Discussion Announcement

Dear Colleagues,
I'm pleased to announce the following Guest Panel Discussion, which will be held during the week of October 8: Creativity and the GED: Learning Outside the Practice Books

Guest Participants

Kate Brandt
Staff Development Coordinator
Language and Literacy Programs
City University of New York
Kate is part-time ABE/GED staff developer at the City University of New York Adult Literacy/GED program. She has worked as a teacher in the adult literacy field since 1990.

Anson Green
San Antonio, Texas
Anson provides workforce training solutions for Texas businesses as a member of the Workforce Business Services department at the Texas Workforce Commission. Anson coordinates the development of business-driven training efforts, workplace literacy projects, and learning disabilities screening and assessment efforts. Anson recently directed the development of the agency’s LEP Guide for Workforce Professionals. Before his work at TWC, Anson worked in the Corporate and Community Development department at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio where he also coordinated the college’s Developmental Reading and English as a Second Language programs. In 2000, Anson was a research fellow at the National Institute for Literacy and an invited delegate to the National Adult Literacy Summit in Washington D.C. In 1998, Anson was voted Teacher of the Year by the Texas Association of Literacy and Adult Education.

Crystal Hack
GED-i Coordinator
Center for the Application of Information Technologies (CAIT)
Western Illinois University
Crystal has worked in the field of adult education as an instructor, professional development trainer, and technology leader for over 15 years. In 2001, Crystal took the lead in the curriculum and site development of Illinois's first GED online learning tool. With her guidance and leadership, the GED-i system has grown from a state-wide, grassroots initiative to a national presence that is being used literally from coast to coast. Throughout the curriculum development, Crystal has guided the development team in their assessment practices, ensuring that the content incorporates a variety of assessment features which range from 'self-checks' to submitted teacher reviewed activities. In addition to ensuring that the learner's progress can be evaluated, Crystal leads a professional development team that provides comprehensive training throughout Illinois and all partnering states. Crystal has often stated that working on the GED-i project and its related professional development opportunities is the highlight of her career.

Recommended preparations for this discussion

• Theme-Based Curricula Advantages
  Resources from City University of New York:
  • A short text entitled "CUNY's Approach to the GED" which gives a sense of the principles underlying GED instruction
  • A longer text entitled "Designing Courses Using Books" which is manual for teachers planning theme- and content-based courses.
  • A sample lesson from a curriculum on Colonialism in North America
  • Two sample lessons from a curriculum called The World's Water
  • A sample lesson from a curriculum created for a GED-to-work program
• GED-i
  Program Overview
• Project-Based Learning and the GED
  by Anson M. Green
  This is an account of one teacher's journey using ambitious and effective student-based projects within his GED class. He was able to blend the GED skills work with these exciting projects, which inspired the students to gain confidence, motivation and workforce skills along with the test skills, and at the same time connect with their community in a meaningful way. There are resources listed at the end.
• The Spanish GED: The Door to Opportunity in Doña Ana County
  By Anastasia K. Cotton and Bertha Cantú-Lujá
  

Optional Background Materials:

• The Chesterfield County (VA) Public Schools adult G.E.D. program recently experienced an over 200% increase, more than 400 applicants and test-takers in three weeks, thanks to a cell phone text message-based radio promotion. Read about this at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/education/mobile_marketing/prweb536274.htm
• Focus on Basics, Transitions Issue (6D)
  This contains several articles about different aspects of transitions.
• Creativity and Innovation at the ALE Wiki
  See the section entitled Creative GED Prep
  GED teachers, especially, will find the following publication of GED outcomes data -- intended to be used by GED teachers and their students -- of special interest. It was written by Sara Fass and Barbara Garner in 2000, and updated by Eileen Barry in 2006. "Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices About the GED and Your Future"
• Is the GED an Effective Route to Postsecondary Education?
  A Conversation with John Tyler
  by Barbara Garner
  Recognizing that high school is not enough, growing numbers of adult basic education programs (ABE) are emphasizing the transition to postsecondary education. What impact does earning a certificate of General Educational Development (GED) have on the post secondary enrollment of high school dropouts? Brown University professor and NCSALL researcher John Tyler and a colleague, Magnus Lofstrom of the University of Texas at Dallas, examined this question using data from Texas. Focus on Basics asked John Tyler to summarize the results and discuss the questions they raise.
• Webcast from the National Institute for Literacy: Research on the Economic Impact of the GED Diploma Panel Discussion
  Moderated by Dr. David J. Rosen, and featuring Dr. John Tyler, Sara Fass and Sue Snider.
• NCSALL GED Research Briefs
  Seven briefs by John Tyler are linked on this page, among which are: "The Economic Benefits of the GED: A Research Synthesis", "So You Want a GED? Estimating the Impact of the GED on the Earnings of Dropouts Who Seek the Credential", "Who Benefits from Obtaining a GED? Evidence from High School and Beyond", and "Estimating the Labor Market Signaling Value of the GED"

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