Weblog: GED
Online Training for Content Standards--Get Ready for VAILL!
This year's Southwest VAILL (July 30 - August 1) will focus on implementing content standards by offering an array of interesting and practical workshops such as:
-Implementing Content Standards in the Open Enrollment Classroom
-Creativity and Content Standards
-Program Planning for Content Standards Implementation
-Aligning Assessment and Curriculum with GED Content Standards
-Curricula Based on ESOL Content Standards
-Lesson Planning with ESOL Content Standards
-GED Content Standards: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners through Differentiated Instruction
Start Now!
Participants are encouraged to take the Virginia Content Standards Online Training developed by VALRC prior to SW VAILL for an introduction to content standards. The self-paced course can be completed in about two hours and provides an orientation to standards and specific tracks for ESOL and GED. Especially if you've just begun to explore Virginia's GED/ESOL content standards, the online course will provide a foundation for the workshops at VAILL.
For more information and to register for the online training, visit http://valrc.org/training/online/content.html . A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the training.
If you have already completed the online training for content standards, you do not need to complete it again.
If you have questions about the online training, please contact Lauren Ellington, Online Training Specialist, at leellington@vcu.edu.
See you at VAILL!
July 30 - August 1
Governor Kaine Promotes GED ON DEMAND
Governor Kaine's new GED ON DEMAND public service announcement is now the featured clip on the Virginia Government YouTube channel. Use the link below to view: http://www.youtube.com/virginiagovernment
GED/ESOL Public Service Announcements on TV
The Henrico County Adult Education Center has just launched two public service announcements promoting adult education for GED and ESOL students. The videos have been uploaded to YouTube and can be accessed by search on the general site or the Virginia government channel of YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=Virginiagovernment .
Henrico County Adult Education has done a great job in producing the segments which will run on NBC, Channel 12, in Central Virginia.
Check them out!
GED® On Demand featured in KET's Adult Learning Quarterly
The January 2008 issue of Kentucky Educational Television's (KET) Adult Learning Quarterly features an article on the uses of Video on Demand and streaming technologies in the field of adult education. The article includes comments by the VALRC's Instructional Technology Specialist, Richard Sebastian, and makes extensive mention of Virginia's GED On Demand and streaming video projects.
To download the pdf file of this issue of the ALQ, click on the link below: http://valrc.org/publications/pdf/ALQ_Jan08.pdf
Or you can access the downloads page of KET's Adult Education site: http://www.ketadultlearning.org/htms/downloads.htm
GED Connection and eLearn Va Workshop in Winchester
Northern Shenandoah Valley Adult Education
156 Dowell J. Circle
Winchester, VA 22602
Date: January 26, 2008
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Registration Deadline: January 23, 2008
Audience: GED teachers and tutors
GED Connection is a multimedia instructional program that combines workbooks, videos, and online activities. The online management system allows teachers to monitor student progress with online activities, and the Teacher's Guide makes planning a cinch. In this workshop, participants will explore the use of all components in creating GED lessons in classroom and distance learning environments.
Using GED Connection and a number of other programs, eLearn Va delivers GED, pre-GED, and workplace instruction online to Virginia students. Workshop participants will examine the characteristics of a good online learner, structure of the eLearn Va program, content of the online curricula, and strategies for implementing and supporting distance learning at their programs.
To register, complete the online form found on the VALRC training calendar.
GED Connection streaming videos
Adult learners in Virginia can now access all of the GED Connection programs anytime from an Internet-connected computer. All 39 episodes are now being "streamed" online from the eLEARN Virginia website in 3 video formats--Windows Media, Flash, and Quicktime--for both low speed and high speed computer connections.
The 39 instructional programs, produced by KET-TV, cover the subjects and skills students need to pass the GED tests. With the programs now available online, learners will be able to receive quality GED preparation at times that fit their schedules.
