Wow, Kay Combs-----you are absolutely right!!!  Well said.  Thank you!
This is exactly the message I have been trying to get out locally.   

 

Sandy Jensen, Hawkeye Community College

Manager, ABE/GED/ELL/Family Literacy

 

From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Combs, Kay
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 9:45 PM
To: The Assessment Discussion List; The Assessment Discussion List
Subject: [Assessment 2245] Re: FW: [Technology 2386] The *new* GED &
Tech

 

Well, I guess I have to reply to all the e-mails and discussion that
have arisen in regard to the GED possibly being computer-based.  Call me
crazy, but isn't this part of our intiiative?  Whether our students go
to college or not, we are in the 21st century people.  It is our
responsibility, if at all possible to share, encourage, teach, train,
educate the adults who come into our centers.  I have been in adult
education for over 12 years, I have never met one student who has come
into our center who did not want to learn "what" to do on the computer.
I have worked with students from 16 - 75.  Even the grandmothers want to
learn to use the computer.  In my very first job as an  adult eduacation
coordinator for 11 Head Start centers in the central and eastern
counties of Kentucky with the mothers being young, old,
grandmothers.....we had computer labs and they all wanted to use the
computer....they just ddid't know how.  They have fears, like all of us
had when we first began our journey into technology.

 

This should not be a discussion on if the GED test should be
computer-based or should it not and how it will be "hard' for our
students to use....it should be HOW are we going to integrate technology
MORE into our classroom....prepare our students for this current world.
Granted, the older population is such as Gayle said wanting to get their
GED for a personal matter of self-satisfaction or self-esteem.  They
have already "done their duty" and worked and retired.  But my father
who is 80 and my mother who is 73 both have knowledge of the computer
and what it can do and marvel at technology and are still learning.
What a great product to help the elder population keep their brain
stimulated!  It just takes a little more time to assist in
this.....people....but we need to be doing this.

 

I am an adult educator just like all of you.  I work in the little old
state of Kentucky.  We wear shoes now and not all of our grass is
blue....but we do have computers and our country has access to more
computers than any other country in the world......we all need to get on
the bus or the bus is leaving without us.  Our country does not need us
to hesitate on "discussing" whether or not to use the computer for a
test!  For heavens sake, we expect this from our High School students
and students in college.  We should expect to teach, train and educate
all of our adult population and our expectation should be that they can
learn and they will learn.  We have to trust and believe in our adults
in our country.

 

I know I might offend everyone and many of the academia who are involved
in this discussion list....but let's be real and live what our students
live and know what they need to know so they can be successful.  My
shoulders are broad.  If you want to blast this e-mail, below is my
personal e-mail address.  You can write to me personally if you don't
want to respond to the group.  I am not up for an argument or
controversy over this issue, I am being an advocate for all of our
students.  Come on, let's get fired up and win this war against
illiteracy.  We will never do this sitting around discussing how "hard"
it will be for our students to take a test on the computer.  We need to
be telling about our success stories and HOW we are doing this.  I am
and I challenge you.....Pick out your hardest student, put a lap top in
front of them and see what they say, see what happens......I bet
literacy wins:)

 

Kay Combs, M.A.Ed.

Program Coordinator - GED/ESL

Center for Lifelong Learning

332 Champion Way

Georgetown, KY  40324

502-570-8984

kay.combs at scott.kyschools.us

 

________________________________

From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Adult Education
Sent: Thu 10/22/2009 7:43 PM
To: The Assessment Discussion List
Subject: [Assessment 2244] Re: FW: [Technology 2386] The *new* GED &
Tech

I am very concerned if all GED testing would be done via computer.
There is still a vast digital divide. With the push on advancement, are
we also losing site of the student who has no desire to go on to
postsecondary education?  Over the years I have had many students whose
primary goal of obtaining a GED was a personal matter of
self-satisfaction,self-esteem, or as a role model for children.
Gayle

ABE/GED/ESL/Family Literacy
--- On Tue, 10/20/09, Evelyn Brown <EBrown at parkland.edu> wrote:

	
	From: Evelyn Brown <EBrown at parkland.edu>
	Subject: [Assessment 2228] Re: FW: [Technology 2386] The *new*
GED & Tech
	To: "The Assessment Discussion List" <assessment at nifl.gov>
	Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 1:47 PM

	The GED is a gateway to employment for many.  To pose a possible
barrier by requiring the GED to be online is not a good idea.  To keep
options open and go toward the one that is most cost effective seems to
make sense to me.   The problem with computer based test would seem to
be those who have problems with reading off of a computer and those
intimidated by a computer.  
	I would want the option to test in a setting to get the most
accurate measurement of testable knowledge.
	Evelyn
	
	Evelyn Brown
	Academic Development Specialist
	Parkland College
	2400 West Bradley
	Champaign, IL 61821
	217.351.2587 
	ebrown at parkland.edu
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ebrown@parkland.edu> 
	
	>>> "Ellithorpe, Kathy" <KathyE at monte.k12.co.us
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=KathyE@monte.k12.co.us> >
10/20/2009 12:08 PM >>>
	
	I like the idea of computer based testing for GED students.  It
offers so much more flexibility and accountability.  I am not sure about
the cost...would it be more costly?  Why?  It might be an initial cost
for testing sites...would this necessarily be visited on the testers?
	As for students taking it online-I think computer literacy is a
necessary skill in the work world. We should be including that in  our
curricilums anyway... There are not many jobs anymore that don't require
a minimum knowledge of computers.  All post secondary education requires
an in depth knowledge of the use of computers.  
	
