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Monday, July 6
 

11:00am CDT

Best Practices for Integrating Digital Literacy into Adult foundational Education Classes
LIMITED
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
The fabric of information has become increasingly digital, yet integrating technology doesn't have to be overwhelming. Our classes must move beyond teaching isolated computer skills and instead find manageable ways to make digital tools a natural part of how we teach and how students learn. 
This session focuses on user-friendly, "low-threshold" tools that enhance—rather than replace—traditional teaching methods. We will provide easily replicable examples designed to build confidence for both the instructor and the student, ensuring that everyone can thrive in a digital environment regardless of their starting point.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Kevin O'Connor

Dr. Kevin O'Connor

Executive Director, Framingham Adult ESP Plus
Dr. Kevin O’Connor is the executive director of Framingham Adult ESL Plus, the largest publicly-funded adult education program in New England.  Dr. O’Connor has over 30 years of working in a variety of teaching and leadership roles in adult education and teacher education. He... Read More →
avatar for Peggy Moody Olegario

Peggy Moody Olegario

ESL Instructor
Peggy Moody Olegario is an experienced educator with more than 34 years in public education, specializing in English Learner (EL) instruction, curriculum development, and teacher leadership. She currently serves as an ESL teacher at Stacy Middle School, working with Grade 8 multilingual learners, and... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
112

11:00am CDT

Engaging the Tired Student
LIMITED
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
Many adult learners come to class after a long day of work, family responsibilities, and life stress. This session shares practical strategies to help instructors increase engagement and participation—even when students are tired. We’ll explore simple, techniques that make lessons more interactive, support learner persistence, and help adult ELL students stay involved in the learning process.
Speakers
MC

Margaret Coles

ELL Consultant, DMACC
Margaret Coles has worked in adult education for over 15 years and currently works as an ELL Consultant at DMACC, where she supports online ELL students and the instructors who teach them. She holds a master’s degree in TESOL from Shenandoah University. When she’s not working... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
115
  General
  • global Y

11:00am CDT

I Was Burnt Out, But Not Broken
LIMITED
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
Burnout isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a bonafide epidemic, especially among those juggling too many balls (and probably forgot where they put the one labeled “self-care”). In this refreshingly honest and practical session, we’ll explore what burnout really looks like, why it hits educators especially hard, and how to spot the signs before you're fully crispy. Through personal stories, laughter, and practical strategies, we’ll name what’s exhausting us—and reclaim some hope, boundaries, and breathing room.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
  • Recognize common signs and symptoms of burnout, particularly as they show up in higher education.
  • Identify personal and systemic factors contributing to burnout—and differentiate between what we can change and what we need to challenge.
  • Understand the stress response cycle and how to move through that cycle.
  • Laugh (a little!) and leave feeling seen, supported, and empowered to set boundaries and prioritize their well-being.
Speakers
avatar for Erin Lee Schneider

Erin Lee Schneider

Dean, Student Success and Urban Student Development, Des Moines Area Community College
Erin Lee Schneider, J.D. serves as Dean of Student Success and Urban Student Development at Des Moines Area Community College. She previously served as Assistant Dean for Student Services at Drake University Law School, where she was recognized as a Drake Public Service Scholar.A... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
109
  General
  • global Y

11:00am CDT

Using CASAS STEPS, GOALS 2 and Other Tools to Inform Instruction and Support Learner Progress
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Join this interactive workshop designed to help you confidently use CASAS assessments, competencies, and reports to guide instruction and support learners’ work‑readiness and training goals. Together, we’ll walk through practical ways to interpret CASAS tools—such as STEPS and GOALS 2 TE Reports, along with eWORKs, and the Teacher Portal—to better understand learner data, identify instructional needs, and make informed decisions that promote meaningful learner progress.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
  • Interpret CASAS STEPS and GOALS 2 test results, along with key TOPSpro Enterprise (TE) reports, to identify learner needs, performance patterns, and priority skill areas.
  • Connect TE data and CASAS assessment results to competencies, standards, and real‑world tasks to understand what learners are ready to do and where they need targeted support.
  • Use CASAS tools to plan and adjust instruction that supports learner progress toward training, employment, and work‑readiness goals.
Speakers
avatar for Karen C Burger