You don't need to be enrolled in eLEARN Virginia to access these online programs, but you do need to be a resident of Virginia and have a valid username and password. To receive your username and password and begin watching, please call 1-877-37-MY-GED (1-877-376-9433) or send an email request to richard@elearnva.com
GED Connection ON DEMAND
Virginians who subscribe to either Comcast or Cox Digital Cable can now watch any of the GED Connection episodes from the comfort of their home any time they want. This initiative, a partnership between the Commonwealth of Virginia, Comcast and Cox Communications, the Virginia Department of Education's Office of Adult Education & Literacy, and the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center, integrates the GED Connection videos into the "ON DEMAND" programming that Cox and Comcast offer free to their digital cable customers.
The 39 instructional programs, produced by KET-TV, cover the subjects and skills students need to pass the GED tests. With GED Connection ON DEMAND, learners will be able to receive quality GED preparation at times that fit their schedules, alleviating the needs for transportation and child care.
This article continues... »GED Fast Track Training
Four regional workshops will be given this fall for instructors who are new to Fast Track or who are looking to brush up on accelerated GED instruction.
Audience: New GED Fast Track instructors, Fast Track instructors who want a brush-up
Time: All workshops will be held from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Locations and Dates:
Charlottesville - Wednesday, October 24 - FULL
Virginia Beach - Friday, October 26
Spotsylvania - Monday, November 5
In the GED Fast Track workshop, participants will gain insight into thinking styles and accelerated learning, examine test-taking strategies, understand accommodations available to all testers, and find out what types of questions testers most often miss on the GED test.
To sign up, please complete the registration form, select the location of your choice, and email, fax, or mail it as directed on the form.
http://www.valrc.org/training/GED/FastTrackregistration.pdf
http://www.valrc.org/training/GED/FastTrackregistration.doc
See you there!
eLEARN Virginia: a free statewide distance learning GED program
eLEARN Virginia is a new statewide distance learning initiative, funded by the DOE/OAEL and managed by the VALRC, now freely available to your GED students. eLEARN Va is a great option for any student who has access to a networked computer and either a) can't attend face-to-face GED classes at your center, b) must interrupt their face-to-face GED class due to employment, transportation, or childcare issues, or c) wants supplementary GED lessons to work on outside of their regular face-to-face GED class. eLEARN Va is also an option for any out of school youth, formally released from compulsory attendance, interested in working towards a GED online.
This article continues... »GED Success Story Publicity
The second phase of statewide Race to GED outreach relies on the Success Story motif. Click here to read a feature story from The Warren Sentinel about Sonny Alicie, who appears in the GED Success Story Calendar. Sonny Alicie, a Vietnam veteran and retired law officer, dropped out of high school to care for a sick grandfather and earned his GED while in the military. We encourage you to save Sonny's story as an example of GED Success Story media coverage and to consider pitching similar stories to your local papers.
New Race to GED Outreach Website
Celebrate Virginia's GED success stories -- and inspire your current and potential students to "Be the Next" GED success! OAEL has unveiled a new Race to GED outreach website to promote the Success Story theme. Download GED Success Story calendar, brochure, and bookmark designs, and watch the four 30-second television spots at: http://www.vdoe.vi.virginia.gov/instruction/adulted/equivalency/outreach/index.shtml
Adult Education and Postsecondary Success
A new policy brief, Adult Education and Postsecondary Success, comparing long-term postsecondary outcomes of GED holders, diploma holders, and non-completers has been released by the National Commission on Adult Literacy.
Authored by Steve Reder of Portland State University and the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, the brief can be found at: http://www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org/pandp.html
Virginia GED Success Stories on YouTube
The four videos from OAEL's most recent GED campaign spotlight GED success stories in Virginia and are now available on YouTube for use with your students, testers and other stakeholders:
Melissa Timberlake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JtgetP3JS0
Sonny Alicie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46FlU-6H7wY
Mary White: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9vbWBQnT-k
Andre Bright: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwpjiV1ePrU
You can also find these clips by searching for "Virginia GED" on the YouTube site.
GED Connection Workshop
Prince William Adult Education
Saturday, August 25, 2007
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
GED Connection is a comprehensive instructional program that combines workbooks, videos and online activities to create multimedia GED instruction that appeals to different learning styles and provides distance learning opportunities.
