Schedule

The schedule for TDLS is presented on this page. Use the filter buttons below to sort sessions by day, audience, strands, etc. For sessions you wish to attend, click the “Star” () to add the session to “My TDLS” which allows you at any time to review your customized schedule. Once a presentation begins, click the “Join now!” button. After the session, return to the session and choose the “Evaluation” link to provide our presenters with feedback on their presentations.

Schedule Icons


Friday Sessions

Session 3   (Friday 2:15pm-3:45pm)

Differentiate? Do It with Diffit! AI-Powered Activities for ESL and CTE
Follow-along Workshop (90 minute)
Denise Douglas
Adult Ed instructors face the challenge of teaching learners with widely varied language levels, academic backgrounds, and career goals—often in the same classroom. Diffit is an AI-powered tool that helps ESL & CTE teachers quickly create differentiated learning materials. Educators can generate or adapt content from workplace topics, standards, articles, videos, or vocabulary lists, then adjust reading levels and translate—saving time while supporting language development & career readiness.
(AUD: TEA, ADM • PGM: ABE, ASE, ESL, CTE, WFP • CAT: DLE)
Wellness Space
Demonstration (90 minute)
OTAN Staff
As educators, you give so much of yourselves to your students, your classrooms, and your communities each and every day. Your energy, patience, and compassion matter deeply—and so does your well-being. We invite you to pause, exhale, and give yourself a moment to reset and recharge. Visit our dedicated Wellness Room anytime during the conference.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, AWD, ESL, PAA, CTE, WFP • CAT: SSS)
Designing for Equity: A Course for Accessible Digital Learning in Adult Ed
Follow-along Workshop (90 minute)
Penny Pearson (w/ Debbie Jensen)
Discover practical ways to make adult education digital content accessible and equitable. Based on the Accessibility Training for AE Teachers course, this session provides an overview of the course contents, including UDL, WCAG 2.2, and Section 508. The course allows a self-paced approach to learning with instruction on how to apply alt text, headings, color contrast, captions, and other tools. Leave with accessibility resources so every learner can access and succeed, online and in class.
(AUD: STF, TEA, ADM • PGM: ASE, PAA, CTE, WFP, ABE, AWD, ESL • CAT: EEA, DLE)
UDL for Adult ESL and Beyond
Demonstration (90 minute)
Monica Cueva
This session explores how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can serve as a powerful framework for empowering and engaging students, supporting language development, and building community. Many educators are already using elements of UDL without realizing it. This session offers practical strategies for identifying and refining those practices to more intentionally align with the framework and better support our diverse multilingual learners.
(AUD: TEA • PGM: ABE, ESL • CAT: EEA)
AI-assisted Story Creation for Students
Follow-along Workshop (90 minute)
Barry Bakin
Bring the power of AI-Assisted Story Creation to students for pleasure reading, assignments, family literacy, and exciting personal projects! Learn how to use AI and other Apps to create both the text and the images for imaginative storytelling and book creation!
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, AWD, ESL • CAT: DLE, OEA)
Beyond Static Examples: Using AI to Build Interactive Examples for Students
Follow-along Workshop (90 minute)
Matt Rhoads
Move beyond static examples and learn to create dynamic, interactive tutorials for any subject. This hands-on lab demystifies using generative AI as a powerful instructional design partner. No coding required! We will walk through a practical workflow: crafting effective prompts, refining AI-generated HTML code, and deploying the finished tutorial directly into your LMS. This session provides a replicable process to build engaging, step-by-step learning experiences and time to build your own.
(AUD: TEA, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, AWD, ESL, CTE, WFP • CAT: DLE, DLM, OEA)
An Introduction into TOPSpro Enterprise (TE) Portals
Demonstration (90 minute)
Adrian Boggess
TOPSpro Enterprise Portals are easy-to-use web-based applications designed for different level of users, from administrators to teachers to students and other roles in between. The intuitive interface provides agency, class, and student level data with customizable views and reports. TE Portals use the same database as TE, which makes the application work seamlessly with TOPSpro Enterprise (TE), CASAS eTests and TE Classmate.
(AUD: STF, TEA, ADM • PGM: ASE, PAA, CTE, WFP, ABE, AWD, ESL • CAT: DLF, OEA, PAC)
Putting English to Work 1-3 (PETW) and The Write Stuff (TWS) in Canvas
Demonstration (90 minute)
Francisca Wentworth
PETW 1-3 and (TWS) are two OTAN supported online courses using Canvas LMS that provide learning opportunities for students. PETW Episodes cover real-life situations many of our English Language Learners encounter in their daily lives. TWS is designed for Adult Education English Language Learners at Intermediate High and Advanced levels to improve their writing skills. The course was redesigned in Canvas with new content and activities to help students improve their writing skills.
(AUD: TEA, ADM • PGM: ESL • CAT: DLE)
Canvas Made Easy with Bite-Size Training
Demonstration (90 minute)
Arezoo Miller (w/ Henry Mulak)
Discover how a uniform Canvas shell can simplify teaching and boost student success. Our team will share how we identified needs, set goals, and turned challenges into collaboration. In this workshop, you’ll get ideas on building templates, creating step-by-step guides, and developing resources that you can use right away to streamline courses, support digital literacy, and empower adult learners in any subject.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, ESL • CAT: DLF, DLE, DLM)
FuturePlay with Open Innovation Centers in the Tech Playground
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Clare Bhakta (w/ Jateen Bhakta)
Explore New Collar Skills—high-tech skills that don’t require four-year degrees. In this interactive session, participants rotate through hands-on stations featuring 3D printing, AI, and Virtual Reality. Guided by Open Innovation Centers staff, you’ll experiment and play, then leave with two practical, low-tech ways to bring innovation and confidence into your classroom right away.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, AWD, ESL, PAA, CTE, WFP • CAT: DLF, DLE, DLM)
Workspace and Charging Station
Demonstration (90 minute)
OTAN Staff
Stop by Room 24b if you need a place to charge your devices or a quiet space to do some work.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, AWD, ESL, PAA, CTE, WFP • CAT: SSS)

