tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13494689764483734142024-02-18T20:45:16.646-05:00Distance Education Skill ShareLearning Web-based Learning. Teaching Online Teachers.
Changing the System of Adult Education.Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-32605151749099022019-10-15T09:25:00.001-04:002019-10-15T10:08:20.244-04:00TABE and CASAS Extend CCRS from HSE to ABE, but What About EFLs and MSGs?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The title of this post may look like alphabet soup, but that's no excuse for confusion. We've been here before. The GED was followed by the HiSET and TASC back in 2014, resulting in CCRS aligned tests for all adults seeking HSE credentials in the USA. However, that higher level of rigor was mostly felt by the adult learners and their teachers who were working at the 8-12th grade reading level. Now, adult basic education students are being held to the higher standards of problem solving skills than ever before. So, how do educators cope? How do learners continue measurable skill gains (MSGs)?<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Highest Common Denominator</b><br />
<br />
These tests are bound to be harder. Early reports are that students are being bumped down a level and have to raise themselves back up. If that weren't hard enough, they have to show improvement in areas they haven't been studying before and attain skills that teachers may not be accustomed to teaching. The TABE 11/12 and CASAS GOALS tests are supposed to measure the same skills as the three HSE test options, which is a silver lining in all of this, because the field has been wanting this allignment (or common denominator, if you will). The problem for teachers is that it's a higher level of rigor across the board. ABE students will need to learn complex problem solving strategies that were previously reserved for HSE students. That means gains could be harder to attain. <br />
<br />
<b>How to ensure gains: One learner at a time</b><br />
<br />
New problems call for new solutions, not the same old approach to teaching and learning. The TABE/CASAS tests present new problems, but luckily we are in a time of instructional innovation. The standard classroom approach is now much more malleable, both by teachers and learners. Based Teachers can create their own hybrid approaches that blend old-school and new-school instruction and practice. The determining factor is mostly the teacher's aptitude and attitude towards technology and their ability to utilize additional planning and support time for their students' distance learning efforts. Learners can also speak up in their process and have some say about the mix of hands-on and edtech experiences they're leaning on in their preparation. So, both teachers and students need to make sure they get the most appropriately blended learning experience to be truly individualized to the learners' needs. <br />
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<b>When in doubt, innovate</b><br />
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Recycled products and approaches are the problem. Let's be clear about that. What worked on the old test will not work on these new tests. But books keep getting released with new covers and the same old pages full of practice problems inside. Online learning experiences keep getting relabled and realigned, but area they really teaching to the spirit of the new tests, or do the lesson titles just loosely align to the skills being measured? Over the past 20yrs, my biggest critique of publisher products in the field of adult ed has always been<br />
<br />
The responsibility for innovation actually doesn't fall on the publishers. It's the consumers (instructors) who have to decide what tools they're going to buy and put into practice. If teachers buy on brand name alone or because of an alignment or a buzz-word on the cover, then they may wind up with old products with new wrappers. Be critical as a consumer. Innovate your approach to reach higher benchmarks on these more rigorous tests. There seem to be fewer publishers serving the field of adult ed now, so teachers need to make sure they're getting the best possible products for their needs.<br />
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The last and most important frontier for innovation and informed decision-making in the learning process is the learners' realm. They decide how they're going to work, when and with what tools. Successful blended learning empowers the learner to add in edtech when it suits them, or to ask for hands-on help when appropriate. The more we can empower learners to ask for help and use the help they're given, the better able they will be to overcome challenges and make gains.<br />
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<b>Quick plug:</b> Essential Education has incorporated <a href="https://www.essentialed.com/products/abe-workbooks" target="_blank">a Virtual Tutor element</a> into ever lesson in our new ABE Essentials workbooks. The books were written from scratch for the CCRS and they're a truly innovative and empowering consumable TABE/CASAS prep product. <br />
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<b>The future is uncertain </b><br />
<br />
What's next? I think teachers and publishing companies both need to keep raising the bar and the standards for edtech and classroom learning tools and approaches. Change is the only constant. However, we do have time to get comfortable with the ABE/HSE tests that we've been given. It's time for innovative initiatives, experimentation, trial and error and adjustment. We will get better results, but only if we make the necessary changes, whatever those turn out to be.<br />
Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-709051059884029792019-10-04T09:19:00.001-04:002019-10-04T09:19:59.423-04:00Where Have I Been?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't been posting here the past three years, and it's not for lack of attention or desire or actual developments and changes in the field of blended and distance learning. In fact, there have been so many changes taking place when it comes to edtech in the field of adult education that I've been scared (for lack of a better word) to open my mouth and interfere or otherwise have an unintended impact. State agencies don't want publishers directing their distance ed policies or blended learning initiatives (or at least, they shouldn't). So, that puts me in an awkward position at times. Nonetheless, we're living in exciting and changing times for our field, and I don't want to let it all pass by without comment. In short, I've been too quiet for too long in this space, and I'm looking to change that ASAP. Starting today.<br />
<br />
In the past three years, I've been spending a lot of time in NC and PA, which isn't too hard, since I live in VA, sandwiched between the two states. Distance education policies have been solidified in both of those states in recent years, so I had a lot more new opportunities to explore and check up on at the local level. Attitudes tend to change quickly when state directives are issued, online 'proxy contact' hours become reportable for funding and when blending online and classroom learning becomes the unavoidable topic du jour at every local in-service for instructors and teacher association state conference. <br />
<br />
Finally, people are picking up what I'm putting down, as they say. I supposed that's what a real change agent does sometimes. We don't drag people where we want them to go. Sometimes we wait until they're ready and we simply serve as their crossing guard (ahem, my last name is Guard). When people are ready, they'll ask for help or advice. One of the basic tenets of adult education: adults want to be in control of their learning. <br />
<br />
So, I guess the real question is not 'Where Have I Been?' The real question is, 'Where Am I Going?' Well, I think you'll be surprised. It's a little bit forward to new frontiers and a little bit backward to pick up the stragglers. I'll try to lay it out over my next few blog posts (making an outline of those now). And that answers a third question, 'Where Will You Be?' The answer is RIGHT HERE. Please share and pop back by so we can take this adventure together. And all of this begs the question that I for you, 'What Do You Need?' Speak up and I'll do my best to help. Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-68295038720886992782016-12-22T10:59:00.001-05:002016-12-24T22:47:15.508-05:00We Need to ListenInstead of my annual list of 'edtech books I want for xmas,' I thought I'd try something different. Besides, the inspiration for innovative teaching and learning leadership probably won't come to you through a book specifically on that topic. And I want to sneak my provokations past the defenses of those who say they don't have time to read. Fine. Listen.<br />
<br />
Podcasts are teaching people new things all the time. Think of it like a radio dial with every station being chock full of engaging and inspiring directives and explorations of every topic you never knew you needed explained. For our purposes, we're going to start with education and technology. But because there are so many issues bound up with those and to overcome that perenial complaint that these aren't specific enough to adult education (and you might still say you're stuck in a rut anyhow), I built this list of lists of podasts to light a thousand fires under you. One way or another, they are all about teaching and learning. Not only are you the student, you are getting one-on-one tutoring by listening to podcasts.<br />
<br />
Please comment to share some of the gems you discover. What podcast was your favorite? What are the common threads across all of these lists? Note that I included the full URL here for you to see instead of embedding the link in the text. Look at all these sources talking about podcasts! They're talking about learning. They're sharing the content that people created to educate one another and to put the life lessons in the pathway of those who might need it. It's marketing with a social or even viral exponential expansion. Maybe one day, we can get our messages leapfrogging across these platforms. Now dive in and listen up and share. <br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Best Education Podcasts</b><br />
<a href="https://www.edutopia.org/blog/best-education-podcasts-betty-ray">https://www.edutopia.org/blog/best-education-podcasts-betty-ray</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a>
<b>Best Edtech podcasts</b><br />
<a href="http://www.educationdive.com/news/5-ed-tech-podcasts-you-should-listen-to/218968/">http://www.educationdive.com/news/5-ed-tech-podcasts-you-should-listen-to/218968/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a>
<b>More Edtech podcasts</b><br />
<a href="http://blog.greenlightlearningtools.com/2015/09/16/best-edtech-podcasts/">http://blog.greenlightlearningtools.com/2015/09/16/best-edtech-podcasts/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a>
<b>Best Learning Podcasts</b><br />
<a href="http://www.gettingsmart.com/2015/02/60-podcasts-check/">http://www.gettingsmart.com/2015/02/60-podcasts-check/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"> </a><br />
<b>Best Self-Improvement Podcasts</b><br />
<a href="https://player.fm/featured/self-improvement">https://player.fm/featured/self-improvement</a><br />
<b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a></b>
<b>Best Change Your Life Podcasts</b><br />
<a href="http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/09/the-10-best-podcasts-to-help-you-change-your-life/">http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/09/the-10-best-podcasts-to-help-you-change-your-life/</a><br />
<b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a></b>
<b>Best Get Off Your Ass Podcasts</b><br />
<a href="http://www.xojane.com/healthy/5-motivational-podcasts-to-get-you-off-your-ass" target="_blank">http://www.xojane.com/healthy/5-motivational-podcasts-to-get-you-off-your-ass </a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a>
<b>Best Motivational Podcasts</b><br />
<a href="http://podcastpals.net/the-best-motivational-podcasts-2016/">http://podcastpals.net/the-best-motivational-podcasts-2016/</a><br />
<b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a></b>
<b>Best Social Media Marketing Podcasts</b><br />
<a href="http://podcastpals.net/the-best-motivational-podcasts-2016/">http://podcastpals.net/the-best-motivational-podcasts-2016/</a><br />
<b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a></b>
<b>Best Leadership Podcasts </b><br />
<a href="https://stuffyoucanuse.org/10-best-leadership-podcasts/">https://stuffyoucanuse.org/10-best-leadership-podcasts/</a><br />
<br />
<b>More Leadership Podcasts</b><br />
<a href="http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/5-podcasts-that-will-give-you-a-leadership-edge.html" target="_blank">http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/5-podcasts-that-will-give-you-a-leadership-edge.html </a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a>
<b>Best Entrepreneur Podocasts</b><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-carbary/best-podcasts-for-entrepreneurs_b_8828900.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-carbary/best-podcasts-for-entrepreneurs_b_8828900.html</a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1957138315"><br /></a>
<b>Best All-Around Podcasts</b><br />
