Goals The purpose of this class is to prepare students who have completed a GED course, or who have graduated from secondary schools outside of the United States, for college level courses. Students in this class will build language and communication skills, improve study and preparation skills, as well as hone writing skills, in order to maximize learning at a post-secondary level. This program will serve as a bridge between Adult Education and Post-Secondary Education.
Outline of Topics
-Placement tests (accuplacer, self-assessments, and essay requirements). We will identify necessary tests for different college options and take pre-tests to identify specific areas to work on. -Reading for Academic Assignments We will identify strategies for college level reading assignments and work on reading-note methods to increase reading retention. -Discussion Skills College classes often require discussion ideas to be supported with evidence from reading assignments. We will work on effective ways to engage in classroom discussion. -Assignment analysis and responses Students who do not understand an assignment fully are unlikely to do well on assignment-based assessments. We will work to clarify types of assignments given and appropriate responses that are required. -Essay Writing Many college classes require essays of different lengths. We will work on development of ideas into appropriate length responses. -Research and In-Text Citation In order to avoid plagiarism, students must know how to document evidence used within academic essays. We will work to use in-text citations appropriately using MLA, APA, and Harvard citation methods. Additionally, we will create a bibliography (works cited) list to ensure proper documentation. -Online Platforms for Learning Students will learn about and use different types of online platforms for virtual classrooms. -Academic Vocabulary Building Each week we will focus on higher level vocabulary words relevant to different areas of post-secondary education.
Requirements for the Course: International High School Diploma or GED ***(Current GED students may study concurrently, but must have passed at least one subject area test.) Advanced English Skills (CASAS Life - 225+)