• ​​​​​Best Practices in Digital Learning: Formerly known as Distance Learning 101/102, this professional development cohort opportunity will support ABE teachers, staff, and administrators in setting learners up for success in distance (asynchronous) learning and online class formats (fully online, blended, HyFlex, etc.). We’ll focus on learner orientation, ongoing digital navigation/tech support, and instructional and assessment best practices. The kickoff will be held the week of November 11, 2024, and the cohort experience will conclude in February 2025. The exact dates will be announced; please check the MN ABE Connect newsletter and the Distance Learning website.
• Building an EdTech Strategy Tooklit (BEST): This professional development cohort opportunity will run January through May, 2025. The kickoff is planned for the week of January 13, 2025. Subsequent meeting dates will be determined based on participants’ schedules. For more information about the course content, click here.

• Get to Know Google Classroom is a self-paced, asynchronous course for adult education teachers who are new to using Google Classroom, a learning management system commonly used in Minnesota schools. This course introduces teachers to the platform and walks through the steps of setting up a class, inviting learners to join the class, creating assignments, and sharing and collaborating with other teachers. The Distance Learning Team extends our sincere thanks to adult education teacher Kris Klas of the Hubbs Center for Lifelong Learning for sharing their original class and materials with us so that we can make them available to all adult educators in Minnesota. To join the course, go to Google Classroom, login with your Google Account, and enter class code: td3vjxb, or use the link above.
• Distance and Blended Learning Basics for Minnesota Adult Education has replaced DL Basics. This course was designed for education providers and practitioners teaching adult basic academic skills, ESOL, and literacy at a distance and/or through blended learning; it provides strategies and resources that are essential for both setting up and implementing distance education or teaching with a blended approach. The course includes six modules: Getting Started With Distance And Blended Learning; Outreach, Screening, & Orientation: Supporting Distance Learners From The Start;  Effective Distance & Blended Learning Instruction; Assessment; MN ABE Distance Education Policy and Procedures; and Teacher Verification Model (TVM) in Practice."  
• Northstar Digital Literacy Foundations provides an introduction to the Northstar Digital Literacy standards and how they can be integrated into any adult education course.  The Northstar standards are one of three required sets of content standards for adult education in Minnesota (along with the College and Career Readiness Standards and the ACES-TIF standards).  This course is intended for Minnesota Adult Education teachers, managers, program coordinators, and anyone in a role supporting learners or staff with digital literacy instruction (e.g., curriculum specialists, distance learning coordinators, technology integration specialists, digital navigators, volunteer tutors, etc.).  Participants will earn 5 CEUs upon completion. To register for program year 2024-25, register here.

• Session 1: Introductory Data Analysis with Google Sheets: Tuesday, February 4, 3:00-4:00 pm. Register here. 

  Google Sheets is a powerful tool to summarize data and understand trends in learner data, but many users don’t understand how to maximize its potential. In this session, beginning users of Google Sheets will learn how to filter data and use a few basic functions to discover valuable data points within their learner population. This PD session will be useful for teachers looking at class data or administrators looking at data across a whole program.

  Additional information: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from “MNABE Staff” with the link to join. To request accommodations (ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact the DL helpdesk. A recording will be available after the training.

• Session 2: Deep Dive into Data Summarization with Pivot Tables in Google Sheets: Thursday, February 20, 3:00-4:00 pm. Register here. 

  Pivot Tables are one of the most powerful tools in Google Sheets and Excel, but they strike fear into the hearts of most casual spreadsheet users. Join this PD session to learn more about how to use Pivot Tables in Google Sheets to summarize data easily and quickly. Participants will walk away with an understanding of how to import a file into Google Sheets, perform quick and basic data cleaning, and then use pivot tables to summarize information and draw conclusions. 

  Additional information: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from “MNABE Staff” with the link to join. To request accommodations (ASL interpretation, etc.), please contact the DL helpdesk. A recording will be available after the training.

• Strategy Session for Edmentum Program Administrators: December 16 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm CST Free Register here. We heard your feedback! Edmentum can be really useful, but it’s…complicated. This strategy session will address housekeeping issues and provide some quick tips to make managing “all the things” on this platform easier. Topics will include:

  • A brief overview of Courseware and Exact Path – and how to decide which options are best for your context

  • Program names and locations

  • Assigning users to the correct location

  • Naming conventions for users and classes

  • Deactivating unneeded user accounts and class sections

  • Helping staff with different roles (teachers, administrators, support staff) navigate the platform

  • Time for questions and sharing your own pro tips

• You can assess your own digital literacy skills, to identify strengths and areas you would like to improve. To access a confidential Northstar assessment site, go here, and click Sign up as a learner. You can take up to 15 different assessments in the areas of Essential Computer Skills, Essential Software Skills, and using Technology in Daily Life. You can also access Northstar Online Learning to improve specific skill areas.

Looking to request Continuing Education Unites (CEUs) for completing recorded webinar trainings or workshops? Click the link below for more information, requirements and the request form.

CEU Request Form