MCAEL :: Teach A Class

Professional Development:

MCAEL's Fall 2010 Professional Development Institute has begun and is accepting registrations. MCAEL is offering the following workshops for instructors at all levels. Space is limited for these complimentary workshops led by local and nationally recognized experts (valued at about $30/hour/person), so send in applications early!

In order to attend, an application needs to be submitted. The applications are reviewed by the trainers prior to the workshops. For an application, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact Heather Ritchie at hritchie@mcael.org or 301-881-3177.

Exploring the MCAEL Teacher Toolkit & Investigating the World of Adult ESOL
September 10, 2010 (Friday), 6:00-9:00pm (Zervos & Ritchie)
This 3-hour workshop is designed to help teachers develop their awareness of the unique nature of teaching Adult ESOL through a brief introduction to adults learners, second language acquisition skills, learning styles, teaching skills, communicative language teaching and lesson planning. Each participant will receive a hard copy of the teacher toolkit. The training is intended for individuals just starting to work or volunteer in ESOL; however, it is also a great opportunity for those with more experience to refresh and reconnect with current research, theories and practical ideas. Training will be co-led by Melissa Zervos of Montgomery College’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education Program and Heather Ritchie, Program Manager at MCAEL and ESOL Instructor. Location: Conference room @ Nonprofit Village/MCAEL offices*

More Learning, Less Teaching
October 16 and 23rd 2010 (2-day training), Saturdays, 9:30-4:30pm (Couper & Menjivar)
MCAEL is offering a new and exciting opportunity for teachers to examine and use some proven Adult ESOL techniques in a 14-hour training. Instructors will explore the principals of adult learning and how to structure a class. Instructors will participate in multiple classroom activities that can be used in the ESOL classroom. In addition, participants will learn about using realia in the classroom and upon completion of the course, receive a workshop bag full of materials for their own use (including uno cards, metro maps, personal white board and more)! Finally, participants will walk-through how to plan and implement a lesson in combination with or without a textbook that fits the needs of learners. The focus of this training is on helping learners learn and how the instructor can facilitate the learning process. Along with the practical activities and theory, participants will receive a copy of the ESL Forward Instructional Manual . Location: Conference room @ Nonprofit Village/MCAEL offices*

This is the first part of a train-the-trainer program and those wishing to become trainers of this workshop will have the opportunity to do so in the future. The training was developed by Heide Spruck-Wrigley in collaboration with LCCT and adapted by MCAEL and the Master Trainers, who participated in the initial phase of the train-the-trainer process. (This training is valued at approximately $200/person/day. Each participant will walk away with a bag of teaching materials valued at $80.

Pronunciation of American English
November 19, 2010,Friday, 6-9pm (Thompson)
This 3-hour workshop will look at some basics of American English pronunciation, with a focus on one aspect -- perhaps the most important -- of pronunciation: stress. This workshop will discuss why stress is key to comprehensibility. American English has a unique rhythm based on which words and syllables are stressed and which are not. A significant amount of meaning is communicated by stress and when it's not addressed, communication suffers. We'll look at the many levels of stress: syllable stress, word stress, phrase stress, sentence stress, and contrastive stress. But, it won't be stressful! You'll get the chance to participate in lively activities you can use with your students to heighten their awareness of and improve their ability to produce American English stress patterns. Workshop will be led by Shirley Thompson. Location: Conference room @ Nonprofit Village/MCAEL offices*

Tackling Technology: Tools and Techniques for Success
December 10, 2010, Friday, 6-9pm, (Gonzalez)
How do you use technology in the classroom? What is technology? How can using technology in the classroom help the learners meet their goals outside of the classroom? Is it really too expensive or difficult to use? From using a pencil to computers and from cell phones to cds to ipods, this workshop will explore how instructors can and have used technology locally in the classroom. Instructors will have the opportunity to share lesson plans and have time to work hands-on with some computer/internet programs. Location: TBD*

*Workshops held at the MCAEL offices are located at 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852 – signage in front of the building shows JCA and Nonprofit Village.

These workshops are offered thanks to the generous support of Montgomery County Government, Lockheed Martin, Cafritz Foundation, the United Way of the National Capital Area, and individuals like you.

