OTAN Digest July 2026
Spotlight On...
OTAN represented at CASAS Summer Institute 2026
OTAN had a strong presence at the 2026 CASAS Summer Institute, with staff and subject matter experts leading 20 dynamic sessions. The presentations spanned a wide range of forward-thinking topics, with a major focus on AI integration, digital equity, and Canvas LMS. Highlights included:
- AI in Action: Everything from improving AI prompting using the CO-STAR framework to building custom AI learning bots via School.ai, and transforming assessment data into actionable lesson plans.
- Mastering Canvas: Presenters shared strategies for delivering standards-aligned instruction via EL Civics on Canvas, utilizing OTAN's free ready-made Canvas courses, and enhancing student engagement and equity within the platform.
- Equity, Accessibility, and SEL: Dedicated sessions focused on designing inclusive materials that meet WCAG and Section 508 guidelines, as well as balancing tech with social-emotional learning (Human First: SEL in the Age of AI).
Request Custom Technology Training for Your Agency
Interested in bringing this kind of tech expertise to your own staff? OTAN offers tailored technology coaching and professional development support for adult education programs. You can request customized professional development similar to the sessions listed above. Reach out to the OTAN team at support@otan.us for more information.
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Free Career Exploration Tool for California Adult Education Classrooms
Bay Area Canvas Summit Brings Educators Together for Dynamic Learning
Introducing the OTAN Course Outline Builder
Explore AI Literacy in Adult Education
Success of Digital Leadership Academy
Student Success Story
Meet Manuel Angulo
“I stand resolute in my pursuit of success, and nothing will deter me from achieving my goals.” – Manuel Angulo
A 2023 California Adult Education Students Succeed Nominee
Manuel Angulo’s journey is a powerful testament to the impact of adult education on the lives of our students. Overcoming profound physical challenges and navigating relocating from a small ranch in Durango, Mexico, to the US for specialized medical care, Manuel has consistently refused to let adversity define his future. Through unwavering determination, he transformed his challenges into stepping stones, learning English over five years and successfully earning his high school diploma through a rigorous GED/HiSET preparation course at Garden Grove Adult School. His story is not just one of survival, but of a deliberate, hard-fought climb toward self-sufficiency and academic success.
Armed with a relentless drive to build an independent life, Manuel is currently channeling his focus into earning a Business Office Technology Certification. Beyond his academic pursuits, his character shines through a strong history of volunteer work at local schools and regional parks, proving his commitment to giving back to the community that supported him. Manuel stands as a shining example of how perseverance, paired with the guidance of dedicated educators, can shatter barriers. He is uniquely prepared to bring an unmatched work ethic, adaptability, and vital technical skills to any modern office environment, making him an exceptional candidate for stable, meaningful employment.
Featured Tech Tool – Gemini Storybook
What is Gemini Storybook?
The storybook feature in Gemini, Google’s generative AI tool, creates simple 10 page illustrated stories from your prompt within a couple of minutes. This could be a game-changer for instructors looking to boost engagement and bring in opportunities for students to use AI.
- Real-World Scenarios: With a specific prompt, you can customize each story to make it relevant to your students’ contexts. For example, CTE medical pathway students can read about how to navigate a hectic clinic shift, and learn to make critical decisions about patient triage and communication.
- Language Learning: Since it supports over 45 languages, ESL teachers can create beginner-level stories (e.g., a simple story in Japanese or Spanish) to help students practice reading and listening comprehension.
- Audio Support: The read-aloud narration feature is excellent for adult readers, auditory learners, or students who need extra decoding support.
Monthly, SMEs write an article about technology and how it correlates with teaching and learning. These articles become companions of each OTAN Tech Talk. Have something to share? OTAN welcomes an article or Tech Talk from any adult educator in California.
