April Returns as Financial Literacy Month

After doing some research on Financial Literacy Month, I’ve concluded that this post may be a week late but it is still quite necessary. There simply isn’t much information out there other than the standard April-is-Financial-Literacy-Month article. That’s a good first step, but often these articles don’t provide any sort of information to improve a reader’s money management skills- just short bits to ‘increase awareness’. If this was a discussion on social media strategies, I’d say that this type of article doesn’t do enough to make the reader get to that next level of involvement; I digress. Without any further advocacy ado, I assure you April is Financial Literacy Month.

Sadly, a majority of us have not been taught how to manage our finances responsibly, which can lead to dangerous financial decisions. It was reported that in 2012, only 13 states required students to take a course on personal finance. Teaching the basics of financial literacy is vital to give low-income adults the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty, especially considering that most of our adult learners have had less schooling than their credentialed counterparts, who themselves most likely have not received formal financial education lessons. That’s why financial literacy has been given its own month, because more needs to be done.

When it comes to being involved with a literacy-based organization, we all learn to work with what we’re given, and we learn to make it work. Naturally, the same can be said for incorporating financial literacy lessons for adult learners. As mentioned earlier, although you may have heard about Financial Literacy Month before, chances are you weren’t given any resources to help improve your money management skills. It becomes evident when searching for financial literacy resources targeted towards adult learners or ESOL students that this can be an even more challenging endeavor than searching for information accessible to the native speaker. So, to help you in your quest for financial literacy resources, I leave you with some resources for your perusal.

• Financial Literacy Month by Money Management International Geared towards the apple pie loving American, this site provides daily steps towards becoming financially responsible complete with tons of resources from which to choose.
• Financial Literacy Lesson Plans Want to know what to consider as you’re making a lesson plan for financial education? Check out this article for some insights.
• Financial Literacy Lessons for ESL Students Here are some already created lessons for you to use with your adult learners, brought to you by San Diego Centers for Education & Technology.
• Financial Literacy Video Games for Adult Learners Want to mix up your financial literacy lesson? Choose from “Taking a Bite Out of Debt and Spending” or “Rooting Out the Killer Bunnies” which your students can learn while they play a video game!

  *Warning- If you are a Vampire enthusiast, frustration may ensue from the former of the two games due to the flawed logic that Vampires would safely be able to transport to a “Day Club” without dying from the sunlight.*

• Alley Wallet Wise The financial literacy program affiliated with Alley Bank offers free online courses which cover banking, budgeting, credit scores, and more.

Incorporating Easter and Passover traditions with Your Adult Learners

Cultural differences are just another barrier which adult learners must learn to overcome. Even the ways in which sects of the same religion, or for that matter same sects of the same religion in different locations, celebrate holidays differ in some way or another. That’s why this week you should take advantage of the Jewish holiday of Passover and the Christian holiday of Easter to teach your adult learners about the traditions, origins, and significance, of these respective religions.

This can be quite difficult to do without coming across as proselytizing a religious view, but it can be done successfully. The best method to ensure that what you teach will not be misconstrued as attempting to convert your students is to state the facts about each holiday in a fun, nonthreatening way. It’s more important to use these holidays as a means of connecting adult learners with unfamiliar language and cultural traditions than it is to use them as a tipping point for spiritual realization.

With that said, tutors might want to look into these websites which cover the traditions of Easter and Passover, taken from Larry Ferlazzo’s EduBlog.

• History Channel’s Passover Page
• Infographic on the Passover Holiday
• History Channel’s History of Easter
• Easter Overview, Customs, and Symbols
• Time Magazine’s Semana Santa Photo Essay (great for a discussion on how different cultures celebrate the same holiday)

If you’re searching for lessons for ESOL or ELLs, check out the resources on these sites:

• Easter Lesson Plan
• Easter Quiz
•  ESL Free Press’s Holiday Weekend

2013 Adult Learner Day

The Florida Literacy Coalition is pleased to invite adult education students in Florida to participate in this year’s Adult Learner Day on May 8, 2013 from 8:30- 5:00 pm.

