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Leading adult education through support for and the effective application of technology.

2025 News

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Catch up on recent, and past Adult Education News.

Social Media in Education: Ideas for the Classroom

Social media use in the classroom might be a relevant way to teach digital literacy and other skills. This article reviewed by Matt Evans from the University of San Diego, Professional and Continuing Education, shares some ideas for the classroom.

Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of February 17

OTAN will be closed February 17 to commemorate President George Washington’s Birthday. We will reopen on Tuesday, February 18.

President's Day Message

We will be closed to commemorate President George Washington’s Birthday, Monday, February 17th. We will reopen on Tuesday, February 18th.

BRIDGES Digital Resilience Toolkit

BRIDGES aligns the EdTech Integration Strategy Toolkit, the Digital Skills Library, and SkillBlox and creates a Digital Skills repository for foundational, productive and independent learning. This resource organizes digital skills into lesson forward plans. A creator can also submit a resource to share within this Open Educational Resource.

Fresh Takes #2: Adult Ed Research, Summarized for On-the-Go Educators

The latest on AI research.

Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of February 10

OTAN will be closed February 10 to commemorate President Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday. We will reopen on Tuesday, February 11.

President's Lincoln Birthday Holiday Message

OTAN will be closed today, Monday, February 10th to commemorate President Lincoln’s birthday. We will reopen on Tuesday, February 11th.

4 New Teaching Features for Google Classroom AI, Accessibility, and More

Google “unveiled a series of new features for educators...at the annual edtech conference in London.” If you are a Google user, then you may love the following new features “aimed at improving accessibility...”

Can Digital Pencils Really Revolutionize Math Learning for Students?

Beyond AI and virtual reality tools, this article “highlights the power of something far simpler---the digital pencil.” A digital pencil is a “virtual scratchpad” which “allows students to draw, annotate, and organize their work directly on the screen using a digital pencil or their fingers.” Research suggests this tool can help in supporting diverse learners.

Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of February 3

Register for TDLS (Technology and Digital Learning Symposium) 2025, a hybrid conference either online or at the Long Beach School for Adults, March 7 and 8, 2025.

OTAN awarded COABE's 2025 State Innovation of the Year Award!

The Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN) is honored to announce we have been awarded the 2025 State Innovation of the Year Award from the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE).

Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of January 27

Register for TDLS (Technology and Digital Learning Symposium) 2025, a hybrid conference either online or at the Long Beach School for Adults, March 7 and 8, 2025. California Adult Education Students Succeed Nomination Window is open! OTAN Digest - January 2025

The Human Advantage: Nine Skills We Can't Afford to Lose in an AI-Powered World

Blogger John Spencer discusses the important human skills vital to retain in an AI, instant, world. The list is not exhaustive but seems timely to remember. Ideas to think about:

Magically Create Refrigerator Poetry in Google Slides

Magnetic Refrigerator Poetry is when there are a bunch of tiny magnets with words on them. Students can then arrange the magnets into a poem. This post has access to this activity in Google Drawings.

Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of January 20

OTAN will be closed January 20, to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. Register for TDLS (Technology and Digital Learning Symposium) 2025, a hybrid conference either online or at the Long Beach School for Adults, March 7 and 8, 2025. California Adult Education Students Succeed Nomination Window is open! OTAN Digest - January 2025

How to get college credit from job training, the military or even a hobby | Quick Guide

Emma Gallegos, EdSource reporter, wrote about broadening the “ways students may be able to receive credit for what they’ve learned outside a college classroom, whether on the job, through volunteering or even a hobby...” Governor Gavin Newsom “praised credit for prior learning as an important way to recognize the skills that adults pick up in the military or even volunteering through the California Service Corps.” This change would support adult learners and their work and life experiences.

6 Strategies for Building Stronger Collective Efficacy

Have you ever led a team that could not function quite as well as you would have liked or hoped? What feelings come to mind? Frustration? Disappointment? Anger? Leading a team of professionals which don’t believe in themselves as a team is debilitating. Oftentimes the most overlooked impact of team dysfunction are our students. Students are more impacted by a team’s lack of efficacy than anyone on the team. After all, the mission of education is our students, and the greater health of the community begins with a leader building a strong sense of collective teacher efficacy. This strong sense is essential for creating a collaborative and thriving school environment.

Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of January 13

Registration Open for TDLS (Technology and Digital Learning Symposium) 2025, a hybrid conference either online or at the Long Beach School for Adults, March 7 and 8, 2025. California Adult Education Students Succeed Nomination Window Opens January 1, 2025. Think about the adult learner you would like to nominate!

Getting Devices and Internet to Our Adult Learners

We are pleased to announce an opportunity for California adult learners and our adult education colleagues to obtain refurbished technology and free/low cost wifi. COABE and CCAE are partnering together with human-i-t to bring devices and wifi to covered populations in California. Here are a couple of items to review for more information:

Teaching Martin Luther King, Jr. And Biographies with Teaching with Technology Tool

Teaching Civil Rights is an opportunity to understand how leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. affect current history. With the help of OTAN’s Teaching with Technology database, there are many cost-free resources, and lesson plans available for all program areas. New lesson plans are being created and uploaded for adult educators. For ideas, about Civil Rights biographies, consult the following resources:

As a Principal, I Thought I Promoted Psychological Safety. Then a Colleague Spoke Up.

When communication breaks trust between a colleague, what are some ideas about how to fix the relationship? This blog post written by Damen Scott shares a personal experience where he unwittingly “disregarded [his] colleague’s need to feel supported due to [his] own internalized pressure to perform.”

Upcoming OTAN Activities - Week of January 6

Registration Open for TDLS (Technology and Digital Learning Symposium) 2025, a hybrid conference either online or at the Long Beach School for Adults, March 7 and 8, 2025. California Adult Education Students Succeed Nomination Window Opens January 1, 2025. Think about the adult learner you would like to nominate!

6 Ways to Balance Tech with Traditional Methods

Giving adult learners a “healthy balance of traditional” and technology integration results in an enhanced instruction. Alicia Sewell, author of this article, recommends the following 6 Tips:

New Year's Message

OTAN reopens tomorrow, January 2, 2025

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OTAN activities are funded by contract CN240137 from the Adult Education Office, in the Career & College Transition Division, California Department of Education, with funds provided through Federal P.L., 105-220, Section 223. However, OTAN content does not necessarily reflect the position of that department or the U.S. Department of Education.