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Digital Citizen Resources

The educator models good digital citizenship in the classroom by using digital tools inclusively and safeguarding students’ personal information. They advocate for students to ensure they have access to the digital tools and materials that will help them meet their goals. Interactions with the students move outside the classroom, focusing on responsible use and sharing of student information in addition to creating equitable learning experiences and increased student access.
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Professional Development Resources Aligned to the Digital Literacy Competencies for Adult Educators 

Below are professional development resources that instructors and other staff can use to build their digital literacy skills. The resources are organized by the leveled performance indicators of the Digital Literacy Competencies for Adult Educators. Select the resources that are the best fit for your goals and current skills.

2.1 Responsible Information Use and Sharing

The educator follows guidelines for safe, ethical, and legal use and sharing of information and models good digital citizenship when planning and sharing lessons and activities.

The educator protects student privacy, obeys copyright law, and follows program, grant, and legal guidelines for responsible digital information storage and sharing.

• ISTE – The Law and Ethics of Copyright Law

• Staff Induction Module: Quality Data Flow: Processes and Roles
Provides an overview of the processes and best practices related to the collection of adult education data, which includes but is not limited to eData v2 information. Participants will learn the importance of timely, accurate, and complete data collection. This module will also cover various topics related to the types of program data adult education agencies collect, including the flow process for each type of data and the role that all staff members play in support of data collection.

• GCF Global – Use Information Correctly
Learn how to use information correctly to create quality content while protecting others’ intellectual property.

The educator makes use of open and/or sharable digital resources and materials when planning lessons and models responsible sharing online.

• World Ed – Introduction to Open Educational Resources
This three-hour self-paced course introduces participants to essential information about Open Educational Resources (OER). It includes key definitions, examples, and reflective activities presented primarily in multimedia format. The goal of the course is for teachers to have a basic understanding of the benefits of using OER, know where to find them, and how to evaluate their effectiveness.

• Creative Commons – About the Licenses
A page that describes the creative commons licenses.

The educator shares lessons and teaching ideas digitally with other instructors.

• PAAER PD Portal Course: Designing Supplemental Distance Lessons
In this seven-week course, participants will learn the essentials of planning a distance learning lesson that will allow students to earn supplemental distance learning time.

2.2 Student Access

The educator recognizes and works to mitigate barriers that students may face when attempting to access and use learning materials and uses digital tools to increase students’ access to class content.The educator recognizes and works to mitigate barriers that students may face when attempting to access and use learning materials and uses digital tools to increase students’ access to class content.

The educator uses digital tools to deliver or supplement instruction in compliance with program and grant guidelines and can identify students who struggle to access or use these digital learning materials and refer them to appropriate staff for assistance.

• Bureau of Postsecondary and Adult Education Division of Adult Education Policy D.130

• PAAER PD Portal Course: Strategies for Working With Students With Learning Differences
The course describes different types of learning differences, how to identify patterns that may indicate a learning difference, and tools and strategies that can be used to address learning differences when working with adult learners. Participants will learn ways to incorporate multiple modalities and differentiated instruction into their practice by adapting pre-existing lessons and activities and creating a project-based activity.

• Staff Induction Module: Introduction to Distance Learning
The Introduction to Distance Learning module presents the options for how distance education can be offered to adult basic education students in PA and how to identify students who are likely to be successful in this type of learning program.

The educator uses digital tools and resources to improve the effectiveness of their instruction, including to increase intensity and differentiation, and to maximize students’ access to class content and activities.

• Friday Lunchtime Webinar – April 21, 2023 Facilitating Differentiated Instruction From a Distance
During this session, ideas and resources were presented to help teachers effectively facilitate instruction to accommodate students at different levels and with varying learning styles.

• Friday Lunchtime Webinar – March 17, 2023 Integrating Digital Literacy into Academic Instruction

• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

The educator evaluates existing courses and lessons with the goal of using digital tools to increase intensity of instruction, offer more options for differentiation, and increase student access to content and activities.

• PAAER PD Portal Course: Improving Distance Learning Instruction
By the end of this course, participants will learn ways they can improve their instruction for distance learning by focusing on how they communicate with students, use mobile-friendly resources, and select distance resources.

• The Center for Universal Design in Education
The Center for Universal Design in Education (CUDE) develops and collects resources to help educators apply universal design (UD) in order to make all aspects of the educational experience welcoming to, usable by, and inclusive of everyone including people with disabilities.

• The UDL Guidelines
The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.

View Resources for the Other Digital Literacy Competencies for Adult Educators

Instructor Competency

Educator uses digital tools to enhance andragogical practices. 

Lifelong Learner

Educator teaches and assists students with computer, mobile, and internet skills.

Technology Fundamentals

Educator uses basic computer, mobile, and internet skills to instruct and support students.