<a href="http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-30-best-podcasts-right-now/risk">http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/the-30-best-podcasts-right-now/risk</a><br />
<br />
Okay... maybe just <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1579223249/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=vglnkc4073-20" target="_blank">one book for Xmas</a>. Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-44525232015052232722016-09-22T13:25:00.000-04:002016-09-22T13:54:22.715-04:00We Need to TalkI'm not here to tell you how to do your job or cry foul about every detail of adult education programs' way of doing business using technology. But some or the core messages of progress that online learning has brought are not reaching everybody and not transferring from ideals to practice. I routinely see small, regional and even statewide organizations operating in a silo, as though there aren't similar silos all around... within earshot. We need to talk to one another. <br />
<br />
I've been negligent of late about posting some of the blended and distance resources that Essential Education has been a part of recently. Here are a few of them linked below. Please share widely. But the big one that I wanted to mention is a group previously known as Project IDEAL. As long as I've been in the field of adult ed, there has been a national group that centralized the basic know-how of facilitating online learning. When I worked for the state of Virginia, we looked at the IDEAL handbook, borrowed from their website, but mostly used it to calibrate or confirm what we were already doing. That was a long time ago. Much has changed in the field (<a href="https://d1yoaun8syyxxt.cloudfront.net/lg189-97ec5e76-4c72-4f9e-9d2c-c7dfe1988154-v2" target="_blank">WIOA, ahem</a>) and edtech innovations have made some of the tech integration by teachers second nature. In an effort to catch up and revitalize (my word-choice), Project IDEAL has been moved under the World Ed umbrella and become part of their <a href="http://edtech.worlded.org/" target="_blank">EdTech Center</a>.<br />
<br />
I don't know what will come of the new I<a href="http://ideal.worlded.org/" target="_blank">DEAL Consortium</a> or what direction it will take. But I do know that it has always been meeting place of states doing or interested in doing distance education. I hope that continues and that information sharing is more immediate, so the field of adult ed can ride the wave of innovation instead of feeling that it has passed us by. Now more than ever, states need to compare policies and best practices and lists of approved publishers, etc. We can't afford to have any size adult ed provider operating in the dark with know-how from the dark ages when a white board was cutting edge teaching technology. Otherwise, learners will find other ways to meet their needs or fall prey to opportunistic scams. So, let's talk and then take action.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://jsi.webex.com/ec3100/eventcenter/recording/recordAction.do?theAction=poprecord&siteurl=jsi&entappname=url3100&internalRecordTicket=4832534b000000025c6f6bf23fd2b349791038e1ec9733bd1e31a1173d3e135c2a6545661c7d8320&renewticket=0&isurlact=true&format=short&rnd=7270018616&RCID=f829186b836c416fb85caba8de86a24b&rID=147095432&needFilter=false&recordID=147095432&apiname=lsr.php&AT=pb&actappname=ec3100&&SP=EC&entactname=%2FnbrRecordingURL.do&actname=%2Feventcenter%2Fframe%2Fg.do" target="_blank">Blended Learning in the Adult Ed Classroom</a> is a webinar by David Rosen, hosted by World Ed and introduced by me. It's also a print resource that you can <a href="http://www.passged.com/educators/blended-learning.php" target="_blank">download for free right here</a>. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://recordings.join.me/rZp_E_fETU6j5-WnL-zjVw" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">Making the Most of Distance Learning</a><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; text-decoration: underline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>is a free professional development webinar that I gave with Dan Griffith, VP of Sales at Essential Education. We put on a different topic every month. <a href="http://www.passged.com/contact-us.php" target="_blank">Use this link to sign up</a> for future Tuesday With Essential ED (TWEED) webinars. </li>
</ul>
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<br />Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-7538657611661025382016-01-08T01:02:00.000-05:002016-01-08T11:08:54.209-05:00If We're Not Lost, Where Can We Be Found?Over the holiday break, it occurred to me that newspapers and websites would soon be posting their year in reviews and their predictions for the year ahead. We need those kinds of bookends in the field of adult education, especially with so many changes afoot. We need to process, discuss, reflect and gear up to tackle new challenges. Alas, I feel like we're always in reactive mode, struggling to catch up and adjust to our circumstances. That's why we need to rely on more modern communication tools than the phone tree. <br />
<br />
When trying to come up with my list of INs and OUTs going into 2016, I asked for input on Twitter using the #adultedu hashtag. No response to multiple attempts. I tried my Linked-In network of 500+ connections and I think I posted it on an adult education interest group as well. Obviously, holiday break isn't the best time to get a hold of educators. Or maybe I was using the wrong medium. I tried Facebook, but I only have a few professional connections there and the one who responded preferred to table all work-talk until class was back in session. During the same time, I've been deluged with notices about people broadcasting from Periscope. And others telling me that Snapchat is the next big thing. Neither indicators were from adult educators, but it piqued my interest and made me a little jealous. Instagram is the platform that I've taken to the most in 2015, but haven't found any adult ed angles for professional development. Going into 2016, I've vowed to learn Snapchat and Periscope... or at least try my hand at them.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>So this is where I pose the question to you: Where in the digital world can you find adult educators? What is our preferred platform? Where are the professional development discussions happening? How can you take the pulse of adult educators and high school equivalency teachers? Please chime in with a comment. Any insights are appreciated, not just by me, but also by the isolated educators who wonder onto this site and perhaps have some of the same questions and a desire for more input, camaraderie and interconnectedness.</i></b><br />
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<object data="http://files.quizsnack.net/app/swf/EmbedCanvas.swf?hash_id=qhp0bmn1&t=1452231815" height="370" id="qhp0bmn1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="250"><param name="movie" value="http://files.quizsnack.net/app/swf/EmbedCanvas.swf?hash_id=qhp0bmn1&t=1452231815"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object><noscript>To view this quiz you need to have Flash Player 9 or newer installed and JavaScript enabled. Use PollSnack <a href="http://www.pollsnack.com/" title="Online survey software, web poll & questionnaire tool">online survey software</a> to create quick & simple surveys.</noscript>
Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-37497024186486812016-01-04T12:27:00.002-05:002016-01-05T11:07:34.120-05:00What's IN and What's OUT in Adult Education in 2016<br />
There is no double that the field of adult education is
going through BIG changes. Out with the old and in with the new is the only way things change. But, what are those changes specifically? What are the
buzz-words and terms that need to be on the tips of our tongues in
2016? What practices do we need to put on the shelf indefinitely? We've
banished digitized worksheet to the dustbin in past years. We've
learned that practice testing is not teaching, at least not for
obtaining any long-term skill development. Technology has made those
tests both more and less accessible from various sources, but how we use
the results is clearly innovating. So, please chime in with your new
and old ideas and practices. I'll get the ball rolling with a few of my
own.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>OUT with 2015</b><br />
<b>------- </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Common Core</li>
<li>Traditional, single-medium, instruciton</li>
<li>Fighting against implementing technology</li>
<li>An isolated field of adult ed</li>
<li>Heads on desks</li>
<li>Tired unresponsive social media</li>
<li>WIA</li>
<li>Mind-numbing Power-point style learning </li>
<li>Cut scores </li>
<li>Stopping out and retention problems </li>
<li>Race to the bottom with ever-lowering expectations </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>IN with 2016</b><br />
<b>---- </b><br />
<ul>
<li>College and Career Readiness </li>
<li>Blended Learning</li>
<li>Fighting our biggest challenges with technology as our weapon of choice </li>
<li>Adult ed as part of workforce development </li>
<li>Heads in the clouds</li>
<li>Exciting participatory social media</li>
<li>WIOA</li>
<li>In-depth activities for building critical thinking skills </li>
<li>Skill mastery </li>
<li>Bridging time/place gaps with distance ed solutions </li>
<li>Raising results by raising expectations and setting ambitious goals </li>
</ul>
Let's hear from you! Post a comment with your additions to this list.<br />
<br />Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-67009575807942060542015-12-21T13:53:00.002-05:002015-12-21T13:53:57.263-05:00All I Want for Xmas is FREE ResourcesUsually, at the end of the year, I post about the edtech books that I'm most looking forward to reading, and I encourage you to go find them and read them yourselves. This year is going to be a bit different. Sure, you can still go to Amazon and look at the most popular books in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_5267708011_nr_n_2?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A283155%2Cn%3A!1000%2Cn%3A8975347011%2Cn%3A5267708011%2Cn%3A266134&bbn=5267708011&ie=UTF8&qid=1450720395&rnid=5267708011" target="_blank">Computers and Technology</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st_featured-rank?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A283155%2Cn%3A!1000%2Cn%3A8975347011%2Cn%3A5267708011%2Cn%3A266133&qid=1450720827&bbn=5267708011&sort=featured-rank" target="_blank">Digital and Online Learning</a> subjects within the Schools and Teaching topic at Amazon. However, much of the inspiration that the field of adult education needs is finally coming from the field's own practitioners and instructional designers.<br />
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This year at the COABE conference, we gave out hundreds of hard copies of our College and Career Readiness Roadmap to make it very plain how teachers can adjust to the instructional shifts taking place and incorporate more technology fluency into their instruction. You can get your own copy by emailing info@essentialed.com. If you already have a copy, please share your feedback here.<br />
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More specific to online distance learning is our new teacher's guide: Blended Learning in the Adult Education classroom (<a href="http://www.passged.com/educators/blended-learning.php" target="_blank">download it here</a>). The guide was presented at COABE by its co-author and edtech guru, David Rosen, and again via webinar last month with WorldEd (see the <a href="https://jsi.webex.com/jsi/lsr.php?RCID=f829186b836c416fb85caba8de86a24b" target="_blank"><b><span class="il">webinar</span> recording</b></a> here).<br />
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For those of you adjusting to the TASC test, our specialists have written a lesson planning guide and overview of that new test that is free to the public. You can email info@essentialed.com for your own copy.<br />
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For those of you adjusting to the HiSET test, our specialists have
written a lesson planning guide and overview of that new test that is
free to the public. You can email info@essentialed.com for your own
copy. Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-54330839319837017252015-10-29T23:50:00.002-04:002015-10-30T00:12:49.836-04:00Let the Maestro Be Your EdTech Guide on the SideFacilitating blended learning is easy when you have good models and mentors to turn to for inspiration. When I got started with Virginia's distance learning program ten years ago, one of the innovative educators that I looked to was <a href="https://davidjrosen.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">David Rosen</a>. His online repositories of resources and his work with the Learner Web made him an authority in the edtech field. He was WAY AHEAD of most state's leadership, much less the average practitioner. But now the field is catching up. Blended learning is not just a lofty goal. It's a standard practice. I should know, because I'm meeting with increasing enthusiasm while talking with teachers about Essential Education's innovative adaptive learning programs.<br />
