ADED Research & Resources

Cathy Cooper: The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) is a state agency created in 1994 by the Alabama Legislature to provide services, including learning opportunities, to children and adults with disabilities. The ADRS operates four (4) major program areas: Alabama Early Intervention System Children's Rehabilitation Services (CRS) Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) State of Alabama Independent Living/Homebound Service (SAIL)

Melissa Agresta: The Mental Measurements Yearbook is a useful reference that can be found through the link above, or through the university library. The yearbook reviews thousands of commercially available testing instruments, with new editions released every five years. The importance of this resource is that is can assist with addressing a key component of workforce education - assessment. Education and training programs in the workplace must include assessment. We often need to assess needs, progress, and outcomes. One method of assessment is through testing. This publication assists professionals in selecting and using standardized tests. It includes every kind of test you can imagine and can provide validity to your measurements. Tests are evaluated in the book in a wide range of categories. Measurement tools range from things such as measuring confidence, to actual skills. Reviews of tests are provided by qualified experts. They include information about the purpose of the test, target population, price, and more.

Nighet Ahmed: Established under the National Security Education Act of 1991, the National Security Education Program (NSEP) aims at building a pool of U.S. citizens with better cultural understanding and foreign language skills. Among other incentives, NSEP includes the Boren Scholarships and Fellowships, which provide funding for undergraduate and graduate students to study languages and cultures of Africa, Asia, Central and eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. With a mission that seeks to address the challenging global issues of the 21st century by educating and preparing experts and future leaders in languages and cultures that are critical to U.S. security and international cooperation, over 5,000 Boren scholars and fellows have been supported through this workforce development program. In exchange for the financial support, Boren scholars and fellows are committed to work for the federal government for at least one year--this Service Requirement is the cornerstone of the Boren Awards program.

Kliff Mosley: Quality Matters (QM) is a faculty-centered and peer-reviewed organization designed to certify the quality of online and blended courses. QM is a great resource for sharing ideas and conducting peer-reviewed research on online education.

Whitney Springer Blackmon: The eLearning Industry has a broad network covering details that any workforce development team could use. It has a wide range of articles covering topics such as blended learning, corporate learning, elearning design and development, and elearning project management to name a few. The site also covers concepts on mobile learning, social learning, instructional design, and many more. It has information about software you might useful for creating and managing online learning. eLearning has many resources like video tutorials, ebooks, templates, infographics, storyboards, and learning apps.

Katie Cooper: Their slogan is "Correctional Education: Key to Successful Transitions and Promising Futures" There are annual conferences available to attend (for example, the 2016 International Conference and Training Event in Long Beach, CA), community forums available to browse online, Special Interest Group websites and resources. With these resources are recent and relevant reports, studies, advice, and newsletters. An interesting plug on their website is regarding the Prisoner Reentry Institute and their publication of Venturing Beyond the Gates: Facilitating Successful Reentry with Entrepreneurship".

Katie Cooper: This is a compilation of virtual lesson plans for ESL instructors to use and/or adapt into their own classroom curriculums. The originating schools and programs provided the materials for use for free and users are expected to abide by copyright law and shouldn't be sold or published. There are a variety of subjects covered in these available materials, such as: citizenship 101, technology and teaching, links to literature, participatory learning in ESL Civics, and living in America, etc.

Derek Griffing: The Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) is part of the Postsecondary College System in the state of Alabama. The mission of AIDT is to provide workforce development for the industrial job sector as well as to expand job opportunities for the state's citizens in industry. Training and program assistance is provided to companies in an effort to find "quality" people in conjunction with properly training these individuals for workplace success in an industrial setting. The key to success and assistance is for a company to agree to create jobs for the state of Alabama. Each training program is organically developed and suited to the specific company. The partnership and program development are free of charge; dedication and company involvement is required.

Genta M Stanfield: Max Knowledge is an online training site that offers free resources, subscription programs, and paid certified courses that can count as CEU credits for training higher education professionals, thought in the free resources section there are trainings that would benefit an employee in any field. The free resources are in four sections, Development Tool, Career Ed Lounge, Higher Education Lessons, and Workplace Skills Tutorials. Development Tool - Allows users to set up a Personal Development Plan and identifies the user's needs Career Ed Lounge - Message board area where users can discuss learning and career topics Higher Education Lessons - Provides an overview of higher education in the U.S. and discusses the various operating models of institution types, compliance, and public/non-profit/for-profits Workplace Skills - Provide informational learning on Career Development, Communication Skills, Creativity and Innovation, Supervisory Skills, and Training Management This website is a great resource for those in higher ed positions, but the Workplace Skills section would be very beneficial to any workforce educator to use in training. The sections have an assessment after each module that could be printed and filed to show proof of training received. It allows the employee to work at their own pace, and access the training from anywhere with internet access.

From Areej Almahyawi The National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE) is an organization who train professionals in their field. They promote excellence and growth in workforce education and teach basic skills They give the workforce a place to connect with each other, learn new skills together, and teach new policies. They want to direct the future in a positive way through workforce education and economic development. They provide the workforce with a national yearly conference, resources, and newsletters to stay updated on current issues and changes. They develop partnerships to support workforce development initiatives and have started many projects in the last 10 years.

From Sheena Stewart: The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals is a professional organization that seeks to empower individuals working in workforce development with the tools necessary to prepare future employees and employers. They are invested in bringing the newest and most innovative technology and resources to professionals in this area in order to best serve both the job seeker and organizations looking to fill current job vacancies or those interested in creating new positions. This organization would be beneficial for the adult educator/trainer because you would have a vast network to rely upon for resources. It is also helpful to stay current and involved in professional organizations in order to grow yourself and your company. Finally, any asset you can add to your skills toolkit is beneficial in making you a better employee which is an incentive to the industry and company you are working for or with.

Founded in 1867 as the George Peabody Education Fund, the Southern Education Foundation's mission is to advance equity and excellence in education for all students in the South, particularly low income students and students of color.

EvoLLLution, an online newspaper geared for those in postsecondary education. They publish articles and interviews that provide insight on postsecondary education and what the future holds for the industry. One caveat - the site is supported by Destiny Solutions (http://destinysolutions.com/about-destiny-solutions/) a private company out of Toronto providing technology solutions for higher education. In spite of that, their content is current, fairly objective and provides and easy read and good overviews of trending issues connecting technology, innovation, and the postsecondary landscape.

Research & Development Online education pioneer Southern New Hampshire U is launching an innovation lab to look for the ideas that will catapult the institution into the future. SNHU's Sandbox ColLABorative features a variety of workspaces for brainstorming, experimentation and connection.

Although colleges and universities are the beneficiaries of a growing credential society, they communicate only a fraction of the educational experience that happens on their campuses. Higher education must find ways to credential better-with more information and in more accessible ways-using the transformative technology we now have available.