10:00 AM-11:00 AM

Presenter: Kristy Johnson

Target audience: All Instructors

Keywords: Mathematics, Motivating students to persist

Many adult learners enter our programs battling learned helplessness. The same neuroscience that empowers people to break addictions, lose weight, and recover from life-altering injuries and loss, can empower our learners to persist. The key is learned optimism! This session was presented in part at COABE, but will be fleshed out more fully, covering relevant neuroscience, and classroom applications. Participant engagement is encouraged.

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Ramona Kunkel

ramona.kunkel@maryland.gov

Echo Salisbury

echo.salisbury@maryland.gov

Presenter: Kalie Borries

2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors

Keywords: Distance learning, Digital literacy, Differentiation/Multi-level instruction, Instructional techniques, Reading strategies, Techniques to support low-literacy learners

Finding relevant and appropriate content for adult learners can be a daunting and time consuming task. In addition to finding content, creating slides and forms to assess our learners also takes up our precious free time. But...stress no more...and meet your new BFF, Diffit! Diffit is a free, AI-powered differentiation tool, that helps teachers adapt educational content to various reading levels, generate original texts, and create a variety of engaging activities. This session is led by a Diffit Certified Instructor who loves to use it to generate reading content, vocabulary lists, and text-based questions for her classes -and- seamlessly produce graphic organizers, Google Slides, Docs, or Forms with the push of a button!

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Presenter: Kalie Borries

10:00 AM-11:00 AM

Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors

Keywords: Distance learning, Digital literacy, Differentiation/Multi-level instruction, Instructional techniques, Techniques to support low-literacy learners, Instructional Technology, Artificial Intelligence

Are you interested in learning ways to create personalized or differentiated content for your adult learners in seconds, or give them tools to equip them for the real world? Your answer is MagicSchool! No, this has nothing to do with Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus, but it will help you feel less frazzled!

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9:00 AM-10:00 AM

Presenters: Jessie Thompson & Dr. Kari Everett

Target audience: ABE/GED, All Instructors, Local Program Staff

Keywords: Barrier removal/supports, Distance learning, Digital literacy, Social Studies and Science

The HyFlex model is designed to meet the adult learners needs to enroll, progress, and complete classes for student success. Many students learn best face to face but working multiple jobs and raising children sometimes does not allow students to attend in person. In alignment with the strategic plan, the HyFlex model offers students in the Adult Literacy Program (ADL) the option of course offerings in different modalities to improve student success. The empowered student selects which learning modality works best for them while the instructor utilizes the different modalities, making the design of instruction applicable to the student’s needs. Join us to talk about how the instructors implemented the HyFlex model, what feedback has been received from students, and what training took place for the instructors.

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Presenter: Nikki Sappington

1:30 PM-2:30 PM

Target Audience: ESL/ESOL

Keywords: Curriculum development, Digital literacy

Digital skills are now essential for navigating daily life, education, and employment. As such, digital literacy instruction should be integrated into adult ESL programs. Yet ESL classroom teachers often face major challenges in providing consistent, high-quality digital instruction to adult beginner ELs. Many teachers have varied digital skills and don’t feel equipped to teach technology. Students, even at the same English level, bring a wide range of digital experience, requiring differentiated instruction. Teachers are also expected to find or create materials, but many resources are behind paywalls, require logins, or don’t match learners’ needs. Limited time and technical know-how make this even harder. Teacher discomfort with technology can also unintentionally discourage students. This session shares one institution’s effort to overcome these barriers by developing a structured digital literacy program for beginning-level adult ELs. The program includes a series of ready-to-use lessons with materials and hands-on activities, delivered by designated digital literacy navigators. The presenter will outline the program’s development, share source materials used to create the digital literacy lessons, and explain how these materials were selected and adapted. Attendees will gain insight into implementation challenges, lessons learned, and practical guidance for designing similar programs.

Presenter: Nikki Sappington

Target Audience: ESL/ESOL

Keywords: Curriculum development, Digital literacy

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10:30 AM-11:30 AM

Presenter: Laura Ostrowski

Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff

Keywords: State guidance/Code of Maryland Regulations

Effective Summer 2025, several important updates impacted the Maryland Code of Regulations (COMAR) pertaining to the items that govern the High School Equivalency (HSE) examination, more commonly known as “the GED® Test.” These updates will make a Maryland high school diploma more accessible.
Updates to the regulations that govern GED® testing in Maryland include the following:Enhanced Language Access, 21st Century Testing Methods,Expanded Retest Guidelines
Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the regulatory changes, and they will depart with ideas and tips to make the most of these updates within their classrooms and adult education programs.

