Have you heard the news? Change is upon us! The current GED is being retired in 2014 and all educators must begin to align their instruction with the new Common Core Learning Standards in the immediate future. So, what does the future of writing instruction for adult education look like? This three-part writing instruction series will provide you with an introduction to the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) for writing and best instructional practices that are aligned with these new standards. By the end of this series, you will have a firm grounding in the shifts in writing instruction that will be driven by alignment to the Common Core and two standards-aligned lesson plans for use with your students. This series is designed so you can take the entire series or workshops in isolation.

Part 1: The Common Core State Standards for Writing
The new standards for writing instruction in English Language Arts, Social Studies and Science will dramatically impact our field in the years to come. Get prepared to make a successful transition to CCSS writing standards by engaging in a deep study of expected instructional shifts and official CC writing samples. This workshop will specifically focus on the instructional changes we will need to make in the transition from preparing students for the current GED's five paragraph expository essay to the analytic and argumentative written responses that will be required by the CCLS after January 1, 2014.

Part 2: Lesson Study I
During this workshop we will analyze an EngageNY K-12 writing lesson plan that is aligned with CCLS writing standards. The ultimate objective of this activity is to redesign this lesson for use in your adult classroom. By the end of this workshop you will have a sense of: how standards are used in lesson planning; where to find free CCLS aligned writing lesson plans and resources; and how to redesign these lessons in order to meet the needs, interests and abilities of your adult learners.

Part 3: Lesson Study II
This follow-up workshop provides you with the space to collaboratively reflect upon and further refine the lesson from the previous workshop after you have tried the redesigned lesson out in your classroom. We will end this workshop and series with another analysis and redesign of an EngageNY K-12 writing lesson plan.