Adult Learner Day is a unique initiative brings together approximately 70-90 adult learners from adult literacy programs throughout Florida. Students are invited to attend 5-6 special Adult Learner Day workshops providing information about a variety of life skill oriented topics. Adult learners are involved in planning and coordinating this event. The day always includes presentations by adult learners for their fellow students and adult educators.

This event is free for students and promises to include a few surprises along the way.

Here is a tentative schedule for workshops-

Adult Learner Experience: Why we stayed and what you can do with your students
Join members from the Adult Learner Committee in this interactive workshop as they discuss why they stayed with their literacy programs. This workshop will provide insight on how practitioners can increase student retention and recruitment. Be prepared to participate in this informative conversation!

Managing your money and planning for the future
Does the term finance scare you? Jaclyn Boland and FLC AmeriCorps* VISTA’s will help you get a better understanding of managing your money and creating a budget. After participating in this workshop, you will walk away with tools that will help you plan for your future.

Basic computer skills and the new GED Test
From the basics to the necessities, learn how to use a computer in ways that will help you succeed. This workshop will start with how to turn on a computer and end with copy and paste, and keyboarding.

Libraries open the door to learning
Learn how you can use the library and find information that will help you in your learning process. You will learn how to find information on things like citizenship and health literacy. All learners are welcome to this presentation.

Reading Strategies and Family Literacy
Reading to your child is a remarkable moment. This workshop will teach you reading strategies that will help you read a book to your child. Leave this workshop with a book to take home and practice tonight!

Sneak Peek at the Financial Literacy Track!

It’s surprising, sometimes frightening even, how little we really know about personal finance and money management, since most of us know close to nothing about sound practices beyond the basics.  In fact, most of what we do know is information that our friends and families have given us or that we have learned through our own research. Rarely does it come from any sort of formal education. When we consider how we can all benefit a bit more from a few lessons on financial literacy, it becomes clear just how important financial literacy is vital to an adult learners stability and progress.

The 29^th Annual Florida Literacy Conference will hold over 60 sessions within 14 distinct tracks, including a first of its kind financial literacy track! For those interested in learning more about personal finance and sound money management, here’s a look at what the track has to offer so that you can set your conference schedule proactively.

Sessions include:

• Financial Aid for the Nontraditional Student
  Did you know the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship can be awarded to GED students? This session covers avenues for funding higher education through federal, state, institutional, and local resources.
• Money $ense
  How do you make sense out of money?  One of the ways is to look at your behavior, habits and past to determine why you use money in a certain way. This workshop explains how to educate your clients to understand and change their behavior.
• Financial Literacy Resources for Adult Education
  There are many free resources for providing financial literacy in the Adult Education classroom. Receive sample brochures, website information  and the latest research/statistics for financial literacy.
• Making Money Work for You
  This brief intro to financial literacy and consumer education is designed for teachers and tutors of ESOL and ABE students.  (Participants can also access this module via Florida TechNet’s “Moodle” trainings.)
• Opening Doors to Home Ownership
  In this interactive session, we will share the Opening Doors to Home Ownership website designed for high school and adult learners.  The focus of this commercial-free website is to develop financial literacy through topics such as credit, budgeting, preparing for home ownership, and understanding mortgages.

Trying to imagine how adult learners manage financially, or rather how they don’t, can explain why learning even the most basic money management skills can greatly benefit the lives of our adult learners. Attend this track and bring back skills and practices your students that will immediately have an impact on their lives!

Which Adult Basic Education Program is right for your Adult Learners?

Here in Florida adult learners are fortunate enough to have the choice between two methods of earning a high school diploma or its equivalent. One can either enroll in an Adult High School program or take the General Education Development (GED) exam. While the AHS programs yield a high school diploma recognized by the state of Florida, passing the GED exam is the equivalent to obtaining a diploma. So what are the differences in these programs? Are there benefits/disadvantages of choosing one method over the other? How can you help your adult learners decide which program is right for them? Lucky for you, my dear reader, I did my homework.

Although each method effectively earns your adult learner a diploma or its equivalent (as long as he/she does his/her homework!), there are some factors to consider. You’ll first want to discover exactly how late into your adult learner’s high school career did he/she drop out. The Florida high school diploma requires that students receive 24 credits in order to graduate, so if your adult learner already has earned a good amount of these credits, he/she can simply enroll in an AHS program to finish what they started. If this endeavor would require the adult learner to spend a considerable amount of time and money pursuing an adult high school diploma, taking the GED is probably the choice route. This is likely the biggest factor to consider when choosing between AHS or GED.

