OTAN News
Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of August 25
OTAN Digest – August 2025
This Week’s Upcoming Activities
Saturday, August 23, 9:00-10:30 am | Canvas Course Design Best Practices with Dana Thompson, OTAN Subject Matter Expert. This session covers best practices for organizing content, using consistent design elements, and incorporating visuals like banners, icons, and multimedia to enhance clarity and connection. Walk away with practical tips to create a clean, inviting course that keeps learners focused and engaged.
Monday, August 25, 9:00 am-12:00pm | Federal Program Monitoring Program (FPM) Adult Education Office Instrument Training 2025-26 (Part 2: Live Question and Answer Webinar) with Abygail Medina Lewis and David Stang (CDE, Education Program Consultants). This interactive three-hour session provides participants with the opportunity to discuss topics covered in Part 1 (Federal Program Monitoring Program (FPM) Adult Education Instrument Training 2025-26 Pre-recorded video). During this webinar, all inquiries related to instrument items, individual evidence requests, agency responsibilities during the review, and the review process will be addressed.
Monday, August 25, 2:00-4:00 pm | Designing Accessible & Engaging Asynchronous Courses in Canvas with Miranda Currie, OTAN Project Specialist. This session for intermediate Canvas users will show you how to design fully online, asynchronous courses that connect, engage, and include every learner. You’ll also gain practical tips for applying accessibility best practices.
Wednesday, August 27, 10:00 am-12:00 pm | Tech Tools for Formative Assessment with Anthony Burik, OTAN Coordinator. This session looks at some formative assessment tools that participants can use at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of class to help understand where students are and determine what to focus on to help students as they work with the lesson material.
Coming soon!
Saturday, September 6, 9:00 am-12:00 pm | Canvas 101: From Course Set Up to Student Engagement with Miranda Currie, OTAN Project Specialist and Francisco Pinedo, OTAN Subject Matter Expert. This three-hour virtual training is designed to help adult education teachers and staff build confidence using Canvas for daily instruction and communication. Whether you're new to Canvas or looking for a refresher, this session will guide you through the essential tools needed to create and manage an effective course.
September 9 –11, 9:00 am-3:00 pm | California Department of Education's (CDE) Adult Education Office (AEO): New Administrator Orientation (NAO) 2025. The New Administrator Orientation (NAO) will provide an overview of the WIOA, Title II: AEFLA grant implementation requirements and available resources for grantees. The orientation is intended for new grantees and new staff of continuing agencies who have been in their position for less than three years, including adult education administrators, principals, supervisor-level staff, and individuals directly supporting grant administrative activities.