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Other Suggestions for Professional Development (PD) through Self-Study
Note: Hours and certificates for the activities on this list are NOT provided through the Adult Learning
Resource Center. Some activities have certificates that can be printed out, but others do not. Teachers
should contact their program administrator to agree on an appropriate number of PD hours and the
means to demonstrate participation.
ONLINE
COURSES
iLEARN from the Illinois Service Center Network
Courses on a variety of topics are available online through Illinois’ iLEARN website. Some courses may
require registration and/or an enrollment key to enter the course. Browse the course offerings at
http://64.107.108.152/ilearn/ or contact your adult education service center for more information.
ABE/GED
I.
Basics of Adult Literacy Education
http://www.c-pal.net/course/index.html
Basics of Adult Literacy Education is a self-paced online course that offers professional development
materials for instructors and volunteers who work in adult literacy communities. This course is free and
available to anyone wishing to improve their support of adult literacy learning.
II.
Reading for Adults
http://lincs.ed.gov/publications/reading_components
A free series of five online, self-paced LINCS courses is available for adult educators who would like to learn
more about teaching the components of reading.
 Teaching Adults to Read: Alphabetics
 Teaching Adults to Read: Fluency
 Teaching Adults to Read: Vocabulary
 Teaching Adults to Read: Comprehension
 Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles
Adult Learning Resource Center, http://www.thecenterweb.org/alrc/
Updated August, 2015
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III.
GED Testing Service
A. Professional Development
http://www.gedtestingservice.com/educators/professionaldevelopment
Several resources for professional development on the GED® Test are offered on this site, including
webinars and online courses.
B. GED® Test Info: Reasoning Through Language Arts
http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/catalog/courses/LEAD1135/
This online professional development course introduces adult education teachers to the 2014 series
GED® tests and the Reasoning through Language Arts section.
C. GED® Test Info: Mathematics
http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/catalog/courses/LEAD1141/
ESL
I.
ELCivicsonline.org
http://www.elcivicsonline.org/
This free, self-paced professional development opportunity assists ESL and EL/Civics teachers help their
students learn about the history and government of the United States, become more involved in their
communities, and explore the possibility of gaining citizenship while learning English. In addition to the four
courses below, there are tutorials on Lesson Planning and Adapting Materials. The four content courses are:
 U.S. History
 U.S. Government
 Civic Engagement
 The Naturalization Process
II.
ELL-U (English Language Learner University)
http://lincs.ed.gov/programs/ell-u/online-courses
Five courses for ESL instructors are available online for independent self-study. Certificates can be printed
out, with various numbers of hours for the different courses. Courses include:
 The Role of Culture in the Education of Adult English Language Learners
 Teaching ELLs who are Emergent Readers
 Second Language Acquisition: Myths, Beliefs, and What the Research Shows
 Formative Assessment to Inform Quality Adult ESL Instruction
 Principles of Second Language Teaching: Planning, Implementing, and Managing Instruction
Adult Learning Resource Center, http://www.thecenterweb.org/alrc/
Updated August, 2015
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ESL AND ABE/GED COURSES
I.
Calpro Virtual Workrooms
http://www.calpro-online.com/VirtualWorkroom/default.asp
The Virtual Workrooms are free courses for independent use, each with multiple modules, videos, podcasts,
downloadable resources, and more.
 Virtual Workroom for Multilevel ESL Instructors
 Virtual Workroom for Workforce Readiness
 Virtual Workroom on Best Practices in ABE Reading Instruction
II.
Proliteracy Education Network
http://www.proliteracyednet.org/
These courses are for instructors in the following content areas:
 Reading, Writing
 Citizenship
 ESL
 Math and Numeracy
 Getting Started in Instruction
SPECIALIZED COURSES
TECHNOLOGY
Adult Ed Online – Technology Assessment
http://www.adultedonline.org/
The two courses on this site evaluate the user’s readiness to use technology in the classroom.
 Tech Savvy?
 Is Distance Teaching for You?
SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS
Learning to Achieve
http://lincs.ed.gov/programs/learningtoachieve/training#online
These courses are for teachers who have students with learning disabilities or are interested in learning more
about the field.
 Learning Disabilities and Accommodations
 Learning Disabilities and English Language Learners
 Learning Disabilities and Neuroscience
 Professional's Guide to Educating Adults with Learning Disabilities
Adult Learning Resource Center, http://www.thecenterweb.org/alrc/
Updated August, 2015
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DATA AND RESEARCH
NRS Online Courses (National Reporting System)
http://www.nrsweb.org/trainings/online.aspx
The National Reporting System is the federal agency responsible for overseeing and setting standards for
adult education. The courses focus on find, using, and creating data. The 25 minute course, “What is NRS”
provides a basic introduction to NRS for teachers.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH
I.
Understanding and Applying Research in the Classroom
http://lincs.ed.gov/professional-development/applyingresearch/player.html
These courses are valuable for teachers who wish to carry out action research in their classrooms.
 Becoming an Informed Consumer of Educational Research
 Recognizing Credible Education Research Findings
 Conducting Scientific Investigation
 Understanding and Applying Education Research
II.
CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) UDL (Universal Design) Resources
http://castprofessionallearning.org/free-udl-webinars/
CAST Professional Learning offers free webinars to teachers that focus on a variety of topics related to UDL
which informs instruction for all the diverse learners in the classroom. In addition, the website has recordings
of previous webinars.
TEXT
RESOURCES
ESL AND EL/CIVICS
I.
Adult Education ESL Teachers’ Guide
http://humanities.byu.edu/elc/teacher/teacherguidemain.html
This guide is especially useful for the newer adult education teacher. The guide contains a set of lessons for
beginning and intermediate level lessons which can be used in a classroom along with instructions that serve as
an introduction to the basic techniques and principles for teaching ESL. Also included are a section on teaching
non-literate adults and a selected bibliography of ESL materials.
II.
CAELA Network Briefs
http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/resources/briefs.html
“The CAELA Network provides information and resources focusing on high quality professional development
for educators working with adult English language learners and makes research findings and evidence-based
resources available to practitioners across the nation, who work with this population.” The briefs range from 3 to
8 pages and include research and classroom applications.
Adult Learning Resource Center, http://www.thecenterweb.org/alrc/
Updated August, 2015
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III.
Civic Participation and Community Action Sourcebook
http://tech.worlded.org/docs/vera/index1.htm
ESL teachers who want to give their students opportunities to speak English outside of the four walls of the
classroom and ABE/GED teachers looking to apply content to real world situations will appreciate this guide
RESEARCH
IV.
Adult Learner Persistence
http://www.nelrc.org/persist/index.html
This is a study on reasons adults remain or leave adult education classes with recommendations for teachers.
TRANSITIONS
V.
Promising Practices – National College Transition Network
http://www.collegetransition.org/promisingpractices.briefs.html
With transition from ESL and ABE/GED to careers and post-secondary, this reading is especially appropriate for
both teachers and administrators.
ESL Videos
I.
New American Horizons: The Adult ESL Training Video Project
http://www.newamericanhorizons.org/
Examples of the 12 videos (These may be purchased or viewed online for free):
 Lesson Planning Through Life Skills
 Building Literacy with Adult Emergent Readers
 Growing Vocabulary with Beginning Learners
II.
Understanding, Appreciating, and Respecting Adult ESL Learners
http://humanities.byu.edu/elc/teacher/teacher_training/main.html
This is a “teacher training video to help new teachers understand adult ESL learners better.”
Adult Learning Resource Center, http://www.thecenterweb.org/alrc/
Updated August, 2015