GED One-Room Schoolhouse

Teaching adults involves skills, methods, patience, and a keen sense of humor! Austin Community College's Adult Education Department is well known throughout the state for successful students, and a waiting line of students. This pilot, known as the "One Room Schoolhouse," offers a comprehensive training site for GED instructors. Demand for GED classes has increased.

GED Instructor Orientation...coming soon

Faculty handbook (new instructor checklist, staff contacts, terms and acronyms, forms and reports, consents and waivers, rosters, disciplinary procedures, transfers, testing, substitute folder,

Instructor payment procedures

Semester schedules

Performance measures (BEST and TABE)

GED Professional Development...coming soon

Policy

Request

Professional Development Schedule

Professional Development Resources

Teacher Observations and forms

TIPS from Experienced Teachers

Module 1: Basic Teaching Strategies for Adults - Identify basic strategies for working with adults. Select appropriate learning characteristics (emotional, physical, mental, and social); determine instructor skills needed for teaching adults; explain necessary preparations; and predict participant expectations; create a risk-free environment.

Identify basic strategies for working with adults.

Select appropriate learning characteristics (emotional, physical, mental, and social)

Identify the importance of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Determine instructor skills needed for teaching adults (flexibility, patience, reading and flexing, organization and planning; using resources; resolving problems pro-actively; high expectations)

Explain necessary preparations and procedures for teaching

Predict participant expectations

Effective communication

Positive Behavior Support & Resolving Conflicts

Diversity

Module 2: Evaluation of Resources - Evaluate resources and determine why certain resources are best for specific adults, ability levels, and learning styles. Select materials that are appropriate for the class' abilities.

Evaluate available resources: GED Mathematics; PreGED Mathematics; Contemporaries GED Mathematics; Contemporaries Number Power 1,2, 3, 4; PreGED Language Arts, Writing; GED Language Arts, Writing; Contemporary’s Breakthroughs in Writing and Language Exercise book; Contemporary’s Breakthroughs in Writing and Language

Resources for the Transition Class

Select textbooks by levels (see textbook list with synopsis)

Determine why certain resources are best for specific adults, ability levels, and learning styles

Select materials appropriate for any class’ abilities (Tiers 1, 2, and 3)

Evaluate major brain study theories

Learning styles, multiple intelligence, Bloom’s Taxonomy

Analyzing and evaluating assessments (summative, formative, authentic)

Identifying and analyzing components of Great Lessons (on CD)

Resources for use in centers

Select resources for vocabulary study

Incorporating available technology

Workforce Curriculum Guidelines (grammar, vocabulary, work skills)

Resources (TCALL, KLRU GED connection, websites

Module 3: Obtaining and Analyzing Student Data - Assess student work and test data. Analyze missing mastered objectives and determine how to remediate student difficulties. Tier one (higher level student who is motivated and plans to learn quickly and move beyond the GED to possibly higher education; Tier two (student who needs assistance with objectives to be met that will move the student to a tier one level; Tier three (students who need major assistance with study, testing, motivation, content foundations, and organizational skills)

Analyzing students

Cognitive learning

Assess student work

Assess test data

Analyze missing mastered objectives.

Determine how to remediate student difficulties – filling in the gaps

Motivation

Constructing and implementing rubrics

The absent student

Module

Module 4: Multi-level Teaching Methodology - Identify engaging activities and strategies for student success. Distinguish appropriate methods for tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 students within the scope of one classroom. Identify necessary skills for SCANS (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, U.S. Department of Labor expectations. This course will model learner-centered strategies, processing time, and active learning. Tentative schedule: 24 hours for $320 per student; July-August 2009 – EDTC 2000.

Constructing lessons

Gagne’s Phases of Learning (gaining attention, objectives, recall or prior knowledge, presenting new material, providing learning guidance, eliciting responses/monitoring; processing feedback; assessing performance; enhancing retention and transfer).

5E model of instruction: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate

Identify engaging activities and strategies for lesson outcomes – task analysis

Constructing and rewriting lessons (creating short segments)

Real world applications and constructivism

Differentiation models for at least 3 different levels of students

Demonstrating critical thinking and questioning strategies

Creating interactive lessons and adapting lesson plans

Identify necessary SCANS skills (using resources; interpersonal; using information and technology; communication) and correlate to Positive Behavior Support model

Using a variety of activities; building in flexibility and choice

Peer tutoring/sharing; Cooperative learning; use of small groups

Motivation: Extrinsic and Intrinsic/Self Efficacy

Evaluation of Module 4:

select appropriate strategies for tier learners (1, 2, and 3)

create a plan for one lesson using Gagne’s model

create a plan for one lesson using the 5-E model

design one lesson using appropriate resources and activities for 3 different ability groups

rewrite a lesson for a higher and a lower level of student ability

create critical thinking questions for 3 student ability levels

create models and activities for use of small groups and cooperative learning

Explain the importance of wait time, pacing, halt time

Module 5: Identifying Learning Disabilities - Identify symptoms and signs of learning disabilities and how students and instructor can compensate for these difficulties.

Identify symptoms and signs of learning disabilities and how students can compensate for these difficulties.

Strategies for working with student needs.

Accommodation and Modification for all students

Body language and nonverbal communication

Explain the importance of wait time, pacing, halt time

Module 6: Test-taking and Study Skills - Identify basic test-taking and study skills to share with students for success. Recognize methods for re-writing testing materials as needed.

Identify basic test-taking and study skills.

Determining the BEST answer!

Organization – use notebook, graphic organizers, one-sheeter, or other strategies

Analyze components of the exam/assessment to be taken.

Student self-assessment & developing goals

Use of a calculator, understanding tables, maps, graphs, flow-charts, cartoons, text construction.

Evaluation of GED One Room Schoolhouse - Survey monkey online evaluation