• How many certificate program webinars do I need to attend to earn the Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate?

To earn the Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate, you must attend Remote Tutoring 101 + 3 different Literacy Minnesota Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate Program training webinars. Webinars that qualify for the Remote Instruction Certificate Program will say, "This workshop meets the Literacy Minnesota Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate Program requirements." Please read the webinar description carefully.

• Do the webinars need to be taken in any particular order? 

No. All Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate Program webinars are stand-alone and may be taken in any order.  

• Do I need to take the webinars within a certain amount of time to earn the certificate?

No. You may take the webinars at your own pace.

• I have attended previous remote instruction webinars offered by Literacy Minnesota. Does my attendance at these webinars count toward the certificate? 

If you have attended previous training webinars that focused on remote instruction (such as Remote Tutoring 101, Racial Equity 101, Using WhatsApp to Teach Conversation, etc.), they will count toward the certificate. If you have any questions about which Remote Instruction webinars you have previously attended, please contact Kelly at krynda@literacymn.org to receive credit.

• I am not interested in the certificate. May I still attend webinars?

Yes. It is not necessary to work towards the Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate in order to attend any of Literacy Minnesota's training webinars.

• Does the Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate replace CEUs for licensed teachers?

No. CEUs are sent out to all participants after each webinar.

• I am not a volunteer or involved with Literacy Minnesota. May I still attend webinars and earn the certificate?

Yes, the certificate program and webinars are open to everyone.

• Will I receive credit for attending the same webinar twice?

No, you will only receive credit for each webinar once. You must attend Remote Tutoring 101 + 3 different Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate Program webinars to earn the certificate.

• Will certificate program webinars be recorded?

The following three webinars: Remote Tutoring 101, A Roadmap for Success: Remote Lesson Planning 101, and Making It Work: Adapting Materials 101 will be recorded and available for online viewing. Additional webinars may also become available to view in the future. Minnesota residents may view the webinar, complete the accompanying webinar reflection, and submit the reflection to Kelly Rynda at krynda@literacymn.org to receive credit for the webinar. 

• I am going to be late to a webinar or need to leave early. Will I still earn credit for attending the webinar? 

We understand that sometimes schedules change. We encourage participants to attend the entire webinar, but you may miss up to 15 minutes total and still receive credit for the webinar. If you need to miss more than 15 minutes of the webinar, please attend an alternate date or webinar. We will automatically make note of what time you arrive or leave and you do not need to notify us.

• When are Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate Program workshops offered?

Remote Tutoring 101 will be offered twice a month; Remote Lesson Planning 101 and Adapting Materials 101 will be offered once a month. At least one additional Remote Instruction webinar will be offered each month. All training webinars will be posted online at literacymn.org/volunteer-trainings.

Please note that all in-person workshops are currently cancelled through the end of December due to COVID-19.

• How is my attendance at Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate Program webinars tracked?

We track attendance in our database. To make sure your attendance is tracked, please make sure to register in advance for each webinar. For webinar workshops, your participation is automatically logged when you sign into Zoom.

We also ask that you keep track of your participation in case of system errors. 

• I am not sure if I have attended a qualifying certificate program webinar. How do I find out?

Please contact Kelly at krynda@literacymn.org to receive a list of qualifying workshops you have attended. We also ask that you keep track of your participation in case of system errors.

• I have other questions. Who can I contact? 

Please contact Kelly at krynda@literacymn.org. 

• Which training webinars will volunteers attend to receive the Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate?

In order to receive the certificate, participants must attend Remote Tutoring 101 + 3 additional webinars that have been tagged as Remote Instruction webinars. 

• I'd like to request that volunteers take specific training webinars that fit the work that they are doing at our site. Can I ask them to take certain training webinars?

All volunteers will need to attend Remote Tutoring 101 in order to receive their Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate. Programs can decide to specify the other three training webinars that they want their volunteers to attend. Below are some examples of webinar groupings based on volunteer roles and focus.

Volunteers Independently Planning Lessons

Remote Tutoring 101

A Roadmap for Success: Remote Lesson Planning 101

Making It Work: Adapting Materials 101

Racial Equity 101

Volunteers Teaching Conversation

Remote Tutoring 101

More than Words: Teaching Conversation Remotely with Video Calls

Please Say That Again: Virtual Pronunciation Instruction for Adult ESL Learners

Racial Equity 101

Volunteers Working with Beginning Level Learners

Remote Tutoring 101

One Step at a Time: Remote Tutoring for Literacy Level Learners

Let’s Start with ABC: Teaching Phonics Virtually to Adult ESL Learners

Racial Equity 101

Volunteers Working on Reading

Remote Tutoring 101

Teaching Fluency from Afar

Teaching Reading Vocabulary Remotely or In Person

Racial Equity 101

• How do I know which webinars volunteers have attended?

The Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate will list four training webinars that the participant attended. Volunteer coordinators can request that volunteers send them a copy of their certificate to verify that volunteers attended the required webinars.

• I'd like to have my volunteers attend a specific training webinar, but the dates and/or times don't work for my volunteers. Can I request a site-specific training?

MN Adult Basic Education sites can contact Andrea Echelberger at aechelberger@literacymn.org to request a free webinar training on a specific topic at a date and time that is convenient for site volunteers and teachers. Free on-demand training webinars will be posted on Literacy Minnesota's Volunteer Training Calendar, and participants from other sites can join. For programs interested in a training webinar that is site-specific and closed to outside participants, please contact Andrea. 

• My program is outside of MN/doesn't serve Adult Basic Education learners. Can I still request a site-specific training?

Programs and organizations that are outside of MN or who are not ABE service providers can request site-specific training webinars. For these training webinars, a fee will be charged. Literacy Minnesota charges $300 for a 2-hour webinar, but this may change for commissioned webinars.

• It's difficult for my volunteers to attend synchronous webinars. Are any of the webinars recorded?

Three webinars have been recorded and are available for volunteers to watch on their own time: Remote Tutoring 101, Adapting Materials 101, and Remote Lesson Planning 101. Program Coordinators can contact Kelly Rynda at krynda@literacymn.org to request the links for volunteers to watch the webinars.

Volunteers will be asked to register in order to view the webinar. Once a volunteer is registered, they will be sent an email containing a link to the webinar recording, a webinar reflection form, and any accompanying handouts or materials. 

After a volunteer views the webinar, they can send a copy of their completed Webinar Reflection Form to Kelly and to their program coordinator. Once she receives a completed reflection, Kelly will mark the volunteer as having completed the webinar and it will count toward the four training webinars necessary for the Foundations of Remote Instruction Certificate.