This session, delivered in April 8, 2025, focused on learning how to update your Zoom desktop client, use the AI companion, manage captions and transcripts, and explore features like reactions, spotlight, meeting timers, whiteboard, sharing layouts, settings, Zoom Apps, and more.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
VIDEO RECORDING
Tue, June 3, 2025, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
With high turnover, effective succession, contingency and onboarding documentation/planning are crucial for the sustainability and resilience of LBS programs.
Join us to connect with guests from the literacy community who will discuss what they have been doing and share tools and examples to help you develop practical file management systems, documentation and plans to ensure smoother operations, staff transitions and the continuity of programs in the face of unexpected challenges.
We will share insightful tips and best practices that will help you create robust organizational documentation/plans and processes, and provide space to share your own examples and ideas with participants.
PRESENTERS
– Carrie Wakeford and Brandy Smith from Learning Ontario Central South (LOCS)
– Alan Cherwinski from AlphaPlus
– More guests will be added soon.
Tue, May 6, 2025, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
In today’s digital age, building and nurturing a vibrant community is essential for the success of our LBS programs.
Join us on Tuesday, May 6, from 3 pm to 4:30 pm, to connect with guests from the literacy community who will discuss how they leverage innovative marketing campaigns, podcasts, videos, and other engagement strategies to grow their client base and community connections.
We will share insightful tips and best practices that will help you create lasting connections with your clients and partners, and provide space to share your own experiences and ideas with participants.
PRESENTERS
Ambreen has 20 years of experience in the education field. Possessing a Masters in English Literature and in Educational Planning and Management, she has maintained successful positions as a Vice Principal, English Language Instructor, Manager HR, Communication Executive and Literacy practitioner.
Currently, she is working as an Executive Director at Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy, a non-profit organization that supports adult literacy in Toronto and York Region. Her previous work experience and life-long learning certificates and diplomas bring a wealth of information to develop learning strategies, recruitment procedures and governance.
Her dedication and determination in helping individuals grow and develop are highlighted in all her professional achievements. She is also passionate about volunteering and has been an ardent volunteer in many non-profits across GTA. She loves to cook and paint in her free time.
Susan has been active in adult education since 1986 across a variety of roles and has developed a broad and deep understanding of the field. She has worked as a literacy and basic skills (LBS) assessor, instructor and LBS manager for the Toronto District School Board, and as an assessor and LBS instructor for the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
As a past Vice President on the board of directors, Susan helped the Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy dramatically improve its visibility and the services it provides to the adult education sector.
Susan has developed numerous LBS resources. These include learning resources for Community Legal Education Ontario and a comprehensive Zoom manual for adult educators that’s now being used across Toronto as well as other regions across the province. She has also trained more than 200 LBS, language instruction for newcomers to Canada (LINC) and English as a second language (ESL) instructors on how to use Zoom in the classroom.
Christina brings over 25 years of experience in education and currently serves on the Board of Directors for CESBA, the Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education School Board Administrators while also in her fourth year as principal of St. Albert Learning Centre in Sudbury, an adult and alternative education school that offers innovative, community-driven programming for learners of all ages.
Throughout her career, Christina has focused on Special Education and Experiential Learning, primarily as a consultant for the Sudbury Catholic District School Board. Her deep understanding of student needs and commitment to inclusive education inform her work in adult learning and literacy.
Christina’s entrepreneurial spirit has fueled the growth of a student-led business at St. Albert Learning Centre where learners earn secondary school credits while creating and selling handcrafted items. Profits support charitable projects through a parish partnership. This initiative recently earned first place and the national title of Canadian School of the Future in an Innovation Challenge, along with the prestigious Michael Monk Award for service-learning.
- Generative AI is artificial intelligence capable of generating text, images, or other media – like ChatGPT and the tools listed below. Generative AI grew out of a field of AI study and practice called machine learning.
- Machine learning is a type of AI that uses algorithms trained on data sets to create models that enable machines to perform tasks that would otherwise only be possible for humans. When we put a bunch of these algorithms together in a way that allows them to generate new data based on what they’ve learned, we get a model or an engine tuned to generate a particular type of data. The engine that powers Chat GPT is a large language model.
- Large language models are a type of AI algorithm that use deep learning techniques and large data sets to understand, summarize, generate and predict new content.
People often use the term AI to mean all of these things, one of these things, or something altogether different.
What is AI
- What Is Generative AI: A Super-Simple Explanation Anyone Can Understand by Bernard Marr at Forbes (September 2023).
- A simple guide to help you understand AI by By the Visual Journalism Team at BBC (July 2023).
Using AI for teaching an learning
Resources for teaching and learning with ChatBots and Generative AI
Games that demonstrate how generative AI models are built from data
How to write prompts for ChatBots and Generative AI
Things to think about
Updates on Generative AI and copyright
See some additional resources and in the ChatGPT Gabfest summary.
