Return-Path: <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i75F7b110996; Thu, 5 Aug 2004 11:07:37 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 11:07:37 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <48642A8410EFA84B9155702396D1262B023E43DD@cotremail.cotr.bc.ca> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Bennett, Gina" <BENNETT@cotr.bc.ca> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1105] RE: Help With Curriculum. Dr. Rosen - reply to Michele Craig X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 5909 Lines: 151 Hi Michele, You mentioned: -------snip--------- Sometimes too, doing the GED quickly might not be the best way to really learn the subject matter the GED covers, but it can be the best way to understand that you are capable of learning and gaining some self confidence to become a "life-long learner." ---------snip---------------- I couldn't agree more. In our neck of the woods, the GED is accepted by only a few employers & postsecondary programs. The full ABE program is the preferred route but it generally takes much longer to complete. When I was teaching GED students (which I haven't been directly involved in for a couple of years), I often saw students who had decided to enroll in GED specifically because they saw it as a much shorter solution to obtaining a high school "equivalency". Once they had been in my class for a couple of months, however, students often chose to transfer into ABE because they a) finally started to see themselves as successful learners; b) saw learning as an enjoyable (rather than an onerous) activity; and c) understood the educational system better. A question: you mentioned "Lately, I have been praised for bringing up our pass rate for students who take and pass the GED." This is a significant achievement! To what strategies do you attribute your success; i.e. what do you do to help bring up the pass rate? Many thanks, Gina Bennett College of the Rockies Cranbrook, BC Canada -----Original Message----- From: nifl-fobasics@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-fobasics@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of shellcraig@ix.netcom.com Sent: August 4, 2004 10:29 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1100] RE: Help With Curriculum. Dr. Rosen, Sandy, You hit on precisely the dilemma with our students who are very goal oriented (toward passing the test) and not always focused on learning as a goal in itself. I too have come across this teaching GED and ABE in California. It is those students who need to come up the most levels who become the most frustrated. Lately, I have been praised for bringing up our pass rate for students who take and pass the GED. But I became discouraged last week when I looked at their scores and realized most are passing the test with less than a 70% in most of the subjects. But then I thought, if I told them they needed to work longer to get better scores when they only need the 450 average to pass, would they stay? I am thinking they probably wouldn't. On the other hand, as a former community college instructor, I know the community colleges (where many of these students go for further education) also offer the same levels of remedial instruction, but with the carrot of a college degree dangling in front of the students. So I tend to get them to focus on what their goals are beyond the GED. If, for instance, they tell me they want to be a nurse, I suggest that they will need a lot of math and at the college level they will have to keep up with the class, but in my classroom, they can work at their own pace. If they want to go to electrician trade school, I encourage them to spend some time on physics. I try to instill in my students a knowledge that they can teach themselves anything they wish to learn by having good critical thinking skills and good reading skills. Sometimes too, doing the GED quickly might not be the best way to really learn the subject matter the GED covers, but it can be the best way to understand that you are capable of learning and gaining some self confidence to become a "life-long learner." Many of my students come in not really seeing themselves as intelligent and capable of learning. By putting in the time and getting to know themselves as learners, they have a better understanding of themselves if they do decide to continue. I would be very interested in the discussion on this topic continuing. It is a question I constantly struggle with-- and just when you get to know them, they are on to something else! Michele Craig Woodland Adult School Woodland, California At 09:51 AM 7/31/2004 -0400, you wrote: >I read, with great interest, the discussions by members of this list >serve and would like to present a dilemma relative to ABE and GED >instructional programs for discussion. Most of our agency's learners >are myopically focused, "I need to pass the GED test, and the sooner >the better - like yesterday." Some learners only require a refresher >in language arts writing and upper-level numeracy skills. These >learners have scored at least an 8th grade reading level and want to >move forward, quickly. The dilemma occurs for those learners below a >7th grade reading skills ability, and they too want to quickly move >forward. They need to feel that their immediate goal is being met, and >if not, this is a sure way to lose them. During orientation, learners >are assessed for reading and numeracy skills, the learners do an >analysis of their test results, start their individual learning plan, >and set short and long-term goals i.e. reading to >children/grandchildren, entering college, getting a job, or a better >job. Passing the GED is viewed as a step toward their goal. Any >thoughts about solutions to this dilemma? > >Sandy Scanlon > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: <shellcraig@ix.netcom.com> >To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> >Sent: Friday, July 30, 2004 4:43 PM >Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1083] RE: Help With Curriculum. Dr. Rosen, > > > > I know this is a literacy website, but the GED Math Problem Solver > > curriculum is very cooperatively based learning and I have had > > wonderful success using it with my students, not only for improving > > their math skills, but improving their confidence and problem > > solving. It also served to make some friendships as well in the > > classroom. > > > > Michele > > > >
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