In adult education, the main credentials available to students are often quite far off from where the student begins with us. Whether it is a High School Equivalency Diploma, Citizenship or mastery of TOEFL, the tests these credentials require are difficult and require many hours of work in and outside of class. This is where the idea of micro-credentialing comes in. Much like Girl Scout badges, micro-credentials mark achievements along the way to the larger credential. A micro-credential may be associated with mastery of a skill, time spent on a skill or task, or some other achievement. A common way to indicate a micro-credential is through the use of digital badges, an online image that is a “validated indicator of accomplishment.” Continue reading Micro-Credentials Using Digital Badges from Credly
Tag Archives: computer skills
Exploring the World through Interactive Simulations
For many of us, teaching math and science are relatively new endeavors. We came to adult education as generalists with no particular background in math or science, but now that there are new college and career readiness standards in adult education and a new HSE assessment in New York State, I think we’ve all realized that there is a need for us to teach some basic content in chemistry, biology, earth science and physics. I don’t know about you, but that proposition is pretty intimidating for me. Continue reading Exploring the World through Interactive Simulations
Deepen Conceptual Understanding in Math with Virtual Manipulatives (and it’s fun!)
The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) is a website that houses a goldmine of visual models and interactive virtual manipulatives for mathematics instruction. The library began as a project in 1999 with support from the National Science Foundation and was developed at Utah State University. It has since undergone numerous revisions and additions and presently contains over 100 virtual manipulatives. Continue reading Deepen Conceptual Understanding in Math with Virtual Manipulatives (and it’s fun!)
Free, Online Assessment of Computer Skills
Northstar Basic Computer Skills Assessment is a free online assessment of a person’s basic computer skills. After taking the assessment you can print out a personal learning plan that will help you improve in the areas you found more challenging. Continue reading Free, Online Assessment of Computer Skills