Saturday Sessions

Session 5   (Saturday 9:15am-10:15am)

Building Healthcare Pathways: From Concept to Classroom
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Jessie Morales
This session reveals how a Healthcare Pathways program was built from concept to classroom. Learn the steps used to create industry-aligned curriculum, integrate LMS tools like Canvas, and form strong community partnerships. Attendees will gain practical strategies, lessons learned, and a clear roadmap to build or enhance their own healthcare training programs.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ESL, CTE, WFP • CAT: DLE, SSS, PAC)
Wellness Space
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
OTAN Staff
As educators, you give so much of yourselves to your students, your classrooms, and your communities each and every day. Your energy, patience, and compassion matter deeply—and so does your well-being. We invite you to pause, exhale, and give yourself a moment to reset and recharge. Visit our dedicated Wellness Room anytime during the conference.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, AWD, ESL, PAA, CTE, WFP • CAT: SSS)
LMS to Deliver Individualized Instruction in a Diverse ESL Classroom
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Marina Filistovich (w/ Tim Wheeler)
In this session, we’ll dive into how a learning management system can be leveraged to meet the diverse, individualized needs of adult vocational and integrated skills ESL students. We’ll showcase how to tailor instruction for learners in fields like healthcare, hospitality, construction, and more. Attendees will see practical examples of diagnosing student needs and using the LMS to deliver personalized, multi-level learning experiences.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ESL, PAA, WFP • CAT: DLE)
Intro to Computers for All Levels
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Yecsenia Castro (w/ Elisia Doonan)
This presentation introduces practical, accessible approaches to teaching computer basics to learners of all levels, including neurodivergent students, individuals with disabilities, and older adults.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, AWD, ESL • CAT: DLM, OEA, SSS)
Online Engagement and Assessment Strategies for GED® and HiSET® Learners
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Greg Larson (w/ Karyn Ruiz)
This session explores effective strategies for engaging adult learners in online GED® and HiSET® preparation courses. Drawing on best practices from Greg Larson (adult education instructor at Los Angeles City College) and Karyn Ruiz (adult educator and Aztec Software Senior National Academic Specialist), participants will examine how digital curricula and assessment tools can inform instruction, support differentiation, and increase learner engagement in virtual and hybrid environments.
(AUD: TEA, ADM • PGM: ABE, ASE • CAT: OEA)
Expand Your Reach through Digital Learning
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Jake Baldwin (w/ Yanira Chavez)
Learn about how Burbank Adult School is expanding their ESL program into the digital world! What started as a solution to long wait lists has become a way to serve a myriad of student populations. Burbank worked to develop and has since iterated upon a completely online ESL Level 2 class.
(AUD: TEA, ADM • PGM: ESL • CAT: PAC)
One OER Canvas Course, Many Pathways: Engaging Adult ESL Learners Online
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Diana Vera-Alba (w/ Chris Vela-Che)
This session showcases an open, self-paced ESL OER Canvas course designed for adult ESL learners. Participants will explore a nine-module course model that integrates real-world topics, assessments, and discussions to support online, hybrid, and HyFlex instruction. Presenters will demonstrate how shared OER design in Canvas Commons increases learner engagement, instructional consistency, and access across adult education programs.
(AUD: TEA, ADM • PGM: ABE, ESL • CAT: DLF, DLE, DLM)
From Principles to Practice: Using the Digital Learning Guidance
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Joey Lehrman (w/ Anthony Burik)
An interactive introduction to OTAN’s 2026 California Adult Education Digital Learning Guidance, highlighting practical ways programs can use it to guide professional learning, program design, and accessible digital instruction. The session also previews a 10-week facilitated cohort designed to bring the DLG into practice. Register for the upcoming cohort at https://bit.ly/DLG_Course