Karen C Burger

National Program and Field Studies Specialist, CASAS
Karen has worked in education her entire career and first started using CASAS assessments more than 20 years ago. She began teaching ESL to adults in a small workplace project at an Indiana factory and continued at local programs writing curriculum and teaching ESL, EL Civics, ABE... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
Ballroom
  General
  • global Y

1:15pm CDT

Accelerated Learning Strategies for Busy Adult Learners
LIMITED
Monday July 6, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
Adult students juggle work, parenting, transportation barriers, and stress. This session introduces evidence-based techniques—retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, micro-drills, cognitive load management—that help them learn faster, remember longer, and stay engaged. Participants practice turning existing reading, writing, and math tasks into accelerated-learning activities they can use immediately.
Speakers
avatar for Kathy Houghton

Kathy Houghton

Executive Director, Literacy New York
Kathy Houghton is the Executive Director of Literacy New York and the director of Literacy NY’s NY State Education Department-funded Rest of State Support and Technical Assistance Center (STAC). Unique to NY State, the STAC builds capacity and offers support to community-based and... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
109
  General
  • global Y

1:15pm CDT

How to Keep Students Engaged with Hybrid Teaching
LIMITED
Monday July 6, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
- Talk about the different ways we keep online students participating in lessons each day so that don't feel like they are relegated to the background. 
- Keeping an active effort to engage them so that they can overcome their insecurities/fears of disrupting the class because they are actually part of the class, not a separate group. 
Speakers
GE

Ginger Enlow

Math Instructor, Hawkeye Community College
Ginger is the Math Instructor for the High School Completion Program at Hawkeye Community College. She has a B.S. in Mathematics and an Master's of Business Administration. She has been teaching for six years, five of those included hybrid teaching using Zoom. She started out teaching... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 1:15pm - 2:45pm CDT
115
  General
  • global Y

3:00pm CDT

Building Sustainable Instructional Systems Across Programs
LIMITED
Monday July 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
Administrators in large, multi-site agencies with part-time staff strive to support their teams so that those teams can, in turn, best support their students. Our goal is to ensure all staff have the resources necessary to deliver high-quality instruction aligned with the core curriculum. In this session, we will share practical tools and systems designed to foster instructional consistency across diverse program sites.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Kevin O'Connor

Dr. Kevin O'Connor

Executive Director, Framingham Adult ESP Plus
Dr. Kevin O’Connor is the executive director of Framingham Adult ESL Plus, the largest publicly-funded adult education program in New England.  Dr. O’Connor has over 30 years of working in a variety of teaching and leadership roles in adult education and teacher education. He... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
113

3:00pm CDT

Igniting Your Adult Education Journey
LIMITED
Monday July 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
Are you new to adult education? Join fellow instructors in their first two years of teaching for a collaborative discussion focused on navigating the unique opportunities and challenges of the adult education classroom. This session provides a supportive space to connect with peers, share experiences, explore effective instructional strategies, and discover resources that can help you thrive. 
Monday July 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
114

3:00pm CDT

Leading with Grace
LIMITED
Monday July 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Limited Capacity seats available
Learn powerful and foundational techniques for leading and teaching others at both a management or classroom level, in a way that emphasizes grace and empathy.  This session will allow you to take away some key points that will assist you with your students, coworkers, and teammates.  We will compare differences between leadership styles, behavior management, and building trust within your cohort or team.


Speakers
avatar for Jon Klaus

Jon Klaus

HiSET Instructor, Indian Hills Community College
Jon Klaus has spent time as a director, coach and mentor, pastor, and writer.  Jon writes articles regularly for a local Davis County newspaper, and creates content for an online blog.  Klaus has published three books on faith and leadership, and currently serves as a HiSET Instructor at I... Read More →
Monday July 6, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
108
  General
  • global Y
 
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