Some Generative AI tools you might be using
- ChatGPT from Open AI
- Eduaide.AI – specifically for teachers
- Perplexity – ChatBot and search engine
- Anthropic Claude – an AI workplace assistant
- Bing Chat (Microsoft chat bot and search)
- ChatPDF
- Google AutoDraw
- Google Duet AI – for people with access to a Google Workspace account
- GrammarlyGO
- Microsoft Designer
- Microsoft Copilot form Microsoft
- Quizlet Q-Chat
- Google Gemini
And the controversial AI image generators:
DALL-E 2
Midjourney
Canva: Text to Image or Magic Edit
Padlet: I Can’t Draw
Adobe Firefly
Explainer videos from CommonCraft
The CommonCraft library of videos is designed to help us introduce and explain complex subjects in about three minutes. Most come with a transcript and lesson plan. Close captioning is available.
Find the transcript for this video here: Generative AI explained by Common Craft
Download a lesson plan
Find the transcript for this video here: Large Language Models (LLMs) AI explained by Common Craft
Download a lesson plan
Find the transcript for this video here: Chatbots and AI explained by Common Craft
Download a lesson plan
Happy December!
Here are some activities that you can do with learners before or after the winter break: Winter Break Activities from AlphaPlus
Plus one Christmassy activity for those who celebrate.
NEW ACTIVITIES have been added focussed on the Winter Solstice.
Start by watching a video overview about the Winter Solstice and then watch these two videos:
- Author and Journalist Waubgeshig Rice from Wasauksing First Nation shares the importance of winter solstice as a time of change and storytelling for indigenous peoples.
- Wilfred Buck of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in Manitoba sharing the Cree story of the winter solstice.
After the introduction, you will have a choice to
- Learn about Cree Astronomy from Wilfred Buck and make a Turtle Calendar based on the 13 Moons.
- Go to the Winter Animals activity and hear stories about animals (see below).
- Plan a Winter Solstice Party.
- Make a twig lantern or a jam jar lantern for a lantern walk.
- Make clove orange decorations.
- Make a warm, spicy drink.
- Make a winter playlist.
Winter Animals is made in Google Slides and gives learners a choice of stories or songs to listen to:
- Deer: A song called Deer Dancing Round a Broken Mirror by Bruce Cockburn and Rik Emmet.
- Owl: A TVO short about Kenojuak Ashevak and her painting, The Enchanted Owl.
- Raven: The Raven and the Owl, an Inuit legend put to song. There are two versions: one by The National Film Board of Canada and one by Becky Han.
- Fox: The Fox and the Whale, a 2016 Canadian animated short film directed by Robin Joseph.
- Skater: a 1980 animated film from the National Film Board of Canada narrated by the author of the story, Roch Carrier. There is a link to a 2023 riff on this story called the Hockey Jersey.
There are follow up activities in a Google Form and collaborative Slides.
Winter Break is a drag-and-drop and Answer Garden conversation starter where learners can think about what they will do on the break.
Winter Poem is a poetry activity based on the poem Dust of Snow by Robert Frost. Learners can read and listen to the poem and then examine the rhyming pattern (ABAB). They can then compare that rhyming pattern with the rhyming pattern in Catch a Little Rhyme by Eve Merriam (AABB).
Christmas Songs is an advent calendar of Christmas songs. You can see the whole playlist and links to the lyrics or play the songs one by one and look them up. If you want to make your own calendar, contact Tracey.
As we explore the use of AI in LBS, we need to consider the organizational aspects of it as well.
- Is your program open to staff/learners using AI?
- Have you discussed the ethical aspects of AI as a team?
- What’s allowed and what’s not?
- Do you have a written AI policy or guidelines in place?
- Have you talked to your learners about using AI when they complete lessons or assignments
- What do you expect from your staff/colleagues/learners when it comes to building prompts and referencing AI generated content/images?
In this Showcase, three guest presenters plus three AlphaPlus staff members (Alan, Guylaine and Tracey) discussed how they are integrating AI into their practice and how they are thinking about AI policies and guidelines for organizations and for classrooms.
Presenters
Jaclyne has been an instructor for nearly 10 years, with almost 7 of those years dedicated to Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS). During this time, she has taught various subjects including digital technology, employment, communication, and language skills (including ESL), mathematics, and more! Jaclyne is a Moodle LMS Lead, online mentor, and adult educator for Good Learning Anywhere (GLA) / Sioux Hudson Literacy Council (SHLC). In her LBS role, she is responsible for developing, administering, and teaching courses to adult learners throughout Ontario, particularly for northern and Indigenous communities.
As the technology lead for Contact North’s AI in Higher Education initiatives, Michael drives the integration of AI tools to enhance learning and teaching experiences for students and faculty. He oversees the design, development and management of web-based solutions for higher education at Contact North | Contact Nord, including the conceptualization and implementation of accessible, user-friendly online portals. With over a decade of high-impact private sector experience, he has successfully spearheaded digital, print, and e-commerce solutions across various industries, bringing a wealth of expertise in scalable web architecture to his current work in advancing online education through innovative technology solutions.
