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Bridging Generations_ Edtech and Adult Impact on K-12 Education

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Family Literacy BC ISTE 25 | Find thousands of free educational ebooks for classroom use at read.bookcreator.com

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NCFL works to eradicate poverty through education solutions for families.

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NCFL has been a leader in family learning since 1989, developing strategies, models, and resources designed for families and practitioners to create a multigenerational impact. We believe that communities grow and thrive when the whole family is engaged in learning together and parents and caregivers have a voice in the systems that serve them.

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National Center for Families Learning | Home

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NCFL has been a leader in family learning since 1989, developing strategies, models, and resources for partners and teachers.

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Almost every ESL curriculum has a unit on shopping, so why not incorporate workforce preparation activities and family literacy? Here, we took a field trip to the local bookstore with their preschool kids (if they had them). The bookstore manager shared all the aspects of running a store, and included a reading time and free book for the kiddos.

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Elizabeth giving a short speech a high school equivalency ("GED") graduation

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Elizabeth, married mother of 2, did not improve in English language skills the previous program year and came in at NRS Level 1...again. Given the opportunity to create projects that were important to her about her family, hometown, cooking, personal timeline and immigration story, etc., and incorporating digital literacy skills in those projects, she gained confidence and improved 4 levels in one program year! Plus, her family was positively impacted. Her children made the honor roll. Her husband decided to go back for his GED. And, according to Elizabeth, the whole home was calmer and more peaceful. I nominated her for the National Adult Education Honor Society and gave her the NAEHS pin at GED graduation. She asked to speak to the crowd - all GED graduates and their families, and spoke about how one family member moving forward moves the whole family forward.

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Use Scavenger Hunts with English Language Learners in and out of class.  In class, they can find things around the classroom or in the building.  For example, "Find anything that has to do with water."  Out of class, send them in pairs or trios to take creative pictures based on a list.  This picture was from a list that included "public safety."  Learners had to be in the pictures with the people they were photographing and most of them included their children.  On return, they got points for the pictures (including extra points for creativity) as well as for describing the pictures to their classmates.

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Children with parents who do not understand science fairs have little chance of being successful in one. This tri-board was the "we-do" part of the "I-do, we-do, you-do" instructional strategy. It's certainly not perfect, but the students gained valuable information about how to put together a science fair presentation. The children of one of these students actually won the science fair the next year, and I wonder if she would have been able to do that if her mother had not had this experience in adult education class.

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As part of our MLK lesson, we talked a lot about dreams. We also talked about "dreams deferred," which led us to "dreams realized." These adult ELLs had the option of using digital tools or not to create their dreams presentation. Most of them chose to try it with stunning results.

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Every year, I do an activity with the song "How You Live" with adult English Language Learners. First, we listen and analyze the song, which is about advice for the next generation in the form of imperatives. Then they break into groups and come up with what their group thinks is the most important advice to give to their children (or nieces, nephews, neighbor's kids, etc.) After that, they use the song as a model to write their own version of "How You Live." The non-digital example on the right, "John," was done by a very low-beginning English Language Learner. She gave her poem to her son for his birthday telling him she didn't have anything else that she was able to give that year.

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Nora and Margarita loved to work together to improve their English. Nora was an 18-year-old from Mexico with 2 years of formal education. Margarita was high school graduate from Peru with an 18-year-old son, as well as other children and grandchildren. Even if there are no children in the classroom, it is important to remember that every adult education class is an intergenerational class and a family literacy class.

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Welcome, everyone, and thank you for joining Bridging Generations: EdTech and Adult Learners' Impact on K–12 Education. We are thrilled to be here with you at ISTELive, where innovation, access, and impact converge. Whether you're a classroom teacher, tech coach, administrator, or edtech enthusiast, today’s session is designed to broaden how we think about adult education and its powerful influence on lifelong learning and K–12 success.

We come to this work with a deep passion for digital inclusion and equity across generations and I’m excited to share tools, frameworks, and real-world stories that connect the worlds of adult learners, their children, and the broader educational landscape.

Purpose

The purpose of this session is to:

Highlight the powerful intersection of adult and K–12 education, and how edtech tools can support learning at all ages.

Introduce the Triple E Framework and Book Creator as effective tools for enhancing engagement, deepening learning, and extending connections between home and school.

Share real examples from California and Texas showing how adult education programs contribute to family literacy, digital citizenship, and generational success.

Explore OTAN’s Teaching with Technology tool and its potential to support educators across the P–20 spectrum.

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Dr. Glenda Rose - glenda.rose@tamu.edu

Ashly Winkle - awinkle@tamu.edu

Neda Anasseri - nanasseri@scoe.net

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We use the Triple E Framework in adult education to ensure that technology meaningfully engages, enhances, and extends learning in ways that are relevant to adult learners’ lives and goals. In the context of Bridging Generations, this framework supports adult learners in developing digital skills that positively impact their children’s K–12 education, promoting lifelong learning and cross-generational success.

Engage: Technology should capture adult learners’ attention and motivation, helping them stay focused and connected to learning that feels relevant; like supporting their children with school tasks or navigating digital tools used in K–12 education.

Enhance: Digital tools should deepen understanding by making learning more accessible, personalized, and applicable. For example, adults using Book Creator can practice storytelling or digital literacy while modeling academic skills their children are also learning in school.

Extend: Technology should connect learning to real-life experiences and long-term goals. When adult learners build tech skills that help them engage with schools, support homework, or access family services, they’re extending their education into their homes and communities—impacting the next generation.

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Outreach and Technical Assistance Network | Teaching with Technology - Triple E Framework

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Home | About Us | Contact Us | Locate Us | Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Sitemap

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1. How might an adult learner’s use of educational technology at home influence their child’s success in K–12 education?

2. Take a moment to think about a parent, guardian, or caregiver you’ve worked with—what impact did their learning journey have on their family’s learning culture?

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Oleksandr Pidvalnyi External Link Icon opens in new window or tab

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Outreach and Technical Assistance Network | Book Creator: Project to Promote Family Literacy

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QuinceCreative External Link Icon opens in new window or tab

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Outreach and Technical Assistance Network | Comparison Shopping with Online Department Store Sites

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Outreach and Technical Assistance Network | Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab: Family Relationships

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Outreach and Technical Assistance Network | This I Believe: The Bright Lights of Freedom

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Share with us: Your name, role in education, state/country, and email address: 

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Share with us: Your name, role in education, state/country, and email address: 

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What is one big idea or insight you’re taking away about the role of adult learners in EdTech or K–12 education?

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Which of the tools we discussed today (Triple E, Book Creator, OTAN’s Tech Tool) would you most want to explore with a family, classroom, or community learner and why?

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What questions or ideas do you have about bridging adult education and K–12 through educational technology?

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Is there a specific challenge you’re facing in your work with learners or family engagement that technology might help solve?

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Sarah Rainey

Instructional Technology Coach

Billings, Montana

Raineys@billingsschools.org

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I found your use of Book Creator to be exceptionally engaging, as it effectively involved the entire family in developing technology literacy skills. This approach fosters a collaborative learning environment that benefits everyone involved. It was evident that your primary goal was to connect with adult learners by providing them with authentic, real-world skills. These skills are not only valuable within the context of their adult education classes but are also transferable to various aspects of their professional and personal lives.