Virtual Training Institute (VTI) - September 14-18, 2026 - Adult Education and Literacy Services
Maryland’s Department of Labor, Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning offers the Virtual Training Institute annually to support improved learner outcomes in adult education. These opportunities provide targeted, innovative, and thoughtful professional development offerings for all adult education stakeholders. Participation is open to all and the content is offered at no cost. Sessions vary from 30-minute teaching tips to 1-hour conceptual discussions around topics specific to adult education. Together we can strengthen the instructional foundation in Maryland and improve student outcomes.
VTI 11.0 Contacts, Registration Details, and Proof of Participation Information
You must register separately for each session you wish to attend.
Click the “REGISTER HERE” link at the end of each session description in this Padlet to complete the Zoom webinar registration. You will then receive a confirmation via email directly from Zoom for that session.
If you have not received your registration confirmation email in your inbox, please take a moment to check your SPAM folder as well.
Participants will receive a Proof of Participation email from Zoom within 24 hours for each webinar they attend live.
Attendees must be present for a duration of at least 80% of the active event to receive these emails from Zoom.
Please note: The Maryland Labor VTI team WILL NOT send any Proof of Participation emails or certificates. To get credit for your required professional development (PD) hours, you must forward the Proof of Participation emails to your program.
Be sure to check both your inbox and your spam/junk folder for these emails. Submitting them to your program is necessary to receive credit toward your required PD hours.
Pre-VTI Kick-Off Events 9/14/26 & 9/15/26
Monday, September 14, 2026
Pre-VTI Panel Discussion #1: Adult Education in Maryland
12:00 PM - 1:30PM
Facilitators: Doug Weimer, Laura Ostrowski
Panelists: Daysha Cruz-Reyes, Sherry DeFrancisci, Whitney Pierce, Ben Hamilton, Nicole Francois, Patrick Hruz
Target Audience: Adult Education providers, All Instructors, Marylanders
Description: Hear from Adult Education practitioners, program leaders, and more about what Adult Education & Family Literacy Week means to them and Marylanders!
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Pre-VTI Panel Discussion #2: Adult Education in Maryland - Specialized Programming
12:00 PM - 1:30PM
Facilitators: Laura Ostrowski, Echo Salisbury
Panelists: Carrie Wisniewski, Grayla Reneau, Trudy Rice, Kim Reed, Ashley Gaines-Seay
Target Audience: Adult Education providers, All Instructors
Description: Hear from Adult Education practitioners, program leaders, and more about our specialized offerings from Family Literacy, ABE/GED®, ESL/ESOL, IELCE/IET, NEDP®, and how they benefit Marylanders!
Day I : Wednesday, September 16, 2026
The Thoughtful Educator: Clinical Strategies for the Non-clinician
10:00 AM - 11:00AM
Presenter: Tanisha Paegar
Target audience: All Instructors, Local Program Staff, Adult High School Staff
Keywords: Adult Learning Theory/How Adults Learn (andragogy), Trauma-informed Instruction/Best Practices
Description: This presentation explores how non clinicians can effectively adapt clinical skills for use with adult learners. The core approach applies social emotional support based on where a person is in the Think, Feel, Do cycle. By recognizing an adult learner's current stage in this cycle, non clinician instructors can respond with targeted empathy and practical guidance. This clinical strategy creates a more responsive, rigorous, and empathetic learning environment tailored to the unique needs of adult students.
Teaching Smarter: AI Tools Every Adult Educator Needs Right Now
11:00 AM - 12:00PM
Presenter: Enid-Mai Jones
Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff
Keywords: Digital Literacy, Differentiation/Multi-level instruction (including scaffolding), Effective Lesson Planning, Instructional Techniques (general), Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Description: Adult education classrooms bring together learners at very different reading, language, and readiness levels, often within the same hour. This session gives instructors six AI tools, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Diffit, and shows exactly which tool solves which differentiation task fastest. A live, hands-on demonstration turns a participant's own lesson content into three reading levels in real time, plus clear rules for protecting student privacy.
Meeting Adult Learners Where They Are: Trauma-Informed Strategies That Increase Engagement, Motivation, and Persistence
12:00 PM - 1:00PM
Presenter: Gerald "Coach J Lewis" Elston Jr.
Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff, NEDP® Staff, Adult High School Staff, Workforce Development and Support Service Professionals
Keywords: Adult Learning Theory/How Adults Learn (andragogy), Barrier Removal/Supports, Goal Setting, Instructional Techniques (general), Student Persistence/Motivation (strategies and methods), Trauma-informed Instruction/Best Practices
Description: This practical and engaging session explores trauma-informed strategies that adult educators can immediately apply to increase learner engagement, motivation, persistence, and classroom connection in both virtual and in-person settings. Many adult learners enter educational environments while balancing significant life stressors, including employment challenges, financial hardship, unstable housing, justice involvement, mental health concerns, substance use recovery, and prior negative school experiences. Participants will learn how stress and trauma can impact learning, attendance, participation, confidence, and retention. The session will provide realistic examples, strengths-based communication techniques, learner-centered engagement strategies, and practical tools that help create emotionally safe and supportive learning environments without lowering expectations. Attendees will leave with actionable approaches for building connection, increasing student persistence, supporting motivation, and meeting adult learners where they are while maintaining structure, accountability, and respect in adult education settings.
Better Prompts, Better Results: A 30-Minute Guide to Prompt Writing
Presenter: Enid-Mai Jones
1:30 PM-2:00 PM
Target Audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors
Keywords: Digital Literacy, Effective Lesson Planning, Instructional Techniques (general), Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Description: In this 30-minute session for adult education staff and instructors, we'll teach you how to write clear, specific prompts, so your AI tools give you outputs you can actually use in your work. You'll get hands-on practice writing and revising prompts for tasks you already do, like leveling a lesson or drafting a quick email, so you walk away with prompts ready to use the same day.
Addressing Adult Learning Challenges with Universal Design for Learning
Presenter: Jamila Barton
2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Target audience: ESL/ESOL, All Instructors
Keywords: Adult Learning Theory/How Adults Learn (andragogy), Differentiation/Multi-level instruction (including scaffolding), Retention/Recruitment, Student Persistence/Motivation (strategies and methods)
Description: Adult learners come to basic skills classes with a variety of backgrounds and needs. Students may have barriers to learning because of hidden learning disabilities, trauma, limited English proficiency, or culture shock, but as adults, they do not have access to the free services and resources available to learners in K-12 settings. So, how can a basics skills instructor meet the needs of all students? In this workshop, participants will learn how to apply principles from the Universal Design for Learning Framework to create accessible, inclusive, and engaging learning opportunities for the diverse needs of adult basic skills learners.
Pathways to Success: GED® Test Prep Strategies for Multilingual Learners
03:00 PM- 04:00 PM
Presenter: Betsy Ljubic, Laura Ostrowski
Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, Local Program Staff, Adult High School Staff
Keywords: GED® Preparation & Instruction
Description: Multilingual learners bring rich linguistic and cultural assets to the classroom—along with unique challenges when preparing for the GED® test. This interactive workshop explores practical, research-informed strategies to strengthen instruction, boost learner confidence, and improve test outcomes across content areas.
Participants will examine common language-related barriers in GED® test preparation, including academic vocabulary, complex text structures, and word problems in math. The session will highlight instructional approaches that integrate language development with content mastery, such as explicit vocabulary routines, scaffolded reading strategies, structured academic talk, and targeted writing supports. We will also discuss culturally responsive practices and test-taking strategies that reduce anxiety and increase persistence.
Attendees will leave with adaptable tools, classroom-ready resources, and actionable planning strategies to better support multilingual learners on their pathway to earning a high school equivalency credential. Whether you are an instructor, program leader, or test administrator, this session will provide practical insights to strengthen equity, access, and success in GED® preparation programs
Less Teacher Talk, More Student Voice
4:00 PM - 5:00PM
Presenter: Ahu Moser
Target audience: ESL/ESOL
Keywords: Instructional Techniques (general)
Description: This interactive session explores practical ways to reduce Teacher Talking Time (TTT) in order to increase student engagement, language production, and independence, especially for adult multilingual learners. Adult learners need every opportunity to talk, practice, and use language in meaningful ways, and that opportunity starts in the classroom. Participants will examine common classroom habits that unintentionally limit student participation and will learn simple instructional shifts that create more opportunities for learners to think, speak, collaborate, and process language.