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, AWD, ESL, PAA, CTE, WFP • CAT: DLF, DLE, DLM)
Crafting Narratives: Gemini Storybook for Adult Education
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Susan Gaer
Unlock a powerful new tool for adult learning. This session demonstrates how the Gemini Storybook feature transforms complex topics, historical events, technical concepts, or professional scenarios into engaging, visually rich, and fully narrated 10-page storybooks. Learn to generate personalized, level-appropriate, and shareable content for literacy, language, and vocational training, making abstract ideas concrete and memorable.
(AUD: STF, TEA, ADM • PGM: ASE, PAA, CTE, WFP, ABE, AWD, ESL • CAT: DLF, DLE, OEA)
Exploring AR, VR, and 3D Learning Tools Across Programs in Tech Playground
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Farzana Cassim
This session invites educators to explore emerging technologies through a guided tech playground featuring AR, VR headsets, ClassVR, and zSpace 3D tools. Designed for ESL, Academic, and CTE programs, participants will examine how these tools support language development, academic learning, and hands-on career training. The focus is on practical classroom applications and informed use rather than novelty.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, AWD, ESL, PAA, CTE, WFP • CAT: DLF, DLE)
Workspace and Charging Station
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
OTAN Staff
Stop by Room 24b if you need a place to charge your devices or a quiet space to do some work.
(AUD: TEA, ADM, STF • PGM: ABE, ASE, AWD, ESL, PAA, CTE, WFP • CAT: SSS)

Schedule

The schedule for TDLS is presented on this page. Use the filter buttons below to sort sessions by day, audience, strands, etc. For sessions you wish to attend, click the “Star” () to add the session to “My TDLS” which allows you at any time to review your customized schedule. Once a presentation begins, click the “Join now!” button. After the session, return to the session and choose the “Evaluation” link to provide our presenters with feedback on their presentations.

Show More

Schedule Icons


Friday Sessions

Session 3  
(2:15pm-3:45pm)

Differentiate? Do It with Diffit! AI-Powered Activities for ESL and CTE
Follow-along Workshop (90 minute)
Denise Douglas
Adult Ed instructors face the challenge of teaching learners with widely varied language levels, academic backgrounds, and career goals—often in the same classroom. Diffit is an AI-powered tool that helps ESL & CTE teachers quickly create differentiated learning materials. Educators can generate or adapt content from workplace topics, standards, articles, videos, or vocabulary lists, then adjust reading levels and translate—saving time while supporting language development & career readiness.
Room 1
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Wellness Space
Demonstration (90 minute)
OTAN Staff
As educators, you give so much of yourselves to your students, your classrooms, and your communities each and every day. Your energy, patience, and compassion matter deeply—and so does your well-being. We invite you to pause, exhale, and give yourself a moment to reset and recharge. Visit our dedicated Wellness Room anytime during the conference.
Room 2
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Designing for Equity: A Course for Accessible Digital Learning in Adult Ed
Follow-along Workshop (90 minute)
Penny Pearson (w/ Debbie Jensen)
Discover practical ways to make adult education digital content accessible and equitable. Based on the Accessibility Training for AE Teachers course, this session provides an overview of the course contents, including UDL, WCAG 2.2, and Section 508. The course allows a self-paced approach to learning with instruction on how to apply alt text, headings, color contrast, captions, and other tools. Leave with accessibility resources so every learner can access and succeed, online and in class.
Room 3
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
UDL for Adult ESL and Beyond
Demonstration (90 minute)
Monica Cueva
This session explores how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can serve as a powerful framework for empowering and engaging students, supporting language development, and building community. Many educators are already using elements of UDL without realizing it. This session offers practical strategies for identifying and refining those practices to more intentionally align with the framework and better support our diverse multilingual learners.

