In this interview, Socorro ISD Instructor Melanie Garcia shares how she’s utilizing online tools and instruction to keep adult learners motivated.

Many graduation ceremonies have been canceled but that doesn’t stop the celebration of GED graduates and their accomplishments.

Our annual GED Grad Day event returns May 14th and we’re excited to celebrate all of the hard work GED students have done to earn their credential and pursue their dreams. Through the event we also hope to motivate other adults to take that first step and pursue their GED credential.

Each year we encourage current GED graduates, family members, friends, teachers, employers and aspiring graduates to join the virtual celebration by posting motivational messages, success stories and pictures on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #GEDGradDay.

This year we’re highlighting ‘what’s next’ for GED graduates. We know the motivation to earn a GED credential can vary but the positive impact of earning a high school equivalency diploma is universal.

GED graduates go on to pursue postsecondary education, vocational training and careers in every field. We are proud of the many accomplishments of GED graduates and want them to share posts about what they plan to do or what they’re doing now that they have their credential.

Current GED students are also encouraged to join by sharing what their future plans are once they get their diploma. Educators and supporters are asked to share stories about how they decided what was next for them once they graduated high school or earned their GED.

These stories encourage others to think about what’s next in their lives and how a GED can change the trajectory of their future.

We look forward to having you join the virtual celebration on May 14th! Follow our Facebook page and more information about this year’s event will be shared soon.

GED Testing Service has created resource pages for both educators and studentsto provide updates and assist with finding distance learning options for GED preparation during COVID-19.

Our educator resource page features information about virtual tools to connect with students, content resources for developing lessons and digital resources from our publishers.

Through partnerships with our publishers we are able to offer free and discounted study tools to make instruction and studying during social distancing more accessible for GED students at all levels.

Some of the available options include:

GED Flash Interactive Practice Questions

GED Flash is a great way to help students stay sharp just minutes at a time. Students can benefit from:

• 1000’s of interactive questions just like the ones on the real test
• Step-by-step explanations to master the skills needed to pass
• Practice anytime, anywhere with easy mobile access.

For a limited time, new and existing GED Flash users will automatically receive an additional 30 days of access for free. This offer applies to the individual version of GED Flash available on GED.com. Programs that are interested in GED Flash for Organizations for their classrooms should reach out to sales@aztecsoftware.com.

Comprehensive distance learning with GED Play

In partnership with Aztec Software and Kaplan Test Prep, GED Play is a new, highly engaging distance learning video program. You can also pair GED Play with GED Flash for Organizations so students can practice the concepts they learn.

GED Play offers:

• Comprehensive videos covering all four GED test subjects
• Targeted content that aligns with skills evaluated on the test
• Short lessons that make it easy for students to learn without feeling overwhelmed

Bite-sized learning with GED Rapid Review

Many students have had their tests canceled because of test center closings due to COVID-19. To help students stay ready until rescheduling becomes available, we’ve partnered with Kaplan Test Prep to give free access to GED Rapid Review to all students who had their test canceled.

With GED Rapid Review, students can review key topics within each subject and keep concepts fresh in their mind through short video lessons.

We will continue to update our resource pages as we find additional options to assist with GED preparation and instruction during social distancing.

As programs across the country remain closed in response to the COVID-19 crisis, putting a temporary halt to in-person instruction, we have put together resources to help you stay connected to your students while continuing to prepare them for the GED test.

The latest webinar, Working at a Distance – Helping Students Continue Their Progress Toward the GED Test During the Time of Social Distancing, goes over best practices and resources related to distance learning programs. During the webinar GED Testing Service’s Professional Development Team, Debi Faucette and Susan Pittman, discussed key topics including:

• Testing realities and challenges
• Fears and concerns of adults during the pandemic
• Online resources that can help students stay engaged and continue learning
• Options to offer distance learning activities for students
• GEDTS resources that can be used in the classroom

Also, dive deeper into the points below:

• Keep everyone track even while apart by setting clear expectations and managing time well
• How to navigate tools such as Zoom for hosting live classes online
• How to best utilize social media, especially the GED community on Facebook, to stay connected despite social distancing

This recent webinar and other Tuesdays for Teachers topics are available on-demand through the GED.com Educator Resources page.

There are an estimated 30 million ‘good jobs’ available in the current workforce. These ‘good jobs’ are middle-skill positions that require education beyond high school but not a bachelor’s degree.

These positions are an excellent opportunity for GED graduates to meet the needs of the workforce, while pursuing stable, well-paying careers.

