    Breakout Session 4 – Choose one:

4a) Not Yet Ready for GED – Marn Frank, Learning Disabilities Association (ESL related)

Many students attending GED preparation classes are actually “not-yet-ready” for reading and understanding content materials at secondary levels.  In fact, according to an adult basic education research study called the Adult Reading Components Study (ARCS, 2003), about 25% of ABE students perform at pre-GED levels and another 56% have reading skills (including word reading, fluency, and vocabulary knowledge) “stalled” at intermediate levels.  Participants in this workshop will briefly review the ARCS findings and implications, practice using an informal word reading test, and discuss research-based “word study” and fluency/comprehension strategies for ABE students performing below the GED level.

Copies of The Adult Reading Toolkit – Edition 5, a research-based resource for adult literacy, will be available.

4b) Developing Partnerships and Transitioning to Post-Secondary – Kathy Simison & Patti DeGroat, Lakes Learning ABE (ABE related)

Have you developed a partnership with your local technical college?  Do you understand the Accuplacer and how to prepare the student for this placement exam?  If you are looking for practical information and a how-to approach to the post-secondary initiative, then this is the class for you.  Informational handouts will be provided.

4c) Computer Confidence for Educators – Jason Brazier, Technology Specialist, MN Literacy Council (Technology related)

Learn how to troubleshoot basic computer problems with this hands-on in-service, which will walk you through some practical ways to maintain your personal computer.

3:15-3:30       Closing and CEUs

Registrations must be received by Fri. March 21, 2008.

Registration Form: Word / PDF        Register Online    

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