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These stars aligning made it a natural choice to collaborate with David Rosen on <a href="http://www.passged.com/educators/blended-learning.php" target="_blank">a FREE downloadable Blended Teacher's Guide</a>. The publication of this resource has prompted WorldEd to host a FREE webinar with David Rosen on <b>November 13th at 2pm Eastern</b>. <a href="https://jsi.webex.com/mw3000/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=jsi&service=6&rnd=0.8140038192296011&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Fjsi.webex.com%2Fec3000%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26confViewID%3D4157728109%26%26%26encryptTicket%3DSDJTSwAAAAK3UQBL8QgXhVoGSYCjEMMGItxCR5bj_XWcUFgo1nyFmA2%26%26siteurl%3Djsi">YOU CAN REGISTER HERE.</a> Please invite your fellow teachers, convene a program-wide meeting around the webinar and spread the word on social media.<br />
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<br />Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-64619193945216427882015-04-13T14:30:00.001-04:002015-04-13T16:30:13.515-04:00Get Connected at COABE in DenverIt is with excitement and some embarrassment that I resurface with this post having been MIA from my own blog since before Christmas in 2014. Maybe it would be plausible to say that I was busy reading all the edtech books I asked for last year. like a bear hiding out in my cave for the winter. Or I could say that 2014 presented so many changes and challenges (and growth!), that I'm still catching my breath and slowly turning the page toward 2015. But the reality is that my slightly overwhelming workload coincided with a few health issues (think red spots covering 90% of my body) and family-life juggling acts that the sum total simply bumped this blog and my social media routine to the back burner.<br />
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In terms of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, I've just been dealing with basic needs while my ambitious aspirations and my higher self haven't been a high priority. It's certainly okay to tread water or maintain the status quo from time to time, but I think you can imagine that I am not satisfied with this state of affairs. That's why I foresee a comeback and hopefully it is precipitated by the awesome source of inspiration that is <a href="http://coabe.org/" target="_blank">the annual COABE conference</a>. Yes, I will be in Denver, looking forward to seeing you, and giving you lots of great new resources. Please say hi. <br />
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Here's a message that we sent out to Essential Education's contacts to build the buzz about what we're about to release to the field (use this link to <a href="https://lg189.infusionsoft.com/app/form/conference-sign-up" target="_blank">sign up for the Essential Education newsletter email list</a>):<br />
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<br />Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-39070559504521474482014-12-10T12:21:00.001-05:002014-12-10T22:55:13.046-05:00More EdTech Books for Xmas, Please.<div style="text-align: left;">
As is my tradition of combining my Christmas wishlist with my passion for innovation and strategic changes in the field of adult education, here's what I'm reading or would like to be reading <i>(hint, hint - don't get them for me, get them for yourself and your coworkers!)</i>. </div>
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<b>Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools</b><br />
If you
recall my frequent promotion of Clayton Christensen's Disrupting Class,
this is the follow-up that puts meat on the bones and makes the blended learning prescription practical for educators. My coworkers say the book gives them more ideas than they know what to do with, which is a pretty good way to start 2015.
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blended-Disruptive-Innovation-Improve-Schools/dp/1118955153/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418226932&sr=1-1&keywords=blended+horn" target="_blank">Available here on Amazon</a>.<br />
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<b>Teaching Machines</b><br />
A No.2 pencil is technology. So is your whiteboard, that old reliable overhead projector, the challkboard, etc. That's where this book starts in chronicling the phenomenon of introducing new tools in education. What changes result? What's worked and what hasn't. Maybe when we're struggling to integrate the features of a new LMS or a student-centered learning portal we can look to the past for some pointers, because teachers have always been riding waves of innovation from the dawn of the classroom to the removal of the classroom walls. From what I see online, it looks like this author is at UVA, just an hour from me. I may have to reach out and say hey. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Machines-Tech-edu-Education-Technology-ebook/dp/B00Q78DCEU/ref=sr_1_132?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418187355&sr=1-132" target="_blank">Available on Amazon here</a>. <br />
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<b>Learning As Fun</b><br />
You had me at Angry Birds, though I feel silly thinking back on how much time I spent blitzing through the levels of that game, smashing everything in my path. Maybe I was learning important physics concepts? It doesn't look like this one is actually about Angry Birds, thankfully. From the publisher:<br />
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<i>Drawing from the fields of motivational psychology, neuroscience and the
philosophy of the mind, Learning as Fun shows that engagement,
motivation and flow are the key factors in creating durable learning
experiences, specifically in acquiring new skills and knowledge.</i><br />
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Sounds just like my boss talking about the latest update to GED Academy... The Kindle version is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Learning-As-Fun-Lauri-J%C3%A4rvilehto-ebook/dp/B00NHGZUKO/ref=sr_1_199?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418187882&sr=1-199" target="_blank">available through Amazon here</a>. <br />
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<b>Monsters of Education Technology</b><br />
Not to undersell this book (I already <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Education-Technology-Audrey-Watters-ebook/dp/B00QEDGMMW/ref=sr_1_95?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418186667&sr=1-95" target="_blank">ordered mine on Amazon</a>), but Audrey Watters is prolific on the web. <a href="http://audreywatters.com/" target="_blank">Go read her now</a>.
Since the book compiles her 2014 lectures, I'm guessing it's
far-ranging and hard to synopsize. So, I included the table of contents,
which is full of intrigue. And who doesn't like a good boogieman story?
Or better yet, boogiemen debunked? Or both? <br />
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<b>Authentic Learning in the Digital Age: Engaging Students Through Inquiry </b><br />
Everywhere I go as an sales rep focused on adult education, I hear state-level admins and professional development trainers talking about securing deeper learning than the old drill and practice test prep through group work, exploring high-interest topics, and project based learning. And my response is to agree vigorously and try to talk about the ways technology, especially<a href="http://essentialed.com/" target="_blank"> Essential Education's tech tools</a>, can play an important role in deepening instruction. This book, I'm hoping, will be a great resource for teachers creating lesson plans in previously uncharted waters. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Learning-Digital-Age-Engaging/dp/1416619569/ref=sr_1_104?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418187051&sr=1-104" target="_blank">Available on Amazon</a>. <br />
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<b>How to Teach Adults</b><br />
As I work to help teachers align their instruction to whichever high school equivalency exam their state is using, I'm seeing a lot of people looking for quick fixes and shortcuts and sometimes openly calling for a more remedial assessment, which really makes me uneasy. Why are we educators in the first place? The debate over focusing on short-term gains versus long-term skills makes wonder how much of the adult education equation is up for debate. Maybe we need to start from the foundation and rebuild so we have a system that addresses a core adragogical mission in addition to passing scores on tests. The title says 'How' but all throughout he addresses the 'Why,' and I'll bet it strikes a chord with you. Look for a future post about Dan Spalding's perspective on adult ed, because it's a good one. <a href="http://howtoteachadults.com/" target="_blank">Get yours from the author directly</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeOcyFE_6Jyy_Ow7CTzMaO4Jmn-koKoYCKbPQRFaLl8UlMJIoC7PIAhb-BiELIviyUvKvioxc7Dw5gbF-K2qTUWZ8jPBd3W4P1Dkkzaf_3Xkpqq3kDIPs8a1RsGRbFz2yIezI9MrVe2xJ/s1600/connected+educators+book.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheeOcyFE_6Jyy_Ow7CTzMaO4Jmn-koKoYCKbPQRFaLl8UlMJIoC7PIAhb-BiELIviyUvKvioxc7Dw5gbF-K2qTUWZ8jPBd3W4P1Dkkzaf_3Xkpqq3kDIPs8a1RsGRbFz2yIezI9MrVe2xJ/s1600/connected+educators+book.PNG" height="320" width="213" /></a><br />
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<b>What Connected Educators Do Differently </b><br />
It seems like techie teachers are just cut from a different cloth, but when you look at their lesson plans and their daily routines, it's not so hard to adopt some of their practices. This book will probably help with that, but you'll have to wait, because it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Connected-Educators-Do-Differently/dp/1138832006/ref=sr_1_29?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418186088&sr=1-29&pebp=1418186117775" target="_blank">comes out in February 2015 according to Amazon</a>. <br />
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If you're squeamish about the idea of reading an edtech book (they're usually pretty exciting, actually), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Freaked-Out-Bewildered-Teachers-Learning/dp/1781351058/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418234352&sr=1-6&keywords=freaked+out" target="_blank">this one here may be a good primer</a>. Or you can go back to <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2012/12/all-i-want-for-xmas-is-ed-tech-books.html" target="_blank">my edtech book list from 2012</a> or <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/12/all-i-want-for-xmas-are-ed-tech-books.html" target="_blank">the one from 2013</a>. <br />
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<br />Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-86503912778966591442014-11-04T00:52:00.000-05:002014-11-04T00:52:23.827-05:00Are We Making Our Learners Smarter or Dumber?I'd like to blog about more of my inspirations as an educator, especially as I come across new stuff all the time via social media. Today, I listened to a talk by <a href="http://www.anniemurphypaul.com/" target="_blank">Annie Murphy Paul</a> about intelligence being much more malleable and subjective than our learners' very finite and hard fought test scores may indicate. The more I think about it, this is really timely for the field of adult ed, as the fundamental mission is up for debate: credentials or skills? Short-term gain or better long-term outcomes? Annie Murphy Paul may hold a missing piece of the puzzle for advocates of lifelong learning. <br />
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The work that she is doing has me thinking about the way we teach adults in the classroom and/or at a distance. The conditions that we create for our learners has a much deeper impact than I had really considered before. She talks about micro-environments that make our learners smarter or less smart. And I immediately think about how the technology tools we use make minds really uptight and anxious or comfortable and free-flowing. What kind of micro-environments are being created by the various kinds of computer-based instruction software? <br />
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A few barely sketched out blog entries that I've been working on immediately come to mind and hopefully will get posted sooner than later thanks to the inspiring thoughts by Annie Murphy Paul. Issues of empowerment, creativity, enjoyment and confidence come to mind. What are your reactions to this talk about how we get smarter? Is there anything that you'll start doing differently right now? <br />
<br />Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-44618337784774649852014-10-16T00:27:00.002-04:002014-10-16T00:31:30.539-04:00GED Academy Now Even More MobileFor whatever reason, some mobile device operating systems will not play Flash-based content. For a while, it was just iOS, the operating systems on iPhones and iPads that refused flash. And for a while, I simply recommended downloading the Puffin app for $1.99 (the free version, in my experience, doesn't work as well) when encouraging GED Academy use via mobile learning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeJcXDz-yQCcda3r6HE-TGR0sbEMKpuwiQ6NalJONkH98jienpZqp-KvQ0eQFdeGOiBkOw-VahLY4qKfcpkvbkpNlydUhB30yi90L6a13qOZQXOg45y8TMiUUW5l_aISiCXXzLOzP4KMn/s1600/puffin+academy.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeJcXDz-yQCcda3r6HE-TGR0sbEMKpuwiQ6NalJONkH98jienpZqp-KvQ0eQFdeGOiBkOw-VahLY4qKfcpkvbkpNlydUhB30yi90L6a13qOZQXOg45y8TMiUUW5l_aISiCXXzLOzP4KMn/s1600/puffin+academy.PNG" height="246" width="400" /></a>However, now that many Android devices (smart-phones and tablets) have joined in refusing to play flash, Puffin has added GED Academy to their list of edu-cational sites that you can visit without paying for their app.<br />
