Summarizing and Sentence Combining: Helping your Students Develop Two Critical Writing Skills
Presenter: Dr. Mary Ann Corley, American Institutes for Research
This session briefly reviewed findings from current research on effective writing instruction and discussed how these findings can apply to the adult education classroom. It covered practical strategies such as sentence combining and summarization. Sentence combining is a skill that allows students to write more complex, sophisticated sentences, thus giving their final written products a polished look and feel. Similarly, summarization, a skill required for success both in postsecondary education and the world of work, provides students with tools for identifying and understanding important concepts of the subject they reading and learning about. Combining sentences and writing coherent and correctly developed summaries are two of the most powerful skills that students can cultivate.
Helping Your Adult Students Increase their Writing Fluency
Presenter: Mary Ann Corley, Ph.D., Principal Research Analyst, American Institutes for Research (AIR)
This session briefly reviewed findings from current research on effective writing instruction and discussed how these findings can apply to classroom instruction. It covered practical instructional strategies such as reducing studentsïżœ reluctance to write, helping students with pre-writing, and using frames as an aid. It also briefly discussed writing skills required for success in postsecondary education and the workplace.
Strategies for Teaching Writing
Facilitator: Guillermo Verdin, ABE Instructor, Los Angeles Unified School District Division of Adult and Career Education
Do your learners struggle with writing assignments? Not sure how to engage them in the writing process? Wondering how to integrate direct, explicit instruction into your writing lessons? This webinar reviews the practice of direct, explicit instruction and then models teaching a lesson using that approach to teach a writing lesson using writing frames.
The ESL Writing Process: Practice, Polish, Publish
Presenter: J. Adelson-Goldstein, CALPRO Facilitator
In this session, participants looked at the research supporting the use of the writing process in second language writing instruction, in order to explore activities and tasks that guide learners through that process. The webinar focused on the pre-writing tasks to help learners delve into the writing topic and organize their thinking; writing models and prompts that are meaningful for adults; and editing exercises and instructor feedback that help learners polish their work. Ways to celebrate successful learning outcomes through publishing learners work were also addressed.
Evidence-Based Writing Instruction
Hosted by the San Joaquin Adult Education ConsortiumThis COP is focused on writing instruction for adult learners. The information provided in this training is intended to guide teachers of these adult learning communities to prepare and deliver instruction, including appropriate instructional supports that promote student achievement.
Unlocking Literacy: Reading and Writing Strategies for Adult Learners
Effective reading and writing skills are fundamental to personal and professional success. This webinar will focus on effective strategies for teaching reading and writing to adult learners. Participants will explore evidence-based practices, engaging instructional techniques, and resources that can be used to enhance literacy skills. The session will cover approaches to address diverse learning needs, promote lifelong learning, and support adults in achieving their literacy goals.
Professional Learning Community (PLC) Institute
What Is A Professional Learning Community (PLC)?
âA professional learning community is educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serveâ (adapted from DuFour, Learning by Doing). LEARN and DO, DO and LEARN!
A PLC is a teacher-led, collaborative team process committed to helping all students learn by addressing the following critical questions:
- What do we want students to learn?
- How will we know if they have learned it?
- What will we do if they donât learn it?
- What will we do if they already know it?
Why Attend The CALPRO Professional Learning Community Institute?
Professional Learning Communities help schools improve and be more accountable by impacting teaching and learning. Join us at the CALPRO PLC Institute to explore the core characteristics and processes on how to effectively implement a professional learning community that focuses on student learning outcomes and creates a system for sustainable school improvement.
A Professional Learning Community (PLC) naturally aligns very tightly with both WASC accreditation expectations and Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) goals because all three are built around the same core idea: ongoing, data-driven improvement of student learning.
- Need Evidence of Student Work and Collaboration for WASC Accreditation?
Evidence of student work and collaboration in a PLC shows how programs examine student learning and use it to drive improvement. This includes analyzed student work samples, assessment results, and documentation of team discussions where staff identify gaps and adjust instruction, demonstrating both student achievement and a collaborative, evidence-based approach to continuous improvement. - Need to Establish a SMART Goal Around Student Learning for Your Continuous Improvement Plan?
Participation in the PLC Institute helps programs develop SMART goals focused on student learning. These goals provide a clear, data-driven roadmap for continuous improvement, guiding teams to monitor progress, adjust strategies, and improve student outcomes over time. - Need to Learn How to Use Data to Inform Instruction?
Participation in the PLC Institute builds participantsâ ability to use data to inform instruction and improve student learning. Teams analyze student data to identify needs, guide instructional decisions, and continuously refine practice based on results.
Benefits Of Participating In The PLC Institute:
- Shift school culture to focus on learning results.
- Develop PLC processes of inquiry to achieve better results for the students you serve.
- Establish collaborative teams to identify essential student learning.
- Work collaboratively to develop common formative assessments for learning.
- Work collaboratively to analyze evidence of student learning and use that evidence to learn from one another.
- Embed professional development that fosters the ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research.
- Eighteen months of PLC implementation coaching support
CALPRO PLC Institute
CALPRO's experienced and knowledgeable staff is excited to offer an intensive, multi-session PLC Institute for teams of program administrators and professional development specialists/lead teachers to learn to improve student learning outcomes by establishing professional learning communities. CALPRO typically accepts up to 8 programs a year for this institute. Each of the selected agencies will send a team of three to include its agency director and two teachers (and/or administrators designated to serve as professional development practitioners) to participate in the initiative.
