The Classroom is Emptying...

Since last week went so well and most of you have your placements, our focus this week will be finding placements for anyone still job-hunting.  My focus this week, especially Monday through Wednesday when most of you will be out of the building, will be helping you place calls, practice interviewing, and finding the right fit for your Senior Experience.  On Thursday and Friday, we’re again going to engage in discussions about your work week, what went well, what you struggled with, and how you feel about your placement.  I found last week’s discussions, as well as the Twizzlers we shared during the discussions, to be extremely fun and engaging. We’ll also get around to some more role plays, but I want to also focus on some ideas for videos that can be included on your YouTube channels and websites. 

Below is the breakdown of your focus for the week.  I realize it’s the same as last week, however, you’ll likely do more than simply train and take more safety tests. 

Those With Placements:

1. Focus on the technical skills you learn during training
1. What do you do?
2. What type of tools do you use?
3. Is there software you need to learn about?  How user-friendly is it?  
2. During your observations, pay close attention to the technical skills of your mentor
1. Please use the same questions above 
2. Is there a clear difference between your skill and your workplace mentor's?

Those Without Placements:

1. Reach out to businesses that hire high school-age part-time employees
1. Call/walk in/apply online
2. Log all your contacts to make sure you are organized

**If you have interviews scheduled during class time, please let me know in advance so I can get clearance from the office for you to leave the building**

Monday through Wednesday:

This week, the focus is finding jobs and preparing for interviews.  You will document each of your attempts in the Google Sheet provided above and we will dedicate some class time to preparing for interviews.  I hope that some of you schedule interviews during class time so you can return to class and share out your experiences.  I have some contacts at local dentist offices as well as with the Department of Health due to our Academy’s outstanding work over the past three years.  Hopefully this turns into placements for a few of you.

Thursday

Just as we did last week, those of you who work Monday through Wednesday will return to class to share out your experiences for the week.  I thoroughly enjoyed the time we took to just talk about your experiences, the lessons you learned, things that opened your eyes about responsibility or life in general, and challenges you faced.  The simple 3 to 5-minute conversations each of you lead were extremely meaningful, and the variety of lessons you learned hopefully inspired you to learn more this week.  I expect this week’s discussions to be similar to last week’s. 

After our discussions, we will brainstorm as many ideas as we can for a class video about the course and the great things you’ve experienced in your first two weeks on the job. 

Friday

On Friday, you’ll work on your class video ideas and maybe begin writing some questions that can be answered on camera.  Think of opportunities to shoot B-Roll, royalty-free music that can be included in the video, and other elements of the project that will make it appealing for all viewers.  Work in groups of 3 to 5 and share out your ideas in the last 15 minutes of class.  I’ll pop in on conversations to see if I can be of assistance.

Let's have a great week! Good luck to those of you who start your placements tomorrow!  See you at some point in class.

Differentiated Focus

This week, we're going to have true differentiation regarding the focus of our tasks.  Those of you who are beginning your placements will hit the road and begin your work. Those of you who will be leaving in the next week will focus on completing the necessary pages of your PLP and sharing out your expectations/trepidation moving forward.  Finally, those of you who have not yet secured a placement will work on finding an appropriate placement for your senior experience.  By the end of the week, we'll have a good amount of material to post a worthwhile blog entry.  Below is a list of goals and a breakdown of what we will do each day:

Those With Placements:

1. Focus on the technical skills you learn during training
1. What do you do?
2. What type of tools do you use?
3. Is there software you need to learn about?  How user-friendly is it?  
2. During your observations, pay close attention to the technical skills of your mentor
1. Please use the same questions above 
2. Is there a clear difference between your skill and your workplace mentor's?

Those Scheduled to begin 9/26:

1. Confirm your start date/hours
2. Coordinate completion of pages 8 - 10 of the PLP with employer and guardian
3. What type of technical skills will you need to succeed?
4. What do you expect to do in your first week?
5. Think about how nervous you are about the placement.  How will you handle your nerves?

Those Without Placements:

1. Inquire with Nia Association regarding openings they may have (utilize their "Contact Us" page)
2. Find businesses that would fit your desired career path
3. Reach out to businesses that hire high school-age part-time employees
1. Call/walk in/apply online
4. Log all your contacts to make sure you are organized

**If you have interviews scheduled during class time, please let me know in advance so I can get clearance from the office for you to leave the building**

Monday

On Monday, we will begin class with a discussion of something I like to call E-Linking.  This is an exercise I used to do when training new employees in sales positions to get them comfortable with asking questions, listening, and gaining confidence interacting with people.  I'll explain what E-Linking is about, and after a brief explanation, you'll partner up with someone to practice.  After you've finished the exercise, you'll report out in Edmodo how this exercise helped you. 

After our E-Linking exercise, we will discuss feasible options for your placements.  Based on your transportation and after-school commitments, each of you will have a specific list that fits your circumstances.  Once you've put together a strong list of possibilities, you'll likely be ready to prioritize your calls for Tuesday's class period.  