In this full-day workshop, participants will become familiar with all components of GED Connection and begin to plan lessons using them. A set of materials will be provided to each participant.
To sign up, please complete the registration form and fax or mail it to the Resource Center as directed on the form.
Space is limited, so register soon!
Research Studies from GED Testing Service
The GED Testing Service has recently released two research studies on GED examinees: The Literacy of U.S. Adults with GED Credentials: 2003 NAAL and 1992 NALS (2007) and GED Tests Candidates vs. High School Seniors' Performance (2007). Both reports can be downloaded in pdf format at GED Testing Service Research Studies.
Increase in Cost of GED Materials
From Debbie Bergtholdt, State GED Administrator
GEDTS has announced a price increase for 2008 that you need to know about for budgeting purposes.
You are currently paying $70 for 15 uses of the test battery and $8.50 for each first time test taker. In 2008, those fees will increase to $80 for 15 uses of the test battery and $10 for each first time test taker. The site license will increase from $150 to $175.
FREE GED Lessons and Learning While You Wait
Good news for GED teachers and distance learners. Here are some recent developments and resources that you might find useful.
FREE GED lessons for download and print.
The California Distance Learning Project (CDLP) has developed 39 extensive GED lesson plans and activities and made them available online. They were originally intended to parallel the 39 sections of PBS LiteracyLink's GED Connection television programs and to serve as a substitute for the GED Connection workbooks. However, most of the material is useful on its own, and it is available for anyone who wants to use it.
These GED worksheets are featured at the CDLP website where you can open any or all of the 39 documents (MS Word or Adobe Acrobat required) and print as many copies as you need for class. Teachers can use the lessons in class, or copies (or just the link) can be given to distance learners who are self-directed, and they can use the material on their own.
- Each of the 39 lessons consists of 10-25 pages of activities
- Prepares class for videos
- Terms and concepts to look for while watching GED Connection
- Offers GED format practice questions
- In-depth analysis of the skills necessary to pass the GED Tests
Learning while you wait: An invitation from eLEARN Virginia
eLEARN Virginia is a new distance learning program for adult Virginians interested in improving their GED and workplace skills online. We are currently piloting this new program with a limited number of adult education centers around the state with plans to go statewide in the near future.
Students on waiting lists: If your program currently has a waiting list for GED classes, we would like to offer this online option to any of these students who want to work online until they are accepted into class. If you are interested in this option for your qualified wait listed students, please contact Richard Sebastian toll-free at 1-877-376-9433 for more information.
Summer break: Are your adult students interested in continuing their studies during the summer months? If your program will not be offering summer classes or offering them on a limited basis, your students may be able to continue their studies--online, at eLEARN Va. To find out more, contact Richard Sebastian toll-free at 1-877-376-9433.
Instructional resources abound!
Attend a Training: In the opening months of 2007 the Resource Center has already scheduled several GED Connection trainings around the state. These trainings are an essential experience for many instructors because this is where LiteracyLink Teachers Guides are distributed, and participation in the training gives you the keys to your own LiteracyLink virtual classroom (for Workplace Essential Skills curriculum as well). Take a look at the calendar to see if one of these trainings will fit into your schedule.
Turn DVDs into GEDs: To help Virginia adult educators take full advantage of the LiteracyLink programs, we are distributing DVD sets of both PBS television series, GED Connection and Workplace Essential Skills (WES). You can show these programs in your classroom before the whole class, or allow individual students to play the discs at personal computer stations. The cost of the DVD sets is $80 for GED Connection and $65 for WES (including shipping). If you are interested, contact Marianne Baker about placing an order.
Get Cozy with eLearning for the GED: Registration is now open for our online course "Using Technology to Enhance GED Instruction." This professional development session is a great way to get caught up on the latest teaching techniques in adult education. The registration deadline for all courses is Friday, February 16; courses begin Monday, February 19.
