Highlights

READY FOR THE REAL THING: New ESOL book for beginning/high beginning level students, with accompanying activity set.

NYSED/CUNY Civics Text Set & NYSED/CUNY Life Science Text Set: These collections of texts at different levels are designed to teach adult students the basics in these topic areas, and can be used both as self-study resources and as the basis for classroom lessons.

NYSED/CUNY Fast Track GRASP Math Packets: Study materials in high-priority topic areas on the math HSE exam, along with initial assessments and practice test questions. The latest packets are: Three-Dimensional Geometry and Proportional Reasoning

Independent Study Materials and Practice Test Questions: Sources of test questions in math, social studies, science, and ELA which can be used with students.

Everyday Numbers

ABE, Classes, ESOL, Math, Pre-HSE, ,
Everyday Numbers
· Appropriate for: Use in class, For student independent work · Available: Lessons, Problems · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

ABC Everyday Numbers is a numeracy program based in Canada that offers free resources to adult learners looking to improve their math skills. Learners can download free workbooks or take online courses on their own. The workbooks are geared for beginning to intermediate level ABE students.

ABC Everyday Numbers can also be used in the classroom. The workbooks are designed for teachers/tutors/practitioners who are teaching math skills and may not be trained foundational math instructors.

Currently there are three workbooks available:

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AI for Education

ABE, Admin, Classes, College and Career Readiness, Digital Literacy, ESOL, HSE, Low Level ESOL, Math, Pre-HSE, Reading, Science, Social Studies, Subjects, Technology, Writing, , , , , , , ,

· Appropriate for: · Available: · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 0 = not engaging at all

Curious about generative AI? Already using it? Educators associated with World Eduation’s various projects have created an abundance of great resources. They help to both understand the evolving technology (the potential and pitfalls) and showcase creative ways to apply it to our work. Highlighted below are a few but take some time to explore their website.

The “Ed Tech Bytes: Generative Artificial Intelligence” YouTube playlist includes four webinars, each approximately half an hour:

  • In Zero to Hero, get a better understanding of what generative AI is, what it can do, and why it matters.
  • In The Power of Open, we reflect on the importance of “open” and what it means when technology is included in the creative process. 
  • In Making it Work, hear tips and strategies from educational professionals that are using generative AI. 
  • In Humans in Focus, we explore what it means to include equity and ethics when we teach with and about AI.

The Open Prompt Book:

A Generative AI prompt is the information, sentences, or questions that you enter into a Generative AI tool. This prompt book dives into the explorations of adult educators who participated in World Ed’s “Camp GPT” project. Participants were introduced to Generative AI chatbots and two core strategies for using them: writing effective prompts and engaging in detailed dialogues (interacting with the chatbot to get what you’re looking for). The prompt book does a nice job of introducing strategies learned, and then highlighting sample text prompts. Participants asked ChatGPT to solve many issues we face, such as the creation of educational resources (ABE, ESOL, HSE, science, math, digital literacy, assessments, matching activities, mnemonic devices, rubrics… ) as well as supports for teacher training projects and administrative tasks. 

The wide variety of topics, specificity of the requests, documented results, teacher reflections, and helpful tips all contribute to a lovely document that is practical, educational, and inspiring. Here is one example to give you a sense of the structure and creativity:

Below is an excerpt of the result of the prompt found at the “Try it out!” for this prompt:

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Beginning Curriculum for Adults Learning Math (BeCALM)

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Beginning Curriculum for Adults Learning Math (BeCALM)
· Appropriate for: Use in class, For student independent work · Available: Lessons, Problems, Hands On Activities · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

Beginning Curriculum for Adults Learning Math (BeCALM) Remote-Ready Curriculum for Beginning Math Students (GLE 2–4) series

BeCALM (Beginning Curriculum for Adults Learning Math) contains remote-ready units for adult learners who need math instruction at beginning levels (GLE 2-4).

Adults who are beginning math learners sometimes find themselves left behind by high school equivalency curricula, or stuck trying to memorize their way through calculations they don’t understand. What will help these learners is a conceptually-focused, cognitively rigorous curriculum that supports them in developing number and operation sense. Number sense is the ability to break down and recombine numbers in useful ways, based on a conceptual understanding of how numbers work. Developing number sense can help beginning learners improve their mathematical fluency without memorization, while building a solid foundation for later study.

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Guide to Disability Accommodations for Adult Learners

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· Appropriate for: · Available: · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 0 = not engaging at all

Have you ever struggled to help your students understand the Americans with Disabilities Act form they are required to sign? Programs may have translated it into multiple languages and provided some examples, but it can still be confusing. It can be especially challenging for learners with limited formal education. Thanks to Literacy Minnesota and PANDA (Minnesota ABE Physical and Nonapparent Disability Assistance) we now have a clear, accessible guide.

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Online Tools for Independent Pronunciation Practice (ESOL)

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Tools To-Go, from Tools for Clear Speech at Baruch College
· Appropriate for: For student independent work · Available: · Readiness: Some resources are ready for the adult ed classroom and some would need to be adapted · Engagement: 2 = engaging

Baruch College’s Tools for Clear Speech program offers in-person and online services for Baruch students. One section of their website, however, is publicly accessible: Tools To-Go.

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