Winter 2024

News from home

ALBERTA ROUTES: BUILDING CAPACITY IN COMMUNITY EDUCATORS

After the usual slower pace of summer, the Alberta Routes team hit the ground running in September when many Community Adult Learning Programs (CALPs) re-opened their doors – figuratively and literally.  More and more sites across the province are returning to in-person training, and we are happy to take to the roads!

Many organizations have also resumed in-person conferences, including the Association of Alberta Teachers of ESL (ATESL) of which Alberta Routes is a strategic partner.  On October 27-28, the ATESL Conference:  Resilience, Resources, and Strength in Language Teaching gathered over 400 participants in Calgary, filling the Heritage Hall of SAIT campus with the delighted chatter of old colleagues exchanging hugs and new ones making connections, the live applause after each keynote speaker, and the discussions during and after over 70 workshops and presentations.  The Alberta Routes team was privileged to have been part of the roster of presentations and delivered three workshops, all of which were well-received and well-attended: 

• Fostering Critical Thinking in ELLs
• Integrating Anti-Racism Principles in EAL Teaching Practices
• Working with Trauma-Affected ELLs

ONGOING COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENTS

Since 2020, NorQuest College with funding from Advanced Education, has been partnering with small and rural communities across Alberta to conduct community-based needs assessment studies that aim to gather comprehensive information for evidence-based decision-making and community development initiatives. This research assists CALPs and the local communities involved to identify gaps in their programming and improve adult training for residents and organizations/employers in their communities.

Currently, Alberta Routes is in the preparation stage of two (2) Community Needs Assessments with the following communities:

West Central Alberta

• Community Adult Learning at NorQuest College in Whitecourt
• Tri-Community Adult Learning Association (TRICALA) in Stony Plain
• Lobstick Literacy and Learning Society in Evansburg

 
Southern Alberta

• Lethbridge Public Library
• County of Lethbridge Community Learning Council (CLCLC) in Coaldale

 

The design for this project is rooted in community-based approaches, using a methodology developed by NorQuest through community consultation with CALP-funded organizations. Through a hybrid data collection approach, combining online surveys and face-to-face focus groups, the research is made accessible to as many community members and employers as possible. These needs assessment projects are supported by expertise from the NorQuest College Strategic Research Unit and further supported and validated by a Needs Assessment Committee.

Literacy and Learning Symposium 2024

The annual Literacy and Learning Symposium held by the Community Learning Network (CLN) is always one of the year’s highlights for those working in Community Adult Learning Programs (CALPs) across the province.

Alberta Routes is looking forward to presenting in this year’s symposium to be held on April 30-May 1, 2024 in Edmonton. We will highlight two professional development opportunities:

• Integrating Anti-Racism Principles in EAL Teaching Practices - This workshop is one of our newest offerings and provides an opportunity for EAL practitioners to consider where racism may be present in English language teaching and how to promote anti-racism in their practice.
• Orientation to the CLB-Based Placement Test – This workshop introduces a tool that CALP coordinators can use for conducting an informal assessment of learners’ Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) proficiency levels for purposes of class placement and other instructional or programming decisions.

New Workshop on Anti-Racism

In keeping with our commitment to advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the English language teaching profession, Alberta Routes has launched its newest workshop offering:  Integrating Anti-Racism in EAL Teaching Practices. The workshop was created in collaboration with Jacky Rivas, an equity and anti-oppression advocate and currently the Safe Disclosure Advisor of NorQuest College. Jacky also previously worked as a Rural Routes Regional Advisor which made her contribution to creating this workshop both appropriate and valuable.

The workshop aims to equip participants with a deeper understanding of anti-racism principles and practical strategies for integrating these principles into their teaching practice. By doing so, they will be better prepared to create welcoming and supportive spaces where learners from diverse backgrounds feel valued, seen, respected, and empowered. 

Piloted during the ATESL 2023 Conference in Calgary, the workshop sparked meaningful and engaging discussions around topics such as the implications of the term “native” English speaker, the appreciation of plurilingualism in the EAL classroom, and the unfortunate biases and stigmatization that English language learners experience.