Using real classroom examples and ready-to-use strategies, attendees will explore “swap this for this” techniques such as replacing long explanations with 30-second directions, teacher Q&A with turn-and-talks, repeated instructions with checklists, and teacher summaries with student summaries using sentence frames. The session will also highlight strategies that support wait time, peer collaboration, and active participation without sacrificing structure or clarity.
Participants will leave with practical, low-prep strategies they can immediately implement to promote stronger student voice, engagement, confidence, and language development in adult education classrooms.
Regulated Adult, Regulated Reader The Hidden Variable in Dyslexia Tutoring
5:00 PM - 6:00PM
Presenter: Dr. Neffitina Thompson
Target audience: All Instructors
Keywords: Trauma-informed Instruction/Best Practices
Description: Regulated Adult, Regulated Reader: The Hidden Variable in Dyslexia Tutoring explores the critical role of adult emotional regulation in supporting struggling readers. This workshop emphasizes that an adult's ability to engage in literacy learning—especially in dyslexia intervention—is deeply influenced by the emotional climate created by the adult.
Participants examined how stress, frustration, and shame can interfere with reading development, and how dysregulated adult responses can unintentionally escalate student anxiety. Grounded in neuroscience and trauma-informed practice, the session highlighted the connection between emotional safety and cognitive access.
Educators were introduced to practical, in-the-moment strategies to support both themselves and their students, including the Micro-Moment Reset (Pause, Normalize, Regulate, Re-engage), the Catch & Repair Protocol, and tools to distinguish between productive struggle and emotional overwhelm. The workshop also addressed the risks of over-scaffolding and emphasized the importance of maintaining high expectations while supporting regulation.
Through reflection and application activities, participants explored their own triggers and communication patterns, strengthening their ability to respond intentionally rather than react emotionally.
Ultimately, this session reframes effective literacy instruction by positioning the regulated adult as the foundation for developing confident, capable, and resilient readers.
Day II : Thursday, September 17, 2026
AI Without the Overwhelm: A Practical Framework for Adult Education Programs
Presenter: Enid-Mai Jones
10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Target audience: All Instructors, Local Program Staff, Adult High School Staff
Keywords: Curriculum Development, Distance Learning, Digital Literacy, Instructional Techniques (general), Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Description: An instructor or staff experimenting with AI tools is not a program-wide strategy. Most programs already have staff using these tools informally, with no shared policy and no way to prove results. This session gives program leaders and staff a practical four-step framework: Assess, Align, Train, Track. Participants learn how to inventory current AI use, draft a written policy, train every role from instructors to intake staff, and measure results with three numbers their own program controls. Attendees leave with a specific first action and a named owner to carry it out.
1st of 2 Identical Sessions!
Coming Soon - MDiplomaWorks: Maryland's Newest Diploma Pathway for Adults
Presenter: Laura Ostrowski
11:00AM-12:00 PM
Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff, NEDP® Staff, Adult High School Staff, Workforce Development and Support Service Professionals
Keywords: Legislation, Policy, High School Diploma Options for Adults in Maryland
Description: Join us for an informative session on MDiplomaWorks, a pathway established to recognize and certify High School Diploma achievement through demonstrated academic and career competencies, including real-world work experience. In this presentation, we will explore how MDiplomaWorks provides flexible routes to a Maryland High School Diploma for adult learners and workforce participants. Attendees will gain an overview of the genesis and development of MDiplomaWorks from legislative conception to statutory approval. Participants will also identify the overarching components of the bill's design and next steps in incorporating MDiplomaWorks as a fourth pathway for adults to earn a Maryland High School Diploma.
