Generative AI for Curriculum Development

This two-hour webinar presentation and workshop on using generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) for curriculum development is intended for adult (foundational) education teachers, tutors and curriculum developers. This on-demand session was originally recorded as a webinar on Friday, November 8, 2024.

Following a brief introduction in which participants will learn what generative AI is, and about some of the free and other tools that are currently available, participants will learn about some of the current opportunities, challenges and concerns with using gen-AI including examples of these. They will see a real-time demonstration of how to use ChatGPT 4 to create a curriculum for specific kinds and levels of adult learners, including creating lesson plans for particular kinds of learners with specific interests or needs and at specific levels. Through viewing and discussing this demonstration participants will see what they might experience in using ChatGPT 4 for curriculum development and how it might be helpful in curriculum development and lesson planning. Then, using ChatGPT 4 they will create a curriculum individually or in pairs that is customized to their students’ needs. We will then discuss together the opportunities and challenges they found in creating their first draft curricula. Although participants who do not yet have a free ChatGPT 4 account are encouraged to get one before the webinar, those who do not have accounts will need to get them during the webinar to create their curriculum.

To get an Open AI Chat GPT 4 account, including to a free beginner account, participants may go to https://openai.com/chatgpt/pricing

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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

David J. RosenDr. David J. Rosen president of Newsome Associates, a consulting firm in Boston, MA. He is a co-author of Guide for Design and Implementation of Hybrid–Flexible (HyFlex) Models in Adult Education and of two online guides: Blended Learning for the Adult Education Classroom and The What, Why Who and How of Blended Learning for Adult Basic Skills Learners . He was the author and editor of the Adult Literacy Education Journal’s “Technology Solutions for Adult Foundational Education Challenges” column and is the author of two blogs https://sites.google.com/view/david-j-rosen-blog/home and hdavidjrosen.wordpress.com. He has recently provided consulting, advising and/or professional development services to the World Education EdTech Center, the Illinois Digital Learning Lab; ProLiteracy; Georgia State University’s Center for the Study of Adult Literacy; and the University of Memphis. A major theme of his work is ways to integrate technology in adult education that engage learners online and in-person including for Adult Basic and Secondary Education, and English for Speakers of Other Languages.

Building a Strong and Supportive Learning Community in the Classroom

This two-hour recorded webinar, originally recorded on Friday, October 18, 2024, details why fostering a sense of community is essential for an educational environment. Adult education programs are no different. As educators, we can further strengthen a sense of community for our adult students through a variety of ways, including offering supplemental clubs, inviting students to participate in events both inside and outside the classroom, and providing opportunities for them to engage with one another in a socio-academic environment. All of these have a positive impact in the classroom through increased retention and academic performance. The benefits extend beyond the classroom as well, boosting self-esteem, improving relationships among students and educators, and cultivating lifelong learning practices.
In this session, Krawiec will explain the benefits of building strong learning communities, especially through supplemental clubs, and share methods by which other organizations could implement similar strategies.
In this session, participants will learn about:
  • Importance of creating community in the classroom
  • Examples of different ways to create community
  • How to implement in your own classroom/program
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Kara Kraweic smiles at the camera

Photo courtesy: Kara Kraweic

Kara Krawiec earned her Master of Arts degree in Literature from John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH. Upon graduation, she became an adjunct professor at several local colleges, teaching developmental reading and writing courses.

In 2017, she found Seeds of Literacy, an adult literacy non-profit in Cleveland, OH and served as the Site Coordinator for the organization’s East side location for seven years. Recently, she was promoted to Director of Student Success, helping students with college and career readiness. During her time at Seeds, she has focused not only on students’ individual needs, but the need for a strong learning community as well.

In 2018, Kara accepted the inaugural ProLiteracy Hero Award. In October 2023, she was awarded the Sharon Stubbe-Davis Outstanding Teacher Award. Kara’s dedication to creating a strong community extends beyond the classroom and has driven her to share her experience and expertise with her fellow educators by presenting at several state and national conferences. For the last two years, she has been presenting and facilitating small group coaching sessions as part of ProLiteracy’s Teacher Training Plus.

Mastering the Science of Reading

This two-part, five-hour training series is targeted to literacy professionals outside of the K-12 context; all are invited to participate. This on-demand course was originally available as a two-part webinar series from 9:30am to noon EST on Fridays September 20th and October 4th, 2024.

This session is designed for educators, literacy specialists, and anyone passionate about improving reading outcomes for learners of all ages. Participants will dive into the science of reading—a research-based approach that blends cognitive science, neuroscience, and educational psychology to understand how reading develops in the brain. This training focuses on instructional strategies recommended by research to teach reading across the life span which are applicable to a variety of settings. It does not include specifics on policy, curriculum or implementation in K-12 schools.

Key Learning Objectives:

  • The Basics: Gain an understanding of the five components of reading including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
  • Assessment: Learn strategies for assessing learners on the 5 components of reading.
  • Interventions: Learn strategies to help learners in each of the five components, including using data-driven decision-making to tailor instruction.

Outcomes: By the end of this training, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to implement reading instruction grounded in scientific research, improve student reading outcomes, and contribute to closing the literacy gap in their schools and communities.

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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Carmine Stewart, PhD is the Director of the Aspire Program at the Neighborhood Centers Association in Cleveland, Ohio. Carmine has worked in adult literacy for eighteen years as a volunteer tutor, instructor, program coordinator, program director, instructional designer, professional developer, researcher, and content developer.  She is passionate about helping beginning adult readers, and educating educators about learning and instruction. She dreams of eliminating illiteracy as a social problem and recently started a company “Ending Illiteracy” to extend her work assisting beginning readers beyond the adult literacy space.  Carmine is the President and CEO of Aspire Consulting and Educational Services, conducting research, evaluation, professional development, executive coaching, and diversity training. Carmine is the President of the Ohio Association of Adult and Continuing Education (OAACE), the moderator for the United States Department of Education’s LINCS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Community, the Chair of the Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers (AALPD), and a member of the NAACP Education Committee. Carmine earned her doctorate from Cleveland State University in August 2012 after defending her dissertation, “Teacher Preparation and Professional Development in Adult Literacy Education.”

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