1. Connecting the Adult Education Field: On-Demand Professional Development Benefits of the U.S. Department of Education’s Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) February 26, 2016 LINCS is funded by the U.S. Department of Education - Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education. It is comprised of the Resource Collection, managed by Kratos Learning, the Regional Professional Development Centers, and the Technical Contractor, Quotient, Inc.

2. Today’s Agenda  Overview of LINCS  Resource Collection  LINCS Learner Center  LINCS Community  LINCS Learning Portal  Regional Professional Development Centers  Wrap Up 2

3. Vision for LINCS 3 “widely known, widely used, and well-regarded information and communication service” 1 1 http://lincs.ed.gov/lincs/about/history_vision.htmlhttp://lincs.ed.gov/lincs/about/history_vision.html The U.S. Department of Education’s goal is for LINCS to be a

4. Why Should You Visit LINCS Regularly? LINCS provides you with the information, resources, professional development activities, and online network you need to enhance your practice and ensure your adult students receive high-quality learning opportunities. 4 http://lincs.ed.gov/ LINCS is funded by the U.S. Department of Education - Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education. It is comprised of the Resource Collection, managed by Kratos Learning, the Regional Professional Development Centers, and the Technical Contractor, Quotient, Inc.

5. LINCS Makes a Difference 5  A Resource Collection containing high-quality, evidence- based materials in 16 topic areas critical to the field  An online Community of Practice where you can share and collaborate with your peers  A Learning Portal where you can engage in self-paced and facilitated professional development courses  Four Regional Professional Development Centers (RPDCs) that deploy evidenced-based PD trainings to states For a video overview of LINCS, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3bq6Mdn2Qg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3bq6Mdn2Qg How can LINCS help you with your work? It offers:

6. Making Skills Everyone’s Business 6

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9. How Are Your Needs Being Addressed? Where do you go for information to help you with your work? 9

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11. Resource Collection 11

12. Resource Collection Topic Areas  Adult English Language Learners  Assessment  Career Pathways  College and Career Standards  Correctional Education  Disabilities in Adult Education  Diversity & Literacy  Evidence-based Professional Development  Financial Literacy  Health Literacy  Math and Numeracy  Postsecondary Completion  Program Management  Reading and Writing  Science  Technology & Learning 12

13. Featured LINCS Resource 13  Resources:  Teacher’s Guide  Student Resource Book Staying Healthy for Beginners is a curriculum to enhance students’ understanding of health information while improving their English language and literacy skills.

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15. Activity: LINCS Website  Use the search feature to locate a resource in the Resource Collection by entering a keyword and selecting a topic area.  Explore the Learner Center. Locate one resource that might be helpful to a student.  Search America’s Literacy Directory to find an education program near you. 15

16. What is a Community of Practice? A group of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis. ~Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. 16

17. LINCS Community  Sixteen groups that discuss, review, and share issues, strategies, and resources relevant to adult education  Moderated by experts in online facilitation  Group members can receive email notifications about community activity immediately or in digest format  Join at: https://community.lincs.ed.govhttps://community.lincs.ed.gov 17

18. LINCS Community Membership  Administrator/Administrative Support  Employer  Instructor  Health Professional  Librarian  Professional Developer  Professional Services  Researcher  Student  Volunteer/Tutor 18

19. Mini Tour of the LINCS Community 19

20. Activity— Getting Started in the Community 1. Become a community member (if you are not already). 2. Find the My LINCS tab. 3. Look at the ways you can update your profile— be sure to add your picture when able. 4. Check out the events calendar. 5. Locate the search function and search for the “User Code of Conduct.” 6. Set your email notifications delivery preferences. 20

21. Learning Portal  The LINCS Learning Portal is an open- access, web-based learning platform that enables learners, instructors, and organizations to access online learning opportunities.  Courses are free, include multimedia activities, and provide participants with a certificate of completion. 21

22. Learning Portal Content Areas  Adult Career Pathways  English Language Learner University (ELL-U)  Learning to Achieve (L2A)  LINCS Science  LINCS Technology and Learning  Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy (TEAL) 22

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24. Featured Course: Integrating Technology 24

25. Featured Courses: LINCS Science Courses  Engaging Adult Learners in Science  Scientific Practices in Context: Curricular Planning and Lesson Development  Project-based Science Instruction for Career Preparation http://lincs.ed.gov/courses 25

26. Regional Professional Development Centers (RPDCs) 26 World Education, Inc. Center for Literacy, Education, and Employment Ohio Literacy Resource Center Peninsula Library System and LiteracyWorks

27. RPDCs’ Mission The LINCS RPDCs are designed to:  Disseminate Adult Education Professional Development (AEPD) materials to adult education and related organizations  Collaborate closely with eligible agencies to organize and deliver virtual or in-person AEPD  Foster the use of new technologies by adult educators 27

28. LINCS RPDCs’ Ongoing Activities Professional Development and Training Activities  Adult Numeracy Instruction (ANI)  Teaching Adults to Read  Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy (TEAL)  Online study circles in several content areas including: Self- Determination, Preparing Students for College, Adult Numeracy, Adult Learner Motivation  Presentations at national conferences (American Association for Adult & Continuing Education, U.S. Conference on Adult Literacy/Proliteracy, Commission on Adult Basic Education, National Center for Family Literacy Conference, and others)  Professional development & training at state conferences 28

29. Featured LINCS Training 29  Institute 1: Number Sense (whole numbers and money) and Geometry  Institute 2: Number Sense (fractions/decimals/ percents) and Data, Statistics, and Graphs  Institute 3: Number Sense (integers) and Algebra Adult Numeracy Initiative-Professional Development (ANI-PD) for state cohorts (3, 2-day institutes w/ regional meetings and communities of practice)

30. Don’t Miss a Beat; Connect with LINCS  Join the Community: https://community.lincs.ed.govhttps://community.lincs.ed.gov  Access the Learning Portal: http://lincs.ed.gov/courseshttp://lincs.ed.gov/courses  Search the Resource Collection: http://lincs.ed.gov/collections http://lincs.ed.gov/collections  Follow the latest updates: @LINCS_ED  Join our professional group: LINCS_ED  Watch webinar archives and more: LincsEd 30

31. Follow Us for LINCS Updates 31 @LINCS_ED Join our group: LINCS_ED

32. Contact Us Name: Beth Ann Ponder Title: Professional Development Specialist Email address: baponder@tamu.edu 32 LINCS Website: http://lincs.ed.gov/http://lincs.ed.gov/ LINCS Help: info@lincs.ed.govinfo@lincs.ed.gov