READ ME (Out Loud!): Integrating Read-Aloud & Other Literacy Activities in Adult Education Spaces
Presenter: Echo Salisbury
12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Target audience: All Instructors
Keywords: Current & Contemporary Adult Ed Research & Data, Digital Literacy, Differentiation/Multi-level instruction (including scaffolding), Family Literacy, Instructional Techniques (general), Intergenerational Learning & Teaching, Reading Strategies, Soft skill development (public speaking, articulation, and clear communication)
Description: Engaging in oral traditions is a vital part of human communication throughout history across cultures and communities around the world. Recitations are not just for one-room schoolhouses or boarding schools from a pre-digital era. Incantations are not just for mages, sorcerers, and wizards on the screen. Public speaking, in general, is a key skill across all career fields that requires practice and exposure through reading aloud.
Come join this session to learn more about a brief history of literacy throughout human development, review contemporary research/articles identifying the cross-generation benefits of reading aloud, and walk away with classroom-ready activities to get your students to speak up, interact, increase memory retention, and conquer so much more than their next pre/post test!
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently
1:00 PM - 2:00PM
Presenter: Kevin Wayne Johnson
Target audience: All Instructors
Keywords: Adult High School, Adult Learning Theory/How Adults Learn (andragogy), Goal Setting, Retention/Recruitment
Description: There are five (5) CONNECTING principles & practices that lead to improved communications. This 60 to 90-minute keynote, seminar and/or workshop (1/2 day to one week in duration) is tailored to meet your specific needs either 1-1 or for the entire group.
Principle 1 – INFLUENCE (identify with people and relate to them)
Principle 2 – OTHERS (it’s all about them)
Principle 3 – COMMUNICATION (words 7%), tone of voice (38%) and body language (55%)
Principle 4 – ENERGY (initiative; clarity; patience; selflessness; stamina)
Principle 5 – SKILL (sacrifice; relationships; ability; insight; success) vs. natural talent
Practice 1 - COMMON GROUND (getting past the barriers)
Practice 2 – SIMPLICITY (keep it simple)
Practice 3 – EXPERIENCE (create one that everyone desires / enjoys)
Practice 4 – INSPIRE (inspiration becomes the motivator)
Practice 5 – CREDIBILITY (what people know, see and feel / live by it!)
It’s a skill anyone can learn. You’ll see all your relationships take a quantum leap. Connecting is a skill you can learn and apply in your personal, professional and family relationships — and you can start now.
In summary, you will learn:
• How to find common ground.
• How to keep your communication simple.
• How to capture people’s interest.
• How to inspire people.
1 Hour - Full Length Session
Using Simulation-Based Learning to Drive Digital Literacy and Geographic Equity
Presenter: Danielle Rose
2:00 PM- 3:00 PM
Target audience: All Instructors, Local Program Staff, Adult High School Staff, IELCE/IET
Keywords: Adult High School, Barrier Removal/Supports, Correctional Education, Distance Learning, Digital Literacy, Instructional Techniques (general), Integrated Education and Training (IET), Student Persistence/Motivation (strategies and methods)
Description: Every adult education instructor knows students who are motivated, ready for a career, and completely unable to get to a lab. Maybe there's no training center within driving distance. Maybe it's childcare, a work schedule, or a car that doesn't run. Right now, the best most programs can offer that student is a video and a worksheet, and that's rarely enough to keep them moving toward a credential.
This session shows a different way to reach them. Attendees will watch a live walkthrough of a 3D simulation covering real trade skills, including electrical safety and HVAC diagnostics, and will use chat and Q&A to call out the next troubleshooting move together as a group. It's an interactive, hands-on way to run a session even in a no-camera webinar format, and it gives instructors a firsthand feel for what their own students would experience.
From there, we'll get practical. We'll talk about how instructors are using simulation results to verify that a student has actually mastered a skill, not just clicked through a video. We will also walk through how these simulations can easily be mapped to your curriculum, so instructors can see exactly where it fits the requirements they're already working toward.
Attendees will leave with specific, usable ideas for bringing this kind of practice into their own programs, whether that means covering for a lab they can't offer or finally reaching the students who've never been able to enroll at all.
NEDP®: Tell Me More & Who Is It For?