Two New Products: Could your students benefit from having GED prep in the palm of their hands? Some instructors are finding it useful to a have a stack of GED Flashcard Secrets in the classroom for students who want to get some extra practice in just before the test. They say you can't cram for the GED, but flashcards let you go through the motion while sharpening GED skills.
Recently, the VAELN listserv received an announcement about Spanish language GED practice tests that are now available from InterLingua Educational Publishing (Spanishged.org). These are not the Official Practice Test (OPT) in Spanish, which is only offered by Steck-Vaughn. However, they are inexpensive, downloadable, available on CD or hard-copy, and come with lessons that may be useful to your native Spanish-speaking students.
Examiner/Program Manager Conferences and Technological Developments
Between October 4-6, Virginia's Adult Education program managers and GED examiners held annual conferences to talk about upcoming changes in the GED test and trends in classroom instruction. Although most of the details are still developing, it was revealed that the Office of Adult Education and Learning (OAEL) will be mandating content standards for Virginia's GED instruction, and on a national scale, changes are on the horizon for the GED test itself. A few anecdotal items are worth noting.
First off, according to the GED Testing Service, most GED test-takers are more computer savvy than adult educators may realize. By 2011, we can expect to see computer-based testing, and initial field testing shows that adult learners are performing just as well on a computer as on a paper and pencil test. It would be reasonable to infer from this that the GED test will eventually present questions that relate directly to the online experience that has become so common in today's workforce and the traditional high school setting. So, be sure to check out VALRC's online professional development and Polilogue discussions about eLearning, so you can keep pace with the technological needs of today's adult learners. Another harbinger of the GED's shift toward technology are Virginia's new systems of online test registration and nearly instant online retrieval of GED scores. Clearly, Virginia's field of Adult Education is committed to staying ahead of the curve.
This year's program managers meeting saw the unveiling of a draft form of the new GED Content Standards. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of content standards, check out the Content Standards Warehousehttp://www.adultedcontentstandards.org/. According to the draft's preface, "These standards have been written and disseminated to provide a framework for instruction and program design in adult GED programs in Virginia. They are not prescriptive but, rather comprise a guide for what is expected of each learner to know and be able to do in order to pass the GED tests." The OAEL's steering committee that has been busy for the past two years writing these guidelines will be accepting feedback during periodic Polilogue Jams, where drafts of both the GED and ESOL standards can be found. For more information, or if you aren't registered with Polilogue, please contact Debbie Bergtholdt.
Registration for Online Courses Is Now Open
The Resource Center is excited to offer all of our online courses this fall. These courses are free to adult educators in Virginia, and you may complete them on your own schedule in the convenience of your home or office.
Courses offered are Adults as Learners: An Orientation, ESOL Basics, and Using Technology to Enhance GED Instruction. The registration deadline for all courses is Friday, October 13; courses begin Monday, October 16. Register now to reserve your spot in one of our innovative online courses! More information and registration for each course is available below:
If you have any questions regarding these courses, please contact Lauren Ellington at leellington@vcu.edu or 800-237-0178.
GED Connection and Workplace Essential Skills DVD Sets Available
We are reproducing DVD sets of the PBS series GED Connection and Workplace Essential Skills for all Virginia adult educators; if you are interested, please use our request form to place an order. Several local programs have already ordered and received their sets and instructors are finding that the digital format is much more portable and user-friendly than VHS tapes. At $80/$65 respectively, we hope that many adult education classrooms will be able to afford these teaching supplements. The orders are held until we can make a substantial number of duplications at one time. Once you have submitted payment (in the form of a purchase order, check, or credit card payment), please expect a month or so for reproduction and delivery. If you have any questions, please call Jason at (800) 237-0178 or email him.
GED Connection Training - Sept 30
Where: Northern Neck Technical Center, Warsaw, VA
Date: Saturday, September 30
Time: 8:30am-4:30pm
Learn how to use GED Connection to prepare your students to pass the GED! Register now to guarantee your spot; registration deadline is September 22.
With GED Connection, your GED program will:
- Incorporate a multimedia approach using video programs, workbooks, and online activities
- Make GED preparation learner friendly for every learning style
- Address all five subject areas and integrate skills across disciplines
- Help students see ways they can use the skills they are learning in the family, community, and workplace.