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Below, I'm including the instructions that Essential Education's lead trainer, Kirsten Thomas, sent around to the rest of us so we could spread the word. So, here I am spreading the word. Enjoy! <br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Puffin Academy is a special browser app that allows access to approved educational programs. It will allow Adobe Flash Player lessons to work properly on an iPad. The following Essential Education programs are approved for use on the Puffin Academy browser:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">GED Academy</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Computer Essentials</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">TASC Test Academy</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">HiSet Academy</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">To Install Puffin Academy and Access Essential Education Programs:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Go to iTunes and download the </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/puffin-academy/id716707933?mt=8" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Puffin Academy</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> browser.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Once you’ve installed the app, open it and bring up the sidebar. Click “Bookmarks”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Click “Add Bookmark”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Change the url to the Essential Education web address you go to login. Example: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://example.passged.com, http://example.essentialed.com, http://example.passtasc.com, http://example.passhiset.com</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Click “save” to save changes. Then, you can access the login page and your account from the new bookmark. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you need help or support regarding Puffin Academy, please use their </span><a href="http://www.puffinbrowser.com/feedback/Feedback.php" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">feedback page</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span></div>
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Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-7353893763637895712014-09-17T00:31:00.000-04:002014-09-18T15:49:23.085-04:00Evaluating Arguments: Interdisciplinary and Online<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the great educational potentials of technology and distance learning is the awesome avalanche of information and perspectives that comprise the internet. But what to do with all of it? Who has time to sort through it all? Which parts of the information superhighway are going to be on the test? How can we make the web relevant to each learner's college readiness needs and career pathway? </div>
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<i>The answer is to embrace it all and struggle with it until you develop the skills to make sense of it (with a teacher's facilitation). </i></div>
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So, that's my intro for sharing several links from this month's <b>Tuesdays with Essential Education</b> webinar (email me at jason@essentialed.com for an invite). In this month's session, the topic was Evaluating Arguments, precisely the skill you need for separating fact from fiction, singling out correct answers, and comparing passages. It's not just a discreet skill for solving one problem worth 12 points on one section of a high school equivalency test. </div>
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Evaluating arguments is a transferable skill that is useful across multiple subject/content areas. And it requires interdisciplinary teaching. Focusing on transferable skills and interdisciplinary teaching is going to be increasingly important in adult education, especially in light of the Common Core and College and Career Readiness Standards' impact... and the internet can help. </div>
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For starters, here are a few links to assist with planning instruction for broadly impactful skills: </div>
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<b>Interdisciplinary Teaching</b></div>
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Science Education Resource Center</div>
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<a href="http://serc.carleton.edu/econ/interdisciplinary/why.html" target="_blank">http://serc.carleton.edu/econ/<wbr></wbr>interdisciplinary/why.html</a></div>
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<b>Course Design </b></div>
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[PDF] <a href="http://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf" target="_blank">A
Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for <i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">Significant Learning</span></i> </a></div>
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<cite><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><br /><a href="http://andassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf" target="_blank"></a></span></cite></div>
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<b>Interdisciplinary Unit Design</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/interdisciplinary/implementation.html" target="_blank">http://www.thirteen.org/<wbr></wbr>edonline/concept2class/<wbr></wbr>interdisciplinary/<wbr></wbr>implementation.html</a></div>
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<b>Comparing and Contrasting with Current Events </b><br />
Another approach discussed during the webinar was the practice of pulling content from sources that take two or more views on current events. One site that is especially talented in that regard is <a href="http://procon.org/">procon.org</a>, which was designed as a teacher resource. </div>
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But most news sites do not have teaching in mind, and it becomes our job to balance the arguments or to inspire our learners to play that role of debating against a given argument. What sources do you most often pull from in your lessons that call for evaluating arguments? </div>
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Please leave a comment and we'll keep this topic going...<br />
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<b>UPDATE:</b> I was giving talks the past two days about <a href="http://www.passged.com/educators/ce-preview.php" target="_blank">our Computer Essentials program</a> and realized that I've never posted the promotional video about the program on my blog. The lessons go a long way toward making the web a more approachable learning tool. Watch the video and share your thoughts and contact me for a full preview.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7FEvfTD2GVI" width="560"></iframe>Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-18509281556908036432014-08-13T16:14:00.001-04:002014-08-14T12:45:41.981-04:00Math Activities Using the Living Wage CalculatorThere is a lot of talk about needing to make the skills and concepts taught in adult education programs truly meaningful and relevant to the lives of adult learners. I should know. I'm doing a good amount of that talking, personally (it's much bigger than me, obviously, and stems from the impact of Common Core and the College and Career Readiness standards). That's why my jaw dropped when I heard <a href="http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/meet-woman-behind-ikeas-living-wage-calculator" target="_blank">this story on NPR's Marketplace radio show</a> about Ikea setting its lowest wages according to something called the <a href="http://livingwage.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT Living Wage Calculator</a>.<br />
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This calculator seems perfect for adult education classrooms and take-home activities. Adult learners, almost across the board, are more motivated by the prospect of higher more sustainable wages than a credential or entry into college or even increased self-esteem. Such a bleak reality is part of the fabric of the adult education mission, but it also presents an opportunity: lots of teachable moments that are usable in life beyond the classroom walls. Learners could use the calculator to figure their local living wage, analyze the equation that resulted in that figure, what they might tweak to suit their own circumstances, etc. My head spins with ideas at the thought of it.<br />
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The nifty thing about MIT's Living Wage calculator is that it's actually getting traction where grassroots living wage campaigns have come up short (I speak from experience here in Richmond, VA - ahem, a major historic and modern day slavery landmark). The defense-mechanism neutralizing effect of a calculator along with the lofty reputation of MIT seems to make the living wage concept palatable to industry and other authorities over personnel and purse-strings. <br />
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GED/HiSET/TASC teachers are probably wondering while reading this if they can swap this exciting living wage calculator for the overly complicated TI-30xs. Not likely. But, you can use the living wage calculator to fuel relevant classroom activities and at-home projects that engage learners and help them aspire to a higher standard of living. So, what are you waiting for? Post a comment with the first activity that comes to mind and borrow the ideas left here by your fellow educators. I'll send a tweet out right now to someone who might be willing to post the first idea(s)... <br />
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<br />Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-78916826747390082952014-08-12T00:53:00.004-04:002014-08-12T11:32:09.444-04:00Teaching with Technology and Robin WilliamsIn honor of Robin Williams consistent impact on my life, from childhood to 40yrs old, I wanted to post some of his fun commentary on computers and teaching and learning, circa 1982.<br />
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In the show, Mork and Mearth (love Jonathan Winters!) build a home computer called MILT that winds up controlling their lives. Sure, the computer can order your groceries and pay bills for you, but the net effect is negative in this episode of Mork and Mindy, as the computer becomes a tyrant.<br />
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This negative theme regarding technology and innovation is common, although unbalanced (2001, anybody?). It's not a far-fetched analogy for the arrival of computer-based instruction in the field of adult education: computers as things to be avoided or endured grudgingly. "You're nothing but a mechanical dictator. We'll never stop fighting you. And we will win." Mindy's proclamation sounds a little like the participants in many technology trainings I've facilitated for adult education teachers over the years. <br />
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But what is the cure? Enter Robin Williams' super-human comedic abilities (for which I'll be forever grateful and in awe of the man). The antidote to the stifling effect of technology is humor. The computer's control can be overcome with irony, irreverence, laughter. Whereas technology is supposed to have enormous utility for its users, it can also enforce artificial parameters. But what if it could be your assistant, your side-kick, the Abbot to your Costello? <br />
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"MILT is dead, because he had a lousy sense of humor," says Mork as he eulogizes the computer. In education, we need to cut that technology product with some personality, some levity, and some lighthearted interaction. In other words, make an effort to teach like you're channeling Robin Williams. Or find ways to bring some fun and excitement through the computer to encourage exploration, discussion and (gasp) fun. Use technology as more than a drill-sergeant, but as a chance to put a lens before your eye or stand on a desk and look at things differently. <br />
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Update: And for all you doubters of gamification, <a href="http://adage.com/article/the-media-guy/watch-heartbreaking-robin-williams-zelda-commercial/294561/" target="_blank">Robin Williams even named his daughter after Zelda</a>, the princess in my favorite Nintendo game series (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcZhY_Zo-yg" target="_blank">this video interview with both of them</a> is adorable).<br />
