All societies and charities have a board of directors. Often, staff and volunteers do not have much interaction with their board. As a result, the board and the work it does are mysteries to many. This session will clear up the mystery by showing the kinds of jobs that a board has and what its responsibilities are. Participants will learn why we have boards, four kinds of governance work that boards can do, and why people volunteer to be board members.

Presenter: 

Keith Seel is an experienced educator and researcher, who is also the editor of two major textbooks on management issues in the nonprofit sector. He supported a range of adult literacy initiatives in his previous role with Bow Valley College. Keith has been active on community boards for over 40 years.

 Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be provided basic information on boards and how they function
• Participants will learn what a board is and the basic principles of a well-functioning board
• Participants will take away a functional understanding of a nonprofit board and its role in a nonprofit organization

 Primary Session Thread: Board Development

Target Audience: Community Adult Learning Program Staff, Adult Literacy Practitioner, Family Literacy Program Practitioner, Board Members of Community Adult Learning Program, Volunteer Tutor

Recommended Participant Experience: New Staff

Learn how to use the CLB-based English language test created by Alberta Routes. This tool helps program staff identify learners’ approximate CLB levels to help with class placement and other instructional decisions. Workshop participants will explore the “Writing” and “Speaking” tests and practice using the rating procedures with CLB exemplars.

Presenters:

Rosalia dela Cruz has been an English language practitioner for over 30 years, having worked as a teacher, curriculum developer, language assessor, and teacher trainer. She is currently a Regional Advisor for Alberta Routes.

Alana Johnson has been active in English language learning for 16 years as an EAL instructor and Workplace Essential Skills Specialist.  She is currently the Program Lead of NorQuest College’s Alberta Routes Initiative.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn how to effectively implement an English language assessment tool based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs)
• Participants will learn to apply evidence-based criteria for assessing learners’ English writing and speaking skills
• Participants will take away a complete assessment toolkit that includes Listening, Reading, and Writing test sheets, interview questions for a Speaking test, detailed procedures and criteria for assessment, and supplementary CLB reference materials

Primary Session Threads: English Language Learning, Learner Assessment

Target Audience: Community Adult Learning Program Staff, Adult Literacy Practitioner, Volunteer Tutor

Recommended Participant Experience: Any level of experience

In the community learning environment, it’s challenging to find a balance between Learner Centred Practice and too much structure. In this session, we will explore how learning objectives, interactive activities, and a clear plan can provide just enough structure for your learners to thrive.

Presenters:

Leanne Adegbonmire is a Grants Liaison with ECALA and a PhD candidate in Languages & Literacy Education at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about inclusive pedagogy, multilingual education, and technology.

Marnie Rempel Friesen is a Grants Liaison with ECALA. She has years of experience as a speech-language pathologist and has also worked as an English language instructor and evaluator. She is passionate about lifelong learning.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn the importance of beginning with the end in mind – planning for what you want your learners to be able to do
• Participants will learn how to write learning objectives, how to implement engaging activities, and how to plan a class with a flexible routine for foundational learners
• Participants will leave with a template to write attainable learning objectives, and adaptable templates to create lesson plans

Primary Session Thread: Instructional Strategies

Target Audience: Community Adult Learning Program Staff, Adult Literacy Practitioner

Recommended Participant Experience: Any level of experience

Whether you work in an urban or rural context, the heart and hands of what you do is to serve the foundational learning needs of the adults in your community.

Explore the impact of this important work and discover how it intersects with other stakeholders in your communities. Mapping community will support your organization to build and sustain stronger connections within your community, craft key messages that clearly articulate the value and benefit of CALP and feel empowered to step into the spaces and places that would benefit from a (re) introduction.

Presenter: Emily Robinson Leclair

Primary Session Threads: Needs Assessment

Target Audience: Community Adult Learning Program Staff, Adult Literacy Practitioner

Recommended Participant Experience: Any level of experience

Embedding digital skills means teaching those skills while teaching everything else. Come explore the best practices in embedding digital skills learning. You’ll hear examples, share your experiences, and go away with a set of clear, practical resources to help you embed digital skills in your own foundational learning context.

Presenters:

Monica Leong loves to facilitate learning with adult foundational learners and educators. She is thrilled to be working with Calgary Learns in the Digital Divide Project where she focuses on digital literacy and equity.

Berniece Gowan is the Literacy and PD Specialist at Calgary Learns. She has been a practitioner with the adult literacy community for many years.

