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Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of May 18
Posted on 05/18/2026
Check out this month’s OTAN digest for our most recent Adult Ed news!
May OTAN Digest
This Week’s Upcoming Activities
Tuesday, May 19, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | NotebookLM in Action: Mapping, Assessing & Presenting Ideas (Part 2) | Farzana Cassim, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | This second session builds on the foundations from Webinar 1 and dives deeper into NotebookLM’s tools for analysis, assessment, and presentation. Participants can follow along as we create outputs such as Mind Map, Quiz, Slide Deck, Reports, and Data Table together in real time.
Thursday, May 21, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Advanced ESL Course on Canvas | Farzana Cassim, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | This course is available by OTAN at no cost to California adult education agencies. With the move to the use of Instructure Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) across the state, the Advanced ESL course was updated and redesigned as a fully shared Canvas course. The 18-unit course is topic-based and covers the following language proficiency skills: listening, reading, writing, vocabulary development, and grammar.
Thursday, May 21, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM | Northstar Digital Literacy User Group | Anthony Burik, OTAN Coordinator | Join this user-driven group of adult educators using Northstar Digital Literacy at their agencies. Some possibilities for regular meeting topics: hear about the different ways educators are using Northstar, share best practices and things that work, address and get advice on concerns and challenges, and exchange tips and ideas. Let’s discuss using Northstar for the benefit of our students, staff, and communities!
Coming soon!
Tuesday, May 26, 10:00 AM -11:30 AM | Google Gemini. Oh, What a Gem You Are! | Farzana Cassim, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | Artificial intelligence tools like Google Gemini are often introduced as productivity shortcuts, but their real value lies in how they help educators and learners think, communicate, and access information more effectively. This session invites participants to explore Google Gemini not as a lesson-planning machine, but as a practical tool for reducing barriers and building understanding.
Friday, June 5, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm | OTAN Regional Bay Area Canvas Summit | Join adult educators and administrators from across the Bay Area for a free, one-day, hands-on professional development event focused on meaningful, practical use of Canvas in adult education. This regional summit is designed to bring together colleagues from across the Bay Area to learn, collaborate, and share strategies for supporting instruction, student engagement, and program management using Canvas.