The GED test program was designed to prepare adult learners for life beyond the GED credential, including success in postsecondary education and their careers. Adult education courses have the opportunity to help students identify careers of interest and encourage the development of the hard and soft skills they need to be effective and reliable employees. While there is a need to acquire math, science, writing and reading comprehension skills, employers are also looking for soft skills. According to a report released by consulting company Accenture, many companies cited candidates’ lack of foundational skills such as communication, collaboration and problem-solving as an additional obstacle to filling open positions.

Across the country industries like healthcare, information technology and skilled trades are in high demand for workers. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET website has a full list of middle-skill jobs with details on related tasks and qualifications. Adult learners can use the site to match their work styles and interests with detailed work activities related to each position. National and state wage information is available, as well as a link to find jobs in their desired field based on their geographic location.

There are many jobs across the country that remain vacant or are expected to see a higher demand for workers in the next few years. The Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook identified the following middle-skill jobs as having a substantial projected growth rate:

• Dental assistants
• Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
• Emergency medical technicians and paramedics
• Hairdressers, hairstylists, barbers and cosmetologists
• Automotive service technicians and mechanics
• Paralegal and legal assistants
• General and operations managers
• Web developers
• Radiation therapists
• Computer network support specialists

Visit this site for more information about how GED graduates are preparing for life after the GED credential.

This month we’re highlighting our new International Marketing Manager, Pimchanok (Tara) Sutthisiriwattana.

Tara joined the GED Testing Service team in February 2020 and is a 2010 GED graduate.

What will you be doing as the GED International Marketing Manager?

I am based in Bangkok, Thailand. I will be working with the US-based Marketing team, helping manage our efforts internationally, with emphasis on the Asia region and South Africa. In addition to working with prep partners in Thailand, I will also work with our partners in Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Africa. As the International Marketing Manager, I will develop and launch marketing campaigns and assist with running our social media accounts as we continue to grow the visibility of the International GED test program.

Could you tell us more about your personal background and your experience as a GED graduate.

I’m an ESL (English as a Second Language) learner from Thailand. My GED journey started in 2010 after deciding I wanted to enter university early. I was looking for international diploma accreditation and the GED was a great fit for me. I was in a prep course for six to seven hours a week and did self-study every day. It took me around three months to pass the GED test.

After passing the test, I attended the University of Newcastle, Australia to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. I have since been working as a marketing professional for six years handling various domestic and international projects in the government, science and beverage industries.

What is something you’ve learned since joining GED Testing Service that you didn’t know as a GED graduate?

The exam has changed since I took it (I tested prior to the release of the 2014 version)—it has also been great to see how students feel about the GED credential. I see that there are so many different reasons for getting a GED. No matter where you live you are able to write your own story.

What was your biggest motivation during your GED journey?

My parents were my biggest support system.

It felt super amazing to accomplish this step in life and it was very meaningful for me to see my parents proud of my success.The GED was a strong foundation and gave me many opportunities to explore the world.

What do you enjoy doing in your down time outside of work?

I like baking—croissants are my favorite thing to make. I also enjoy wakeboarding and I am a trained barista.

We continue to work on improving and simplifying the student journey for taking and passing the GED.

A big step in preparing to take the GED involves the GED Ready practice test. The practice test measures how likely a student is to pass the GED and identifies skills to focus on and study. We are currently working on improving various areas of the GED Ready score report to make it more useful for students.

Over the next few months, we will be developing new features and conducting A/B tests with students to decide which features to adopt. Below are some of the updates that we’ll be testing:

Linking the study tool via pop-up

Linking a study tool in the Score Report helps to further guide students so they know exactly which pages or sections to study based on the skills they need to focus on. A number of our students don’t link their current study tool and are missing out on valuable study guidance.

Some of our students shared with us that they aren’t linking their tool in the Score Report because they don’t always know the name of their book or online resource, but if they saw a picture of the cover it would help them to find and link it more easily.

We believe if we provide them with a visual upfront, this will make it easier for students to link their study material. During our A/B test, we will track whether or not more students are linking a study tool and will roll out the new feature to everyone if successful.

Congratulations!! Hancock State Prison recently hosted a ceremony where 24 students from the Georgia Department of Corrections were recognized for earning their High School Equivalency Diplomas.

We’re excited to welcome renowned author and NYU professor Daniel Lerner as the keynote speaker at the GEDTS Annual Conference being held July 27-29 in Atlanta!

His course, The Science of Happiness, fills classrooms in seconds. He combines research and experience to help individuals fuel their work and life with passion. Celebrated for his work as a positive psychologist, he will share breakthrough insights about how to achieve happiness and success at this year’s conference.

For over a decade, Dan has been researching and applying positive psychology and how it impacts performance for students, athletes, executives and teams. He brings out the best in individuals by helping them strike a balance between stress and anxiety, surface their strengths and uniquely shape long-term success.