We look forward to sharing this workshop content and fostering more open discussions and self-reflection among EAL instructors and tutors across the province. Meanwhile, here are a number of resources that can be explored by both English language teachers and adult learning practitioners for their own reflection and possible use in the planning of classroom content:

• Sue, D.W. (2015). Facilitating difficult race discussions: Five ineffective strategies and five successful strategies from Race talk and the conspiracy of silence. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Annotation:  This 7-page resource is an excerpt from a book by the same author who is a professor of Psychology and Education at the Teachers College, Columbia University. It essentially lists 5 do’s and don’ts for instructors to apply when conversations about racism happen in a classroom.

• Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre (2008).  Through the lens:  Helping newcomers speak about racism and discrimination in Canada. Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre.
• Teaching Tolerance. Let’s talk:  Discussing race, racism, and other difficult topics with students. Teaching Tolerance: A project of the Southern Poverty Law Centre.

Annotation: The above two resources offer language activities, classroom strategies, and other PD resources for English language instructors working with adults, with adaptations for K-5 learners.

From GED to CAEC

Since the start of fall, the CALP community has been abuzz with the news that the General Education Diploma (GED) exam will no longer be available beginning May 3, 2024.  The replacement for this exam is the Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC).

Phil Switzer, CALP Liaison and GED Preparation Instructor, invited representatives from Alberta Education’s Provincial Assessment department to present information on the new exam and provide insight into what learners and programs that support learners need to consider between now and May 3, 2024.

Jessica Schultchen, Director of Strategic Operations, and Jessica Handy, Canadian Assessment Lead (Math/Science) answered many of the burning questions of CALP coordinators who were present in the November 30th virtual meeting.  Some discussion highlights included:

Transitioning from the GED

• Albertans in the process of writing their GED should plan to complete all their testing by May 3, 2024. GED prep programs should continue to encourage and support learners to complete all the tests for the GED before May.
• People who have previously passed the GED will continue to have their GED Credential recognized after the CAEC is introduced. While it is recommended that people who have already started their GED complete all their tests by May 2, 2024, people will be able to finish up any remaining tests in the CAEC. For example, a person who has already passed the GED Mathematics and Science tests would only need to pass the CAEC Social Studies and English tests to obtain their CAEC.
• A website dedicated to the Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) will be launched in early 2024. Information about the credential will continue to be updated on that website, including sample tests, test outcomes and administration information.

 

Resources

• A group of provinces and territories is working on a strategy to develop resources and leverage existing resources to help people prepare for the CAEC tests.
• Prep centres are still able to use existing resources and lesson plans to help prepare candidates and develop new resources for the CAEC.
• If you are interested in developing resources to be shared with colleagues across the country, please contact EDC.CAEC@gov.ab.ca.

 

Implementation

• Approved testing centres will still be responsible for setting their own test schedules.
• Learners and test centres will be able to choose to administer the tests digitally, on paper, or both.
• Further information about administration guidelines and procedures, including accommodations and fees, will be presented at future engagements for the CALP community. More information will be provided in the new year.

Alberta Education’s GED website (https://www.alberta.ca/general-educational-development) has been updated to include a fact sheet on the CAEC Questions can also be addressed to the assessment team at EDC.CAEC@gov.ab.ca.
 

Teaching Resources

EAL tutors and instructors play a vital role in supporting newcomers to develop English language competence, intercultural competence, and workplace essential skills so they can overcome barriers and better prepare for employment in Canada. Two main organizations -- Alberta Workplace Essential Skills Society (AWES) and the Canadian Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA) – have been providing practice teaching resources, particularly for English language learners with lower proficiency levels. Click on the links below for access to workbooks and videos, particularly for CLB 1-5 learners:

AWES: English for Workplace Safety

Working Faster, Working Safer Workbook (2019)

• CLB 1-2 Workbook
• CLB 3-5 Workbook

Workforce Participation, Workbook 1 (CLB 3-5)

Workforce Participation, Workbook 2 (CLB 5-8)

CIWA: Employment Training for Low-Literacy Women

 

CIWA Educational Curriculum

Videos on Employment Topics:

• Applying for a Job in Person
• Decision-Making
• Think Before You Speak
• Making Choices