Presenters: Echo Salisbury, Holly Graham, Trudy Rice
4:00 PM-5:00 PM
Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff, NEDP® Staff, Adult High School Staff, Prospective agencies
Keywords: Barrier Removal/Supports, Distance Learning, Digital Literacy, Formative Assessment & Effective Evaluation of Student Progress/Data, NEDP®, Retention/Recruitment, Student Persistence/Motivation (strategies and methods)
Description: So the GED® isn't the right fit - now what??? Join this session to learn more about NEDP®: The National External Diploma Program, which is one of the diploma pathways for adults offered in Maryland. Topics we will cover include: eligibility requirements, embedded reskilling/upskilling for the working adult, prescreening/intake techniques, outreach/messaging, and characteristics of the ideal "client". Come one, come all to walk away knowing more about the benefits of this amazing program where successful clients obtain an official Maryland High School Diploma!
NEDP®: Tell Me More & Who Is It For?
Presenters: Echo Salisbury, Holly Graham, Trudy Rice
4:00 PM-5:00 PM
Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff, NEDP® Staff, Adult High School Staff, Prospective agencies
Keywords: Barrier Removal/Supports, Distance Learning, Digital Literacy, Formative Assessment & Effective Evaluation of Student Progress/Data, NEDP®, Retention/Recruitment, Student Persistence/Motivation (strategies and methods)
Description: So the GED® isn't the right fit - now what??? Join this session to learn more about NEDP®: The National External Diploma Program, which is one of the diploma pathways for adults offered in Maryland. Topics we will cover include: eligibility requirements, embedded reskilling/upskilling for the working adult, prescreening/intake techniques, outreach/messaging, and characteristics of the ideal "client". Come one, come all to walk away knowing more about the benefits of this amazing program where successful clients obtain an official Maryland High School Diploma!
Day III Friday,September 18, 2026
2nd of 2 Identical Sessions!
Coming Soon - MDiplomaWorks: Maryland's Newest Diploma Pathway for Adults
Presenter: Laura Ostrowski
10:00AM-11:00 AM
Target audience: ABE/GED, ESL/ESOL, All Instructors, Local Program Staff, NEDP® Staff, Adult High School Staff, Workforce Development and Support Service Professionals
Keywords: Legislation, Policy, High School Diploma Options for Adults in Maryland
Description: Join us for an informative session on MDiplomaWorks, a pathway established to recognize and certify High School Diploma achievement through demonstrated academic and career competencies, including real-world work experience. In this presentation, we will explore how MDiplomaWorks provides flexible routes to a Maryland High School Diploma for adult learners and workforce participants. Attendees will gain an overview of the genesis and development of MDiplomaWorks from legislative conception to statutory approval. Participants will also identify the overarching components of the bill's design and next steps in incorporating MDiplomaWorks as a fourth pathway for adults to earn a Maryland High School Diploma.
How Adults Learn: Principles of Andragogy in Modern Instruction
Presenter: Chasey Romani
11:00 AM -12:00 PM
Target audience: All Instructors
Keywords: Adult Learning Theory/How Adults Learn (andragogy)
Description: How Adults Learn: Principles of Andragogy in Modern Instruction examines how adult learners engage with and apply new knowledge, drawing on the foundational work of Malcolm Knowles and core concepts within Adult Education.
This session will highlight key principles such as self-direction, the value of prior experience, readiness to learn, and the need for immediate, real-world application. Designed for educators, trainers, and organizational leaders, this presentation provides actionable tools to create effective, performance-focused learning experiences for adult audiences.
Moving beyond the Keyword Method: Techniques for Accelerating ESL Vocabulary Acquisition
Presenter: Vahid Nimehchisalem
12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Target audience: ESL/ESOL
Keywords: Reading Strategies, Learning strategies
Description: The sheer volume of vocabulary needed for professional and academic success can be overwhelming for ESL learners. Numerous learning strategies (such as Oxford’s 1990 keyword method) have been recommended to help English as a second language (ESL) learners’ vocabulary acquisition beyond rote memorization; however, these learners always need for techniques to facilitate and expedite vocabulary learning. The focus of this workshop will be on the extension of Oxford’s keyword method. More specifically, it presents the following techniques: Direct/Indirect Extraction (extracting the meaning from the word), Inversion (inverting the word to understand its meaning), Sound Association (associating the sound and meaning of the word), Semantic Association (associating the word with another related word), and Codification (creating codes to facilitate retention of meaning/spelling). Having learned about these strategies, the participants will try using them to learn some low frequency words. The workshop is particularly useful for educators who have to teach many words within a short period of time and wish to facilitate their retention. You will leave this workshop with a toolkit of vocabulary learning techniques.