Tuesday

On Tuesday, I will be out of the building with a few students on school business.  Those of you who are in class will use the list you composed Monday to reach out to all the employers on your list.  Begin by contacting Nia Association and then reach out to the remaining businesses on your personalized list.  You'll log all your contacts using the Google Sheet I created.  If you have additional time in class and have any missing assignments (a few of you do), please work on completing those.  If you have no missing assignment, please work on updating your Weebly page and/or come up with some ideas you can add to your YouTube page to build your digital footprint.  If you have placements scheduled to begin in the next week or two, work on completing those last 3 pages of the PLP and help other students in their pursuit of a placement.

Wednesday

Wednesday will be role play day.  We're going to role play various scenarios you may encounter at your placements, such as angry customers, handling questions you may not know how to answer, being asked to pick up someone else's shift, requesting someone else to pick up one of your shifts, etc.  Each scenario will accompany a short discussion of whether or not the student handled the scenario properly and opportunities to re-do when necessary.

Thursday

Some of your internships are Monday through Wednesday, so you may be joining us for the first time this week.  Those of you who were out in the field Monday through Wednesday will begin class by explaining what you did at your placements.  Did you have to fill out a lot of paperwork?  Did you have to take certain safety tests?  Did you receive training of any kind?  Or did you get right to work?  You'll let us know about your week and how you like your jobs so far.  

After this, we'll ask you to help us develop other scenarios students might encounter on the job.  We'll use the remainder of the period to go over some different role play scenarios and critique each student's performance.  

Friday

Friday will be your day to provide us with a status-update on where you stand, where you wish to be moving forward, and how you plan to get there.  Those of you who have been working will type up a blog entry very similar to what you reported out in class Thursday.  You'll discuss what you did for the week, what went well, what didn't go so well, how you like your placement, and what your plans for the year are.  Those of you who will begin your placements in the next week or two will address your feelings and nerves about beginning your placement.  Use the questions above to guide your writing.  Finally, those of you who haven't yet secured a placement will discuss your plan to find a placement and detail your progress.  Again, the questions above will help frame your writing.  

I will be available for all of you if you wish to bounce questions off me or need assistance with your writing.  Please don't hesitate to call me over.  I'm here to help you.  

Let's have a great week!  See you in class.

Post-Secondary and Senior Experience Preparation:

This will be the final full week in class for many of you, and per our discussion on Friday, we've decided to focus our efforts on preparing for post-secondary experiences and preparation for our placements.  I enjoyed collaborating with you and have set forth the following goals for the week:

1. Analysis of common college and scholarship application questions
2. Completion of college and scholarship applications
1. Consultation with Guidance Department prior to submission of any applications
3. Interviews for PMG internship opportunity
1. Critique interviews 
2. Identify our four interns
4. Address proper attire for internships
1. Differentiate between school-appropriate and job-appropriate
5. Acquaint ourselves with a new partner - NIA Association
1. Learn about the organization
1. Analyze their website
2. Understand organizational goals
3. Identify employee character traits
2. Meet the CEO
3. Ask questions about internship opportunities
4. Apply for internship positions
6. Completion of N1 writing prompt

Below is a breakdown of how we will accomplish these goals:

Monday

As discussed Friday, you are to provide me with at least five commonly asked college and scholarship application questions/prompts.  Much like addressing interview questions, schools are looking for information about you that separates yourselves from other candidates.  We will analyze the questions, identify methods for differentiating you from others, develop "talking points" for your answers, and compose rough drafts for each of the questions presented.  You will create a Google Doc that will contain all the questions addressed in class and complete your drafts by the end of class.  By no means will this be a final draft, obviously, so you will use your own time to refine your work prior to submitting your essays when you fill out your applications.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we'll acquaint ourselves with the NIA Association and then begin filling out some college and scholarship applications.  As described above, we will all visit the NIA Association website and try to learn as much about the organization.  You'll have 20 minutes to independently browse their website, noting as much as you can about what the organization is like.  The mission statement and company vision will be a good starting point for you.  

From there, your goals will be understanding the following:

• what they do
• who they serve
• where they are located
• how they present themselves

After your 20 minutes has expired, you will report out your findings to each other.  This exercise will help you formulate questions for CEO Carol Stevens when she visits us on Wednesday.  

With the remaining class time, you will begin working on your college and scholarship applications.  Because I am not an expert in this, our guidance department has graciously offered to field any of your application questions via email.  At the end of the period, you will report your progress to me.  I will simply circulate the room in the last 7 minutes of class and ask for a status update.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, Carol Stevens, CEO of the NIA Association will visit our class to discuss internship opportunities for this school year.  Dr. Heaston, current principal of Kenwood Middle School, initiated this partnership two years ago with Mrs. Stevens, and we are now able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.  Mrs. Stevens will discuss the organization in detail, explain what she is looking for in an ideal intern, and field any questions you may have regarding the opportunity.  I expect you all to have some questions for her, so please be prepared.  