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<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/09wBn4ux3N0?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-20913250002205997902014-07-14T12:49:00.000-04:002014-07-21T10:00:43.503-04:00Three Important Bloggers in Adult Ed.On Twitter, I can just retweet the latest from adult education's brightest thought leaders and come off looking smart and well read. But on my blog, I've got to quote people or just steal their ideas outright (kidding!). Here are a few folks that I come back to regularly, either reading or retweeting or both. You should make them regular stops or bookmarks, if you haven't already.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFk07D8pdoLYMWyUG7wkHUCpjcbA8-Egp6qnxJrpnCE62hRsIh0Yn1wJcgBjG-ApsCCkNjc-47Ka0SD9SU-Lh1BJ5FR8iIZrfRZj73xsxXU81YHFnzHHSDkDRLWZ4sjyQBLTSaCii2c9s/s1600/drosen.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFk07D8pdoLYMWyUG7wkHUCpjcbA8-Egp6qnxJrpnCE62hRsIh0Yn1wJcgBjG-ApsCCkNjc-47Ka0SD9SU-Lh1BJ5FR8iIZrfRZj73xsxXU81YHFnzHHSDkDRLWZ4sjyQBLTSaCii2c9s/s1600/drosen.PNG" height="229" width="320" /></a><b>David Rosen</b> has long been a resource for adult education strategic thinking. His most recent blog goes over <a href="http://davidjrosen.wordpress.com/2014/07/06/what-will-u-s-adult-basic-education-look-like-in-the-future-ten-technology-trends-that-may-be-transforming-it/" target="_blank">ten technology trends that stand to transform adult education in the US</a>. Rosen's focus on innovation and equity make him a gem in the field, in my estimation. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sDhB3EGIJyiQ6mgILLZBweqdR-L5VrFJddQRKw1c9Yu7JlJlBi5-HLNXB6JgXR4fslnnqkmBylL57Hg5oqDb8ZGnCsKREcQMy1oOhkophyphenhyphenigzitBOmx9EsR2KWgoQZgYY0wYtjI-4hLJ/s1600/meagan+blog.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sDhB3EGIJyiQ6mgILLZBweqdR-L5VrFJddQRKw1c9Yu7JlJlBi5-HLNXB6JgXR4fslnnqkmBylL57Hg5oqDb8ZGnCsKREcQMy1oOhkophyphenhyphenigzitBOmx9EsR2KWgoQZgYY0wYtjI-4hLJ/s1600/meagan+blog.PNG" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Meagan Farrell</b>'s has been sharing free GED prep resources on her Farrell Ink site for years, and now you can find some highlights of her professional development workshops here. This week, <a href="http://farrellink.com/2014/07/14/upcoming-posts-on-ged-test-constructed-responses-and-technology/" target="_blank">she's going to post five times while at a conference in Virginia</a>. By the way, it looks like Essential Education will be directly benefiting from Meagan's instructional strategies as she helps us develop new online and print material.<br />
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<b>Jeff Carter</b> writes about adult education policy, budget ramification, and there's a helpful survey of adult education's occasional appearances in the media. He's got his own angle, and he moves the conversation forward, something we should all be doing. I'm especially glad for his <a href="http://literacypolicy.org/2014/07/10/funding-still-an-issue/" target="_blank">unpacking of the WIA reauthorization, aka WIOA</a>. Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-53908223739997739912014-07-02T11:17:00.001-04:002014-07-02T15:25:51.519-04:005 Predictions for Adult Education InstructionSo far this year, I'm seeing adult education programs implementing a variety of approaches as they tackle the 2014 high school equivalency exams. The range of hypotheses that teachers and publishers are employing is pretty impressive, though sometimes disconcerting. Nonetheless, a diversity of tactics is good. Hypotheses, if evaluated critically, will be proven right or wrong, and adult education practice will move forward all the better for having conducted experiments during this big transition. I've got some hypotheses that I don't mind sharing. Some directly oppose other publishers' products and even some of my own clients' preferred teaching methods. That's the thing about the future. It's not personal. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Increased Experimentation and Creative Lesson Design</b><br />
Most adult ed programs have begun the year trying to maintain their systems of assessment, instruction and credentialing and ensure continuity by continuing with drill and practice material, teaching narrowly to a small set of procedural knowledge skills that are typically deficits. To stay in that comfort zone, adult ed programs purchase from publishers that are recycling instructional models or repackaging conveniently available material with 2014 testing jargon that are familiar and friendly to adult educators who are struggling with the prospect of change (very common and understandable). However, as the demands of the new high school equivalency tests and the <a href="http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/ovae/2013/04/22/college-and-career-readiness-ccr-standards-for-adult-education" target="_blank">College and Career Readiness standards</a> become clearer and professional development efforts start to sink in with instructors and coordinators, the field will start taking more risks. They'll start thinking outside the box with their lesson planning and where they source their content. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Activities will need to draw learners' life experiences out and build relevance for the broad concepts and skills being taught, which will present opportunities for deeper more complex and perhaps more time-consuming instruction. In short, we can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. Surface level and short-term learning through repetition will lose ground to creative thinking and exploration by both teachers and learners.<br />
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<b>Brand Agnostic Prep Material</b><br />
Because high school equivalency now varies from one state to another and even within a single state where all three tests are promoted, publisher material needs to speak to each test distinctly while also speaking to all tests broadly. Although all three tests feature some unique characteristics, they're all reaching for College and Career Readiness by 2017. So why not start teaching for the fences now? The overviews of each section of each test will be relegated to each test's website where tutorials and other resources will also be found. Leave the prep material to focus on skills and instruction (actual learning of long-term skills!).<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Quick question/curiosity: Finding the GED rack at the bookstore used to be easy. What will it look like now?</i><br />
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<b>Substance Over Style</b><br />
Most of us pick up new workbooks and start flipping through like it we're a speed reader or we're expecting to see a cartoon movie unfold. Everyone does it. What are we looking for? Please don't say pretty pictures (they cost more than they're worth). Prep questions no longer have to look like the test questions, not if we're building Depth of Knowledge levels 2&3. Next time you pick up a book, look at the table of contents (is everything covered? are there any unique approaches? do the topics inspire learning and/or teaching) Zero in on one lesson and look at the structure. How is the content introduced to the adult audience? (if at all). How much effort is given to instruction and skill development as opposed to practice in the style of the test? (or is the effort put into graphic design, color, and densely composed pages?)<br />
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<b>Computer Skills for All</b><br />
We don't need to teach digital literacy strictly because the GED/HiSET/TASC tests are offered on computers (soon to be exclusively offered via computer). Computer skills are life skills, critical thinking skills, and they contribute to the higher functioning of your clients on a daily basis. At the higher end of the spectrum, these are College and Career Readiness skills that will open doors and allow our clients to retain employment and/or bypass developmental education classes. The basic lesson here is that we must teach these skills because they've become basic skills and <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/01/digital-literacy-is-civil-right.html" target="_blank">it's the right thing to do</a>.<br />
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<b>Distance Education Methods will Change</b><br />
Currently, state-funded adult education programs can only claim hours worked outside of class if the time is gathered using one of three methods (clock time, learner mastery, and teacher verification). If the work doesn't fall into one of those categories, most educators are discouraged from going that direction with learners. Most states further limit the report-ability by approving a list of products and assigning one of the three data-gathering methods to that product. That might have been sufficient in a DoK level one adult education world. However, both online and offline collaboration and exploration will be big parts of the creative lesson design referenced in the first post. Web 2.0 will finally start impacting adult ed learning in a major way. All or some portion of that time and effort needs to be reportable. Hopefully, state and local administrators will learn to adapt their policies to go with the flow that instruction needs to go to be effective and engaging.<br />
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Got a prediction of your own? Care to disagree with one of these? Drop a comment of your own. As with all hypotheses, time will tell... <br />
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<br />Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-89498036911102952442014-06-30T12:11:00.000-04:002014-06-30T12:11:11.845-04:00Dad, My First Technology TeacherMy dad was a geek. It wasn't until recently that I realized all that he did for me in terms of technology skills, but since his passing in March, it's all starting to come back to me. In the early 80s, he got me using a Commodore 64. Eventually, we were using an IBM compatible desktop 486 from Leading Edge, while my mother still swore by her 75lb IBM Selectric typewriter (both relevant and marketable skills, depending on the context). He helped me understand floppy discs and how to install and run computer games. But, by the time I got my first Nintendo, our technology interests seemed to part ways, as more and more products were designed to speak to my age-range specifically. Meanwhile, my dad climbed the ranks of the science world from 9-5 and on numerous trips around the country/world. <br />
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After my dad passed away in March, my mother and I went to work on his obituary. The man was so accomplished in his professional life, we really tried to get a lot of it into one story that we hoped would be published by the Washington Post. You'll see in the story obituary below that my father had a lot more to offer than simply upgrading to the latest computer as they came out. I didn't go into any of the STEM career fields, and he didn't pressure me at all. It was my belief in social justice that really made him proud seeing his legacy continue. I hope that my work in the field of adult education will build on his focus on innovation in the public interest with a keen emphasis on equity.<br />
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Thanks for everything, Dad. <br />
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<i><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">Harold E.
("Hal") Guard, Ph.D. retired award-winning scientist with the Office of
Naval Research (ONR) for achievements in environmental programs, equal
opportunities for minorities and women; and with Historically Black
Colleges and Universities, died March
16, 2014, at Carlton Plaza Assisted Living in San Leandro, CA, after
several years living with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease.<br />
</span></i><br />
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Under his leadership as Head, Warfighter Performance Department at ONR,
the department became known for delivering vital research-based
technologies and resources to Marines and Sailors. Most notable for
saving lives in Iraq is QuikClot, a hemostatic agent
that stops bleeding from extremities. Other successes include,
Virtual-at-Sea Training for surface fire support that eliminates the
proverbial “Bathtub Effect” in training; the SpeechGear language
translator, also used in Iraq; the DYNET computer model of
dynamic networks for the Joint Forces Command; and engineered enzymes
for explosive production reducing toxic waste.<br />
<br />
Dr. Guard received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at Purdue
University in 1964. He completed his Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry
at the University of California, Berkeley in 1969. After a
postdoctoral appointment at the University of Chicago, 1969-71,
he accepted a position at the University of California, Berkeley, as an
environmental chemist in a multidisciplinary marine science group.<br />
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At Berkeley, he advanced to chair the Environmental & Marine Science
Department of the Naval Biosciences Laboratory in the School of Public
Health, where he managed a team of chemists and marine biologists
investigating the fates and effects of chemicals in
estuarine environments. His environmental consulting experience
includes work for the U.S. Coast Guard, Association of Bay Area
Governments, The Council on Economic Priorities, and the San Francisco
Bay Marine Research Foundation.<br />
<br />
In 1983, Dr. Guard joined the Chemistry Division, Office of Naval
Research, where he established the first national program in molecular
recognition. He was instrumental in the development of basic and
applied environmental research at ONR in the early 1990's.<br />
<br />
A passionate and dedicated supporter of minority academic institutions,
Dr. Guard served as vice-chair of the Historically Black College and
University Council at ONR and received their Headquarters and Command
Awards for achievements in the field of equal
employment opportunity. Chief of Naval Research Rear Admiral William C.