	
	
	
	-----Original Message-----
	From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=assessment-bounces@nifl.go
v>  [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=assessment-bounces@nifl.go
v> ] On Behalf Of Peter Woof
	Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 10:41 AM
	To: The Assessment Discussion List
	Subject: [Assessment 2226] Re: FW: [Technology 2386] The *new*
GED & Tech
	
	Many industry "certifications", such as CCNA, CCNP, CCDA, CCDP
and the qualifying exams in CCIE, as well as the various Microsoft
implementations of industry certification are done online. It may be a
form of testing with which students will need to become familiar.
Practice would help - for computer related issues. One issue that I have
with computers and their screens in particular, is that the format of
paper has remained the same for a long time (A4 or US letter), but
screens are getting wider, but not deeper, meaning that the size of text
is scrunched up, only half a document is readable, and for two column
"journal" style PDF documents, reading is impossible.
	
	The Assessment Discussion List <assessment at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=assessment@nifl.gov> >
writes:
	>Some of us in Colorado are very concerned about computer-based
GED 
	>tests-the cost is bound to be truly prohibitive for many
students-and 
	>rest assured that the cost will figure prominently. Some people
assure 
	>us that a computer-based test format  is bound to occur-just a
matter 
	>of time. The digital divide still exists, though, and yet, as
Jason 
	>alludes to in his question, shouldn't GED grads be at least
minimally 
	>technologically proficient? This is a big can of worms as far
as I'm 
	>concerned, and yes, it's a great question to put on the table.
	>
	> 
	>
	>Stephanie Moran
	>
	>Durango, CO
	>
	> 
	>
	>
	>
	>
	>From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=assessment-bounces@nifl.go
v>  [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=assessment-bounces@nifl.go
v> ] 
	>On Behalf Of Marie Cora
	>Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 5:24 PM
	>To: Assessment at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Assessment@nifl.gov>  
	>Subject: [Assessment 2223] FW: [Technology 2386] The *new* GED
& Tech
	>
	>
	>
	>
	> 
	>
	>Dear Colleagues,
	>
	> 
	>
	>There's been some discussion on the Technology & Distance
Learning List 
	>(to subscribe, go to:  [ 
	>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Technology/ 
	>]http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Technology/) regarding
the new 
	>GED Test - some of you may be interested in joining in there.
	>
	> 
	>
	>I'm forwarding the post that started that discussion off - I am

	>interested in the questions that Jason asks at the end of his
email - 
	>what do folks think of the questions he poses?
	>
	> 
	>
	>"Should the new test be administered using computers? Should
technology 
	>be added to the GED as a content area?  Would these changes
help GEDTS 
	>frame the GED as gateway to college?  Would a more
sophisticated GED 
	>test leave too many people behind who would otherwise have been
able to 
	>pass the test?"
	>
	> 
	>
	>Thanks, I'm looking forward to reading people's thoughts on
this.
	>
	> 
	>
	>Marie Cora
	>
	>Assessment Discussion List Moderator
	>
	> 
	>
	> 
	>
	>-----Original Message-----
	>From: technology-bounces at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=technology-bounces@nifl.go
v>  [mailto:technology-bounces at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=technology-bounces@nifl.go
v> ] 
	>On Behalf Of Jason Keith Guard/AC/VCU
	>Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 1:42 PM
	>To: Technology at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Technology@nifl.gov>  
	>Subject: [Technology 2386] The *new* GED & Tech
	>
	> 
	>
	>The GED Testing Service recently announced an apparent change
in 
	>thinking about the content, purpose, and possibly method of
delivery of 
	>the GED Test. (See their press release here:  [ 
	

>http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/ged/news/National_Needs_Al


	>ter_Plans_for_GED_5th_Edition_100809.pdf
	

>]http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/ged/news/National_Needs_A

lter_Plans_for_GED_5th_Edition_100809.pdf).
	> Although roughly 40% percent of high school seniors cannot
pass the 
	>GED test, the issue of the test's adequacy for certifying the
skill 
	>levels of high school completers has long been at issue.
	>
	>The press release describes the new GED as "a new, more
comprehensive 
	>assessment program."  Two common areas of high school
experience not 
	>addressed by the GED test are computer and digital literacy.
My 
	>questions depends on your interpretation of the GED Testing
Service 
	>announcement, because some there appears to be a shift taking
place 
	>regarding the GED. Should the new test be administered using
computers?
	>Should technology be added to the GED as a content area?  Would
these 
	>changes help GEDTS frame the GED as gateway to college?  Would
a more 
	>sophisticated GED test leave too many people behind who would
otherwise 
	>have been able to pass the test?
	>
	>Thanks for your consideration.  I look forward to sharing our
respective
	>speculation.       
	>
	>Jason Guard
	>GED Specialist
	>Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center Virginia Commonwealth 
	>University 3600 West Broad Street, Suite 669 Richmond, VA
23230-4930
	>Phone:  1-800-237-0178 or  804-827-2635 Virginia GED Helpline: 
	>1-877-376-9433 eLearn Virginia: 1-888-589-9003
	>Fax:  804-828-7539
	>Email: jkguard at vcu.edu
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jkguard@vcu.edu>  
	>Twitter: jkguard
	>[ http://www.valrc.org <http://www.valrc.org/>  ]www.valrc.org
	>[ http://www.GEDVA.com <http://www.gedva.com/>  ]www.GEDVA.com
	>[ http://www.elearnva.com <http://www.elearnva.com/>
]www.elearnva.com
	>
	>-------------------------------
	>National Institute for Literacy
	>Assessment mailing list
	>Assessment at nifl.gov
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Assessment@nifl.gov>  
	>To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go
to 
	>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/assessment 
	>Email delivered to pwoof at nisgaa.bc.ca
<http://us.mc500.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=pwoof@nisgaa.bc.ca>  
	
	
	
	"We don't care what you know until we know that you care"
	
	
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