OTAN Digest September 2026

Meet Celia Zhang

“I value education, which helps students develop critical thinking with social-emotional skills.”

A 2023 California Adult Education Students Succeed Nominee

Cui “Celia” Zhang emigrated from China to the United States in March 2020 with her husband and two children, leaving behind established careers and a comfortable life for political reasons and a desire for freedom, equity, and strong educational values.

Despite initial hardships (language barriers, financial strain, and isolating pandemic conditions) Celia discovered the free ESL program at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC). Through the flexibility of online classes and intensive dedication, she rapidly improved her English proficiency, gained personal confidence, and built a vital social support network.

See an excerpt from her story here and below:

“Because of her hard work and the ESL program, she is now taking credit classes and was accepted into Cal State Fullerton’s Master of Science in Higher Education. “The ESL department has helped me a lot! First, it helped me improve my English skills, prepare for the credit classes and a master's degree. It also helped me create a social connection”. In particular, she credits Professor Maribel, Professor Dana and Professor Barbara. “They are my instructors, and they encouraged me in my educational and career goal a lot! Maribel helped guide me. Even though I worked in higher education in China, I didn’t know if I could do it here, but she helped give me confidence.” Celia is so confident in the program that she tells everyone she knows about the program encourages everyone in her community to enroll in ESL courses at Mt. SAC.”

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Learn more by watching an intro video by the creator and try it out free here: EduGems

Jaemi Naish
Director, Tamalpais Adult School

How has your program’s approach to device lending, connectivity, and digital support evolved since the early years of distance learning?

Since 2020, Tamalpais Adult School (TAS) has approached device lending and digital support intentionally and strategically. Each year, students complete OTAN’s Intake Survey and a local survey to identify who needs a device other than a smartphone. Staff review the results together to identify trends and plan improvements. All teachers are now expected to integrate digital learning and literacy into their classrooms. New student orientations include logging into district Chromebooks, using student email, and managing passwords for online platforms. TAS also offers rotating workshops on Chromebook use, accessing online learning through Canvas, and applying G Suite tools such as Google Docs, Quizzes, and Gemini AI. A cart of 30 Chromebooks is reserved each year for student loaners, primarily supporting beginning-level ESL learners. TAS partners with Canal Alliance in San Rafael, where students can complete an eight-hour digital literacy workshop in Spanish and receive a Chromebook to keep. Data continue to show that digital literacy remains a challenge in lower-level ESL, so teachers at those levels are expected to build digital skills into instruction using tools such as Typing.com, Duolingo, Learning Chocolate, Kahoot, Peardeck, USA Learns, Northstar Digital Literacy, and Vocaroo.

What strategies have proven most effective in identifying students’ connectivity needs and helping them gain consistent access to technology? What challenges still exist?

TAS maintains a strong partnership with the Tamalpais Union High School District IT department, which manages the school’s web domain, classroom Chromebook carts, and access to online tools including YouTube, Khan Academy, and Gemini AI. Annual student surveys and teacher feedback help the program understand learner needs and adjust supports each year. Many adult learners—especially in ABE and ASE programs—express strong interest in online learning but still rely mainly on smartphones to participate. This creates ongoing connectivity and usability challenges. Attendance at optional technology workshops has been limited, and a new district network policy now prevents personal devices from connecting to Wi-Fi, requiring learners to use district-issued Chromebooks. While this shift has required adjustment, close collaboration with the district IT team has allowed TAS to respond quickly to learner needs and maintain steady progress toward more equitable digital access.