Miller said in 1992 commendations of his work in this area, "Your
efforts have significantly contributed to increasing the opportunities
for minorities and women to receive a quality education
in the science and engineering field. This achievement at a time when
America is seeking effective education methodologies is a credit to
you, OCNR, and the Department of the Navy."<br />
<br />
In 1995, Dr. Guard assumed management of the Department of the Navy's
programs in Environmental Quality Applied Research and Environmental
Requirements Advanced Technology. In this capacity, he supported
development of non-toxic fouling release coatings for
ship hulls and an underwater hull-cleaning robot for the current
copper-containing hull coatings.<br />
<br />
He is a recipient of a Navy, Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his
work with environmental programs and with the historically black
universities. For leadership of the ONR Biology Division he was awarded
the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award. In 2003,
he received a Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive as Head,
Human Systems S&T Department, ONR.<br />
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Dr. Guard was equally as proud of the Unitarian Universalist Church of
Arlington's (UUCA) 'Volunteers of the Month' award bestowed upon him and
his wife Terry Lang in 1999 for their pioneering work in anti-racism at
UUCA, particularly a powerfully effective
experiential workshop on Grieving Racism which culminated in a Sunday
sermon on the topic by members of his<br />
mythopoetic men's group at Rowe Camp & Conference Center in
Massachusetts. "Hal's understanding, commitment and encouragement
around our becoming a more authentic multicultural community were
valuable to me," says a current leader of the church's racial justice
group. Also a member of the Labyrinth Committee, he was part of the
group who helped to create the first labyrinth at UUCA in the mid 1990s.
<br />
<br />
Survivors include his wife and partner of 35 years Terry Lang, his sons David Guard, of Hayward, CA, and Jason Guard, of <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">Richmond Virginia</a>,
his sister Evelyn Stallings of Carrboro, NC, five
grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Forever held in his
heart was his daughter Michele who died far too young in a car accident
during her first year of college at UC Santa Cruz. </i><br />
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <br />
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<div>
From Terry Lang, my mother, Hal's wife: </div>
<br />
In honor of how
much joy he received from music throughout these years, we request
anyone seeking to make a tax deductible donation do so to an
organization doing creative and important work using music with
Alzheimer's people. Their website makes it easy to do so with a little
blue button on the left side of screen.<br /> <br /> It's <a href="http://www.songwritingworks.org/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">www.songwritingworks.org</a><br /> <br /> Or checks can be mailed to them at:<br /> Songwriting Works<br />
2023 E. Sims Way #271<br /> Port Townsend, WA 98368<br /> <br />
I talked with the director at length before coming to this choice and
am so impressed as i know Hal would have been. If I felt better I would
go into more detail about them, but you can learn a lot on their
website which I hope you can take the time to visit. We need so much
more of this kind of work and Hal and I always liked to get money to the
organizations that have to fight so hard to keep going. Hal was a very
"out of the box" thinker and this group seems to be the same.<br />
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Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-17158748213665493542014-04-11T11:42:00.003-04:002014-04-21T14:45:21.523-04:00Get Your FREE Extended Response Writing WorkbookThis year's COABE conference was a big success for Essential Education. But, personally, it was a tough road to hoe for me. As I drove into Pittsburgh, I got the news from my step-brother that our father had just passed away. It wasn't sudden, but it was terrible timing (as if there is a good time to lose a parent). I decided on my own that 'the show must go on,' and I followed through with my duties at our exhibit and gave my presentations on <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/06/disruption-eruption-whats-your-fuction.html" target="_blank">disruptive innovations</a> and <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2012/08/motivated-elearners-pt-1-time-management.html" target="_blank">the digital classroom</a>. But, I was a hollow shell of myself. If you met me at COABE, this is why I wasn't more gregarious. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3r1NoxndXdq3-6pAmtJ1Vyi71fkCxdP9K4p-0sCsjT15JSx8lAtn46Lr_yBNQ14lSD52RGPPI0ylLIU6KaG66E-w0RDxPqDJDyc5h3Ih-jt_P54hhe4Gy0NwH-k6skrRvA7NNk1rLus6/s1600/ews+COVER.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3r1NoxndXdq3-6pAmtJ1Vyi71fkCxdP9K4p-0sCsjT15JSx8lAtn46Lr_yBNQ14lSD52RGPPI0ylLIU6KaG66E-w0RDxPqDJDyc5h3Ih-jt_P54hhe4Gy0NwH-k6skrRvA7NNk1rLus6/s1600/ews+COVER.PNG" height="320" width="250" /></a>Luckily, I didn't need to be a carnival barker to bring people to the table. They were beating a path straight to us so they could take home a free copy of our Extended Response writing workbook. It's going to be a huge help to instructors looking for ways to teach writing skills beyond the old 5-paragraph essay model<span style="font-size: small;">. And after helping people search their souls for personal stories to tell, we have a big adjustment to make in focusing </span>on evidence-based argumentation. This book will help with that. Did you miss us at COABE or did you miss the conference altogether?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Get Your FREE Workbook <b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/essentialed.com/forms/d/1SpaJQJp4yA7MCrXNcjOIft-_DstEP5NkYM2Dh72zhgo/viewform?utm_source=Jason%27s+Educator+List&utm_campaign=08a91ea633-EDNwsltr_COABEFollowup4_7_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_38c3a3f3cc-08a91ea633-" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/essentialed.com/forms/d/1SpaJQJp4yA7MCrXNcjOIft-_DstEP5NkYM2Dh72zhgo/viewform?utm_source=Jason%27s+Educator+List&utm_campaign=08a91ea633-EDNwsltr_COABEFollowup4_7_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_38c3a3f3cc-08a91ea633-" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: yellow;">RIGHT HERE</span></a></span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></b></span></div>
<br />
<a href="http://passged.com/educators" target="_blank">Essential Education</a> probably gave away 600-700 copies of this 128 page workbook at COABE. The previous year, we gave away 800 copies of our 2014 GED Test Curriculum Blueprint. We're really trying to help adult educators look at the biggest changes that impact their crucial roles of facilitating and mentoring and teaching. The freebees are just the tip of the iceberg of all that we've got to offer. We launched updates to GED Academy as well as new versions: TASC Acacemy and HiSET Academy. And our workbooks apply to all three high school equivalency exams. <br />
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I don't know about the lasting value of the tote bags and other swag that is always given out at conferences. There are lots of ways to build a brand. Essential Education aims to build affinity with our fellow educators and earn your respect by providing the best possible resources. On a less serious note, one of you COABE attendees was giving away a nasty flu or virus type sickness, because I brought it home and spent the next several days with a high fever, and each of my three small children and my wife all had a bout of that cold as I started to get better. Definitely a conference to remember for me, albeit a little hazy. Looking forward to <a href="http://www.coabe.org/conference2015.html" target="_blank">Denver in 2015</a>. Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-53481602541238523082014-03-08T23:58:00.000-05:002014-03-10T09:51:21.128-04:00Follow the Yellow Brick Road to COABE 2014 <a href="http://www.coabe.org/conference2014register.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://coabe.org/html/images/coabe2014250.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a>Why? Because because because because the wonderful things COABE does. We're off to see the Wizard... the wonderful Wizard of... adult education. Well, that's pretty much how I've felt about it since the first time I went almost ten years ago. Each <a href="http://www.coabe.org/" target="_blank">COABE conference</a> fueled my imagination of what is possible in adult education for the coming year or longer (since I haven't gone consistently). My daily experience in adult ed, no matter how trying or frustrating, comes into focus much more easily having benefited from the perspectives of adult educators like me from all over the country. The wizard, you see, is not a fraud hiding behind a curtain. The wizard is us. And when we come together, there is a lot of <b>heart, brains, and courage</b> to go 'round. <br />
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For a lot of people, there are some detours in the yellow brick road to COABE this year. The field of adult education is under construction. There's no mistaking it. Traffic cones are up everywhere. Signs to slow down or merge together. Maybe some flying monkeys and poppies that put you to sleep too. For a field that changes at a glacial pace, the tectonic plates are moving beneath our feet suddenly and unpredictably. We're not in Kansas anymore. How will we find our way home? <br />
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Although the changes largely concern high school equivalency, the impacts <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groups/How-are-literacy-ABE-programs-2930825.S.5842628831961182210?view=&gid=2930825&item=5842628831961182210&type=member&commentID=discussion%3A5842628831961182210%3Agroup%3A2930825&trk=hb_ntf_COMMENTED_ON_GROUP_DISCUSSION_YOU_CREATED#commentID_discussion%3A5842628831961182210%3Agroup%3A2930825" target="_blank">reach down to the lower levels</a> and spread out to incorporate technology and media literacy among other learning and thinking styles. If this year is going to be a grand experiment, it may not be the learners who are the main subjects. Teachers' skills and managers' ability to adapt are being tested in a more rigorous way than any high school equivalency test could ever challenge our learners.<br />
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I think publishers of instructional materials are being tested too. Some are turning in the same drill and practice product that's light on instruction and acting as though it will be sufficient. That's why I'm so excited to be at COABE to help educators chart a new direction, avoid wasting time and money, and help their learners reach higher expectations. Tests that assess something different than we're used to require material with a different focus and probably different instructional methodologies. That's a challenge that Essential Education is ready for.<br />
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At COABE, I hope you'll find time to visit our exhibit and attend one of the sessions (see below). I'll be there, because <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/02/coabe-2013-in-big-easy.html" target="_blank">my wife isn't having a baby</a> during the conference <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/04/conferencing-at-distance.html" target="_blank">like last year</a>. I'll be giving our evidence-based extended response writing mini-book (email me for an electronic copy: jason at essentialed.com). If you see me there, let me know that you saw this blog. Looking forward to it! <br />
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sessions by Essential Education</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Monday, March 17th - 1:45-3:00, Room 306 </span></i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Innovations in computer-based instruction are challenging adult
education programs to individualize services for greater accessibility
and retention. By adopting new blended/hybrid approaches for both
distance and classroom services, we can reach more people, personalize
the learning experience and improve outcomes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hardening Your Steel: How to Deepen the DoK Complexity Level in Your Classroom (Dan)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Tuesday, March 18th - 2:00-3:15, Room 315 </i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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Understanding how to adjust and modify activities to deeper levels of
DoK complexity will help your students have greater success on high
stakes assessments. Session will focus on and provide tools for getting
the most out of your teaching.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Constructing a Riveting Response (Stephanie/Dan)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Tuesday, March 18th - 3:45-5:00, Room 315 </i></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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One of the most important changes in the new GED Test is the shift from
a single essay to constructed response questions. This session will
focus on how to help students successfully write responses that are
clear and powerful.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hammering Out the Digital Classroom (Jason/Dan)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Wednesday, March 19th, 11:00-12:15, Room 301 </i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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Proven methods for integrating technology into the adult education
classroom for maximum results. Session will provide tools, sites,
techniques and ideas to implement immediately into the classroom
experience for the adult learner.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-57346085484040884832014-03-02T01:12:00.000-05:002014-03-06T10:58:17.348-05:00Technology Boogieman Actually Your New BFF<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Even though I've been <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/10/toward-student-centered-adult-ed.html" target="_blank">a big proponent of computer-based testing</a>, I have to confess that the TI-30xs calculator scares the crap out of me. There are so many buttons, and more than half of them are foreign to me, and even those buttons have secondary functions represented by hieroglyphs in tasteful chartreuse (my wife's favorite color). People ask me about the new calculator and I explain that it's just like old Casio GED calculator: you actually teach how to ignore all the buttons that you'll never use. Sometimes I'll joke that the TI-30xs name is appropriate, because it's XS-ive. These were the rationalizations I've clung to while avoiding this and other scientific calculators. But then, just this past week, I saw the light. <br />
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There was a similar freak-out about the introduction of the Casio FX-260 in 2002. That piece of mandatory technology inspired a kind of mass-anxiety among adult educators similar to the one we've been dealing with as the test has gone computer-based. During those 12 years, I was big on web-based distance learning, but I coped with the calculator by avoiding all but the most basic buttons. The funny joke picture here about the 'C' and 'CE' buttons... that's totally me. I even came across a TI-30xs at a yard sale, got it for 10 cents, and I've been weary and suspicious and hesitant to use it ever since. Kind of like with the Coke bottle in The Gods Must Be Crazy, I'd probably be more likely to hit someone over the head with that calculator than to solve a complex math problem with it. In the movie, they worshiped that Coke bottle briefly too, right? So maybe there are multiple ways to relate to a device that seems to come from another dimension.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>My big breakthrough came last week when I watched the new GED Academy lesson on using the TI-30xs (also for use on the TASC exam). Yes, I work for the company, but I think I've seen all the other tutorial resources on this calculator and they didn't help me overcome my fears at all. Now the prospect of using the TI-30xs seems so much more reasonable after hearing the program's personal tutor introducing the calculator's most useful functions. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lesson from GED Academy on the TI-30xs</td></tr>
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By the time the tutorial had converted fractions to percents and back and backspaced and moved the cursor all around an equation, I was getting excited to use these tools to actually seem better at math than I am.
