Return-Path: <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g0TGO7n16061; Tue, 29 Jan 2002 11:24:07 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 11:24:07 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <d5.124cd0c4.29882677@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: AndresMuro@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:2015] Re: Following up on the five Why's X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Unknown (No Version) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Status: O Content-Length: 3776 Lines: 53 Just as a clarification, the new GED only requires that students use calculators with a few problems, not for the entire math section. They still need to do basic operations. I am neither defending nor criticizing the new GED, nor its content, I am simply commenting on this fact. I would contend that the new GED has a new set of rules that teachers and students need to master, and this is obvious. the difficulty lies in the fact that most adult educators are part-timers with limited experience and little time for professional development, or volunteers. The few that participate in this discussion group, or that are being trained with the EFF model in some communites, or are knowledgable of other pedagogies will likely be very succesful with their students. This success will serve to claim that this or that model is the best. However, unfortunately, most adult educators lack the knowledge and background to provide any kind of education, period. If, at present, adult educators have low student completion rates, with the new, more difficult GED, it is likely that completion rates will go down. Unless, of course, there is a significan investment in adequate professional development, and not in just making things more difficult for the poor and the educationally disadvantaged. Andres In a message dated Tue, 29 Jan 2002 10:48:22 AM Eastern Standard Time, "CP" <cindypatten@home.com> writes: > I'm reading this ongoing discussion re:calculators in the GED and real life > application, and I'm wondering if anyone else out there considers the > incredibly poor learning curve not only these students, but everyone else, > who grew up dependent on a machine to do their calculations, would have, if > calculators were no longer produced or ceased to function. > > I teach all my students basic, life applicable math. Some do take longer to > pass the GED Math section, but they all can do it with pencil and paper, > without the use of calculators, and they feel exceptionally more qualified > than those they see around them, dependent upon a machine. They understand > the application and can abstract with the process, rather than just knowing > which buttons to press to get a correct answer. > > I'm not anti-calculator; I'm pro-real life, applicable learning to become > self-reliant while increasing self-esteem and self-knowledge while > completing life tasks. A calculator just doesn't 'do it' for me. > > Love this discussion, though - for the most part... you guys are great! > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Anne R Connors" <arconn@juno.com> > To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> > Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 3:35 AM > Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:2011] Re: Following up on the five Why's > > > > I think Emily's suggestions for GED class are great, but I question if > > one has a 50 hour class , can one really go into the EFF ideas? I think > > we can teach it from our perspective..ie. ask how that will help them in > > life or show that particular use in life (ie. fractions in cooking, area > > in painting a room ) On the other hand, when some of the class will take > > their GED after only 20 hours of class and it is open entry,how in the > > world does one find time to fit discussion of the WHEEL into the class? > > And should one fit it into the class? > > And I agree with Andre that there are many things required for GED that > > are trivial. When does one use scientific calculators or the area of a > > triangle in "real" life? 99% of GED students don't see the connection > > and frankly neither do I. My classes want to get their GED yesterday and > > in a 2 hour class, they want to learn what is on the test..... Period. > > That is their goal, so I go with it! > >
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