OTAN Digest - November 2025
Digest #57
November 2025
Spotlight On...
OTAN’s Teaching with Technology Tool
Looking for ready-to-use, high-quality lesson plans that meaningfully integrate technology into your instruction? The Teaching with Technology tool from OTAN is designed specifically for adult education teachers who want to enhance learning with engaging digital resources, without starting from scratch.
This powerful resource features hundreds of lesson plans that you can:
- Use as-is
- Modify to meet your learners' needs
- Adapt to extend learning beyond the classroom
Each lesson thoughtfully embeds technology to boost engagement, deepen understanding, and support digital literacy.
Easy Ways to Search and Filter
You can explore the collection by:
Program Area and Level:
- Adult Basic Education (ABE)
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- High School Equivalency (HSE)
- Adult Secondary Education (ASE)
- Career Technical Education (CTE)
- Adults with Disabilities (AwD)
Standards and Topics:
- College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS)
- Subjects
- Keyword – Search for your specific needs!
What Each Lesson Plan Includes
Every lesson plan provides:
- A direct link to the activity or resource
- Required technology
- A clear overview of the lesson
- A detailed plan using the WIPPEA format (Warm-up, Introduction, Presentation, Practice, Evaluation, Application)
- Program area, level, subject(s), and CCRS alignment
Whether you’re looking to incorporate a new technology tool, support digital skill-building, or simply try something fresh, the Teaching with Technology tool is a go-to hub for inspiration and practical instructional support.
Ready to explore? Visit the Teaching with Technology web page.
Teaching Resources:
Adult Ed Med: Contextualized Video Lessons and Resources for Adult Education
Marshall Leveled Reading Program: Free Reading Resources for Adult Learners
Don’t Be unCommon — Start Using Canvas Commons!
New 2025 Naturalization Civics Test Launches October 20
Model Programs:
Innovation Library: A Model for Technology Access and Inspiration
March 6 and 7, 2026 – Join us for a hybrid conference at the Monterey Adult School!
The Technology and Digital Learning Symposium, hosted by OTAN, is an annual hybrid conference featuring engaging, interactive presentations and vibrant discussions. This event is designed to demonstrate effective ways of incorporating technology to enrich the learning experience, expand educational reach through a combination of in-person and online learning, and improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of adult education programs. Learn more on the TDLS 2026 website.
Registration Now Open
Register now for TDLS 2026! Choose to participate either in-person at the Monterey Adult School or online. In-person registration is limited to 200 people. Register here: Online Registration.
Call for Presenters
We invite you to submit a presentation proposal for this exciting event. 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 educator community. The deadline for TDLS Call for Presenters is Monday, December 15th. Learn more and submit your proposal here: Call for Presenters.
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Image from TDLS 2025 at Long Beach School for Adults
Canvas Support Resources
Is your agency using Canvas and looking for support? OTAN offers several ways to help you succeed:
- Email aecanvas@scoe.net to ask a question or schedule a one-on-one Zoom support session.
- New! Meet with OTAN Subject Matter Expert Dana Thompson for Canvas Office Hours. Sign up here: Dana's Office Hours.
- Request a customized staff training (in-person or virtual) by emailing aecanvas@scoe.net.
- Host a one-day regional Canvas Summit — you provide the venue and food; OTAN provides trainers and programming. Email us for details.
- Explore upcoming training sessions and additional resources on OTAN’s Canvas Project web page.
Monthly, SMEs write an article about technology and how it correlates with teaching and learning. These articles become companions of each OTAN Tech Talk. While OTAN welcomes an article or Tech Talk from any adult educator in California, our SMEs without fail consistently write about the most innovative ideas for adult education classrooms.
November
Writing SMART Technology Goals for the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) Using the Digital Skills Library
By Francisca Wentworth, OTAN Subject Matter Expert
Is your agency struggling to develop a strong technology goal for your Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP)? When thinking about a technology goal, consider how it can support learners’ digital literacy skills at your agency.