In terms of coursework, both paths sufficiently prepare adult learners in the 4 core areas of Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. The GED exam assesses these areas while the FCATs/EOCs assess these areas for AHS programs. Furthermore, successful completion of either program is recognized by state colleges and universities as equal to a high school education. Digital literacy skills may also factor into an adult learner’s decision since the GED exam becomes completely digital on January 2014.

Another factor is time, which of course drags along money. Adult learners usually prepare for the GED exam in 6 weeks, and it costs $120 for Florida residents. Re-takes in Florida cost $14 per sub-test, except for the Language Arts Writing section which costs $16, and $26 per sub-test for the 2014 GED test on computers. AHS programs require students to purchase books along with $30 per course for Florida state residents or $120 per course for out-of-state residents. Courses are more flexible for AHS programs, but they also take longer, normally lasting the length of a semester at college. It’s also worth noting that when preparing to move to high education, recipients of an adult high school diploma and those that passed the GED may qualify for a Bright Futures Scholarship.

It would be a shame not to finish this little five-paragraph essay (or drop that phrase for SEO) without some sort of conclusion. Before your adult learners enroll in an Adult Basic Education program, make sure that they consider all the factors. The amount of high school credits previously completed, time it will take to receive a diploma or its equivalent, and the costs of each program.

For more information on adult education, visit http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/adulted/.

For AHS programs- http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe/pdf/AHS.pdf

For the GED exam- http://www.gedtestingservice.com/ged-testing-service

Scholarships from Foundations for Adult Learners

The theme of the day on Tuesday was scholarships for adult learners. I was researching grants available through community foundations and came across a scholarship page from the Community Foundation of Sarasota. The Foundation provides scholarships to adult learners, defined as someone who did not continue higher education after high school, for accredited colleges, universities and technical schools. Not all community foundations provided scholarships, and some limited grants for individuals. Be sure to check out community foundations that cover your area to see if there are any opportunities for your students!

In the afternoon, I was reminded that I signed up for a webinar from the Foundation Center called “Finding Foundation Support for Your Education.” The Foundation Center hosts a series of free webinars to help first time grant seekers, so you will be able to find several opportunities to learn more on their site. Here are the main take-aways from the presentation:

• The majority of undergraduate student aid comes from federal loans (38%). Federal Pell Grants (19%) and Institutional Grants (18%) are next in line.
• Foundations gave $3.6 Billion in scholarships and other grants to individuals in 2008. Over 240,000 individuals benefited from grants and scholarships made directly from foundations.
• Private sources of support include professional associations, clubs and groups in the community, religious community, population-specific organizations and corporations/employers.
• The Foundation Center has a scholarship search service

If you are working with an adult learner who is interested in continuing his or her education, these might also be helpful websites:

Fast Web

College Board

Federal Student Aid for Adult Learners

New Year’s Resolution Lesson Plans for Adult Learners

New Year’s Eve, for many, doesn’t mark the end of a year as much as it celebrates the beginning of another. I forget who said that. Regardless, entering the year 2013 is sure to inspire and motivate the 45% of Americans that usually make New Year’s Resolutions.

As the holiday season comes to an end, it’s time to return to our daily routines. This can be a challenge after having some time off, but looking towards the New Year can help both students and teachers. Creating a lesson based on New Year’s Resolutions can result in improving upon your students writing skills from their well intended yet likely-to-fail attempt to better themselves. Let’s stick to being optimistic though.

Looking towards the future is a great time to introduce the verb tense to beginning English language learners. There are plenty of templates available online for future tense practice, which specifically deal with New Year’s Resolutions. This approach can also be geared towards higher skill levels. Whether it’s constructing simple sentences or writing a plan to accomplish one’s resolution, New Year’s Resolutions are perfect for writing activities.