Daniel Lerner’s bio is available here and you can still register for our annual conference and take advantage of the early bird rate through April 1st.

Education is a change agent that has the power to uplift students, families and entire communities.

As members of the adult education and GED community we have the privilege of seeing firsthand how impactful the GED journey is for so many.

We know signing up for GED classes, taking the test and earning a credential is often the first step in what is a life-changing decision to attend a local college or university or begin a career path that has the potential to break the cycle of poverty. GED students are resilient, hard-working individuals that are more than capable of filling the growing number of employment opportunities that remain vacant in a variety of fields. The GED test program was designed to help adult learners gain knowledge about specific test subject areas. When this is aligned with adult education or career readiness training, it is a stepping stone to developing the additional interpersonal skills needed to be successful on the job.

At GED Testing Service we are committed to connecting GED students and graduates to upskilling opportunities and employability through the GED credential. It is our commitment to do this through the GEDWorks program, our employer partnerships, adult education programs and the surrounding workforce development community.

We started the GEDWorks program in 2015 as a pilot with three major employers and it has since grown to help over 4,000 graduates earn a GED credential at no cost. Through GEDWorks we have been able to create a deeper connection to upskilling opportunities for employees, family members and even healthcare members affiliated with over 40 companies.

Early on we recognized that working adults in need of a second chance at a GED credential would require additional support throughout the preparation and testing journey. By supporting these workers and providing them with no-cost study materials, free tests and a personal advisor we are equipping them with the tools they need to succeed when faced with demanding work schedules, family commitments and so much more. GEDWorks graduates are often promoted within their companies and begin pursuing associate degrees or additional career training.

Our efforts to support adult learners are also aligned with local workforce development and career readiness initiatives. We work closely with workforce development boards and local adult education programs to identify career training programs that would bridge our students to careers that would provide more than a living wage and create the financial stability they need to change their lives for the better.

There are community colleges, correctional facilities and local adult education programs that are actively providing vocational training and industry certification instruction for students completing GED preparation and testing. It is through these opportunities that adult learners are able to navigate some of the challenges and uncertainties they experience including reentering society and the workforce, finding the career of their dreams or finding employment that will help them support their family.

Throughout 2020 GED Testing Service will continue to develop partnerships that will give our students and graduates the skills and connections they need to succeed in the workplace.

—Vicki Greene, President of GED Testing Service

In our latest Tuesdays for Teachers webinar, we shared tips for helping students of all ages in GED classes.

During “Bridging the Generational Divide in the GED Classroom” our professional development team presented strategies to boost instruction for students from different generations and diverse learning styles.

The webinar highlights techniques to maximize learning based on each student’s unique style:

• Learn the difference between pedagogy and andragogy.
• Explore how your students’ classroom experiences stack up in the learning pyramid.
• Help each student discover his or her learning style, how they absorb knowledge best and their unique approaches to problem-solving.
• Customize your instruction so that visual learners, kinesthetic learners and auditory learners can get the most out of each lesson

The webinar also dives into differences and synergies among generations of adult learners:

• The “Greatest Generation,” also known as the “GI Generation,” was marked by World War I and the Roaring Twenties.
• “Traditionalists,” also known as the “Silent Generation,” lived through the Great Depression and World War II.
• “Baby Boomers” or “Boomers” saw the first landing on the moon and went through the Civil Rights movement.
• “Generation X,” often dubbed “Baby Busters” saw the Berlin Wall come down and the Challenger explosion.
• “Generation Y,” more commonly referred to as “Millennials,” went through the onset of the social media revolution and grim events such as 9/11 and a series of school shootings.
• “Generation Z,” or “iGen” grew up with technology and are sensitive to the effects of global conflict, including terrorism weighing on home territory.

Another interesting point covered in the webinar is how people remember information, wherein the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve is explained. Did you know that the human brain remembers only 40% of knowledge acquired within just a few days of learning it? That’s why it’s so important to review information and practice skills in order to reinforce knowledge.

Resources to increase classroom engagement, including slides and printable worksheets, are also available for download. Catch up on the webinar recording today.

There’s still time to register at the discounted rate for the biggest GED event of the year!

This summer, the GED Annual Conference will come to life in Atlanta, GA from July 27th to 29th.

Here’s just some of what you can expect at this year’s event:

• Workshops with the experts,
• Innovative teaching and testing techniques,
• Networking with peers,
• Student awards and more.

Take advantage of discounted pricing through March 31st for registration at $445. On April 1st, the rate goes up to $495. Your ticket includes two breakfasts, one lunch, an evening welcome reception as well as attendance for all conference events.

Register today and check out highlights from previous sold out events.