Learning Objectives:

• To share best practices focused on embedding digital skills learning in adult foundational programming
• Practical strategies and guiding principles in embedding digital skills learning in adult foundational programming
• Clear, practical resources including lists of strategies, specific examples, and other tools to support the use of best practices in embedding digital skills

Primary Session Thread: Basic Digital Skills

Target Audience: Community Adult Learning Program Staff, Adult Literacy Practitioner, Volunteer Tutor

Recommended Participant Experience: Any level of experience

The Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) will replace GED® as a more reliable and accurate assessment of an adult’s level of education and the Canadian context. This session will provide information about the CAEC architecture and design, test structures and outcomes, and plans for implementation. Come learn about how the CAEC can support adult learners in meeting necessary academic requirements for current and future employment opportunities; and accessing further education, such as apprenticeship, college, or other workplace training programs.

Presenters:

Jessica Schultchen is the Director, Strategic Operations, with Alberta Education. She holds a B.A. in French, B.Ed. in French Education and M.Ed. in Leadership, Curriculum, Evaluation and Educational Policies from the University of Ottawa.

Jessica Handy is the Assessment Lead of the CAEC with Alberta Education. She holds a B.Ed. in Secondary Education and M.Ed. in Curriculum Studies. Prior to joining the government, she was a high school Math teacher for 15 years.

Learning Objectives:

• To provide testing centres and prep course providers the opportunity to learn about this new academic credential that can open new pathways for successful candidates
• How to promote and implement the CAEC in their organization
• How to administer CAEC tests, issue the credential and prepare test-takers to write CAEC tests

Primary Session Thread: Community Capacity Building

Target Audience: Community Adult Learning Program Staff, Adult Literacy Practitioner, Board Members of Community Adult Learning Program, Volunteer Tutor

Recommended Participant Experience: Any level of experience

Mikaisto - Red Crow Community College designs post-secondary academic programs with Blackfoot cultural learning as a foundation. Our Kaahsinnooniksi (Grandparents) teach us to observe and listen. This is done without question and without force; it is simply an understanding. Through Aatsimmoiyihkaani (Our Spirituality) we will be able to live and teach Siksikaitsitapiipaitapiiyssin (Blackfoot Way of Life). This allows us to reconnect to one another, the land, ceremonies, stories, language, our past, and especially our future.  This is possible through Pommotsiiysinni (Transfer). Our ways of learning and teaching ensure our students have meaningful educational opportunities that create a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Presenters:

Samantha Fox, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., is the RCCC Vice President of Academics at Mikaisto - Red Crow Community College and is very proud to be a part of the College for the past 20 years as a student, teacher, Director of Adult Education, and now as the VP of Academics.

Andrea B. McHugh, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., is a Teacher/Interim Program Lead at Mikaisto - Red Crow Community College and has had the privilege of working with students at the College for over 17 years.

Roy Weasel Fat, B.Ed., University of Lethbridge, Master of Arts, Gonzaga University, Honorary Doctorate of Law, Athabasca University, has been with Red Crow Community College for 17 years as an instructor, Coordinator for Adult Education, Vice President of Academics, University of Lethbridge Niitsitapi Teacher Education Program developer, and currently the President of Red Crow Community College since November 1, 2013.

Calvin Williams is a Board Member/Elder Representative of Red Crow Community College.

Learning Objectives:

• To reaffirm that Blackfoot people have always had their own ways of learning and teaching
• Participants will be provided with approaches to working with Indigenous learners
• Participants will take away ideas about partnership and collaboration with Indigenous learners

Primary Session Thread: Indigenous Learning

Target Audience: Community Adult Learning Program Staff, Adult Literacy Practitioner

Recommended Participant Experience: Any level of experience

Learn practical strategies to enhance skills in the classroom, enabling foundational literacy learners to overcome barriers and achieve their full potential and take complete responsibility of their learning.

Presenters:

Gurpreet Kaur is Program Coordinator for LINC and Pebbles in the Sand programs at Calgary Immigrant Women's Association (CIWA) and has 16 years of teaching experience as LINC and ESL instructor. Gurpreet has Masters’ Degree in English language and literature and Diploma in TESOL. She loves working with immigrants and it gives her immense pleasure that she can play a part in supporting new immigrants achieve their language related goals in Canada.

Yulia Lvova has more than 10 years of experience of working with Adult Foundational Literacy learners. She has experience in working with learners with disabilities along with foundational literacy learners. Apart from teaching, she develops curriculum, teaching material and assessment tools for the adult foundation literacy classrooms at Calgary Immigrant Women's Association.

Afra Shirazi works as an ESL Literacy instructor with multi-cultural and multi-level learners at Calgary Immigrant Women's Association. In additional to teaching, she develops curriculum, learning materials and assessment tools for the ESL Literacy classroom.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the skills that contribute to essential tasks such as writing, typing, and manipulating learning materials
• Participants will learn practical strategies and techniques to effectively teach and assess the learners within the classroom
• Participants will gain actionable insights through hands-on demonstrations and interactive activities

Primary Session Thread: Learner-centered Assessment

Target Audience: Community Adult Learning Program Staff, Adult Literacy Practitioner

Recommended Participant Experience: Any level of experience