What do you mean – GET REAL?

Welcome to Project GET REAL: Guidelines for Evaluating Technology Resources for Electronic Adult Literacy!  

Why GET REAL?

Sometimes adult educators react to the mere mention of technology in the classroom with disbelief or scorn: “Oh, get real! How am I supposed to use technology?” 

Many adult educators would like to use technology resources, such as software or websites, with adult learners but feel overwhelmed by the vast variety of technology resources available to them. Common questions are:

·   Where can I start when I don’t know what’s out there and whether it’s useful?

·   How can I evaluate which software is best for my program?

·   How can I find websites that will help adult learners?

Project GET REAL answers these questions and provides links so that adult educators can easily evaluate and use software and websites in their work.

    What is GET REAL?

Guidelines for Evaluating Technology Resources for Electronic Adult Literacy (GETREAL) is a project for adult educators. Its purpose is to provide professional development to adult educators who want to use technology resources for adult literacy, ESL, GED, family literacy, workplace readiness, EL/Civics Education, computer literacy, and other topics of interest to adults with low skill levels.

Specifically, GET REAL offers an online tutorial for program administrators and instructional staff (i.e., instructors, teachers, tutors, and paraprofessionals) in evaluating software and websites for use in adult education. Please note that although GET REAL shares some links to software and websites as a starting point, the primary purpose is to help adult educators evaluate software and websites, not locate them.

What does the GET REAL Tutorial do?

        The online tutorial walks adult educators through the process of evaluating software and websites. The tutorial is self-paced and interactive. It may also be used as a group project for professional development. Follow these steps to get maximum benefit from the tutorial:

·      Click on GET REAL Tutorial on Evaluating Software and Websites

·      Read the text and follow the links suggested on each page

·      Become familiar with the GET REAL Guidelines

·      Discuss the guidelines with other adult educators

·      Practice the guidelines with at least one software product

·      Practice the guidelines with at least one website

·      Discuss the practice results with other adult educators and with adult learners

·      Apply the guidelines to additional software products or websites that the program intends to try

·      Select and use a software product or website for the program

·      Discuss the results with other adult educators and with adult learners.

  How was GET REAL developed?

 

 

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