Hi, colleagues,

In response to David Rosen's questions, I think I'll respond to number 
four.  Because I work at an institution where theme-based teaching in GED 
classrooms is policy, I think I'm in a good position to speak to this one.

The City University of New York has taken a theme-based approach to 
instruction, particularly GED instruction, for at least a decade now. 
There are eleven campuses throughout New York City where GED classes are 
offered.  The administrators and teachers who work at these sites are 
overseen by CUNY's Central Office and so there is a community of sorts 
between CUNY adult literacy teachers and administrators across the 
campuses.   While theme-based teaching, when it was introduced, 
encountered some resistance from teachers, there was also a lot of 
enthusiasm for it.  Having a community allowed teachers who were trying 
out this new approach to share materials and experiences, both at their 
campus programs and across programs. 

In addition to supporting each other, teachers were--and are--supported by 
a team of staff developers who work with them in a number of ways: 
team-teaching, periodic campus meetings, seminars, conferences, online 
fora, and more. One of the seminars that is run regularly is a curriculum 
development seminar in which teachers are paid to work with staff 
developers, first in a group setting, and then one-on-one, to produce 
curricula that they can use in their own teaching and which are also 
available to other CUNY teachers in "ready to use" form. 

I do think this approach to teaching is challenging and that institutional 
support makes a world of difference.    In our curriculum development 
seminars teachers have the chance to plan instruction carefully, thinking 
about the broad concepts they want to get across, the texts and other 
materials they will use, the learning goals they have for students, and 
the way that the many threads that must be included in GED instruction can 
be "braided" together.   While it's challenging, I also think planning in 
this way forces teachers to think about teaching in a deep and detailed 
way.  They must really think through each class--what students will learn; 
which activities they will engage in; which texts will be used and why. 

As a staff developer, I work with teachers who vary widely in terms of 
their approaches to teaching.  Some of the teachers I work with would be 
considered "traditional," while others favor "student-centered" learning 
and still others mix a variety of styles.  It can be hard to get teachers 
who have never tried an activity like student role play to take the risk. 
As part of a group of teachers taking part in a seminar, though, that 
teacher is more likely to try it out. 

So I do think theme-based teaching is a challenge, but well worth it.  And 
my experience has shown me that institutional support makes all the 
difference.

Kate Brandt



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Subject
[Assessment 952] Obstacles to GED Creativity and How to Overcome them






Assessment Colleagues,

Several obstacles to GED program creativity have been mentioned, and there 
are are others. I would be interested in hearing how creative GED 
practitioners have overcome each of these challenges. I hope those who 
have solutions will pick one or more of these challenges and address them 
in this discussion.  How have you pushed back the pressure for GED 
programs to be primarily test preparation, not substantive learning?  How 
have you successfully addressed these constraints?

1) Students'  determination to pass the test in the shortest time possible
2) Students' holding the goal "getting the GED" as an unexamined act of 
faith that this is what they need that "having the certificate or diploma" 
will meet their needs
3) Students' belief that "real school" looks just like the often failed) 
schools they have attended, traditional models of  schooling
4) Teachers' lack of experience (and therefore discomfort) with creative 
teaching such as theme-based or project-based learning
5) Accountability  for "GED outcomes" within a short time period from 
funders at the national, state and/or local level.
6) Other obstacles or constraints, especially those that are unique to GED 
Preparation programs or, Adult Secondary Education.


David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net





----- Message from "Donna Curry" <donnac at gwi.net> on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 
14:31:53 +0000 -----
To:
"The Assessment Discussion List" <assessment at nifl.gov>
Subject:
[Assessment 951] GED: What you need to know
Hi. I'd like to add my two-cents to the discussion about the need to help 
students get their GED quickly.
 
I'm on a local shellfish committee looking for wardens to check out the 
clam flats.  When I asked what the requirements were for being a warden, I 
was told they needed to have a GED or high school diploma.  This struck me 
so I asked why. I was told that the warden would have to send in periodic 
reports based on his/her findings so s/he needed "at least a GED."
 
I worry about the disconnect between our teaching just to the test (in 
writing, for example, the test requires students to write an "essay") and 
what the broader community and business people are expecting our adult 
learners to be able to do once they have a GED (such as write short 
reports, but rarely an "essay"). 
 
Are we explicit in the skills that we're teaching so that students can 
actually use what they've learned after they pass their GED?? Do we give 
them opportunities to transfer their learning from the workbook (or 
computer) to real-life situations so they know how to use different skills 
in different situations? 
 
 
Donna
 
Donna Curry
Center for Literacy Studies
University of Tennessee
("branch office" - Westport Island, Maine)
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