More Than Icebreakers: Using Class Interviews to Build Communicative Competence in Adult ESOL
Presenter: Christian Priel
1:00 AM-1:30 PM
Target audience: ESL/ESOL
Keywords: Distance Learning, Effective Lesson Planning, Instructional Techniques (general), Integrated English Language and Civics Education (IELCE)
Description: In this presentation, I will introduce class interviews as a simple, adaptable routine for building meaningful communication in adult ESOL classrooms. Rather than treating speaking practice as casual conversation, class interviews give students a clear purpose: ask questions, listen actively, take notes, follow up, and share what they learn. Participants will consider how interviews can support speaking, listening, vocabulary development, grammar practice, classroom community, and later writing or presentation tasks.
The session will model how to design class interviews around different language goals, student levels, and real-life communication needs. It will also highlight ways to scaffold interview questions, encourage follow-up questions, support note-taking, and help students move from short answers to fuller, more confident responses. Teachers will leave with practical ideas, sample prompts, and a flexible framework they can use immediately in their own adult ESOL classes.
30-min Abbreviated Session
Using Simulation-Based Learning to Drive Digital Literacy and Geographic Equity
Presenter: Danielle Rose
2:00 PM- 2:30 PM
Target audience: All Instructors, Local Program Staff, Adult High School Staff, IELCE/IET
Keywords: Adult High School, Barrier Removal/Supports, Correctional Education, Distance Learning, Digital Literacy, Instructional Techniques (general), Integrated Education and Training (IET), Student Persistence/Motivation (strategies and methods)
Description: Every adult education instructor knows students who are motivated, ready for a career, and completely unable to get to a lab. Maybe there's no training center within driving distance. Maybe it's childcare, a work schedule, or a car that doesn't run. Right now, the best most programs can offer that student is a video and a worksheet, and that's rarely enough to keep them moving toward a credential.
This session shows a different way to reach them. Attendees will watch a live walkthrough of a 3D simulation covering real trade skills, including electrical safety and HVAC diagnostics, and will use chat and Q&A to call out the next troubleshooting move together as a group. It's an interactive, hands-on way to run a session even in a no-camera webinar format, and it gives instructors a firsthand feel for what their own students would experience.
From there, we'll get practical. We'll talk about how instructors are using simulation results to verify that a student has actually mastered a skill, not just clicked through a video. We will also walk through how these simulations can easily be mapped to your curriculum, so instructors can see exactly where it fits the requirements they're already working toward.
Attendees will leave with specific, usable ideas for bringing this kind of practice into their own programs, whether that means covering for a lab they can't offer or finally reaching the students who've never been able to enroll at all.
Effective Lesson Planning: Strategies for Engaging and Impactful Instruction
Presenter: Chasey Romani
3:00 PM-4:00 PM
Target audience: All Instructors
Keywords: Effective Lesson Planning
Description: Effective Lesson Planning: Strategies for Engaging and Impactful Instruction will explore how instructors and trainers can create structured, learner-centered lesson plans that drive engagement and measurable outcomes. Grounded in principles of Adult Educations, this session will examine how to align learning objectives, instructional activities, and assessment strategies to support meaningful learning experiences. Participants will learn practical techniques for organizing content, incorporating interactive and scenario-based activities, and adapting instruction to meet the needs of adult learners.
Evaluation Surveys
Maryland Virtual Training Institute (VTI) 11.0 - Anonymous Session Feedback
Please take a moment and fill this out for each session you attended!
NOTE: This will NOT provide you with a Proof of Participation.
OpenVTI 11.0 (GENERAL) - How Did We Do?
Please take a moment and fill this out for MD Labor to review to make sure each VTI is even better than the last!
NOTE: This will NOT provide you with a Proof of Participation.
OpenFor more information or questions regarding the Virtual Training Institute, please contact:
[email protected] or [email protected]. See you at VTI!