OTAN Digest

Digest #8
September 2021

Message From The Director

Why does the flag have 50 stars? What is the economic system in the U.S.? How many justices are on the Supreme Court? As students in our Citizenship classes prepare for U.S. naturalization, these are just a few of the questions they must be prepared to answer in their oral interview. On September 17, 1787, the Founding Fathers signed the U.S. Constitution. In memory of this event, the U.S. annually celebrates September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. Whether you are teaching a group of aspiring citizens or have a classroom full of citizens, take time this month to tap into some of the USCIS resources available to reflect on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and what it means to be a U.S. citizen. How might you use the following USCIS resources in your remote, hybrid, or in-person courses? Be creative! https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/study-for-the-test External Link Icon opens in new window or tab

September also happens to be when we celebrate National Adult Ed and Family Literacy Week from September 19-25. Commit to sharing success stories of Adult Ed students in your classes during the week. Find videos and written success stories on OTAN's Students Succeed External Link Icon opens in new window or tab website.

Think of OTAN as your one-stop-shop for technology-based resources and support. Reach out to us to learn how we can help with your training needs. Email us at support@otan.us External Link Icon opens in new window or tab. Have a wonderful month!

-Renee Collins

Spotlight On...

Back-to-School!

The start of the new school year is a great time to remind our colleagues about the resources and services that OTAN provides to the adult education field. Take a look at our back-to-school series of news items to learn more about how we support the effective application of technology in adult education classrooms:

• Create (or Update) Your OTAN Account
• OTAN Trainings
• OTAN Teaching Tools and Resources
• OTAN News Items and Social Media
• OTAN Video Presentations and YouTube Videos

If you have any questions or need more information about any of these OTAN items, please don't hesitate to reach out to us – email us at support@otan.us External Link Icon opens in new window or tab or call us at 916-228-2580. We are here to support you at the start of and throughout the school year!

OTAN AUGUST EVENTS

OTAN training events are OPEN to Adult Education staff.
★ = CLOSED, In-Service Training

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - PLAN AHEAD!

Did you know OTAN provides FREE professional development workshops to help Adult Educators integrate technology?

Think about scheduling OTAN Professional Development in the 2021-2022 school year. With a wide variety of technology topics from which to choose, OTAN training staff will present for any WIOA-funded adult education program in California either online or face-to-face with a computer lab or devices connected to the Internet. (Note that face-to-face trainings will be scheduled when it is safe and OTAN staff are free to travel.)

All OTAN's workshops are provided at no cost!

Each session is hands-on - everyone will learn new skills related to technology or using technology that they can use in their adult education class or program. And all OTAN online or face-to-face workshops can be tailored to fit the needs of the requesting program. Select the links to see a list of the current online or face-to-face workshops and descriptions. If you don't see a workshop that is exactly what you need, contact OTAN - we'll work together to create a training that's best for you and your staff!

• OTAN Online Workshops
• OTAN Face-to-Face Workshops (tailored for the virtual environment!)

Need more information? Contact OTAN training staff anytime by phone at 916-228-2580 or by email at support@otan.us

To view workshops already scheduled, visit the California Adult Education Professional Development Calendar External Link Icon opens in new window or tab and search for workshops sponsored by OTAN. Don't miss out!