From Kimeiko Hotta Dover,
Your Guide to Continuing Education.
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This guide is designed to help adult educators make the most of the resources on this site, with information on careers in adult education, a comprehensive teaching toolkit and more.

Careers in Adult Education

Careers in Adult Education covers working conditions, teaching specialties, qualifications and experience, salaries and occupational outlook.

Specialities in Adult Education directs you to further information and resources in the areas of Adult Basic Education, Coaching, English as a Second/Foreign Language, Family Literacy, Mentoring, Training and Development and Workplace Basic Skills. If you're looking for work as an adult educator, go directly to Employment for advice and employment listings.

Because lifelong learning is the essence of adult and continuing education, adult educators must be committed to continually developing and sharpening their knowledge and skills. The Bears' Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning is a valuable guide for both aspiring and experienced educators.

A collection of Professional Development resources for adult educators presents links to articles, certificates, diplomas and degrees and short courses, as well as resources on teacher and program assessment.

Professional Associations provide opportunities to stay current on theory and methodology and participate in Education Events. Educational Publications further support and encourage reflective teaching practice and many educational newsletters, e-zines and lists are available for free by e-mail. If you haven't done so already, subscribe to this site's free weekly newsletter. See the Adult/Continuing Education Buyer's Guide for advice and reviews on educational books and other resources.

Teaching Toolkit

Locate everything you need to plan, design and implement educational programs and assess learner progress through the directories on this site. Begin by reading John Carpenter's popular how-to articles, Focusing Your Class with Objectives and How to Select Educational Media. You'll find many more resources on Instructional Design, including the design and delivery of Computer and Web-Based Courses.

Workplace trainers will appreciate the T&D Resources, particularly the collection of Training Needs Assessment articles and samples.

Before you enter the classroom, be sure to choose an Icebreaker to get your course off to a great start. Make sure your Lesson Plan is well-developed and supported by appropriate learning Activities and Materials.

If you plan to use an overhead projector, video, computer or web-based instruction, online discussion or telecommunications, consult get tips for effectively integrating technology in instruction.

Find out why adults may resist learning and learn how to keep learners motivated throughout the course by employing facilitation suggestions and teaching tips.

The assessment page features testing tips for students and educators.

Funding and Marketing

Experienced fundraiser David Tinker shares seven steps for success.

Guest features published on this site appear on the About Adult/Continuing Education home page and in the weekly newsletter. Learn more about writing for this site and other ways to market your goods or services via About.com.

Getting Advice

Do you have concerns about preparing students for the GED? classroom discipline? identifying learning disabilities? selecting books or software for your classes?

Try posting your query in the About Adult/Continuing Education discussion forum - you'll find many knowledgeable and helpful educators here.

Further Information

For topics not covered in this resource, see the Adult Education 101 home page and the Adult Education Site FAQ.