Who Is Eligible To Apply?
Any California Department of Education, Adult Education Office WIA Title II, or California Adult Education Program (CAEP) funded agency may apply. The Agency Director/Principal and a nominated lead teacher or PD staff member will participate as a team in the CALPRO Professional Learning Community Institute. Click here to apply.
For More Information
For more information, contact coordinator Sudie Whalen.
Teacher Collaboration Institute: Lesson Study Processes and Tools
This training is not just a learning opportunity, but a chance to empower adult education teachers with the skills and practices necessary for effective team collaboration through the Lesson Study Process. The goal is for teachers to collaboratively evaluate and enhance lessons using strategies such as lesson study, lesson charrettes, and peer observation. By engaging in these collaborative practices, teachers will be able to implement their learning directly into their teaching practices, fostering continuous improvement and the development of effective instructional strategies.CALPRO pairs each team with an implementation coach, providing a safety net of support. Each Coaching and Facilitation Team member has extensive experience in collaborative team building and planning. The coaches will be there to assist teams during their six months in the Teacher Collaboration Institute.ObjectivesEffectively implement collaborative practices within a team environment.Evidence: Documented instances of lesson charrettes, peer observations, and completed lesson study cycles. Feedback from participants on the efficacy of collaboration. Demonstrate improvement in their instructional strategies based on collaborative feedback and analysis.Evidence: Pre- and post-assessment of teacher instructional practices, changes in student engagement and learning outcomes, and qualitative feedback from teachers about their instructional changes. Sustain ongoing professional development and collaborative practices.Evidence: Creation of sustainability plans by each team collaboration, reports on subsequent year activities planned or initiated, and establishment of mentorship roles among experienced teachers.ExpectationsActive Participation: Attend all training sessions, regularly log in to Moodle, participate in discussions, and complete assignments and activities (35 total training hours).Reflection and Application: Reflecting on learning and applying concepts to real-world teaching scenarios. The goal is to improve your practice and student learning at your school.Collaborative Engagement: Your engagement with peers, sharing of insights, and providing constructive feedback is what makes our community strong. It's through this collaboration that we all grow and learn.Feedback to CALPRO: Submit evaluative feedback on your CALPRO Teacher Collaboration Institute experience with recommendations to CALPRO for refinement.Coaching and Support: Engage with your implementation coach at least once a month during the institute. For more information, contact coordinator Sudie Whalen.
Application Deadline: Teacher Collaboration Institute: Lesson Study Processes and Tools
CALPRO and the California Department of Education are pleased to announce the opening of the application to the new Teacher Collaboration Institute: Lesson Study Processes and Tools! This training is not just a learning opportunity, but a chance to empower adult education teachers with the skills and practices necessary for effective team collaboration through the Lesson Study Process. The goal is for teachers to collaboratively evaluate and enhance lessons using strategies such as lesson study, lesson charrettes, and peer observation. By engaging in these collaborative practices, teachers will be able to implement their learning directly into their teaching practices, fostering continuous improvement and the development of effective instructional strategies.CALPRO pairs each team with an implementation coach, providing a safety net of support. Each Coaching and Facilitation Team member has extensive experience in collaborative team building and planning. The coaches will be there to assist teams during their six months in the Teacher Collaboration Institute. Please note this is not training on co-teaching, although co-teachers are welcome to apply. To apply, each member of the agency team must complete the application by October 14, 2024. Notifications of acceptance will occur by October 17, 2024. (Please note that each member of your teaching team is required to submit an application). Click here to access the application.ObjectivesEffectively implement collaborative practices within a team environment.Evidence: Documented instances of lesson charrettes, peer observations, and completed lesson study cycles. Feedback from participants on the efficacy of collaboration. Demonstrate improvement in their instructional strategies based on collaborative feedback and analysis.Evidence: Pre- and post-assessment of teacher instructional practices, changes in student engagement and learning outcomes, and qualitative feedback from teachers about their instructional changes. Sustain ongoing professional development and collaborative practices.Evidence: Creation of sustainability plans by each team collaboration, reports on subsequent year activities planned or initiated, and establishment of mentorship roles among experienced teachers.ExpectationsActive Participation: Attend all training sessions, regularly log in to Moodle, participate in discussions, and complete assignments and activities (35 total training hours).Reflection and Application: Reflecting on learning and applying concepts to real-world teaching scenarios. The goal is to improve your practice and student learning at your school.Collaborative Engagement: Your engagement with peers, sharing of insights, and providing constructive feedback is what makes our community strong. It's through this collaboration that we all grow and learn.Feedback to CALPRO: Submit evaluative feedback on your CALPRO Teacher Collaboration Institute experience with recommendations to CALPRO for refinement.Coaching and Support: Engage with your implementation coach at least once a month during the institute.Registration Information :This Institute is open to all WIOA: Title II, AEFLA, and California Adult Education Program-funded agencies. Teams of at least two teachers with administrator approval are required to participate in the Institute. Not sure if youâre eligible? Let CALPRO help: email calpro@air.org or call 1-916-286-8803.Contact Information :Contact CALPRO at calpro@air.org or (916)286-8803