Southwest ABE Fall Regional Workshop

Friday, October 24, 2008
Lincoln Community Center
110 Fulton Street, Mankato, MN  56001

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

Agenda

8:30     Registration
9:00     Opening Remarks; Keynote Speaker (Auditorium)

Nola Speiser, Mankato Workforce Center, NWRC Specialist
The National Work Readiness Credential is a certification of work readiness for entry-level work based on the Equipped for the Futures Standards. It is the first national, standards-based assessment for entry-level workers to provide a universal, transferable, national standard for work readiness.  Nola will discuss how the NWRC is being implemented in the region, the composition of the assessment, which skills are assessed and provide sample questions from the test.  She will answer questions about how you can prepare students for the NWRC and how to register them for the exam as well as the benefits to your students.

10:00     Break

10:15     Concurrent Sessions (choose one):

1) Getting to Know Rosetta Stone (Computer Lab, Room 254)
Jean Jurgenson, ESL Instructor, Mankato
This session will provide a closer look at the Rosetta Stone software for ESL students.  Mankato ABE has used Rosetta Stone for several years and has recently upgraded to the network version 3. This session will also provide a look at the administration portion of the program as well as the student features.

2) Getting Your Learners GED Test Ready using Print Materials (Room 209)
Jayne Schultz, Steck-Vaughn Regional Representative
This session will provide an overview of GED Preparation materials by Steck Vaughn including the GED Official Practice Test. This session will allow attendees to look at current and new Steck-Vaughn Products on the market and include a question/answer session on all Steck-Vaughn products.  New Product info and sample versions will be available including the Full Length Official Practice Test, TABE Fundamentals as well as Keys to GED Success.

3) Using Claire Weinstein’s LASSI (Room 257)
Karen Wolters, Diploma Program Supervisor/College Prep Instructor, Mankato Area ABE
If you are using Mindquest Academy coursework, you may have heard about the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, an online assessment that can be used to rate students in 9 areas of Learning and Study Strategies.  Experience what this assessment is, brainstorm how it could be used in GED, Adult Diploma, or transitions level coursework.  Additional discussion will include Claire Weinstein’s research and what it means to be “college ready”.

12:00     Networking Lunch:

• Pre Beginning/Beginning ESL – Room 253
• Intermediate – Advanced ESL – Room 258
• GED-i/Transition – Room 257

1:00     Concurrent Sessions (choose one):

1) Mindquest User Group Roundtable (Room 257)
Karen Wolters, Diploma Program Supervisor/College Prep Instructor, Mankato
Participants will meet to discuss how they are implementing MQA modules into their ABE classrooms or transitions programming.  If you are considering using Mindquest you are welcome to attend to learn more about it!

2) ESL Math (Room 259)
Joni Gilman & Jean Jurgenson, ESL instructors
Two ESL instructors will describe their methods for teaching math to pre-beginning and multilevel math students.  This session will include hands-on math applications and interactive activities. Pre-beginning classroom activities include survival math skills such as currency, time and basic numeracy awareness. Multilevel classrooms are defined as having more than one proficiency level in the classroom that together work on basic math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

3) Use Your Moodle, A Hands-On Approach and CEU’s Online (Computer Lab, Room 254)
Cathy Grady, Minnesota Literacy Council
Moodle is an open-source learning management system (LMS) that is freely available for anyone to use. We will use this course to guide us as we learn about the many features that can be found in Moodle.  Also learn how you can earn CEU’s through online instruction.

2:15     Closing/CEU’s/Door Prizes – Must be present to win! (Auditorium)

  
Workshop Information

• Workshop cost: $15 (includes meals and materials for both days)
• Please address any event questions to Bev Mountain, SW Regional Professional Development Coordinator 
• For questions concerning registration, please contact: Marisa Squadrito Geisler, ATLAS Program Assistant

NOTE: Registrations must be received by FRI. OCT. 17, 2008

 Registration Form:  Word / PDF     Register Online  

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