Reading Assessment

Bow Valley College / Community Learning Network

This session is intended for CALP staff who currently assess adult literacy learners. We will focus on learner-centred adult reading assessment and explore why, when and how to assess learning with hands-on opportunities to use the Alberta Reading Benchmarks (ARB) and the Read Forward assessment tool.

Note: ESL learners are not the focus of this session.

Learning Objectives:

• Increase your knowledge and skills to measure learning progress in reading
• Practice using the Alberta Reading Benchmarks (ARB) and Read Forward tools and resources to expand your own capacity to assess reading
• Gain practical knowledge for using assessment tools to inform learning, select level appropriate reading materials, and measure learning progress in reading

Training Your Tutors

Bow Valley College / Community Learning Network

This training is intended for Community Adult Learning Program (CALP) Operational Staff, Adult Literacy Program Staff.
This 1-day training will give CALP staff the understanding, tools and resources they need to begin training volunteer tutors to work with adult literacy learners in their community. This session will focus on Creating Learning Partners (CLP), which is a comprehensive training manual developed by literacy practitioners for Alberta's literacy and learning programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn the key steps, activities and strategies for delivering effective, engaging and relevant training for tutors.
• Participants will draw on their own experiences and work together to explore the content and facilitation strategies outlined in the Creating Learning Partners manual.
• Participants who complete this training will be able to facilitate their own tutor training for new and experienced tutors.

Tech Talk

Literacy for Life Foundation

This 1-day training will provide opportunities for the participants to gain the understanding they need to be flexible and adaptable when training others in technology. This interactive session will provide tools that participants can use to encourage learners to identify common concepts, structures and navigational methods, rather than a “step-by-step, how-to “approach”. Facilitation/instruction is based on best practice in adult learning and brain learning. Strategies and activities that can be used with adult learners will be modeled throughout the day. Participants must bring their own device (phone, tablet, computer etc.) as well as ear phone/buds. Some preparation is required (maximum ½ hour) and an email will be sent out a few weeks prior with the information. Participants should have a good background in technology.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will gain an understanding of common concepts, structures and navigation methods present across the many different technology tools found in work, play and community that include but not limited to tablets, phones and computers.
• Participants will be able to transfer this knowledge to enhance existing classes or design new ones that better address the rapid changes occurring in the world of technology.
• Participants will receive current relevant resources that will support their work in building technology skills with foundational and literacy learners.

Foundational Numeracy and Literacy Module Training

NorQuest College

The Foundational Numeracy and Literacy project is designed to address the needs of learners that want to prepare for entrance into GED or Apprenticeship Preparation courses. These courses are designed for adult learners at approximately a grade 5-7 grade-level equivalency. The courses will help learners build the skills required to be successful in further education (such as GED Prep, Apprenticeship Prep, and Academic Upgrading) or employment.

The Foundational Numeracy and Literacy Program consists of 2 courses – Literacy and Numeracy. Each course consists of 4 paper-based modules with multi-media supports for learners as well as a facilitator guide, facilitator training, grading rubrics, and a NorQuest support contact for the CALP participant.

The Literacy course is intended to teach literacy skills and should not be used to teach English speaking skills. It is designed for learners who are fluent in English or are functioning at a CLB 5 level.

The Numeracy course is appropriate for learners that already have basic whole number skills such as counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. It is designed for learners who are fluent in English or are functioning at a CLB 5 level.