GED 2002

"Bring It On Baby!" - Three Strategies for the GED 2002

The GED 2002 has occupied a place in my mind for a while now. Although my ongoing classes relegated it to a space in the back, I knew a day would come when it would move to a place of prominence. When I received my "A New Race Begins January 2002" poster, I knew that day had come. After all, I train the "runners!"

Questions I had ignored for months suddenly demanded my attention. How do I begin? What current methods and materials can I keep? What new ones must I develop? I thought about simply putting the GED 2002 poster in a drawer, but I knew there was no getting this cat back in the bag! Nothing to do but begin preparing for the new "race."

As I started researching the new test, my anxiety level lowered when I discovered that there is a great deal of information already available. (See list of resources at the end of this article.) When I was asked to be part of the team that will conduct the "official" GED 2002 training sessions, I knew I was on my way. Suddenly, I was thinking Bring it on, baby!

I suspect many of you are also experiencing some anxiety over the new GED. Since knowledge relieved my apprehension, I present here a brief discussion about three teaching strategies that are particularly effective in teaching for the new test: Using Realia, Project-Based Learning, and Problem-Based Learning.

Let's begin with a brief overview of the new test standards. Although there are many changes in the GED 2002, those that relate to teaching strategies are:

• the emphasis on integrated learning and the application of skills across content areas.
• the use of more "visual" texts such as graphics, cartoons, and photographs.
• the increased emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving skills and higher-order thinking skills (HOTS).
• the use of business type documents to answer questions, including letters, memos, executive summaries, and e-mails.

Two things are clear. First, to prepare students for these standards, teachers must help a student develop information processing skills that allow him or her to synthesize information and apply it a variety of ways and circumstances. In addition, teachers must help students develop the skills necessary to evaluate "real life" and visual text.

In her online chat on June 12, Joan Auchter advised teachers to start collecting "realia." This means "real life" documents such as newspaper articles, brochures, how-to manuals, leases, applications, etc. Building a collection is easy because "realia" is everywhere. It's in the newspaper, in the mail, at the library, in state and federal offices, at stores, at doctors offices ... you name it! All you have to do is to start gathering it (ask your students to do the same).

While collecting the "documents of our lives" is easy, organizing them for use as lesson plans takes a little more effort. At a recent training for those of us who will be conducting GED 2002 training, one teacher shared a great model for doing so. Her "Reality Book" is organized in a large three ring binder and includes editorial cartoons; graphs and charts; photographs (including historical ones); business documents (such as applications, memos, procedural manuals, and leases); health brochures; bank documents; newspaper articles; and copies of the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. Arranged by subject, each document is in its own plastic page, which pulls out of the notebook for easy removal and use. "To Do" type of activities accompany each document, so it can be readily used as a general lesson plan or by a student who needs a "filler" activity.

How you use "real world" documents as part of your lesson plans is limited only by you and your students' imagination. Let creativity run wild in the classroom! For example, last week my students helped prepare another student for the written part of her driving test by writing "test questions" based upon the materials covered in the Drivers Handbook. We also did "picture scramble" where they had to match pictures with correct captions. Both of these "real life" activities involved the interest of the students, required critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and were fun!

Very few teaching strategies help students develop higher order thinking, problem solving, and critical analysis skills as well as project-based learning. Last September, I had the privilege of being chosen to participate in Project IDEA (Institute for the Development of Educators of Adults). For their project, my students decided to adopt two local needy families. Naming our project "Project Helping Hands," the students conducted a food and clothing drive for the families and held a Christmas party for them last December. Then they created a Power Point presentation about the project and presented it to administrative staff members from our career center and Houston Community College at a reception during April, 2001.

"Project Helping Hands" presented many opportunities to develop problem solving, critical thinking, and organizational skills. The most important were: organizing the food and clothing drive; developing a list of potential donors; designing procedures and producing correspondence used in soliciting donations; tracking and sorting donated items for four adults and twelve children (all different sizes); resolving conflicts; and organizing a party for 60 people. In creating the Power Point presentation, besides learning the software, my students had to organize the presentation, decide which pictures to use and in what order, write text, and decide upon backgrounds and music.

After I had given a presentation about my project, a teacher came up to me and said, "It just sounds great, and I would love for my students to have that type of experience, but I'm just not sure I'm up to taking on something so big!" Although I offered various "mini-projects" as alternatives, I have since discovered another one - problem-based learning.

Problem-based learning began at McMaster University Medical School over 25 years ago. It is similar to project-based learning in several important ways. First, it helps students "learn to learn" and develop the critical knowledge and problem-solving skills necessary for the new test. Secondly, students generally work in teams. Finally, it requires a change in the traditional teacher/student relationship. As described by the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction, with problem-based learning, "students assume increasing responsibility for their learning ... and the faculty become resources, tutors, and evaluators, guiding the students in their problem solving efforts" http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/pbl/info.html.

However, there are differences between project-based learning and problem-based learning. In project-based learning, the project idea is generated by the students and is product oriented. The teacher acts a facilitator, providing students with the materials and guidance needed to complete their project. Although knowledge is increased and many skills are learned, the work is focused upon the final product.

With problem-based learning, the teacher designs and provides problem simulations and problem experiences that challenge students to learn what is expected in the curriculum. The teacher does not provide the information needed to solve the problem, but rather guides students "in their work with the problem as they develop problem-solving skills, identify what they need to learn and develop self-directed learning skills" http://pbli.org/pbl/generic_pbl.htm.

Just like with realia, the possibilities here are endless! "Problems" can range from the simple (Why was the Vietnam War so unpopular?) to the more complex (Right now you do all of your laundry in a Laundromat. You have space for a washer and dryer and need to decide if it would be cost effective to buy them.)

I hope this article has eased some of your anxiety about the new GED. Some of you are probably relieved to discover that you already use some or all of these methods and that the test does not mean a radical change in your teaching strategies. For others, I hope this article gave you ideas on how to start adopting the strategies discussed (or maybe helped you think of others!) Either way, be creative, have fun, and say with enthusiasm "Let the Race Begin!"

Melanie Mayeaux is an ABE/GED instructor for Houston Community College. She teaches a TANF class at the WorkForce Gulf Coast Career Center at Gulfgate in Houston. She has been teaching for 2 1/2 years. Melanie is a Project IDEA alumni and is part of the state's GED 2002 training team. She has a BA in History and a Masters in Education from the University of Houston. Prior to teaching, Melanie had her own business, which specialized in fitness programs for women with special needs. She loves to read, to watch women's basketball (especially the Houston Comets), and to do home improvement projects, including making furniture.