Room 4 and Online
Presenter on Zoom

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
AI-assisted Story Creation for Students
Follow-along Workshop (90 minute)
Barry Bakin
Bring the power of AI-Assisted Story Creation to students for pleasure reading, assignments, family literacy, and exciting personal projects! Learn how to use AI and other Apps to create both the text and the images for imaginative storytelling and book creation!

Room 5 and Online
Presenter on Zoom

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Beyond Static Examples: Using AI to Build Interactive Examples for Students
Follow-along Workshop (90 minute)
Matt Rhoads
Move beyond static examples and learn to create dynamic, interactive tutorials for any subject. This hands-on lab demystifies using generative AI as a powerful instructional design partner. No coding required! We will walk through a practical workflow: crafting effective prompts, refining AI-generated HTML code, and deploying the finished tutorial directly into your LMS. This session provides a replicable process to build engaging, step-by-step learning experiences and time to build your own.

Room 6 and Online
Presenter on Zoom

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
An Introduction into TOPSpro Enterprise (TE) Portals
Demonstration (90 minute)
Adrian Boggess
TOPSpro Enterprise Portals are easy-to-use web-based applications designed for different level of users, from administrators to teachers to students and other roles in between. The intuitive interface provides agency, class, and student level data with customizable views and reports. TE Portals use the same database as TE, which makes the application work seamlessly with TOPSpro Enterprise (TE), CASAS eTests and TE Classmate.

Room 8 and Online
Hybrid

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Putting English to Work 1-3 (PETW) and The Write Stuff (TWS) in Canvas
Demonstration (90 minute)
Francisca Wentworth
PETW 1-3 and (TWS) are two OTAN supported online courses using Canvas LMS that provide learning opportunities for students. PETW Episodes cover real-life situations many of our English Language Learners encounter in their daily lives. TWS is designed for Adult Education English Language Learners at Intermediate High and Advanced levels to improve their writing skills. The course was redesigned in Canvas with new content and activities to help students improve their writing skills.

Room 9 and Online
Presenter on Zoom

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Canvas Made Easy with Bite-Size Training
Demonstration (90 minute)
Arezoo Miller (w/ Henry Mulak)
Discover how a uniform Canvas shell can simplify teaching and boost student success. Our team will share how we identified needs, set goals, and turned challenges into collaboration. In this workshop, you’ll get ideas on building templates, creating step-by-step guides, and developing resources that you can use right away to streamline courses, support digital literacy, and empower adult learners in any subject.
Room 17
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
FuturePlay with Open Innovation Centers in the Tech Playground
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Clare Bhakta (w/ Jateen Bhakta)
Explore New Collar Skills—high-tech skills that don’t require four-year degrees. In this interactive session, participants rotate through hands-on stations featuring 3D printing, AI, and Virtual Reality. Guided by Open Innovation Centers staff, you’ll experiment and play, then leave with two practical, low-tech ways to bring innovation and confidence into your classroom right away.
Room 18
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Workspace and Charging Station
Demonstration (90 minute)
OTAN Staff
Stop by Room 24b if you need a place to charge your devices or a quiet space to do some work.
Room 24b
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.

Saturday Sessions

Session 5  
(9:15am-10:15am)

Building Healthcare Pathways: From Concept to Classroom
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Jessie Morales
This session reveals how a Healthcare Pathways program was built from concept to classroom. Learn the steps used to create industry-aligned curriculum, integrate LMS tools like Canvas, and form strong community partnerships. Attendees will gain practical strategies, lessons learned, and a clear roadmap to build or enhance their own healthcare training programs.

