COABE 2020 Conference Week 2 Reading and Writing Workshops

Hi Everyone!

The virtual COABE 2020 Conference continues July 6, 7, and 8 with three more days of breakout sessions!  I had the privilege of attending some wonderful sessions this week that increased my knowledge and skills.  I do plan to highlight some of these sessions in future posts.  Again this week, I will outline reading and writing focused sessions that may be of interest.  I do not list English Language Acquisition workshops since we have another LINCS community specifically focused in that area. 

Monday, July 6 

4:30 – 5:30  Using Google Reviews to Develop Digital Literacy and Argumentative Writing Approaches  Timothy Berrigan, Brooklyn Public Library

Google Review users rate public spaces with 5-stars, a claim, and support. Reading reviews on familiar locations sparks classroom debate. Students assess arguments and evidence, create a rubric to evaluate reviews, and publish their responses. This type of reading and writing aligns with argumentative genres students encounter on high-stake assignments. Participants will learn how to incorporate Google Reviews into instruction, create a rubric, utilize strategies to encourage argumentative writing, and publish work on Google.

4:30 – 5:30  Teach Like a Reading Specialist with Evidence-Based Reading Instruction  Greg Stultz, New Readers Press

During this session, we will explore curricular resources and activities you can use to provide explicit and systematic evidence-based reading instruction in the classroom. See how these resources not only align with CCR Standards and satisfy WIOA guidelines, but increase engagement, support increased differentiation, and yield higher reading achievement for your adult learners as well!

 

Tuesday, July 7

9:00 – 10:00  Hands On with the Updated TABE 11&12 Individual Diagnostic Report for Reading  Deedra Arvin and Megan Ormseth, Data Recognition Corp   

This session will provide participants with the opportunity to work with sample individual profile reports from TABE 11&12. The focus will be on how to use the Demonstrated Skills and Areas for Next Focus columns to guide the next instructional steps for students or groups of students. During this presentation, participants will gain a greater understanding of the TABE 11&12 Reading skills needed to increase student scores.

12:00 – 1:00  Writing Effective Extended Responses on the GED® RLA Test – It’s All About the Claim!  Debi Faucette, GED Testing Service and Susan Pittman, Educational Consultant

Students’ evidence-based writing skills are improving, and they are earning more points today than in the past, but they can do even better. Often, students start with a poorly constructed claim. A claim needs two parts: a position and a reason for taking that position. During this session, instructors will participate in activities that can be used in the classroom and through distance learning to get students off to a good start.

12:00 – 1:00  “The Assertion, Evidence, Commentary” Approach: Make Big Gains on TABE 11/12 with Minimal Teacher Effort  Jana Jenkins and Wendy Kittler, Arkansas Adult Education

Do you want to make significant impacts on student performance with simple and easy to use strategies for TABE 11/12 reading? In this session, educators will receive a simple three-step method for using evidence-based practices to support student reading and writing across the curriculum. Teachers will examine the structure of the reading passages to help students generalize listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Teachers will be shown how to utilize target standards, develop students’ skills, and use testing materials to set students at lower levels through higher-levels up for success.

 

Wednesday, July 8

10:30 – 11:30   Vocabulary for High School Equivalency and State Assessments: Virtual Edition  Kathy Houghton, Literacy NY and AnnMarie Przybyl, ACCES/West RAEN

Research suggests that enhancing vocabulary knowledge and usage is critical for reading comprehension. One study shows that among typically developing readers, vocabulary size more than doubles between the 6th and 12th grade levels. Consequently, if reading development has been delayed, it is likely that growth in vocabulary has also. Adult education practitioners need to build the words heard, known, and used by our students, and this workshop will provide tools and strategies that work!

12:00 – 1:00  Productive Struggle with Complex Texts  Amber Fornaciari and Anita Kerr, Central Illinois Adult Education Service Center

We have seen a shift in adult education – in our standards, HSE exams, and standardized assessments – that requires students to engage with complex texts, and we must teach the skills to navigate those texts. In this session we will learn to identify and use appropriate complex texts with students, in both leveled and multilevel classes. We will explore strategies to help students successfully engage with complex texts in a spirit of productive struggle.

 

What are you interested in attending during COABE Week 2?  What were some of the most valuable sessions you attended during the first week?