As a result of this workshop you will be able to:
- Use GED Connection to prepare your students for success with the GED
- Customize the delivery system and content to meet your individual program and learner needs
- Design an innovative delivery system that can serve adult learners you may not otherwise be reaching using more traditional approaches
Governor Warner Holds Race to GED Press Conference
Race week in Richmond was punctuated by Governor Warner's exciting press conference, at which he announced that Emporia's own Elliott Sadler will serve as the 2005 Race to GED spokesman. Around the racing complex, and across the state, Sadler's image is featured on billboards encouraging Virginians to "Get on the fast track" and "Get your GED." Sadler unveiled his new 60 second public service announcement, produced by the Department of Education, which is being aired statewide.
"I believe in this," said Sadler. "I think it is something we all need to get behind. Everybody deserves a fair chance at life and to be a part of what's going on in this great state."
In attendance were several corporate and community sponsors who have made significant investments in the Race to GED. Governor Warner stressed that he was encouraged by the 14% increase in GED certification in 2004. However, he went on to explain that "this is not good enough", saying that Virginia needs to double its annual GED successes.
You can view pictures of the press conference.
Race to GED Success Stories Now Online
For those of you interested in Race to GED recruiting or marketing materials, the success story videos from around the state are now available for download. These videos feature interviews and testimonials from GED recipients in Henrico County, Hampton Roads, and Prince William County. Show them with students, businesses, and other agencies to stress the impact that getting a GED can have on a person's life. To download, visit the Race to GED marketing page and scroll down to the bottom. The four videos are listed there. Right click on the video(s) you wish to save and choose "Save Target As" or "Save Link As" (the exact name may vary depending on what browser you use) to save them to your computer.
GED Fast Track Teacher Training
There will be five additional GED Fast Track Teacher Training sessions in February and March. Although these trainings are open to anyone, priority will be given to teachers that are currently teaching a fast track class, or will be teaching one in the future. The schedule is:
- Williamsburg: February 18, 2005, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Radford: February 25, 2005, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Fishersville: March 4, 2005, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Keysville: March 11, 2005, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Arlington: April 1, 2005, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Registration is open to anyone, and registration deadlines are a week prior to each training.
Race to GED & Bilingual Publicity
In fall 2004, the Race to GED garnered some attention with its presence at Richmond's Que Pasa Festival, an annual celebration of Latino culture. In December, a bilingual publication serving the Hispanic community, Los Mejores Trabajos en Richmond ("The Best Jobs in Richmond"), featured the Resource Center's GED Helpline. The documents below include the excellent article, both in Spanish and in English, about the Race to GED and how to get started. Please feel free to reprint this with proper citation.
- Una ventaja fuera de la escuela (A Leg Up Outside of the Classroom) - Adobe Acrobat PDF, 66KB
- Una ventaja fuera de la escuela (A Leg Up Outside of the Classroom) - Microsoft Word, 27KB
Race to GED in the Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch staff writer, David Ress, wrote an excellent article about the "Race to GED" and Henrico's efforts in the initiative. It was published on the cover of the August 3rd edition of the Metro section. We encourage you to take a look at the article online if you missed it in the paper. Then, be sure to store it in your collection of GED marketing materials. This is just the type of media coverage we're hoping for statewide, and it will be helpful to have such examples when you are pitching stories to your local papers.
Race to GED: ARCA/REMAX 200 live
On Saturday, June 26, the #04 RACE to GED Pontiac was seen live and nationwide in the ARCA/REMAX 200 from South Boston Speedway. The race was broadcast live from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the Speed Channel, a cable television channel dedicated to racing. This was a wonderful piece of marketing for our initiative.
Peyton Sellers, the car's driver, made his ARCA debut in the REMAX 200. Please join us in thanking Peyton for doing such a great job of promoting the Race to GED. Continue below to view pictures of the car, Peyton, and Stacey Wright taken at the press conference held Thursday, June 17.
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