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Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of October 5
Posted on 10/05/2026
Check out this month’s OTAN digest for our most recent Adult Ed news! October OTAN Digest
Technology and Digital Learning Symposium
Registration Will Open on Monday October 5th
Plan to register for TDLS 2026 on Monday! Choose to participate either in-person or online at Torrence Adult School. In-person registration is limited to 200 people, so we encourage you to sign up early! Unlimited space for online attendees.
Call for Presenters
We invite you to submit a presentation proposal for OTAN’s annual conference. Share your expertise, best practices, and engaging strategies, or facilitate discussions within one of our Category Strands. TDLS is all about collaboration and capacity building within the adult education community. The deadline for TDLS Call for Presenters is Monday, December 7th .
Canvas Summits – Save the Date
Mark your calendars for the upcoming OTAN Canvas Summit professional learning events! These regional, in-person events bring together adult education teachers, administrators, and Canvas champions for a day of hands-on learning, collaboration, and networking. Whether you're brand new to Canvas or looking to deepen your expertise, the summits will offer sessions designed to support every stage of your Canvas journey.
🔗 Southern California Canvas Summit | Thursday November 12, 2026 at 8:00 am – 3:30 pm at Hacienda La Puente Adult Education – Willow Center.
Register here: OTAN Regional Canvas Summit | Southern California
🔗 Central Coast Canvas Summit | Friday January 29, 2027 at 8:00 am – 3:30 pm at Salinas Adult School.
Registration link coming soon.
🔗 Northern California Canvas Summit | Friday March 19, 2027 at 8:00 am – 3:30 pm at Sacramento County Office of Education.
Registration link coming soon.
Canvas Office Hours
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Need help with Canvas? Join Miranda Currie, OTAN Project Specialist, for weekly drop-in Canvas Q&A and support sessions via Zoom. Whether you're an instructor or administrator, bring your questions, troubleshoot challenges, and get personalized support.
🗓️ Upcoming Dates
- Oct 5 | 1:00-2:00 PM
- Oct 13 | 3:30-4:30 PM
This Month’s Upcoming Webinars
Tuesday, October 6 at 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm | AI Basics for Use with Students | Barry Bakin, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | This presentation will explore the use of Artificial Intelligence tools and applications in adult education classrooms to enhance instruction. Attendees will gain insights on leveraging AI to create engaging classroom-tested learning experiences for students in Academic, CTE, and ESL programs. Participants will be guided through the activities in this hands-on learning experience.
Tuesday, October 13 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | How to Create a Stellar Presentation Proposal | Susan Gaer, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | Are you new at writing conference proposals? Facing rejection often because your proposal is not accepted? Then this workshop is for you. Come to this webinar to learn the ins and outs of writing great conference proposals.
Friday, October 16 at 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Canvas Basics: Building Modules & Platform Navigation | Audrey Dierdorff, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | Learn how to build modules and navigate your Canvas course with confidence. Designed specifically for beginners, this 1-hour interactive webinar provides a step-by-step introduction to platform navigation and creating/organizing modules. You’ll learn to (1) comfortably navigate the Canvas interface and dashboard, and (2) to create, organize, and publish Modules to structure your course
Saturday, October 17 at 9:00 am – 10:30 am | Student Engagement Through Canvas New Quizzes | Dana Thompson, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | Discover how Canvas New Quizzes can enhance formative assessment and boost student engagement. Learn to design interactive, low-stakes check-ins with immediate feedback that support self-paced learning and autonomy. This session covers customizable settings, media integration, and diverse question types to help make assessment more flexible, inclusive, and student-centered.
Tuesday, October 20 at 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | Teaching Generative AI and Computing Basics with Labyrinth Learning | Alec Fehl, author of Putting AI to Work ; Julie Lemus CTE Teacher | For more than 30 years, Labyrinth Learning has provided educators and students with high-quality learning materials for Microsoft Office, business, accounting, and computing fundamentals. Join this webinar to discover learning solutions that can be used with adult students and their digital learning.
- Putting AI to Work empowers students to confidently use AI tools for content creation, analysis, and decision-making while reinforcing ethics, accuracy, and professional standards.
- Labyrinth’s computing basics solutions include Welcome to Computer Basics, Your Digital Foundation, and Welcome to Computers for ESL Students.
Saturday, October 24 at 9:00 am – 10:30 am | Outcomes: Tracking Mastery in Canvas | Dana Thompson, OTAN Subject Matter Expert | Support skill development and mastery with the power of Outcomes in Canvas. This session is designed for educators and trainers working with adult learners who need clear progress tracking and targeted feedback. Learn how to create and align outcomes to course content, use rubrics to assess performance, and leverage the Learning Mastery Gradebook to monitor individual growth over time. Whether you’re facilitating workforce training, continuing education, or certification prep, Canvas Outcomes can help you track what really matters—learning that sticks.
Thursday, November 12 at 8:00 am – 3:30 pm | OTAN Regional Canvas Summit | Southern California | OTAN Subject Matter Experts | Join adult educators and administrators from across Los Angeles for a free, one-day, hands-on professional development event focused on the practical use of Canvas in adult education. This regional summit is designed to bring together colleagues to learn, collaborate, and share strategies for using and managing Canvas. Whether you are new to Canvas and building foundational course elements, an experienced instructor exploring advanced tools, or an administrator managing courses, users, and integrations, there are sessions tailored to meet your needs.
