Greetings all,

My only question would be whether there aare prospective GED students who end up not preparing for the test because they happen to see a book called "GED for Dummies" at some bookstore.  Once you have GED students, you can let them know more about the "for Dummies" series if the question arises, or even preempt the question by discussing various GED preparation textbooks on the market.

I work with ESL students preparing for the GED, and I have not noticed a single one for whom preparing for the GED test involved a trauma-laden effort.

Do those among you who work with native English-speaking students find that preparing for a GED involves overcoming debilitating stigmatization of any kind?  My experience is that getting learners into literacy programs is a far greater challenge.  If there were a program called "Learning to Read for Dummies," I would notify the publisher.

Michael

Michael A. Gyori 
Maui International Language School 
www.mauilanguage.com




________________________________
From: Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt <katherine.gotthardt at gmail.com>
To: The Diversity and Literacy Discussion List <diversity at nifl.gov>
Sent: Sat, October 24, 2009 3:32:19 PM
Subject: [Diversity 1156] Re: The GED for Dummies

Yes, the "For Dummies" series covers everything from technology to sports, as far as I can tell.  But you are correct, Tom, that a "GED for Dummies" might be a little more insulting than say, "Plumbing for Dummies."  The difference is, of course, that you might be able to pay a plumber, but you can't pay for a legit high school diploma.

I wonder how the GED for Dummies sales compare to other tutorial sales in a chain like B&M.


On Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 5:07 PM, Michael Gyori <tesolmichael at yahoo.com> wrote:

Hello Tom and all,

>

>If I understood your message correctly, then to the best of my knowledge the only organizations that receive general revenue or grant-source funding are public educational institutions, non-profit private educational institutions, and non-profit 501(c)(3) community-based organizations. 

>

>Are you suggesting that for-profit booksellers such as B&N or Borders might be eligible for grant monies? My immediate response, having worked in the non-profit sector for 20 years, would be no.  What about Amazon and all the other online vendors who sell adult ed materials? Further, wouldn't it be an(other) instance of corporate welfare? Of course, there's nothing to keep private foundations from donating to for-profit organizations to support a cause.

>

>The "For Dummies" series offers books in a broad array of areas and is very popular and well-known.  I personally don't believe it stigmatizes anyone, it's a humorous twist that started, I believe, with computer-related training for "Dummies."  If anyone is put off by the title, a bit of background information should help.

>

>Michael

> 

>Michael A. Gyori 

>Maui International Language School 

>www.mauilanguage.com

>

>

>

>

>

________________________________
From: "tsticht at znet.com" <tsticht at znet.com>

>To: diversity at nifl.gov

>Sent: Sat, October 24, 2009 9:48:53 AM

>Subject: [Diversity 1152] The GED for Dummies

>

>Folks:

>

>In the Barnes & Noble bookstore nearest my house there is a section with

>books called study aids. Browsing these books lately, I noticed that there

>were over a dozen books for studying to prepare oneself for the GED. One of

>these books was entitled The GED for Dummies. I wondered how that would feel

>for adults wanting to overcome the stigma of having dropped out of school,

>discovered that their life chances in the U.S. were severely limited by not

>having a high school diploma, and then sought to get their General

>Educational Development (GED) certificate, sometimes called a high school

>equivalency degree, to overcome this stigma.

>

>I also wondered about what status the Barnes & Noble, and other bookstores,

>such as Borders, that sell all sorts of educational materials, in addition

>to the GED self-study materials, have in the adult education field? There

>are many commercial enterprises in the adult education field, for example

>many businesses that sell lessons in English or other languages, and I

>wonder what their status is in the field of adult education.  For instance,

>are such businesses eligible for federal and/or state grants?

>

>I know that many non-profit businesses, generally referred to as community

>organizations, which offer adult literacy education are eligible for

>federal and/or state government grants or contracts if they meet the stated

>requirements. Many religion-affiliated groups provide adult education.

>Groups like OASIS for senior citizens provide lots of adult education

>courses.

>

>The largest group of institutions that offer adult education, including

>literacy, numeracy, and English language training, are secondary education

>organizations (e.g., high schools) which receive government funding. I

>think the second largest group of taxpayer supported institutions providing

>ABE, ASE, and ESL are community colleges.

>

>I have read discussions about what certifications or qualifications adult

>teachers should have. But I don’t know how these discussions apply in all

>these different contexts. My question is, who should be included in and who

>should be excluded from, the adult education field?

>

>And do we really need The GED for Dummies?

>

>Tom Sticht

>

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-- 
Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt
Community Writer for NEWS AND MESSENGER
www.insidenova.com



      
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