Educator Resources

Professional Development

 

Professional development ensures and empowers teachers to utilize current BEST practices in providing curriculum that meets the student’s ever changing needs. Professional development resources and opportunities will be provided as they become available.

Places to look for Professional Development

The Adult Education and Literacy Instructor Starter Kit
This booklet provides a good resource to teachers new to the Adult Education world. It provides information on Adult Education, tips and resources for setting up lesson plans and managing multi-level classes, assessment, and record keeping, among other things.

Adult Literacy Research: Opportunities and Challenges
This paper identifies two goals that support the building of a stronger research base for the adult literacy field. The first goal is to interest researchers in pursuing rigorous scientific research in this field. The second goal is to identify challenges in pursuing research and approaches to overcoming them.

Education World
This site provides several articles, aids and lesson plan guides for teachers to use in the classroom. There are also links for professional development, technology integration, and school issues.

The Educator’s Reference Desk
This sited builds on over a quarter century of experience providing high-quality resources and services to the education community. It provides lesson plans, links to online education information and question archives.

Evaluating and Interpreting Research Syntheses in Adult Learning and Literacy
This article introduces the methods of research synthesis and meta-analysis to researchers and consumers of research in the field of adult learning and literacy.

Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future
This paper examines the comparative performance of U.S. adults and youth on international literacy assessments, the importance of literacy and numeracy proficiencies for labor market success, and the projected outlook for literacy proficiencies of U.S. adults.

Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever
This site provides a link to articles discussing the benefits to using technology in the classroom. Among other items mentioned, the internet provides and encourages contact between students and faculty via email, web pages and course management systems. Communication is increased since the internet and email can be accessed at all hours. Reciprocity and cooperation among students also develops as they, too, can communicate and interact more effectively and at all hours. Learning also becomes more active as there are more opportunities to become interactively involved.

Intervention Central
This site offers free tools and resources to help school staff and parents to promote positive classroom behaviors and foster effective learning for all children and youth. The site was created by Jim Wright, a school psychologist and school administrator from Central New York. Visit to check out newly posted academic and behavioral intervention strategies, download publications on effective teaching practices, and use tools that streamline classroom assessment and intervention.

Learning to Learn … With Style
This site is designed to be adaptable to various class structures. It can be used with whole classes, in small groups, or on an individual basis. The information presented is intended to be accessible to a wide variety of adult learners. However, learning styles theory has not been validated with second language learners; cultural and linguistic factors could interfere with the satisfactory use of this learning styles package.

Letting Learners Lead: Theories of Adult Learning and TV411
This article discusses a pilot study of TV411, which is a national television series that aims to reach learners not enrolled in adult basic education (ABE) and enhance the education of learners enrolled in such programs. In the groups of this study, a number of features ensured that instruction is either materials- or learner-centered rather than teacher-centered.

Making Adult Education Work for Individuals and America
This page has a link to several publications and resources prepared for the National Commission on Adult Literacy. Most may be reproduced and quoted with attribution.

Mountain Plains Adult Education Association
The Mountain Plains Adult Education Association serves members in an eight-state region. The original charter and founding policies were developed in 1945. The four original states were Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. In 1961, Arizona, Idaho and Nevada joined. Montana became the eighth state in 1988.

National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium
The National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium provides professional development, policy analysis and dissemination of information important to state staff in adult education. The site provides information on national policy and legislation, professional development, national assessments and a job bank.

National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) is a federally funded research and development center focused solely on adult learning. This Web site contains several research reports and publications on adult literacy.

National Institute for Literacy
The National Institute for Literacy, a federal agency, provides leadership on literacy issues, including the improvement of reading instruction for children, youth, and adults. In consultation with the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services, the Institute serves as a national resource on current, comprehensive literacy research, practice, and policy.

National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) exists to encourage more and different adults to engage in learning of all kinds. We campaign for – and celebrate the achievements of – adult learners, young and old, and in all their diversity. NIACE is the largest organization working to promote the interests of learners and potential learners in England and Wales. NIACE (The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education - England and Wales) is a non-governmental organization working for more and different adult learners.

Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN) for Adult Educators
This site provides information on video and print materials available for EL Civics curriculum, a collection of online articles and Web sites links, and information on workshops.

Persistence Among Adult Basic Education Students in Pre-GED® Classes
This paper examines the key difference between adult and child learners in that adults choose to participate in educational programs while children participate because of legal mandates that identify schooling as the proper “work” of childhood.  Adults must make active decisions to participate in each class session and often must overcome significant barriers to attend classes.

Professional Development and the Internet
This article provides information on the advantages of networking, obtaining information and doing research on the internet, as well as pursuing professional development.

Reflective Practice in the Professional Development of Teachers of Adult English Language Learners
This brief describes the theoretical basis for and research on reflective practice and suggests ways that teachers of adult English language learners can incorporate it into their teaching practice.

State Literacy Resource Center of California
This site provides a statewide literacy support network administered by the State Collaborative Literacy Council (SCLC). The SCLC is a multi-agency collaboration, which is responsible for planning and implementing the state literacy resource program in California.

Supporting and Supervising Teachers Working with Adults Learning English
This brief provides an overview of the knowledge and skills that administrators need in order to support and supervise teachers of adult English language learners. It contains information on resources and literature related to teacher supervision, information on the background and characteristics that administrators should look for when hiring teachers, and information on supporting and supervising teachers once they have been hired.

System for Adult Basic Education Support (SABES)
This site provides information that promotes high quality adult basic education services through training, support, and resources that improve the skills and knowledge of practitioners and strengthen programs.

Using Data to Plan Professional Development for Practitioners Working with Adult English Language Learners
The professional development planning process described in this brief can help adult education staff at the local, regional, and state levels make data-driven, systematic decisions to respond to the needs and concerns of these stakeholders as well as provide a foundation upon which to evaluate the outcomes of professional development efforts.

USOE Curriculum Professional Development
View the USOE Curriculum and Instruction professional development calendar to see what workshops and classes are being offered in each curriculum area.

USOE Professional Development
For the latest information in Professional Development through out the state.

Utah Education Network Professional Development
UEN offers free in-person and online workshops that cover a wide variety of technology and curriculum topics, ranging from basics like how to create presentations and use the internet effectively to sophisticated online authoring with graphic animation.

The Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
The Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center provides adult education and literacy resources, publications, and training for teachers of adults in Virginia. The web site contains information on ESOL programs, learning disabilities, literacy programs, reading and technology, GED®, and Workforce education. The site contains lesson plans, links to useful Web sites, and publications. It also contains a feature where questions can be emailed in and answers provided.

World Education: Online Professional Development
World Education offers online professional development opportunities that include self-paced tutorials or courses facilitated by prominent specialists in their field. The site includes course descriptions, schedules, fees, and how to register.

Professional Development Tools: Pelavin Manuals

The Pelavin study of ABE/ESL training approaches has developed into a series of training packets to assist ABE and ESL instructors who are professionals or volunteers. Packet topics were selected based on a national review of training content and practice and on recommendations from selected experts representing ABE, ESL, and volunteer programs. These are professional training tools based on training sessions that last several days. If there is an interest in having these training sessions provided to your program, please contact the Utah State Adult Education office for more information.

MANUALS
Improving Thinking Skills for Adult Learners    
Learning Disabilities: Learner Centered Approaches     
Monitoring Student Progress    
Planning for Instruction
Team Learning
The Adult Learner
The Delivery and Content of Training for Adult Education Teachers and Volunteer Coordinators
Volunteers and Teachers in the Classroom       
Whole Language Approach