California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Course Description:
This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about. 

What’s all the excitement surrounding the topic of learner persistence, how does it differ from student retention and motivation, and how do you encourage your students to persist in their learning? Based on research on factors that promote learner persistence, this self-directed professional development course examines implications for changing practice in the four areas of intake, orientation, instruction, and program activities. The estimated course completion time is 12 hours.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about. 

The task of teaching basic literacy skills can seem overwhelming to the new Adult Basic Education (ABE) teacher. This course orients new teachers to the most immediate and important aspects of teaching ABE learners in California. In some cases, individual agencies have procedures and practices that address these issues; in other cases, the California Department of Education (CDE) has specific requirements and provides documents to guide you. The estimated course completion time is 4 hours.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
This self-paced course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

To a new English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in an adult education program, the task of teaching English can seem overwhelming. This course orients new teachers to the most immediate and important aspects of teaching adult ESL in California. A teacher new to ESL often asks such questions as, "Who will my new students be?" "What is their English proficiency?" "What materials should I use?" and "How do I assess my students and document their progress?" Many local agencies have procedures and practices that address these issues and will provide guidance to new teachers. The California Department of Education (CDE) has specific requirements and also provides certain documents to guide you. The estimated course completion time is 7 hours.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
This self-paced course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

This course explores the nature of critical thinking and metacognition as well as the relationships among critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. It considers the process, results, and various levels of critical thinking. It presents the concept of metacognition as a key attribute of critical thinking. It also distinguishes between simple and complex problems. Participants are encouraged to think about how these concepts can be taught in their classrooms. This course features excerpts of recordings from CALPRO’s online workshops on Teaching Critical Thinking Skills. The estimated course completion time is 12 hours.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Goals:
Upon successful completion of the course, the participant will be able to: define critical thinking and metacognition; identify levels of critical thinking; distinguish between didactic teaching and teaching for critical thinking; plan classroom activities that require critical thinking; plan activities to assist students in developing metacognitive skills; distinguish between simple and complex problems; explain the relationship between critical thinking and problem solving; and plan classroom instruction that reflects the most adequate decision making processes, based on research.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
This self-paced course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

Do you wonder how to integrate employability skills into your adult education setting to support workforce preparation for middle-skills jobs? Employability skills, also referred to as 21st-century workplace skills, soft skills, or non-cognitive skills, are needed by our adult education students for readiness and success regardless of the industry or job position. This course will provide an overview of the middle-skills job landscape, an employability skills framework, and strategies and hands-on resources to connect the needed employability skills for these jobs within the adult education setting. The estimated course completion time is 2 hours.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Goals:
By the end of the course, participants will be able to: define “middle-skills jobs” and provide several examples; define “employability skills” and explain why they are important; categorize employability skills using the Employability Skills Framework; describe the connections between the Employability Skills Framework and the College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards for Adult Education; and apply the Employability Skills Framework to their lesson plans to identify ways to improve their instruction.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
This self-paced course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

This is the first of two online courses from the California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project (CALPRO) on designing literacy programs to be responsive to the needs of adults with learning disabilities. This first session is an awareness session that will help adult educators understand what learning disabilities are and recognize the characteristics and consequences of those disabilities in the learning environment, whether classroom-based, tutor-led, or technology-based distance learning. This CALPRO online course provides an overview of the assessment process (diagnostic testing versus screening) and outlines the legal rights and responsibilities of the learner and the literacy program. The estimated course completion time is 14 hours.

The second CALPRO course in this series addresses instructional strategies appropriate for teaching adults with learning disabilities. Completion of Session 1 is a prerequisite for Session 2.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Goals:
Identify a working definition of learning disabilities (LD); recognize common characteristics of adults with LD and their effect on learning; distinguish between screening and diagnostic testing and the uses of each; identify the importance of self-determination, self-advocacy, and disclosure to successful learners and workers; recognize the rights and responsibilities of learners with LD as well as of literacy providers; and begin the process of identifying and bringing about necessary changes to make programs more responsive to adults with LD.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

Get an overview of the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education. Learn about the three instructional shifts in math and in English Language Arts, and consider the implications for your classroom. The estimated course completion time is 12 hours.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

This course is designed to support teachers new to working with adult English learners, or ELs. After completing the course, participants will be able to identify and apply appropriate instructional strategies for teaching adult ELs. They will also have strengthened their skills as an instructor and be able to implement classroom management practices to optimize learning in both in-person and virtual learning environments. The estimated course completion time is 3.5 hours.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
This self-directed course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months, there is no official start or end date to worry about. 

Did you know that one of the major factors contributing to learner persistence is goal setting with the learner? Did you know that learners most often cite as a reason for dropping out that their classes didn't meet their needs and expectations? Learn how to set realistic goals with each learner and then revisit and revise goals throughout the semester so that students feel comfortable that your class is meeting their needs. The estimated course completion time is 14 hours.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact calprohelp@air.org or call 916-286-8803 for more information.

Course Description:
This self-paced course supports independent professional development; there is no facilitator nor other participants. Sign up now and access the class for 3 months. There is no official start or end date to worry about.

This course examines how adults learn and the implications for adult literacy programs. It explores the unique characteristics of adult learners as well as adult motivation, needs, and self-concept and their effect on learning. The course also explores adult development and the implications for effective teaching. The estimated course completion time is 12 hours.

Enrollment verification with Moodle login information will be sent to registrants within one business day of registration.

Registration Information:
This course is free of charge to all California adult education programs.

Contact Information:
Please contact CALPRO at calprohelp@air.org or at 916-286-8803 for more information.