ABE: Adult Basic Education

A blog is a web-log – an online journal for ideas and commentary. Blogs are considered Web 2.0 tools, meaning that they are not static Web sites, but rather a medium for online collaboration and sharing. You can use a blog to publish student writing, to collaborate on writing projects, and to create community.

Source: Breaking New Carwash Activity (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

 

Breaking News English is a Web site that contains numerous reading lessons on a variety of high-interest news items that have been put into simplified language for ESL and ABE students. The reading levels begin a level 4. The site's main page lists new entries, posted every few days in chronological order. If you are looking for a reading lesson on a specific topic, scroll down to the bottom of the home page where you can search for lessons categorized in the following groupings: Business English, Environment, Health, Lifestyle, Famous People and Gossip, Technology, and World News.

Source: California Career Zone Homepage (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

 

In this activity, students use the Quick Assessment interactive tool provided by California Career Zone to choose and explore occupational fields that interest them, including educational/training requirements and programs, and create a timeline identifying the steps required for entering this career/profession. This website has information and activities to assist self-awareness, exploring occupations, exploring colleges, finding a job and budgeting.

Source: California Career Zone Homepage (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

 

For this activity use the site California CareerZone to help students explore, decide and grow their career future.

With the current state of the economy, more and more adult students are facing layoffs and unemployment. As a result, they are enrolling in adult education programs to retrain for new jobs or gain basic skills and technical abilities to keep their current jobs, or are exploring other career possibilities. These students may come to you with vocational and career-related questions, and the following online resources could be of assistance in answering their questions, or you may choose to incorporate job search and career exploration into your curriculum.

The document, Career Exploration, and Information Sites explore several useful sites, many of which have personality and skills inventories to help students find a field that suits their abilities, experiences, and preferences. Many sites also have videos showing people on the job, interviews, and current labor market information including demand, pay, and education or training required. The resource gives great guidance on how to organize your job preparation lesson plans.

Sites include:
California CareerZone, other budget, and salary-related sites, sites for personality and other types of self-assessments, sites to help students investigate a specific career, sites that use online classified advertisements, and other occupational online resources.

Source: My Plate Homepage (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

This site from the United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) promotes dietary guidelines using a healthy eating index and food plans. They have several interactive tools to create a personalized eating plan based on various age and stage of life conditions. There is also a food tracker to help students track their food intake vs. their physical activity. There have audio and video podcasts on a variety of health related topics. Mix reading levels and assign topics to mixed groups so all students can participate.