Room 1 and Online
Hybrid

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Wellness Space
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
OTAN Staff
As educators, you give so much of yourselves to your students, your classrooms, and your communities each and every day. Your energy, patience, and compassion matter deeply—and so does your well-being. We invite you to pause, exhale, and give yourself a moment to reset and recharge. Visit our dedicated Wellness Room anytime during the conference.
Room 2
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
LMS to Deliver Individualized Instruction in a Diverse ESL Classroom
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Marina Filistovich (w/ Tim Wheeler)
In this session, we’ll dive into how a learning management system can be leveraged to meet the diverse, individualized needs of adult vocational and integrated skills ESL students. We’ll showcase how to tailor instruction for learners in fields like healthcare, hospitality, construction, and more. Attendees will see practical examples of diagnosing student needs and using the LMS to deliver personalized, multi-level learning experiences.

Room 3 and Online
Hybrid

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Intro to Computers for All Levels
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Yecsenia Castro (w/ Elisia Doonan)
This presentation introduces practical, accessible approaches to teaching computer basics to learners of all levels, including neurodivergent students, individuals with disabilities, and older adults.

Room 4 and Online
Hybrid

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Online Engagement and Assessment Strategies for GED® and HiSET® Learners
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Greg Larson (w/ Karyn Ruiz)
This session explores effective strategies for engaging adult learners in online GED® and HiSET® preparation courses. Drawing on best practices from Greg Larson (adult education instructor at Los Angeles City College) and Karyn Ruiz (adult educator and Aztec Software Senior National Academic Specialist), participants will examine how digital curricula and assessment tools can inform instruction, support differentiation, and increase learner engagement in virtual and hybrid environments.

Room 5 and Online
Hybrid

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Expand Your Reach through Digital Learning
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Jake Baldwin (w/ Yanira Chavez)
Learn about how Burbank Adult School is expanding their ESL program into the digital world! What started as a solution to long wait lists has become a way to serve a myriad of student populations. Burbank worked to develop and has since iterated upon a completely online ESL Level 2 class.

Room 6 and Online
Hybrid

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
One OER Canvas Course, Many Pathways: Engaging Adult ESL Learners Online
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Diana Vera-Alba (w/ Chris Vela-Che)
This session showcases an open, self-paced ESL OER Canvas course designed for adult ESL learners. Participants will explore a nine-module course model that integrates real-world topics, assessments, and discussions to support online, hybrid, and HyFlex instruction. Presenters will demonstrate how shared OER design in Canvas Commons increases learner engagement, instructional consistency, and access across adult education programs.

Room 8 and Online
Hybrid

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
From Principles to Practice: Using the Digital Learning Guidance
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Joey Lehrman (w/ Anthony Burik)
An interactive introduction to OTAN’s 2026 California Adult Education Digital Learning Guidance, highlighting practical ways programs can use it to guide professional learning, program design, and accessible digital instruction. The session also previews a 10-week facilitated cohort designed to bring the DLG into practice. Register for the upcoming cohort at https://bit.ly/DLG_Course

Room 9 and Online
Hybrid

Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Crafting Narratives: Gemini Storybook for Adult Education
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Susan Gaer
Unlock a powerful new tool for adult learning. This session demonstrates how the Gemini Storybook feature transforms complex topics, historical events, technical concepts, or professional scenarios into engaging, visually rich, and fully narrated 10-page storybooks. Learn to generate personalized, level-appropriate, and shareable content for literacy, language, and vocational training, making abstract ideas concrete and memorable.
Room 17
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Exploring AR, VR, and 3D Learning Tools Across Programs in Tech Playground
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
Farzana Cassim
This session invites educators to explore emerging technologies through a guided tech playground featuring AR, VR headsets, ClassVR, and zSpace 3D tools. Designed for ESL, Academic, and CTE programs, participants will examine how these tools support language development, academic learning, and hands-on career training. The focus is on practical classroom applications and informed use rather than novelty.
Room 18
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.
Workspace and Charging Station
Demonstration (60 Minutes)
OTAN Staff
Stop by Room 24b if you need a place to charge your devices or a quiet space to do some work.
Room 24b
In-person only
Evaluation
This presentation has been saved to your schedule.