LENKA BRAGGPATRICIA SHAPIRO -SOYDANSER

HEATHER TURNGREN

ACES: Academic, Career & Employability Skills

ACES - Overview

ATLAS (ABE Teaching & Learning Advancement System) project to advance transitions instruction for all ABE learners in Minnesota

Transitions = transitioning learners to post-secondary or employment

National and State initiatives

ACES cohort included 3 base groups of 24 teachers

ACES – Professional Development

Integration of ACES framework into existing curriculum from January - May

Readings in transition areas and researchVideo observations and tasksMoodle instructional modulesOnline discussions with base groups and

facilitatorsLesson planning 2 peer observationsFinal group presentations

ACES Transitions Integration Framework

Career Literacy / AwarenessCritical ThinkingEffective CommunicationLanguage and Learning StrategiesNavigating and Understanding One’s EnvironmentNumeracySelf-ManagementTechnology

ACES Framework: Focused, Intentional Tool for Lesson Planning.

Questions I ask myself when I plan my lessons:

How can I address the eight areas of the framework?

What activities will help my students in their jobs or their academic futures?

Career Literacy/ Awareness

Conduct mock job interviews

Research jobs with MnCareers Books (www.iseek.com)

Integrate grammar into filling out job accident report forms

Critical Thinking

Incorporate higher order questions

Compare, contrast and evaluate prices based on information from flyers

Compare money matters in the U.S. and your country

Scavenger Hunt to predict the topic of the lesson

Evaluate different community resources and decide which is most useful

Effective Communication

Use sentence strips to match symptoms and illnesses

Games Role play symptoms, guess illness Partners A/B exchange information Partners share one worksheet Jigsaw reading Practice taking on various team roles

(scribe, time keeper, speaker, etc.)

Language and Learning Strategies

Use graphic organizers (Venn Diagram, grid, schedule, T-chart)

Read for specific purpose

Scan community resources

Navigating and Understanding One’s Environment

Discuss the importance of job accident report forms

Fill out a checking account application, checks, withdrawal forms

Discuss advantages and disadvantages of using credit cards vs. cash

Indentify a personal need, contact a community resource

Numeracy

Compare unit prices

Fill out a withdrawal form

Calculate age

Calculate how many times you can get a prescription refill

Self-Management

Organize class materials in 3-ring binders per established order

Use a calendar to track attendance and important dates

Track CASAS test scores using graphs

Set specific learning goals

Technology

Scan documents and project them in class

Use technology to locate information and communicate

Endless opportunities

Patricia’s ACES Work

Participants’ Feedback

ACES helped with: lesson planning focused on frameworklessons being more intentionallessons that were more focuseda focus on how to teach, not what to teachtransforming teaching making students become more self-sufficient

and self motivatedengaging students

Participants’ Feedback

ACES is …holistic and purposefula ‘mindset’ change not a curriculumtailored to all levelsa way to make your teaching more intentional

and deliberatea toolbox for teaching

ACES is…

ACES is…

ACES is…

Future of ACES

ACES Integration Framework will be adjusted with recommendations of ACES Participants and ACES Advisory Group

ACES Participants will present in their programs/sites

Plan is for state-wide use by all ABE teachers in Minnesota in future

Other states are interested in the ACES Framework