October
Don’t Be unCommon and Start Using Canvas Commons!
By Francisco X. Pinedo, OTAN Subject Matter Expert
Are you an Adult Education instructor struggling to create digital courses for your students? If you answered yes, then this article will help you create digital content that you and your students will enjoy!
September
Padlet TA: Your AI-Powered Teaching Assistant for Effortless Classroom Preparation
By Alisa Takeuchi, OTAN Subject Matter Expert
Padlet TA is an innovative, web-based AI assistant created by the makers of Padlet, designed to reduce teacher prep time and allow educators to concentrate on student interaction and instruction.
National Distance Learning Week 2025: November 3–7
National Distance Learning Week (NDLW) 2025, sponsored by the U.S. Distance Learning Association (USDLA), takes place November 3–7. This year’s theme, The Great AI Disequilibrium, explores the evolving role of artificial intelligence in distance learning.
USDLA will host a week of free virtual webinars focused on current trends, best practices, and innovations in AI-enhanced distance education across K–12, higher education, adult education, telehealth, corporate training, and government/military settings. View the schedule and register on the USDLA NDLW webpage.
Distance learning continues to play a vital role in adult education, helping agencies meet the needs of learners balancing work, family, health, and other responsibilities. NDLW is a perfect opportunity to celebrate your agency’s distance learning successes and plan for future program growth.
Message from the Director
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the fall weather. It’s hard to believe daylight saving time is upon us. Recently, our OTAN team has been considering how we currently communicate with the field and how we might better communicate with the field moving forward. It feels like there have been changes in how people choose to engage and it may not be through some of our usual means like newsletters or emails. While podcasts aren’t new, they are a growing way to connect with school communities and to share important information.
Some podcasts that I’ve been listening to within our broader adult education community:
- Ear Hustle – Produced inside San Quentin State Prison, this podcast offers authentic, first-hand stories about life inside prison
- Journeys – From Jurupa Adult School, this podcast highlights adult learners’ experiences, successes, and challenges, offering inspiration for students
- CAEAA All Things Adult Ed – Hosted by the California Association for Adult Education, this podcast shares insights, strategies, and resources for adult education professionals
Do podcasts resonate with you and your community? They seem to be a great way to highlight success stories, market your programs, and to share expertise and best practices. On the cautionary side, producing quality episodes can take time, planning, and money to purchase equipment to get started. What are some creative ways that you’re connecting with your communities? We would love to hear from you. And, if you’re an adult school with an active podcast, we’d love to know that, too.
On a separate topic, OTAN’s Technology and Digital Learning Symposium is right around the corner, March 6-7. Registration and the Call for Proposals opened this week. Perhaps, you can submit a proposal to present on starting a podcast for your school site.
Hopefully, you’ve been inspired to jump on this podcast journey with me. Happy listening!
-Renee Collins
Director, Adult Education
OTAN November and December Events
OTAN training events are OPEN to Adult Education staff.
★ = CLOSED, In-Service Training
Professional Development - Plan Ahead!
Did you know OTAN provides FREE professional development workshops to help Adult Educators integrate technology?
Think about scheduling OTAN Professional Development in the 2025-2026 school year. With a wide variety of technology topics from which to choose, OTAN training staff can provide in-person workshops or presentations at any approved California adult education agency or professional development event, either online or face-to-face with a computer lab or devices connected to the Internet.
All OTAN's workshops are provided at no cost!
Each session is hands-on - everyone will learn new skills related to technology or using technology that they can use in their adult education class or program. And all OTAN online or face-to-face workshops can be tailored to fit the needs of the requesting program. Select the links to see a list of the current online or face-to-face workshops and descriptions. If you don't see a workshop that is exactly what you need, contact OTAN - we'll work together to create a training that's best for you and your staff!
Need more information? Contact OTAN training staff anytime by phone at (916) 228-2580, or by email at support@otan.us.
To view workshops already scheduled, visit the California Adult Education Professional Development Calendar and search for workshops sponsored by OTAN. Don't miss out!