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Presenter:Chantal Ross

5:00 PM-6:00 PM

Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors

Keywords: Instructional techniques, Integrated English Language and Civics Education (IELCE), Reading strategies, Integrated Education and Training (IET)

Vocabulary plays a critical role in an individual’s ability to comprehend text. In this workshop, I will discuss the importance of vocabulary knowledge and share research-based strategies and routines to support vocabulary development in the classroom.

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12:00 PM- 1:00 PM

Presenter: Lindsay Little

Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff

Keywords: Barrier removal/supports, Motivating students to persist

Whether you experience goal planning as overwhelming, limiting, or mechanical, or find it inspiring, motivational, and fun, this workshop is designed to up-level your experience of goal planning. You will learn how to incorporate mindfulness and visualization practices to help bring clarity while also deepening the connection to the desired goal. Learn how to bring new methods of goal planning into your classroom in an experiential way.
At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to walk away with:
- An experience of how you can use your imagination to create your own goals.
- A tool you can use in your classroom to support goal planning.

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Presenter: Echo Salisbury

12:00 PM-1:00 PM

Target audience: All Instructors, ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, Local Program Staff

Keywords: NEDP

The National External Diploma Program has been a meaningful and rigorous program for adults seeking their Maryland High School Diploma since 1979. It is one of three diploma pathways available to adults in Maryland and often times is overlooked or misunderstood. Join this webinar to learn about NEDP's history, process, and impact in agencies across the nation, but specifically how it is an essential part of Adult Education in Maryland and how it can positively impact your learners and lead to significant outcomes.

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Presenters: Tessa Ambridge & Sarah McFarland

1:30 PM- 2:00 PM

Target audience: ESL/ESOL

Keywords: Barrier removal/supports, Curriculum development, Techniques to support low-literacy learners

Newcomer parents face many barriers to becoming active partners and participants in their children's education in the US. This is especially true for parents with very low levels of literacy in English - a population that is under-engaged both in ELL classes and in K-12 schools. This session will present a model for integrating parent engagement content into literacy-level ELL classes through local partnerships. Learn how this dual content can be utilized to help the most vulnerable immigrant and refugee populations grow their confidence in actively engaging with the US school system and partnering to help their children learn and grow. We will share the curriculum model that was adapted, content topics that are covered in our classes, and example slides used in online classes.

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Presenter:Justin Fisher

3:30 PM-4:30 PM

Target audience:All Instructors

Keywords: Distance learning, Digital literacy, Instructional techniques, Motivating students to persist, Integrated Education and Training (IET), Instructional Technology

The presentation introduces the instructional tool of DESMOS/Amplify, as a tool that instructors can use as part of their lesson or as the main medium for their lessons. Succinctly, the presented technology can serve as an alternative to the traditional lecture use of Microsoft PowerPoint®, or it can be used to help the student prepare for a specific class’s lesson (i.e., via warmup) or supplement the lesson as a tool to deliver practice problems to the student. The goals for the presentation are for the participants to have a basic understanding of DESMOS/Amplify, to understand how the classroom technology can be used within a given classroom, and to understand the difference between the teacher’s view and that of the student. Lastly, this presentation will be delivered in such a manner where the participants will have ample time to sign up and use the technology from both the instructor’s and the student’s side.

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Presenter: Echo Salisbury

Panelists: Holly Graham (NEDP State Trainer),Marianne Miller (Lead A/A),Emma Fliehman (Lead A/A) & Trudy Rice (Lead A/A).

11:00 AM-12:00 PM

Target audience:ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors

Keywords: NEDP

The National External Diploma Program is not just one of the diploma pathways for adult learners to earn their Maryland High School Diploma - it is a program led by a community of individuals dedicated to adult education and the opportunities it provides. Come to this session to learn about NEDP in Maryland through the eyes of those who work tirelessly to provide such an important pathway to our clients.

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Presenters:Betsy Ljubic & Jennifer Dennis

10:00 AM -11:00 AM

Target audience:ESL/ESOL, Local Program Staff

Keywords:Instructional techniques, Standards based instruction

Using standards helps us ensure that our instruction is purposeful, consistent, and learner-centered. It also helps us align what we teach with learners’ goals, state and federal expectations, and measurable outcomes. Participants will see examples of how to plan engaging lessons that use Adult Ed curriculum and also use resources beyond the curriculum that align with Maryland's updated ESL content standards, federal ELP Standards and CASAS competencies. Specific examples will be shared and participants will have the opportunity to practice planning an activity using the MD ESL Content Standards as their guide.

