Learners Stepping Out of the Shadows
There has been a recurring theme popping up over and over for me—the importance of story. Stories are a way of sharing knowledge, truth, laughter, pain, and so much more. I...
Why Family Literacy Programs?
It’s a new year with new possibilities! Perhaps your organization is considering starting or expanding your programming to include family literacy programs. How, you may ask,...
A Gift of Kindness
CALP staff are well known for extending kindness to their learners, volunteers and community members. Focusing on strength-based learning and learner-centred approaches are...
Adult Learners and a New Place to Find Them
Location, location, location! Attracting adult learners can seem like a daunting task, but you know promoting your programs in the right locations can make a world of...
Helping Students Learn Math – Three Keys: Goals; Current Level and Mindset
* Please note: this article was originally published in the Rural Routes Winter 2022 newsletter Math comes up again and again as a challenging subject to learn. To help a...
Holding Safer Space ~ Gathering Stones
I was gathering some items in my office for a project, and as I moved around my space I found an assortment of rocks. They were different sizes and shapes but all tied to a...
Pathways to Truth and Reconciliation
This Friday, September 30th is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As each of us journeys toward a better understanding of what that means to us in our home, work and...
September 8 is International Literacy Day!
What is International Literacy Day? In 1966 UNESCO declared September 8 as International Literacy Day. Since 1967 this event is celebrated annually around the world. This is...
Reflections from Metis, Indigenous & Inuit CALP practitioners
The month of June is a time to celebrate and honor Indigenous people in all ways. When I think about this very important month, I think about the Metis, Indigenous & Inuit...
Come Tell Me a Story
As far as I am concerned, one of the best activities of the summer is sitting around a campfire with friends and family. Something magical happens as we sit in the dark and...
Meditating on May
May 2022 was an incredible month. It started with the online Provincial Spring Meeting and ended with in-person Regional Gatherings in the North, West, Central, East and...
Online Facilitation - No Need to Panic!
Online…. Facilitation…. do either of those words bring you discomfort? Thoughts of boredom? Uncertainty? Depending on your skills, training, and experience in either of these...
What is my Approach to Reading?
As I have met with CALP adult literacy practitioners from around the province, I have noticed a few different approaches they use to teach reading. Some practitioners focus...
Learning Disability or Learning Opportunity?
Learning disability. Two words that strike terror into every literacy practitioner’s soul. Thinking back to my early days as a Literacy Coordinator I can still remember that...
Navigating the GED Waters with a Learner
Many CALPs have likely had at least one person in their community identify that they would like to get their GED. In fact, this can be a relatively easy way for a learner to...
Building Story
Richard Van Camp shares the following about storytelling in his book Gather : It’s connection, community, and purpose, plain and simple. It’s giving someone the same goose...
Plain Language CALP Websites: How does yours measure up?
Help Please! This fall, a CALP staff member asked me: “We are in the process of revamping our website, and were wondering if you had any suggestions of some good ones that...
CALPs and Insurance
Insurance is an essential part of doing business, even when your business is adult learning. It is also a requirement of the CALP Guidelines! So, when I had questions about...
Conversations
I’ve been thinking about conversations lately. What happens when we have a conversation? What is the value of conversations? How does the conversation affect me? The person...
Say Hello to Adult Learning Alberta!
This week's guest blog post is by Cheryl Dezall. If you are not familiar with this little gem, let me introduce you to an innovative new website for adult learners (and us)....