Teaching Adults:
A 2014 GED® Test Resource Book
Exciting Strategies to Prep Learners
for the New Test
March 26, 2013
COABE LAPCAE Conference
New Orleans, LA
Meagen Farrell
Author, trainer, consultant
GED instructor
@farrellink
Facebook.com/farrell.ink
Farrellink.com
Agenda
1. What to expect in January 2014
2. Implications for instruction & curricula
3. Facilitating engaging lessons: “Up in Arms
Over the Second Amendment”
4. Fun and prizes!
Rules for the Road
• Stay with the group! Don’t get distracted
by your mobile device or side
conversations.
• Questions? Yes, please! Just raise your
hand and tell me your name & location.
• Prizes! We will hand out raffle tickets and
pick five winners at the end.
What can we expect
in January 2014?
The Big Changes
Common Core
State
Standards
Depth of
Knowledge
New Test
Pricing
100%
ComputerBased Testing
Four
Intertwined
Subjects
Common Core State Standards
• GED assessment targets are based on the
CCSS and other career & college readiness
standards
• Also used for standards-based instruction
• Skills standards in English Language Arts &
Mathematics (not content standards)
• “Fewer, clearer, higher”
Depth of Knowledge
1
• Verbatim Recall
• Paraphrasing
2
• Main point, patterns
• Identify relationships
3
• Inference & synthesis
• Prediction, elaboration
4
• Generating hypotheses
• Complex analysis
Replaces Bloom’s
Taxonomy.
Measures cognitive
complexity of a task.
GED test items:
• 20% level 1
• 80% levels 2 & 3
Computer-Based Testing
2012 CBT Testing Results
(2002 series test)
Partnering with
computer-based testing
provider Pearson VUE
2014: Automated scores
available within 3 hours
Overall Passing Rate
88% on computer
71% on paper
Math Passing Rate (1st Time)
83% on computer
30% on paper
Reduced Stress!
Increased scores
Time left over
New Price for GED Test
• Cost for test battery $120 for 2014 & 2015-Jurisdictions may set student fee higher/lower
Value for the GED Test
• Adults with a high school equivalency diploma
earn $250,000+ more over their lifetime.
• GEDTS is protecting the value of the credential for
test-takers:
– Litigate to protect GED name: 40 fraudulent
companies shut down already
– Improve customer service to test-takers: great
YouTube videos & tutorials!
– Continue to research value of passing the GED
Test & market to colleges and employers
Four Intertwined Subjects
Reasoning
through
Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Mathematical
Reasoning
Content from Real Life Scenarios
Reasoning
through
Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Mathematical
Reasoning
Writing Constructed Responses
Reasoning
through
Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Mathematical
Reasoning
Interpreting Data
Reasoning
through
Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Mathematical
Reasoning
Questions?
Implications for
Instruction & Curricula
Find a Partner
• Take 5 minutes to discuss how you think the
new 2014 GED test will impact instruction &
curricula. How will it affect you? your
students? your program?
• As a reminder, the 5 changes we discussed:
–
–
–
–
–
Common Core State Standards
Depth of Knowledge
100% Computer-Based Testing
New GEDTS Funding Model
Four Intertwined Subjects
Implications for Instruction &
Curricula
• Who would like to share?
– Name one effect on you
– Name one effect on your students
– Name one effect on your program
My Two Cents on Teaching Adults
•
•
•
GED test prep programs are
like marathon training
programs at a gym.
Single-subject instruction is
like running alone on the
treadmill, day after day.
Interdisciplinary group
instruction is like working
out with a team.
My Two Cents on Teaching Adults
Q: How do we
keep it fresh?
A: The book
provides
strategies,
you add the
content.
Look Inside
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Introduction
The 2014 GED® Test
Teaching Adults
Selecting Instructional Materials
Using an Interdisciplinary Approach
to Prepare Students for the GED Test
6. Reasoning through Language Arts
7. Mathematical Reasoning
8. Science
9. Social Studies
10. Digital Literacy
Questions?
Facilitating Engaging Lessons:
Up in Arms Over the Second Amendment
Field Tested in Cleveland, Ohio
Interdisciplinary Lesson
Analyze
reading
passages
Interpret
data
Social Studies
content
2nd
Amendment
Write a
response and
cite evidence
This Lesson Combines
At least 8
different
activities
from the
book
Several
teaching
approaches
A theme
chosen by
the
learners
Why Are We Learning as a Group?
How Do We Want to Act as a Group?
•
•
•
•
One person talks at a time.
We do not have to agree.
Everyone can share their thoughts and feelings.
Respond to the topic, not to others’ comments.
Are there rules you want to change, delete, or add?
Activity
• Read and analyze the Second Amendment of
the U.S. Constitution and two different
viewpoints on what it means from two active
U.S. citizens’ groups.
• Choose a position to support, and select
evidence to support that position.
Before We Read
• What is the U.S. Constitution?
• What is the Bill of Rights?
• What is an amendment?
The Second Amendment
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the
security of a free state, the right of the people
to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
Two Groups, Two Meanings
We will now read about two different citizens’
groups that interpret this amendment in two
different ways.
National Rifle Association (NRA)
The NRA believes the Second Amendment
means that most U.S. citizens have the right to
personal gun ownership and use.
Why? They believe “a well regulated militia”
means all citizens have the right to defend
themselves with guns.
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun
Violence
The Brady Campaign believes that the Second
Amendment means that we should enact
stronger regulation to protect citizens from gun
violence.
Why? They believe that “A well regulated
militia” means just people in regulated
categories are authorized to own and use guns.
Why Do They Think Differently?
The NRA looks at evidence that handgun bans increase murder rates.
Why Do They Think Differently?
The Brady Campaign
looks at evidence that
there are too many
victims of gun
violence.
The Second Amendment
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the
security of a free state, the right of the people
to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
What Do You Think?
• What does “a well regulated militia” mean?
• If you had to choose between the Brady
Campaign and the NRA, which would you
support? Why?
• What evidence supports your choice?
Summarize Your Thoughts
Write a few sentences explaining whether you
would support either the Brady Campaign or the
NRA. Why? Use at least one quote or statistic we
looked at today.
Questions?
Prize!
• Thank you for coming!
• Pre-order sale: 20% off the book until April 30,
2013 with promotion code: GEDSO.
• We will draw five raffle tickets and award a
free copy of Teaching Adults: A 2014 GED®
Test Resource Book plus a set of 2014 GED
Scoreboost!
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