For future tense lesson plans: http://www.eslflow.com/futuretenselessonplans.html

You may want to include a brief explanation as to Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail (and How to Do Them the Right Way) to better equip your students with the tools and resources they’ll need to accomplish their goals. Since New Year’s Resolutions can be anything from eating healthier to quitting smoking, if your class size is small enough, it’s possible to even include Financial Literacy, Health Literacy, and even Digital Literacy!

Whatever happens in the future, it will be nice to know that your student’s New Year’s Resolutions won’t be for nothing. Finally, unsuccessful New Year’s Resolutions may yield some good after all!

USA.gov’s Popular New Year’s Resolutions Resources List

Mashable’s 5 Apps for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Steve Quann: Flash Cards with PowerPoint and Photos

:Tech skill: PowerPoint Basics: make new and duplicate slides

Whether it’s working on multiplication tables or reviewing vocabulary terms, the process of creating and using flash cards can sometimes be a great instructional activity for learners. This is especially true for those using them for self-study.

I used to make flashcards with index cards but now various new technologies have their advantages. For those with smartphones there are a myriad of apps for making flash cards, so students may store them on their smartphones, which they use every day, and don’t have to carry a set of index cards around. But let’s take a look at an “old” technology to create simple activities that you might want to use in your teaching: PowerPoint.

PowerPoint has many uses for educators, but one that shouldn’t be overlooked is using PowerPoint slides as flash cards. In PowerPoint, create a series of flash cards. Create a slide with a new word, making sure to enlarge the font size. Then create the next slide with its synonym (or definition). Continue with each new word as before. There are a number of ways you can use flash cards with your class. Here are a few:

Using a projector, introduce the definitions of words or math formulas.  As part of a pre-reading activity, using flash cards could help students learn words that will help them better understand what they will be reading.  Then review words or formulas at the end of class or the start of the next day’s class. You may also use flash cards as part of a game, where for instance, the teacher shows the first slide to the class and groups gain points by trying to guess the correct answer before the teacher clicks to the next slide. Don’t forget to have students create their own PowerPoints with words (or images) on one slide and definitions or synonyms on the other slide.

For self-study here are a couple of options:

Print out copies that students can keep for future study, or email your students the PowerPoint,  so they can use it on their home computer (or for that matter on a smartphone app like QuickOffice slideshows). For students who have smartphones in your classroom, allow them to use their phones in class to take photos of each slide (make sure that they do these in order) and they can view the images in their photo gallery swiping to the next word or definition much like a slideshow. This may also keep students engaged during the lesson, since they know that they will be given a few minutes to use their phones at the end of the activity.

Entry written by Steve Quann of World Education, co-author of Tech Tips for Teachers.

Rachel Higgins: The Uses of Technology in Education From GED Completion to College

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

It would be hard for anyone to deny the many ways in which technology has penetrated our society, but according to some, connectedness is more than just a habit or a hobby — it might also be changing the way we think. In the next article, Rachel Higgins looks at these assertions and talks about ways modern education might be able to capitalize. Rachel writes full-time about the intersection of technology and higher learning, and devotes most of her time to providing information regarding accredited virtual schools.  Her insights today should be very valuable to readers in the adult education and literacy communities who might be looking for ways to make use of the Internet or other high-tech tools in the course of their work.

The internet has radically changed how students think, research and retain information. Yet, despite the revolutionary shift, many educators have yet to adapt their curriculum to better suit the modern student as the debate over the efficacy of new technological tools is still hotly debated.

In the BBC2 program “The Virtual Revolution,” Professor David Nicholas of the University College of London details his recent study about the way interaction with online media impacts our brains. The study found that the internet encourages users to dart between pages, using what is referred to as “associative” thinking whereas traditional methods of research encourage students to concentrate on one source, like a book, a more “linear” thinking strategy. Researchers assert that the shift to associative thinking has essentially rewired the minds of students, leaving many without the discipline necessary for linear activities such as reading and writing at length.

In the study, 100 volunteers were asked a series of questions on a computer. Of those tested, the 12 to 18 year-olds answered after looking at half the number of web pages and only one-sixth of the time viewing the information as their elders. “There is empirical evidence now that information overload and associative thinking may be reshaping how [young people] think” says social psychologist Dr. Alex Krotoski. “For many, this seems to be a bleak prospect — young people bouncing and flitting between a thoughtless, throwaway virtual world.”

