All posts by Kate Brandt

About Kate Brandt

Kate Brandt is a Professional Developer in the adult literacy field in New York City and she loves her job. She loves her job so much that she commutes 2 hours per day, from her suburban home in Shrub Oak, New York, to get to work. She loves working in adult literacy because she gets to work with people who are smart, kind, and dedicated.

Byte the Bullet! Teach Grammar!

HSE, Writing,
Grammar Bytes!
· Appropriate for: Building teacher background knowledge, Use in class, For student independent work · Available: Lessons, Videos, Hands On Activities · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 2 = engaging

The GED RLA  test requires that students understand basic sentence structures, punctuation marks that are used with these structures, and an understanding of certain types of grammatical errors.  Grammar Bytes has a wealth of resources to help both teachers and students develop a firm grasp of these often tricky points.  And, it can actually be fun!

Here are some of the GED emphases for grammar:

  • Sentence-combining;
  • Proper use of commas;
  • Parallel structure;
  • Active and passive voice.

Grammar Bytes has the following resources to help students “conquer” these grammar points: Continue reading Byte the Bullet! Teach Grammar! →

From Annenberg to You (with Love)

HSE, Social Studies, , , , ,
America's History in the Making (Learner.org)
· Appropriate for: Building teacher background knowledge, Use in class, For student independent work · Available: Lessons, Texts/Readings, Videos, Assessments · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

Looking for a way to incorporate an intelligent and cohesive way to teach U.S. history? Overwhelmed by the many websites out there, each with one or two valuable texts or resources? Well, you are in luck. If you are reading this review, you now have access to a comprehensive online curriculum for teaching U.S. history, divided into periods, with excellent primary sources to illustrate key themes and points as well as excerpts from texts written by historians that will give you, as teacher, an in-depth understanding of each period. Continue reading From Annenberg to You (with Love) →

Word Games!

ESOL, HSE, Pre-HSE, Reading,
Vocabulary Ideas Compiled by Deb Smith - Reading Lady
· Appropriate for: Use in class, Knowledge of teaching · Available: Hands On Activities · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

This page is a wonderful resource for teachers who want a crash course on how to teach vocabulary effectively along with dozens of really fun vocabulary games that can be used for reinforcement and review.

The first pages of the document are devoted to summarizing the main points of Beck and McKeown’s Bringing Words to Life, which has become the go-to book for most educators around the topic of vocabulary instruction. These pages provide teachers with a quick and dirty guide to choosing words, presenting words to students, what it means to “know” a word, and how to review words for reinforcement and application. Continue reading Word Games! →

U.S. History Made Lively

HSE, Pre-HSE, Social Studies
Freedom - A History of Us (PBS)
· Appropriate for: Building teacher background knowledge, Use in class · Available: Lessons, Texts/Readings, Videos · Readiness: Resources can be used as they are · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

If you have not yet been introduced to Joy Hakim, don’t delay. Hakim is the author of a U.S. history series entitled A History of Us. This series, told in a lively, engaging way, was written for middle school students, but it is also a great way for adult students to learn about U.S. history and prepare for the HSE exam. Continue reading U.S. History Made Lively →

A People’s Website

HSE, Social Studies, , ,
ZinnEd Project
· Appropriate for: Building teacher background knowledge, Use in class · Available: Lessons, Texts/Readings, Videos, Hands On Activities · Readiness: Resources need to be/can be adapted for adult education classroom · Engagement: 3 = very engaging

Many of us adult educators are familiar with Howard Zinn, the revolutionary historian who wrote “A People’s History of the United States,” and “A Young People’s History of the United States.” If you are a teacher who has enjoyed using excerpts from Zinn’s books in class, you will love this website, with lots of free teaching materials on history that will be engaging and accessible to students. Continue reading A People’s Website →