Rick Sleaver leads Contact North | Contact Nord’s internal and external marketing and communications functions.
The topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere. Many instructors have tried ChatGPT/Copilot prompts and/or attended AI workshops, but still find it overwhelming to contemplate using it in the Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) classrooms.
In this Showcase, three guest presenters who have tried AI in their programs on the administrative side and with their learners, discussed why they are integrating AI into their practice, what has worked for them and what hasn’t.
Presenters
Sara has worked in Literacy & Basic Skills at Northern College in Moosonee for over 12 years in various positions ranging from instructor, program coordinator and overseeing programming in the James Bay area (Moosonee, Moose Factory, Fort Albany, Kashechewan and Attawapiskat). She enjoys curriculum design, innovative practice and digital skills. Education is a big part of her life and she is always learning new things from courses and training online.
Jessa is an experienced educator exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance learning for adult literacy learners. With a Master’s degree in Adult Education and Community Development from the University of Toronto and ongoing studies in Counseling Psychology, Jessa has both successfully and unsuccessfully applied AI in her teaching. A dedicated lifelong learner, she continues to seek innovative ways to integrate technology into education.
Other resources
- duckduckgo.com – search engine
- goblin.tools (chatbot with MagicToDo, Formalizer, Judge, Professor, Estimator, Compiler and Chef tools)
- Poe chatbot
- Poe LBS-Assistant chatbot
- perplexity.ai chatbot
- gauthmath.com chatbot
- Roshi.ai chatbot for lessons
- AI and Environment – UN Environment Program report
- The RACEF framework for prompts
- Neuron’s Introduction to ChatGPT, Module 2: Prompt Engineering 101
- Zoom recording tools – built in Smart Recording with AI Companion, otter.ai, read.ai, and more – PLEASE NOTE that some organizations don’t allow/disable AI companions for zoom.
What is PAL?
The Planning a Lesson website — PAL for short — is a lesson planning companion that’s a little like a conversation with a teaching peer—a peer who has already thought about planning engaging lessons that flow.
The ideas and materials in this digital space stem from thoughtful questions, robust discussions and the collaborative efforts of the PAL working group. Thus, PAL is a space to engage with the insights from front-line LBS practitioners just like you, and to garner some handy tips.
PAL could also be used as a place to return to for inspiration or to spark discussions around learner-centred approaches and strategies with LBS colleagues.
PAL is
- A new way to look at lesson planning
- An opportunity to reflect on your practice
- A space for front-line insights, tips and resources
You will find a blended-learning lesson planning flow developed for and by literacy practitioners grounded in research and research-in-practice. It is kitchen tested but flexible enough that you can add your own flavour and refine the process to meet the needs of your evolving practice.
PRE-LESSON:
Anticipating challenges
- Challenges to lesson flow present themselves before the lesson even begins. Technology issues and day-to-day class logistics can impact a lesson.
- Consider the most common pre-lesson challenges that can become bottlenecks to flow and try to turn them into learning opportunities.
THE LESSON:
Planning for learning and lesson flow
- Skills are honed not only through discrete tasks, but through active learning strategies and lesson components that build upon each other for connections to be made.
- Take a look at planning a lesson where adult learners work with digital tools and each other by way of activities that are purposefully planned.
POST-LESSON:
Taking the learning beyond the class session
- Taking the learning and newly acquired digital skills into the real world, post-lesson, is a way for adult learners to solidify their learning.
- Explore some simple ways to encourage learners to think about their digital wins and reflect on how to apply their new skills beyond the LBS classroom in a meaningful way.
Differentiated learning is an approach that offers opportunities for learners to customize a learning pathway to meet their learning needs, aspirations and preferences.
It can also empower learners to show what they know in different ways.
Learners are provided with multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn.
Flexible learning is at the heart of differentiated instruction. Instructors design activities to meet the needs and capabilities of each learner or group of learners. If learners are working in groups, they might not be in the same group for every part of the lesson.
In differentiated instruction, instructors can support learner agency, confidence and independence by:
- scaffolding instruction so that all learners experience success.
- building on learner interests and skills to increase motivation.
- providing opportunities for appropriate learner choice and independent learning.
- helping learner to build a personalized repertoire of strategies to organize information, make sense of ideas, communicate clearly, and retain and retrieve information, concepts and ideas.
- providing frequent opportunities for learners to set goals, reflect on their own learning and develop self-monitoring and self-assessment skills.
Disinformation is false information or information that distorts reality. Disinformation is intended to manipulate public opinion. Most of the time, it is transmitted through mass media or social media. There are several causes for the spread of false information and these can have serious consequences. Disinformation can affect citizens of all ages and education levels. There are ways to reduce the spread of disinformation.