Engel & Ornelas Transitioning ABE Learners to College: Notes from the Trenches

24/F 9:45 AM Kaye

Type of Presentation: 60 minute Concurrent Session

Title: Transitioning ABE Learners to College: Notes from the Trenches

Primary Strand: Learning Stratagies

Session Description:

Helping learners make the transition from a non-credit Adult Basic Education program to college credit courses is challenging. The presenters will provide a framework for discussion on strategies to identify and build on learners’ strengths to help bridge the knowledge and skills gap. Participants will be encouraged to share their knowledge and experience.

Session Summary with Brief Outline of Presentation

This session will explore how factors that influence student success in college—will, skills, self-regulation and the academic environment—can be adapted to address the needs of ABE learners who are interested in making the transition to college. The presenters will use Weinstein’s model of strategic learning as a framework for discussion. Participants will be asked to think about and share strategies they or their programs are currently using to help their learners bridge the knowledge and skills gap and prepare them for the kinds of tasks they will be expected to complete in their college courses. The goal of this session is that participants will have one or two concrete strategies to try out in their classrooms.

Session Outline:

I. Overview of Weinstein’s Model of Strategic Learning

II. Brainstorming: How strategic are our learners? What are our learners’ strengths? What are our learners’ weaknesses?

III. Small group discussion: How can we incorporate/ adapt components of this model to our ABE learners?

What should instruction focus on to help our learners become more strategic?

Where should our priorities be?

IV. Whole group discussion/ sharing

V. Goal setting: Where do we go from here?

Presenters:

Presenter #1: Laurene (Lori) Engel has an MEd in Adult Education from the University of Minnesota and is licensed to teach Adult Education in the public schools.  She is currently an instructor at Minneapolis Community Technical College in Developmental Reading and Study Skills and at Hubert Humphrey Job Corp in GED and life skills.  She has past experience teaching GED and life skills for the Hubbs Center for Lifelong Learning in St. Paul, Roseville ABE and the Ramsey County Workhouse.

Presenter #2: Johnine Ornelas has an MEd in Adult Education from the University of Minnesota and is licensed to teach adult basic education in the public schools. She currently teaches Reading and Study Skills at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and college prep classes for Minneapolis Public Schools Adult Basic Education. She has worked with a diverse population of ABE learners, from beginning to advanced English Language Learners to ABE math students.