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The best analogy I can make would be to my smartphone. I was a flip-phone hold-out for years. The slogan, "there's an app for that" was flying around before I knew what an app was or which 'that' I should even be looking to address with an app. Eventually, I got a Blackberry phone and used only a fraction of its limited capabilities (maybe akin to the Casio calculator in this analogy). And eventually I got an iPhone, and it was like the clouds had parted. I'm off to the races embracing the mini-computer's utility in ways I never realized I would come to depend on. I'm sure I'm not alone in making that leap. It's possible that technology in adult ed is building up to a similar explosion of integration. <br />
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In education, we build systems around the tools that serve our purposes. Those tools might have previously been paper-pencil practice tests, orientation videos, and affordable workbooks. We're a couple months into this grand 2014 high school equivalency experiment, and some of those tools that will shape our new systems are emerging: adaptive programs that personalize each learner's experience, websites that consolidate resources and feedback in one place, and maybe even complicated looking calculators that actually make complicated math problems more approachable. But these transitions aren't going to go smoothly unless we're ready to cozy up to some of the ideas, practices and tools that we've always seen fit to reject. <br />
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Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-87674987711886482932013-12-19T00:56:00.001-05:002013-12-19T10:13:26.372-05:00Computer-Based Testing/Learning StrategiesRecently, a <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3021209/what-the-ged-can-teach-ceos" target="_blank">pithy post in Fast Company magazine</a> garnered some good press for the GED Testing Service's computer-based testing initiative. Erika Owen puts it in beautifully simple terms when she writes, "students think better when they pace themselves." However, the ideas promoted in this little piece have ramifications that I think will play out across the whole field of adult education in the coming years, regardless of the brand of high school equivalency test, and spilling over into the instruction side as well. And note the relevance to 'the other adult education': human resource development. This is big, yall.<br />
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In presentations, I've been talking a lot about a new tool for boosting GED scores: computer-based test taking skills. In short, the experience of testing on a computer (and particularly the design of the 2014 GED test) gives learners more control so they can spend more time showing what they know in an efficient and confident manner. As Owen distills it: pacing themselves = thinking better. <br />
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<b>Pacing Strategies </b><br />
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Awesome. What about learning? Does this idea of thinking better transfer over to the learning experience? Yes. Pacing is actually less about testing and more about control and choice in the learning process, which includes application. Pacing is affected learning plans are personalized, when learners can explore and stay in the flow of information with multiple communities/facilitators and on their own schedule. Adult Education programs need to access the power that awaits outside the four-walls of the classroom so their learners to take advantage of educational opportunities where and when it suits them (as well as in the classroom). In other words, <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/10/toward-student-centered-adult-ed.html">learner-centered services</a> that build self-sufficiency rather than dependence. I know there are risks and consequences, but the rewards and growth in new directions are worth the gamble. <br />
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Working backwards from the other side of Fast Company's analogy... "Employees train better when they pace themselves." If the technology of the workplace spills over into our lives "24/7" then adult education programs need to prepare their clients for this kind of lifelong learning "in which they are learning all of the time." If this is the expectation of the working world where we want our learners to succeed, then we've got to cultivate the kind of initiative and educational entrepreneurship that allows them to pace themselves with the hope that their goal is acceleration. <br />
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I've been a little vague here, only because the Fast Company piece is so provocative and exciting exposure for our field. More detailed prescriptions will take shape in 2014, I'm sure. What do you think? What kinds of ideas does this Fast Company piece inspire in you? Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-79553940315416709212013-12-09T01:21:00.001-05:002014-12-10T12:18:33.351-05:00All I Want for Xmas are Ed-Tech Books, 2013With <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2012/12/2013-year-of-blended-learning.html" target="_blank">the Year of the Blended Learner</a> mostly behind us (and more hopefully ahead), it's time to gear up for the 2014 GED/HSE tests, developing reasoning skills, and certifying 'College and Career Readiness. In other words, the Year of the Deeper Learner. <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdeskillshare.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F12%2Fall-i-want-for-xmas-is-ed-tech-books.html&ei=xlqlUvnLEJOgsAT13YDAAw&usg=AFQjCNGN-T3AJX-CN_G9CToqyA304vzv0A&sig2=_r9WuCr3F9_GGzUYMZkvhA&bvm=bv.57752919,d.cWc" target="_blank">Ed tech books topped my list last year</a>, and they made an appropriate post on an ed-tech blog. However, the challenges facing the field of adult education in the coming year(s) will blur the lines of technology and redefine some of the notions that underscore the educational process. To that end, I've compiled a little reading list of books, many of which are on my personal Christmas list. <br />
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Although there are now three high school equivalency tests for each state to choose from, there is a common theme nationally in the updates being made to instructional practice: address deeper levels of complexity. The tests are becoming more rigorous, but only because they're going to be made up of more complex texts. Classwork will need to engage on multiple levels, and workbooks will need to connect with and develop latent skills. To help with that, I'd like to put <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/10/books-for-building-dok-via-distance-ed.html">Essential Education's new Essential Skills workbooks</a> on this list, but that would be too simple and self-serving. <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1452268134/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=07DVZ7K5HXDABQHFRDWS&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1630083442&pf_rd_i=507846"><i>Rigorous Reading: 5 Access Points for Comprehending Complex Texts</i></a></b> looks like just the kind of update for 2014 teaching, focusing on the entry points, to help encourage deeper-level skills that are transferable across all subjects.</div>
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I've spent much of the past two years promoting the agenda that digital literacy needs to be addressed as a core skill in adult ed, right alongside reading, writing and arithmetic. I'm pleased to report that most educators I speak with agree, though approaching computer skills may seem daunting. <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Media-Literacy-Connecting-Classroom/dp/1412981581/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386565683&sr=1-1&keywords=digital+and+media+literacy" target="_blank"><i>Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Culture and Classroom</i></a></b> will probably help. Media and information literacy are major components on the 2014 high school equivalency tests and they expand the idea of computer skills to provide an entry point that even digital immigrant adult ed teachers will be comfortable with. <br />
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Teaching digital literacy may be raising the bar for some, but not nearly enough for the many teachers who need to bring real technology fluency to bear in their classrooms and for the students who need to transition to modern college and career environments. <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Literacy-NOT-Enough-Century-Fluencies/dp/1412987806/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386565979&sr=1-1&keywords=literacy+fluency">Literacy is Not Enough: 21st Century Fluencies for the Digital Age</a></i></b> promises to help educators deepen digital literacy instruction. As they say, shoot for the stars and you might reach the moon. </div>
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Yes,<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Disrupting-Class-Expanded-Disruptive-Innovation/dp/0071749101/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386567002&sr=1-1&keywords=disrupting+class" target="_blank"><b>Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns</b></a> </i>was on last year's list, but I don't think the field of adult education has quite come to terms with its message. By the end of 2014, the conclusions of Clayton Christ<b>e</b>nsen will be front page news in adult ed program newsletters. So, read up now and start making adjustments. Not only are we seeing innovations that disrupt the process of adult education program administration, we've also got multiple exams competing to better serve adult learners. Teachers? Where do you fit in? What will you do different? Change is no longer an option or a possibility, it's a fact. </div>
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This list of recommendations makes it seem like adult education is facing a crisis of relevance. Actually, I think it's mostly incremental changes that are required (though it IS a lot all at once). The core of what adult education programs provide needs to be promoted widely and on a shoe-string budget. The changes coming to adult ed are exciting and need to be promoted to reach further flung target markets and potential partners. The programs that languish off-the-grid (away from social media and online learning) may not stay relevant or even in business. Community colleges will swallow them up. Sexier services will garner their funding. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jab-Right-Hook-Story-Social/dp/006227306X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386568153&sr=1-1&keywords=jab+jab+jab" target="_blank"><b><i>Jab Jab Jab Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World</i></b></a> is Gary Vaynerchuk's third book. You might want to start with the other two. Either way, I hope he lights a fire under your approach to the adult ed mission. <br />
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<li>Got a book you'd like to add? Maybe you've read one of these and want to report your findings? Please post your comments here. </li>
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Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-11290508937920684732013-10-31T00:51:00.000-04:002013-11-11T15:22:14.270-05:00Toward a Learner-centered Adult Ed ExperienceIt felt like I'd been talking a mile-a-minute for 3hrs at a GED Academy training and 2014 GED(r) overview in Southwest Virginia, when I stopped at the end and asked the crowd of teachers what they'd gotten out of the session. Silence... Why do I put my attendees on the spot like that? Ugh. And then the answer came. A woman spoke up and made sense of it all better than I could have. "It sounds like we'll have to help our learners do more on their own from now on." The simplicity of her synopsis took a minute for me to absorb. <br />
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Ding! Ding! Ding! The mission of facilitating self-directed learning, putting the right tool in the learners' hands, comes right out of Essential Education's mission statement (and mine too, going back as long as I've been in adult ed). What this teacher was synopsizing weren't just the words I'd been speaking during our three-hour training. She was seeing the impact of important tools for both assessment and instruction designed with the learner in mind and made accessible over the web. In the presence of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/education/edlife/online-education-as-an-agent-of-transformation.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=edlife" target="_blank">these disruptive innovations</a>, the role of the educator changes to include more facilitation, more 'guide on the side.'<br />
