GED Practice Test Online

The new GED 2014 test is here to stay, and I bet you are wondering how to help your library customers and adult learners pass the new test.  Your library likely has study material in a variety of formats. There is a lot of free material available online, and you can also provide subscriptions to online resource. Share some of your favorite resources in comments.

There is a free GED test online to give you and a learner an idea of what the new test is like. It is not the formal test which costs and is available from several publishers. Your library may be able to partner with your local adult education provider or a civic club to pay for a leaner to take the formal test. It is a good way to help a learner to focus on the topics he or she needs to study.

Common Grant Writing Mistakes

It is grant writing time again.

Here are common mistakes made by newer grant writers. If you want technical assistance on grant writing contact VALF at sandy.newell@dos.myflorida.com.  One of our board members can advise you and even read a draft of your grant.

Common Mistakes!

• Not reading (and following) the grant guidelines
• Writing the grant in isolation
• Not spending enough time doing the needs assessment
• Not knowing and using the language of the organization awarding the grant
• Not giving your draft to multiple readers for their suggestions
• Writing the proposal from the organization's perspective verses the needs of the potential adult learner

Grant writing requires more skills that being a good writer. Writing a successful proposal requires good planning and making sure your idea "fits" your organization's mission and the goals of the funder.

Bring Your Own Device BYOD : Smart Phones

Since many volunteer literacy programs work one to one, use of Bringing Your Own Device can be made easier.  Many students have smart phones which can enhance lessons and provide follow up practice. Here are considerations from a classroom focus which can be adapted for volunteer programs. Many libraries provide training and technical assistance to help tutors become more familar and comfortable in using these devices. Please share aps you like and ideas for lessons in comments below.

From LINCS:

Original text from the Discussion: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Technology Colleagues, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is becoming more widespread in K-12 and higher ed, and also in adult education. I noticed, for example, that the COABE Conference in Pittsburgh in March 2014 will have at least one BYOD session where participants are asked to bring their own Internet-accessible device (e.g. a smart phone, tablet, or laptop). The proliferation of Internet accessible devices in adult literacy education may be good news, but it also raises some interesting questions and challenges for our discussion here. Below are five areas we may want to discuss. There may be others, too. I invite you to pick one area (or more if you like) and share your thoughts, resources, answers and solutions. I am eager to hear your thoughts. 1. BYOD Policies. K-12 needs BYOD policies, and increasingly schools now have them. Do we need them in adult basic education, too? If so, why, and what should the policies include? For example, some K-12 BYOD policies include preventing students from making audio or video recordings of classmates. Do we need a policy like this in adult literacy education, too? Why or why not? 2. Access. How can teachers handle the situation where a majority -- but not everyone -- owns or has access to a handheld Internet accessible device? Ask students who have them to share their devices, for example in groups of 2-3 students? Purchase devices to lend to students in the classroom? If so, what should adult education programs and schools buy? Tablets? Smartphones? Netbooks? Laptops? 3. BYOD Maintenance and Repair Issues. If adult education programs and schools do lend students Internet accessible devices, what should they anticipate will be needed for maintenance and repair? 4. Separate Wireless Routers. Will a school or program need (a) wireless router(s) and ISP account(s) separate from the regular program/school ISP? If so, why, and what is a relatively inexpensive solution to creating this? 5. Mobile Learning Content. What are some good apps and lesson plans in numeracy, reading, writing, English language learning, science, social studies, health literacy, financial literacy, and other areas for adults using Internet accessible devices in a classroom? David J. Rosen djrosen123@gmail.com

For another year the Florida Literacy Coalition is publishing a Florida Adult Learner Essay Book. Entries are due February 12, 2014. The book, Believing That You Can, the 2013 book can be downloaded as a pdf and can be read on a computer, e-reader and even a smart phone.  Reading writings by adult learnes is a great way to enhance your volunteer literacy lessons.

Teen Literacy

Healers Trilogy Contest:

Author, philanthropist and literacy advocate, Donna Labermeier created a national contest for teens, libraries and schools across America to fight for Teen Literacy. Did you know that: 

Two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare.

Teenage girls ages 16 - 19 who have below average literacy skills, and live at or below the poverty level, are six times more likely to have children out of wedlock than girls the same age who can read proficiently.

The Healers Trilogy Contest is a national teen reading contest that encourages teen literacy. Prizes total over $25,000, and will be split evenly between the winning teen and their library, school or program. Books to read for the contest will be shipped to libraries, schools and teens for FREE. The deadline for entries is February 16, 2014. 

Source FLYP Forward January 2014