The online Minnesota Adult Education PD Catalog provides an overview of all MN Adult Ed professional development (PD) activities in one convenient, searchable place. Here you will find brief descriptions of all PD offerings currently provided by the Minnesota Adult Education Support Network.
Note: Not all activities listed here have been scheduled yet, and many can be provided to you by request. Others are available on an ongoing basis.
- Scheduled activities are linked to the MN Adult Ed Events Calendar or other sites, where you can find registration and more details.
- For an overview of upcoming PD activities for the year, see FY23 MN Adult Ed PD Dates.
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10 Tips for Tutoring Adult ESL Students
Literacy MinnesotaWhether you tutor one-to-one, help a teacher or lead a class, you can benefit from understanding some of the theory of how adults learn languages. In this workshop, explore ten tips that come out of the theories and try out some hands-on activities that put these tips into practice. Read More
Content Areas:
- ESL
Audiences:
- Instructor
- Volunteer

Effective Error Correction and Feedback
Literacy MinnesotaHow do you decide which errors to correct? What are the best ways to give feedback to learners? During this workshop, learn techniques for correcting errors that occur in the ESL classroom, and how to give feedback that has a positive impact. Read More
Content Areas:
- ESL
Audiences:
- Instructor
- Volunteer

Checking In So Learners Don’t Check Out
Literacy MinnesotaDo your learners “get it”? How do you know if they understand the directions you just explained or the reading passage they just read? Or the new vocabulary they are supposed to have learned this week? During this workshop we will explore a variety of ways that… Read More
Content Areas:
- ESL
Audiences:
- Instructor
- Volunteer

Listening and Speaking in the ESL Classroom
Literacy MinnesotaAdult learners at all levels benefit from listening and speaking instruction, yet many ESL classes focus a majority of their time on building literacy. This workshop will explore the reasons that literacy is built on a foundation of strong verbal skills, and offer suggestions for specific activities to integrate speaking… Read More
Content Areas:
- ESL
Audiences:
- Instructor
- Volunteer

Teaching Reading Vocabulary
Literacy MinnesotaVocabulary is one of the four key components of reading instruction (and usually the favorite of students). Come learn how to choose vocabulary words, teach them explicitly, and practice them to mastery. Read More
Content Areas:
- ESL
- HSE / GED / Adult Diploma
- Reading
Audiences:
- Instructor
- Volunteer

The Role of Culture in Tutoring Adult Learners
Literacy MinnesotaAs adult teachers and tutors, we know that culture plays a tremendous role in our day-to-day interactions with learners. Many of us become experts on the cultures of the people that we work with, without ever pausing to think about how each of our actions, expectations, and decisions are influenced… Read More
Content Areas:
- Diversity / Equity / Inclusion
- ESL
Audiences:
- Instructor
- Volunteer

Activities for Building Reading Fluency
Literacy MinnesotaLimited reading fluency often holds students back from comprehending what they are reading. Learn about the key aspects of reading fluency (accuracy, rate, prosody) and practice a variety of strategies you can use to help learners build this important literacy skill. Read More
Content Areas:
- ESL
- Reading
Audiences:
- Instructor
- Volunteer

Volunteer Navigation Training
Literacy MinnesotaNavigators are a mix of mentor, coach, cheerleader and guidance counselor. As a navigator, you’ll help students one-on-one in a variety of ways, from helping them increase their confidence and persist in school to assisting them in identifying and attaining their goals. Depending on the program, volunteers may provide navigation… Read More
Content Areas:
- ACES / Transitions
- ESL
- HSE / GED / Adult Diploma
- Reading
Audiences:
- Support Staff
- Volunteer

Integrating Pronunciation into Adult ESL Lessons
Literacy MinnesotaEnglish language learners are hungry for pronunciation instruction, but it is challenging for ESL teachers to find a teaching method that is effective without being too technical and confusing. As a result, teachers often leave it out altogether. During this workshop we will look at areas of pronunciation that will… Read More
Content Areas:
- ESL
Audiences:
- Instructor
- Volunteer

Why Don’t They Try to Understand My English?
Literacy MinnesotaTeachers of adult ESL learners often hear stories of learners trying out their new English skills in the community, and being ignored or rebuffed because of their accent. In this workshop, learn about the politics of accent in the United States. Participants will leave with ideas for how to help… Read More
Content Areas:
- Diversity / Equity / Inclusion
- ESL
Audiences:
- Instructor
- Volunteer