Reference Documents:

Click here to download NIFL Technology Report

Upcoming Provider and Instructor Meetings and Workshops:

September 29, 2010, Wednesday, 3-5pm
Provider and Instructor Network Meeting (Topic: TBD)

October 20, 2010,Wednesday, 10am-12noon
Provider Workshop/Network Meeting (Topic: Assessment)

November 10, 2010, Wednesday, 2:30pm-4:30pm
Provider Workshop/Network Meeting (Topic: Student Goals)

December 15, 2010, Wednesday, 3-5pm
Provider and Instructor Network Meeting (Topic TBD)

Additional Trainings & Events:

LCMC Citizenship Workshop for students, tutors and teachers
LCMC is hosting a workshop on citizenship and immigration on Monday, September 20 from 6.30 – 8.00 pm, Rockville Library, meeting room #2.
It will be a panel discussion with representatives from CIS and a law firm. Topics will include:

Naturalization: Guidelines for qualification, How to apply, Review of application, Interview process, Mock interview, How to check on status of a case
Green Card: Guidelines for qualification/who is eligible, How to apply, Issues e.g., divorce/death/arrest
Work Authorization: Guidelines for qualification, Employers obligations, Employees rights, What if I overstay?
Visas: General overview and guidelines, What if I overstay?
Asylum: General overview

It will mainly be geared to students, but both tutors and teachers are invited to attend as well. Students should have a basic comfort level of English as the presentation will be English, but family members are welcome to attend to help with translation.
If people would like to attend, please RSVP to the Literacy Council at 301.610.0030.

Montgomery College TESOL Training Institute
Are you interested in teaching adult ESOL learners? Do you have the passion and commitment to gain a certificate in TESOL? If so, come and learn more information about Montgomery College’s TESOL Training Institute. For more information or to sign up for the information session, please contact Nancy Newton at 240 567 8169 or Nancy.Newton@montgomerycollege.edu

Instructor Email List

Sign up for our Teacher Training mailing list to receive regular announcements on scheduled trainings and other professional development opportunities. To sign up, please contact us at connect@mcael.org

Past Meetings and Trainings:

ESOL 101 Part 1/Part 2 (Zervos):
September 25th, 2009 (Friday), 6-9pm/October 2nd, 2009 (Friday), 6-9pm

ESOL Everyday English (Gonzalez):
October 23rd, 2009 (Friday), 6-9pm

Program Staff & Administrators:
ESOL Programs: Running, Reviewing and Renewing (Zervos/Bushey):
November 20th, 2009, 3pm-5pm

This workshop focuses on bridging the gap between instruction and administration. It is designed for ESOL providers, staff and other professionals who are new to the field of ESOL as well as those who have worked in the field for years. Understand what your teachers are doing in the classroom and how to continue running a healthy and effective program. Questions to be addressed include: Who are your learners? What are your assumptions? What new research and data exists in the field of ESOL? Taught by Caralyn Bushey and Melissa Zervos. Date: Friday, November 20th, 2009 from 3pm-5pm. Location: MCAEL office, 12320 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD 20852

Mastering the Madness and Magic of Multilevel Classes (Adelson-Goldstein):
December 3rd, 2009, (Thursday), 6-8:30pm

Multilevel classes are part magic, part madness. Participants in this demonstration will explore instructional strategies that address the challenges inherent in meeting students’ diverse needs. Strategies include building class community, linking level objectives, and using both same-ability and different-ability groups for practice activities. Reproducible lesson plans and activity sheets provided. Taught by Jayme Adelson-Goldstein, co-author of the Oxford Picture Dictionary. Location: Crossway Community Center, 3015 Upton Drive, Kensington, MD 20895. Free parking available in lot.

Instructor and Provider Meeting - Information and Resource Exchange
Friday, December 18th, 2009. 2-4pm

Pronunciation Techniques & Tools (Barr):
November 14th, 2009 (Saturday), 9am-12:30pm

This workshop introduces a new perspective on teaching and thinking about pronunciation as a key to effective conversational skills. Learn about what the brain is hiding from you and doesn’t want you to know! Then, learn some practical tools and techniques for teaching pronunciation in the classroom. Come join is in early November for a special workshop by Robin Barr, Linguist-in-Residence in the Department of Language and Foreign Studies & adjunct in the American University TESOL program.
Location: Crossway Community Center, 3015 Upton Drive, Kensington, MD 20895. Free parking available in lot.

MCAEL Spring 2010 Professional Development Institute
The trainings are for instructors at all levels. All trainings are complimentary for current volunteer and paid instructors in Montgomery County and will be held at the MCAEL offices located at 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852. An application needs to be submitted in order to attend. If you have any questions, please contact heather Ritchie at hritchie@mcael.org or 301-881-3177.

ESOL 101 Part 1/Part 2 (Melissa Zervos) *
January 22nd, 2010 (Friday), 6-9pm and January 29th, 2010 (Friday), 6-9pm
This 6-hour training is designed to help teachers develop their ESOL teaching skills. The training is intended for individuals just starting to work or volunteer in ESOL; however, it is also a great opportunity for those with more experience to refresh and reconnect with current research, theories and practical ideas. Topics include characteristics of adult learners, writing lesson plans, incorporating visual aids into an ESOL class, managing multiple levels in one classroom, and assessing student learning. Training will be led by Melissa Zervos of Montgomery College’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education Program.