July
Using Educational Technology to Create Open Enrollment Opportunities in CTE Programs
By Yecsenia Castro, OTAN Subject Matter Expert
Hacienda La Puente Adult Education has transformed its Career Technical Education (CTE) programs by ditching rigid annual cohorts in favor of an open-enrollment, modular hybrid model. By breaking the Health Careers curriculum into self-contained modules and leveraging Learning Management Systems (like Canvas and Google Classroom), they’ve eliminated long wait times and provided 24/7 flexibility for adult learners balancing busy lives. Learn about how to implement a CTE cohort style like this.
June
A Teacher’s Guide to Building Apps with Gemini Canvas
By Susan Gaer, OTAN Subject Matter Expert
For adult educators in the ESL (English as a Second Language) space, the challenge has always been engagement. Adult learners juggle jobs, families and often trauma, making traditional learning difficult. Enter Gemini Canvas, a specialized workspace within Gemini designed for "vibe coding."
May
Ignite Your Instruction: Turning Data into Classroom Magic with AI!
By Susan Coulter, OTAN Subject Matter Expert
Unlock the hidden potential in your assessment data and transform the way you teach! Imagine turning spreadsheets and test results into a customized, high-impact lesson plan in a matter of seconds. By pairing your expertise with Artificial Intelligence (AI), you can instantly create vibrant practice materials tailored to the unique needs of your adult learners. Let data drive the heavy lifting so you can focus on what you do best: inspiring and mentoring your students.
Voices from the Field
In what ways are students using AI tools in their writing, and what kinds of assignments or activities seem to work best?
In our advanced ESL class, teacher Katy Jenssen had students use the following prompt in either ChatGPT or Gemini: “Please show me the errors and suggest improvements in the following composition.” Students also upload the rubric for the paragraph or essay. For an expository essay, the rubric examines the following: main idea and details, organization, voice, word choice, sentence structure, grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Students then type or copy and paste their writing from Google Docs into the GPT text box after the prompt. From there, students hand copy the GPT-corrected version and make revisions.
Which AI tools have students found most useful for writing, and what has made those tools a good fit for your context?
Students usually use ChatGPT for feedback on paragraph or essay writing. They appreciate seeing the feedback with concrete suggestions for improvements in content, grammar, or phrasing. The feedback would take a painstakingly long time for teachers to deliver to students. Along with the feedback, the suggestions for improvement allow students to eventually identify errors in clarity or organization on their own.
- Bilquis Ahmed | Instructional Lead Teacher, South Bay Adult School |
Read more about generative artificial intelligence in Chapter 8 of the updated Digital Learning Guidance!
The Change Agent – A Publication by Adult Learners
Looking for authentic, relevant, and relatable content? The Change Agent is a national online publication featuring writing by multi-level adult learners. The newest series from The Change Agent explores disabilities and learning differences through the voices and experiences of adult learners. These learner-written stories offer engaging, supported reading opportunities while providing educators with classroom-ready, standards-aligned instructional activities.
The Change Agent is available online in multiple formats and is an excellent resource for in-person, remote, and hybrid learning. In the following sample resource, see Deb Coates's story (available as a PDF and on Google slides) about learning to read and write later in life. Try this adaptable worksheet to support learners in gathering evidence from the text and using text-related vocabulary for speaking and listening practice.
Learn more about The Change Agent and subscribe here.
OTAN July and August Events
| Date/Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, July 9 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM |
Apply to Join the 2026-28 DLAC Cohort | OTAN Online |
| Friday, July 10 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM |
OTAN Tech Talk July 2026: Using Educational Technology to Create Open Enrollment Opportunities in CTE Programs | OTAN Online |
| Saturday, July 25 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
Successful Canvas Course Setup and Customization | OTAN Online |
| Tuesday, July 28 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM |
Apply to Join the 2026-28 DLAC Cohort | OTAN Online |
| Saturday, August 8 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
What’s New in Canvas LMS? | OTAN Online |
| Saturday, August 22 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
Canvas Course Design Best Practices | OTAN Online |
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 2026-2027 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!