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I've talked here about <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2012/09/motivating-elearners-pt-3-inspiring.html" target="_blank">the ways GED Academy motivates online learners</a> with student-centered instructional design. Now, the GED Testing Service's <a href="http://www.gedtestingservice.com/educators/myged" target="_blank">new MyGED portal</a> is assembling an array of tools to give the learner control over the process of their education, rather than the process having control over the learners. Anyone who's worked in adult ed has a sense of <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/05/why-tech-not-adult-ed.html" target="_blank">the sometimes counter-intuitive bureaucracy</a> we often contend with. <br />
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<b>Learner-centered Assessment:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.gedtestingservice.com/educators/myged" target="_blank">The imminent debut</a> of GED Testing Service's MyGED portal represents a major step toward learner-centered adult education services. A GED tester receives immediate feedback on their test with green/yellow/red indicators for each assessment target. What will they do with that information? Open a book? Study online? Sign up for a class? It's an exciting prospect. The learners are in the drivers' seat, and they've got a good set of directions. But it gets better. A prescription follows the diagnostic, letting learners choose learning plans from a range of publisher's products. Teachers and adult education program staff need to be ready to help their learners take appropriate action with this information in hand.<br />
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This kind of national portal has been called for by numerous adult educators across the country for years now (okay, maybe different kinds of national portals have been suggested, but this one actually has a release date, and its a kindred spirit). According to the GED Testing Service, the site will link learners to their testing center, local classes, higher education and career services. There are other providers of high school equivalency exams now (<a href="http://hiset.ets.org/" target="_blank">HiSET</a> and <a href="http://www.ctb.com/ctb.com/control/ctbLandingPageViewAction?landngPageId=52783" target="_blank">TASC</a>), but GEDTS has set a very high bar. Will the other two tests create similar student-centered services or seek to outdo GEDTS in this area? I hope so. It's about time that educational publishing companies really competed to better serve ABE/GED learners. How else will we reach the 40 million people who need a credential? In the meantime, GEDTS has charted a new direction for adult education services that has the potential to accelerate learning and credentialing, bring in larger numbers and possibly a more qualified cross-section of students than typically turn out for adult ed services.<br />
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<b>Learner-centered Diagnostics:</b><br />
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Essential Education's GED Academy has long consolidated the necessary direction, feedback and instruction for every learner, so they have it all in one place. But your student's GED transcript has never given any indication of what they needed to work on. Why not? Isn't that the purpose of an assessment? To identify needs? Welcome to the adult education service-provider business, GED Testing Service. Kudos for making such a grand entrance! I can't wait. This will be a catalyst for many learners passing their GED test, and teachers will have a clearer idea about what topics need to be taught or tutored. <br />
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<b>Learner-centered Prescriptives: </b></div>
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About half of all GED test-takers never set foot in a classroom en route to their equivalency test. For those people, a prescription of the precise lessons they should be studying is going to be a major improvement over the guesswork and frustration of past attempts at DIY credentialing. Essential Education is one of many publishers who are handing over alignments of our content to GEDTS to inform their "How I Can Score Higher" prescriptive report that suggests lessons from books and software. See below that <a href="http://deskillshare.blogspot.com/2013/10/books-for-building-dok-via-distance-ed.html" target="_blank">our new Essential Math Skills workbook</a> lessons are recommended in this sample prescriptive. <b> </b></div>
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For many learners, this kind of supportive technology will help them become more self-sufficient. And isn't that the goal with adult ed? However, for many, these score reports will have the most potential when interpreted by their teacher at their local adult education program. So, the MyGED portal will drive learners back to their local provider, which will also be a tool on the page (with a 'find my local adult ed program' locator). <br />
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Critics of the 2014 GED's higher price tag ($120 minus $40 credited back to the test center) should probably take these additional services into consideration when weighing the value of that test-taking fee. Alternatives to the GED test would probably cost more too, if they were assembling this kind of infrastructure. And maybe that's where we're headed as all three HSE test are striving toward the same goals of certifying College and Career Readiness, promoting digital literacy, and reducing barriers to participation for the hardest to serve learners in our country... though, each doing so with their own timelines and priorities for serving adult ed students' interests. <br />
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Getting back to that synopsis from my GED Academy workshop, "It sounds like we'll have to help our learners do more on their own from now on." With instructional supports that really teach, give motivational feedback and point the way through a rewarding process, maybe our learners won't be completely 'on their own' after all.<br />
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<b>Semantic update:</b> I went back through this piece and changed all the instances of 'student-centered' to 'learner-centered.' There are lots of reasons why (student implies youth, for instance). Originally, I'd found more hits for student-centered online, so I figured it made sense to hop on a term that was already established, but now I'm thinking that I'd rather put my efforts behind an adult-ed centric term. But, let us not get distracted by semantics and minutia. I'm on team innovation. Period. <br />
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<br />Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1349468976448373414.post-91390555978534546322013-10-02T23:17:00.001-04:002013-10-03T00:44:56.299-04:00Books Build DoK via Distance Ed?As my company, <a href="http://www.passged.com/educators/" target="_blank">Essential Education</a>, launches its new trilogy of workbooks for the 2014 high school equivalency tests, I want to take a moment to discuss two things:<br />
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<b>1) The role of print materials in distance education efforts...</b><br />
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<b>and then, because adult educators are in dire need of quality 2014 material</b><br />
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<b>2) How awesome these new books are, and where you can get some! <i>(short answer: email jason@essentialed.com)</i></b><br />
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<b>Books are Essential to Learning </b><br />
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It may be an obvious point, but paper and pencil practice materials will probably always be a core element of any ABE/GED program. It doesn't matter if the GED is computer-based, or if online learning is growing by leaps and bounds. Foundational reading, writing and math skills need to be practiced in the medium that learners (and the teachers) are most comfortable with. The cognitive skills that you develop when you dive into a workbook are absolutely replicable when testing on a computer (but you should still get some computer-based prep and/or practice testing under your belt, nonetheless). <span dir="ltr" id=":5p5">Writing
in a workbook helps move content from short-term to long-term memory. The act of writing is very ingraining. That's why these books were designed to be interactive work-texts. </span><br />
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<b>Books are Mobile Devices</b><br />
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Many distance learning initiatives are really online learning initiatives in disguise. There's nothing wrong with that. The field of adult education needs to grow in the tech-integration department. And there is usually a happy by-product of digital literacy woven in. However, for many learners (and teachers), studying out of a book is the preferred method. If you don't have internet, a book is your distance education curriculum, and it's accessible 24/7. If you don't have an ipad or large-screen smartphone, a book is your mobile device (another argument against the immobility of the giant 700 page comprehensive prep books). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXv-UBoA-XehFyBCwwiets4TiIDpeMSTNmLcVagSNOcAfvcarilrqbOfwIQJxOIm7EwMBm0WP9T8LCjhDxrm5z7PVHH9StvjkTih1IDPSWkCPRoZFQvpsDCE2pHEu0EFI06A-TiO4hjqNT/s1600/WritingSkillsWorkbook-CoverFinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXv-UBoA-XehFyBCwwiets4TiIDpeMSTNmLcVagSNOcAfvcarilrqbOfwIQJxOIm7EwMBm0WP9T8LCjhDxrm5z7PVHH9StvjkTih1IDPSWkCPRoZFQvpsDCE2pHEu0EFI06A-TiO4hjqNT/s400/WritingSkillsWorkbook-CoverFinal.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<b>Books Last Forever</b><br />
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Give a learner a book and it will
become a visual cue to prioritize studying whenever they see it.
Friends and family members see the book and get interested and maybe
pitch in with a pop-quiz or take a whack at the material themselves. If
the book winds up on the shelf, eventually, someone will dust it off
and put it to use. Many of us still have our college books on the shelf, because it stores the memorable moments of our learning process. As long as blended learning is considered a best practice, books will allow for more flexibility. If online learning isn't your cup of tea, shift gears to print material. Plus, working page-by-page makes learners pace themselves (if they're reading thoroughly and being honest with their study skills). <br />
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Why are books important to your ABE/GED instruction? Does this hold true for distance education? Is your affinity for workbooks affected by <a href="http://gedtestingservice.com/" target="_blank">the GED test</a> going computer-based? And yes, the books are appropriate for <a href="http://www.ctb.com/ctb.com/control/ctbLandingPageViewAction?landngPageId=52783" target="_blank">TASC</a> and <a href="http://hiset.ets.org/" target="_blank">HiSET</a> as well. <br />
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<b>Order Your Copies Now</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-72e0636f-7c46-ad5a-3aed-d2fdf0aa18f0" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Essential Skills series of workbooks are written to provide the best in 2014 high school equivalency preparation. By focusing on teaching thinking skills in varying degrees of DoK complexity (Depth of Knowledge), teachers and students are prepared to be successful on any of the content assessments. Written with Senior Consultants Bonnie Goonen and Susan Pittman-Shetler, lead trainers for GEDTS, the workbooks are a break from the traditional drill and practice format.</span> </span><br />
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<i>Call me at 800-390-9307 or shoot an email to me (at jason@essentialed.com), and I'll send you sample chapters from the books and ordering info. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. </i> <br />
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PS: My wife designed the covers, and I AM VERY PROUD. See more of her creations <a href="http://www.darlingoctopus.com/" target="_blank">at darlingoctopus.com</a>.Jason Guardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02393926826589965899noreply@blogger.com7