RFP Q&A/Creative & Practical Strategies for Raising Resources
Wednesday, February 24th, 9am-12noon
This meeting will be in 2 parts:
(1) MCAEL RFP Informational session, with questions and answers on the release of the MCAEL RFP and;
(2) Creative and Practical Strategies for Raising Resources, a workshop designed to assist providers with raising new resources for your organization..

Creative and Practical Strategies for Raising Resources Workshop Description:
We all know that government funding has shrunk, foundations have cut back, individuals are stretched thin, we're spending all our time energy keeping our programs running, and wondering how we're going to meet payroll. Sound familiar? What do we do? This workshop will provide an overview of promising practices for a range of resource development strategies - from earned income to different uses of volunteers. It will help participants think about creative and practical things they can do to increase resources for their organization, and provide space for participants to share their own experiences and ideas. Led by Hilary Binder Aviles of MOSAICA. Please RSVP if you are planning to attend. No application is required.

Helping Students Learn using the Written Word (Caralyn Bushey)*
February 26th, 2010 (Friday), 6-9pm
What is Content Learning? Content learning is the acquisition of information from written material. Common examples of content learning that ESOL students need to deal with include: citizenship test, employment manuals and preparation for a degree. This hands-on workshop will provide instructional strategies to help make content from written material more manageable for low-literacy individuals. These strategies are appropriate and effective for ESL students as well as for individuals with learning disabilities. This workshop is part of The National Institute for Literacy's Learning to Achieve training cycle.

Provider and Instructor Workshop – Learner Persistence with Sarah Lynn,
Friday, March 12th 9:30am-12noon
Sarah Lynn, an ESL and EFL teacher for 20 years and author of the adult ESOL textbook, Future, will lead a workshop for providers and instructors on learner persistence. She will explore common reasons learners drop out of adult education. She will also briefly identify research-supported measures that can strengthen our adult learners’ ability to persist and achieve their educational goals. Participants will brainstorm and evaluate various persistence building measures they may want to adopt for their programs and classrooms. Please RSVP for this workshop. No application is required. This workshop is open to providers and instructors.

Using Data to Manage Your Program - From Mystery to Mastery
Thursday, April 29th 9:30am-12pm
MCAEL Offices at the Nonprofit Village (12320 Parklawn Dr, Rockville MD)
Guest Trainer: Ken Weiner, Montgomery College
The training meeting will focus on how you can use data to support your own program and will introduce tools for managing student records. The meeting will also explore how MCAEL and providers use data to advocate for English language programming in Montgomery County and beyond. It will also touch on how you can use the data to inform choices you make within your program. During the workshop, you will have the opportunity to work with the data you collected (MCAEL grantees should bring mid-year report data to the session). This training is open to program directors, managers, or any staff who handle data management. This training is mandatory for grantees.

Communicative Activities for ESOL (Lynda Terrill)
April 23rd, 2010 (Friday), 6-9pm
Learn techniques and activities to actively engage learners in your classes. The trainer will model a variety of communicative activities throughout the training. Instructors will participate in the activities and leave with a set of practical ideas for helping ESOL learners practice their English skills. Location:MCAEL offices located at 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852

ESOL Everyday English (Jose Gonzalez)
May 13, 2010 (Thursday) - 6pm
This workshop will provide you with a way to think about teaching adults basic conversational English skills. This training is great for beginning teachers just starting out and experienced teachers, who want a different approach to teaching English in the U.S. Learn how to help your students speak, pronounce and understand everyday English. Training will be led by Jose Gonzalez of SED Center. Location:MCAEL offices located at 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852

Montgomery County Education, Training and Workforce Providers

Do you want to help your clients:
•find a job?
•access training programs to help them prepare for their next job?
•develop new skills, such as English, literacy or career specific skills?

Join us on June 14th to
Meet new partners that can support the education, workforce and vocational needs of your clients
Share your thoughts and experiences with a community of providers
Learn about services offered by Montgomery College, Montgomery Works and MCAEL, and hear the results of our latest survey
Tour Montgomery County’s One-Stop Workforce Center

June 14th, 2010
1pm – 3pm
Light refreshments

MontgomeryWorks One-Stop Centerat the UpCounty Regional Services Center
12900 Middlebrook Road
Germantown, MD 20874
Phone: 240-777-2050

Hosted by representatives of:
The Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy (MCAEL)
MontgomeryWorks
Montgomery College

Please RSVP to connect@mcael.org to confirm your attendance at this event.