September 20, 2018
Creating a Flexible Classroom
The adult education classroom environment plays an important role in learning. Edutopia has created The A to Z of Flexible Classrooms to gather the best research, tips, and strategies for experimenting with flexible seating arrangements. Though the site is geared toward K-12 teachers, there is a focus on high school which can be helpful for adult educators. There is also information about funding your classroom transformation.

Or, if you like to see ideas visually, explore this photo-essay from Edutopia that shows a few ideas for flexible seating in a classroom.
Teaching Tips and Resources
Readworks.org Quick Start Guide for students
Do you want to use Readworks articles in your classroom but don't know how to get your students started? Readworks.org has shared a downloadable Quick Start Guide for students, available in slightly different forms for students in a rostered class , students in a Google sign-in class , or students in a Google Classroom .
Edutopia: Important Questions to Ask Your Students
A recent Edutopia article provides a practical list of questions that you should be asking your students, or if not asking directly, at least finding ways to discover this information or inspire conversations. There are questions about themselves, about the home they are coming from, and about their thoughts on education and class. Though the article is geared for K-12 teachers, the ideas here are completely usable in the adult education world. If you want to find easy ways to better get to know your students, look over this list.
High School Equivalency (HSE) Updates and Resources
HiSET® updated resources
Educational Testing Services (ETS) has updated its downloadable resources and made a new version of the Officia l HiSET® Pr actice Test available only to adult educators and test center staff. Don't know where to start? Check out the HiSET® Program Manual for test center administrators .
Professional Development Opportunities
PAACE Conference proposals
Presentation ideas are also being accepted for the 2019 PAACE Conference in State College, PA, on March 11-12, 2019. If you have an idea that can help others in adult education, from administrators to caseworkers, from teachers, to tutors, submit a presentation proposal .
COABE Virtual Conference
The Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) will hold a Fall Virtual Conference online, October 25-26, 2018. This national online opportunity will include eight one-hour sessions each day, as well as presenter chats and Q&A and networking opportunities. Individual or group rates are available, as well as registration for one or both days. However, PAACE members can attend for free. See the online agenda and session details .
COABE 2019 Conference proposals
Do you have an idea that should be shared with the world? COABE is calling for presenter proposals for the 2019 COABE Conference in New Orleans, LA on March 31 to April 3, 2019. Session lengths of one, three, or six hours can fit your needs. Gather your best ideas and learn more online .
State and National Adult Education News
Voter registration deadline is October 9th
The upcoming Election Day will have many Pennsylvania positions on the ballot: the governor of Pennsylvania, as well as one US Senator and all US Representatives representing Pennsylvania in Washington, half of our state Senate, and all state Representatives in Harrisburg. As non-profit organizations, we cannot support individual candidates, but we should encourage our students to vote and show them how to learn more about the issues and candidates. Send students to www.votepa.com to learn more.
PAACE strategic plan roll-out recap
This month, PAACE held a webinar to share the new Strategic Plan. If you did not attend, you can view the presentation slides and read the Strategic Plan itself in PDF version.
LINCS News
Community, Courses, and Resources for Adult Education
Check o ut LINCS ! LINCS is a place for adult educators to share ideas and resources; pose questions to other adult educators; find free, evidence-based instructional materials and professional development resources; and take over 20 free, self-paced, online courses. Below are highlighted resources for September:

Highlighted resources:
Grants and Scholarships
$1 Billion Wage Gain Challenge
Jobs for the Future (JFF) has announced a grant competition called the $1 Billion Wage Gain Challenge . The goal of this competition is to increase the annual wages of at least 100,000 low- and middle-income US workers by $10,000 each by 2021. This would be a $1 billion increase in wages. To make this happen, JFF is supporting new and existing ideas and encouraging those exploring innovative approaches and solutions. The period to apply for a grant runs from September 24 to November 25, 2018.
PAACE Conference mini-grants for attendance
Perhaps you want to attend the 2019 PAACE Conference on March 11-12, 2019, in State College, PA, but you do not have the funds. Consider submitting an application for a mini-grant to cover the full registration cost. You must apply by December 1, 2018.
Custom searching for your next grant
GetEdFunding.com has updated its Custom Search features.They have narrowed the geographical feature so you can find more localized funding sources. They have also honed in on different school types, and you can now save your search. Learn more in a recent blog post .
Job Posting
The job postings below are for adult basic education programs that are funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and, at least in part, by WIOA Title II funds. They can also be found on the paadultedresources.org website. To post a job, please email the job advertisement to   lbailey@tiu11.org . 
PA Adult Education Resources
Upcoming State and National Conferences
State and National Newsletters
These are state or national organizations' newsletters that may be of interest to you. To receive the most recent editions by email, please subscribe directly to the newsletter. 

World Education/U.S., Features resources and information from World Education projects including The Change Agent, College for Adults, E-Learning, LINCS Region 1 Professional Development Center, National College Transitional network, and many others.  

Families Learning: News of the Week,  National Center for Families Learning:
Features information and resources for family literacy, early childhood education, and parent education  

Rural Perspectives, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, Features data and research findings related to a variety of topics relevant to rural PA

GED® In Session, GED Testing Service®, Features news and information related to the GED® test

Workforce GPS, Workforce3 One, Features career pathways and workforce development information