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Presenter:Laura Pykosh

4:30 PM- 5:00 PM

Target audience:All Instructors

Keywords:Differentiation/Multi-level instruction, Reading strategies, Techniques to support low-literacy learners, Writing

The Get the GIST in Reading and Writing Presentation will provide guidance in modeling and teaching the GIST strategy to help adult learners identify the main idea and key details in Informational text passages, to write short summaries that capture the essential information with clear and concise language. The GIST strategy guides the reader/writer in identifying the 5 W's and 1 H, then synthesizing the information into a main idea sentence for each paragraph. Next, the GIST strategy guides the reader/writer in synthesizing multiple main idea sentences into a summary for the entire passage.

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Presenter: Laura Pykosh

5:30 PM-6:00 PM

Target audience:All Instructors

Keywords:Barrier removal/supports

Mindfulness for Grief, Loss, Trauma, and Chronic Stress in the Classroom gives Adult Learners and Instructors an opportunity to take a mindful approach to these barriers. Instead of ignoring or avoiding these significant stressors, learners can welcome, invite and process in order to be fully present in their learning. Mindful activities presented will be short in duration (so as not to use too much classroom time) but have significant purpose in helping learners have focus and a ready to learn mindset despite barriers in life outside the classroom. These activities will include breath work, somatic exercises, visualizations, release, and management/processing strategies.

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03:00 PM- 04:00 PM

Presenter: Sherry MacKay

Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff

Keywords: Adult learning theory/How adults learn, Motivating students to persist, Professional development, Trauma-Informed Teaching

Join us for an insightful webinar exploring the connection between trauma-informed teaching, educator well-being, and student success, with an emphasis on self-awareness and nervous system regulation. The impacts of trauma are not only visible in student behavior and engagement but can also manifest in educators through stress, burnout, and emotional fatigue—often stored unconsciously in the body. This session will examine how cultivating self-awareness allows educators to recognize the physical and emotional effects of stress and trauma within themselves, and how intentional self-management strategies can support nervous system regulation. When educators develop the capacity to manage their own stress responses, they are better positioned to create stable, compassionate learning environments that foster academic and social-emotional growth. Participants will gain practical tools for integrating trauma-informed practices that enhance student learning while also protecting their own health and professional sustainability. By prioritizing both educator and student well-being, schools can create a foundation for resilience, connection, and long-term success. This webinar is designed for teachers, school leaders, and education professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of trauma’s impact and implement practices that support healthy, responsive classrooms.

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Presenter: Shelby French

10:00 AM-11:00 AM

Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff

Keywords: Adult learning theory/How adults learn, Barrier removal/supports, Curriculum development, Instructional techniques, Motivating students to persist, Professional development, Retention/Recruitment, Trauma-informed teaching

Many adult learners face significant trauma, toxic stress, and strains on mental health due to past or current violence, abuse, and economic uncertainty. For many refugees and asylees, the migration process and resettlement into life here is exceedingly difficult and the violence and oppression they left behind remains with them. This stress is compounded by current shifts in immigration policy and the insecurity it brings for students who have migrated to the United States.

Trauma and toxic stress can disrupt engagement with life and impede learning capacities. What first might look like a student not paying attention or completing work on time, could be related to PTSD or chronic and toxic levels of stress. Using trauma informed adult education strategies can empower all teachers to understand trauma in the context of the classroom, and create a learning environment that enables healing, adaptive learning, and prevention of further distress.

This workshop will focus on what “trauma” may look like in the classroom, how it can interfere with learning, and how teachers can create a safe, trauma-informed learning environment where students can thrive. The focus will be on ESL but many of the tools and strategies can apply to any classroom environment.
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Presenters: Joana Winningham, Mary Barton, & Jennifer Stadler

11:30 AM-12:30 PM

Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff

Keywords: Barrier removal/supports, Professional development

In Maryland, 20.7% of the college-educated immigrant and refugee labor force is either underemployed or unemployed, while at the same time Maryland continues to see workforce shortages. Internationally trained professionals are poised to support Maryland’s workforce with their extensive international education and work experience, and multicultural and multilingual abilities to support an ever growing global economy. This interactive workshop will bring together frontline career development experience and draw from audience experience to highlight best practices and programs that support internationally trained professionals in accessing skilled-aligned employment.

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