This week I begin my journey into the realm of the new GED 2014 Math Test. Am I a little nervous? Yes... you could say that. But as I have been researching and talking with colleagues, I realize that I do have a starting point. There is a place I can start... and there are a lot of resources on the web I can go to.
For starters, I will still need to assess and see what my students understand and what they don't when it comes to the mathematical reasoning. For me, I use the TABE test. I consider that test a starting point. I will still need to talk with the student, see how much math they THINK they use in their everyday life, and also what their mathematical comfort level is.
Because the new GED math test is on the computer and a calculator can be used for the majority of the test, I will need to get my students using both of those tools. The calculator is obvious and the easiest to incorporate. Even though there will be some problems (I am hearing 3??) at the beginning of the test where the calculator will not be allowed, I will encourage students to use the calculator whenever they are doing math. That does not mean that they may practice a problem or two in class to get the general concept of how to do a particular skill.... just that they need to be comfortable using the tools that will be allowed on the test. For example, I will teach students the concept of multiplying mixed numbers and perhaps practice a couple, but then I will demonstrate how to solve the problem on the calculator. Of course, they will be using the TI30XS calculator. For an online video on how to use this calculator, check out GED Testing Service Resources.
Students also need to get comfortable using the computer. For math, I will have them access and use resources such as Worksheetsdirect, Learningtrends, Kahn Academy, and a great GED Math Blog. The math blog features GED math problems in both English and Spanish.
|GED Math Help|
All great resources. Check them out.