However, many educators assert that these results only enforce the importance of utilizing technology to engage young learners. At the The Atlantic’s 2012 Technology in Education Forum, Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS, argued for using technology to educate and engage children in learning.

In 2011, nonprofit CFY conducted an experiment in which home computers and training were provided to every sixth grader, their parents and their teachers in New York’s Bea Fuller Rodgers Middle School. At the school year’s end, the school reported that the percentage of sixth grade students with learning disabilities who met or exceeded standards in math increased by 36%, while the percentage of students who had been below standard decreased from 23% to zero.

Technology has also enabled multimodal teaching and spawned new forms of online research and collaboration. NYU’s tax law program, for instance, classroom courses are filmed with three cameras and a sound mixer, ensuring the course can be made available online in 30 minutes. “Within 24 hours, students interested in reviewing a certain case or topic can click an online index that charts the content of the entire class and [can] view the portion that interests them,” says Tom Delaney, associate dean and CIO of the New York University School of Law. In a survey executed by the Economist Intelligence Unit, 52% of respondents state that online collaboration tools will make the greatest contribution in terms of improving educational quality over the next five years. Respondents also point to increasingly sophisticated learning-management systems and enhanced presentation tools as innovations that will have a profound effect on the learning experience.

Through the use of technology, “teaching will become more outcome-based and student-centered,” says Polley Ann McClure, CIO of Cornell University. McClure suggests that instead of focusing on rote memorization of material, technology can aid students in focusing on the application of knowledge to particular problems.

While developing minds may be the most susceptible to the effects technology, individuals can utilize technology to further their own learning at any age. Online resources from the Adult Literacy and Technology Network or the Educator’s Reference Desk offer GED completion information, literacy testing options and other academic pursuits that anyone with internet access can utilize. The Concord Consortium, a non-profit organization, also develops free open-source technologies in math, science and engineering that teachers, students or interested laymen can use to model complex concepts in a variety of ways.

The global interconnectedness that today’s technology has provided current and future generations is almost assuredly changing the way our minds think that, if harnessed correctly, may provide humans with the the tools needed to solve the world’s problems.

Using Apps to Engage Reluctant Readers and Teach Literacy

Written by: Luciano Cossi, Florida account representative McGraw-Hill/Contemporary

McGraw-Hill Education is committed to supporting Adult Education as we have for almost 40 years. Starting in 2011, Florida Adult Education programs began a transformation towards Adult Career Pathways. In the next 18 months, Florida will be transformed once again as the new GED Assessment is released and all GED student candidates will be faced with a more challenging test that will be delivered digitally via computer. As your McGraw-Hill representative I have met with students, instructors, and administrators throughout Florida. I have listened to your concerns, needs, and suggestions for how McGraw-Hill can meet the needs of Adult Education programs in Florida as this transformation occurs.

One of the areas of growing interest and transformation in Adult Education is the use of digital apps by both students and instructors. Digital apps are software programs known as apps that run on smart phone devices and tablets. The two major digital app platforms are iOS by Apple and Android by Google. McGraw-Hill Education has been publishing apps for students and instructors for all education levels from grades K through to College and beyond. The one area that we are now just publishing apps for is Adult Education. The first app that was published is called Words to Learn By.

Words to Learn By is a three-book series offering an evidence-based approach to vocabulary instruction for adult and young adult learners. Lessons focus on words from the Academic Word List and General Services List to build a foundation of high-frequency vocabulary encountered in academic content areas, the workplace, and everyday life. By offering a digital app for a print series students can engage with learning through a more personal level. Students use smart phones just like how a personal computer is used.

McGraw-Hill Education is offering the Words to Learn By App for no-charge on September 15-October 15,  2012 . The Words to Learn By app works with Apple® iPhones®, iPads™, iPod Touches®, and Droid Devices. This promotion is available only for Apple® devices. The following app will be free and available via the iTunes® App store. Learn more about this great app and others available from McGraw-Hill Education here https://www.mheonline.com/apps/MHEonline.

For more information regarding solutions for adult learners, please contact Luciano Cossi, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary account representative at 813-421-1073 or via email at luciano_cossi@mcgraw-hill.com .