After this, we will finish our internship interviews for PMG.  While observing the interviews, you are to fill out the Interview Critique Form for each interview and we will discuss the strengths and areas of improvement for each student, as well as explain why or why not the student should be considered for the position.  

Thursday

On Thursday, I will address proper attire for your placements, whether you are working at Hardees or interning in an office setting, and then allow you to work on college/scholarship applications.  After the business attire discussion, our goal is to complete at least three college and/or scholarship applications.  Because many of you have expressed an interest in completing these with class time, and since post-secondary preparation is so vital, you will again have some class time to help you meet your goals.  As previously mentioned, our guidance staff is available via email to assist you if you have any specific questions that I am unable to address.  By the end of the period, you should send me proof that you completed your applications to receive credit.

Friday

On Friday, you will complete your N1 writing prompt.  I found an article about workplace harassment that can help you prior to beginning your placement.  Because I will be out of the building, your assignment will be posted in Edmodo.  I've included a link to the article and the scoring rubric in this post and in Edmodo.  Your prompts must be submitted to Edmodo to receive credit.  

That's it for this week.  For many of you, I'll only see you once or twice a week moving forward, so let's make the most of our time together.  

Senior Experience: Find Your Placement to Begin Your Journey

This week, we will focus on applying for and securing our Senior Experience positions for the 2016-17 school year.  At this time, we have less than three weeks before you have to go out into the working world and begin your internships or jobs.  In order to prepare, I am going to outline the requirements for the internship opportunity at Premier Medical and discuss how you can prepare for a job interview.  The internship posting will be found in Edmodo and the link for your application, which will be a Google Form I create, will be available on Wednesday.  By Friday, everyone in the class will have a plan of action for your Senior Experience placement.  Please see below for a breakdown of our weekly tasks:

Tuesday:

Clear Target: We can create an effective employment profile

When class begins, you will need to list at least three possible Senior Experience positions you feel you could fill in the next three weeks.  Those of you who have your internships secured will list them and share out exactly how you earned them.  Hopefully this sheds some light as to how the rest of you might be able to acquire your positions. 

In order to prepare for your applications and interviews, different students who work part-time jobs will explain how they got hired at different places, such as Hardees or Baskin Robins.  We will discuss common interview questions, how to answer them, and when to mention that you wish to utilize your position as a placement for your Senior Experience (hint: it doesn’t come up when you’re interviewing or immediately after they hire you).  We’ll role play a few scenarios and prepare for our job applications throughout our double period.

Wednesday:

Clear Target: We can create an effective employment profile

Today we’ll review the information required to apply for the internship with Premier.  We’ll review our own competencies and see how closely our work with the academy and our extracurricular activities align with the knowledge, skills, and abilities that the employer wants in a job applicant.

During class on Wednesday, I’ll outline 10 common interview questions that you may encounter, along with strategies for answering them effectively.  After our discussion, I’m going to put a few of you on the spot to try and answer these questions to the best of your ability.  As a class, we’ll analyze and critique your answers to prepare you for when the real thing happens. 

Thursday:

Clear Target: We can create an effective employment profile

First, if we have not yet completed our interview lesson, we will finish that up in the beginning of the period. From there, Thursday is going to be a work day. During class, you will work independently on the following projects:

1.    Finalize your resume (if necessary): Try to include a QR code in your contact information (header) on your resume.

2.    Apply for job openings: With our time in class, you will identify different jobs that are available or reach out to different offices where you wish to intern/work.  You will make use of online job searches, reach out to local businesses, and determine potential destinations for your Senior Experience. Once you’ve found the job postings, use what you learned in class to apply for your desired job/internship.

3.    Refine your portfolio: Those of you who wish to work for Premier need to have a strong understanding of the artifacts you currently have in your physical portfolio.  Be prepared to use them in your answers to some of the behavioral questions you might be asked on your interview. 

4.    Update your personal website and blog: To date, you should have two blog entries completed and published, five tabs/pages built into your personal website, and some awards or certificates loaded in the appropriate page of your site.  If this is not yet completed, please make the necessary updates.

By the end of the period, I expect all of these projects to be complete.  This requires you to work diligently, so remain focused and commit to finish strong.

Friday:

Clear Target: We can analyze and critique a business interview

Today we will conduct interviews for all the students who wish to apply for the internship with Premier.  Any student interested in the internship should have completed the application (Google Form) and be prepared for an interview in class.  Students should dress appropriately, have a resume available to share with the interviewer, bring a portfolio that can be highlighted throughout the interview, and have a list of references available if necessary. 

During the interview, students will fill out the Interview Critique Form by highlighting things that went well, what could have been done differently, and explain why they would or wouldn’t hire the interviewee for the position.  Today’s class will hopefully be helpful for everyone as they prepare for their interviews.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me in class or email me.  My goal for this week is to have everybody set up for interviews for their Senior Experience so they can have their placements secured by 9/16. You are a strong group and I’m confident we will meet our deadline.

Building Your Online Presence and Personal Resume

This week, we are going to begin to establish that positive online presence we discussed and worked on last week to begin our search for job placements, scholarships, and college applications.  Almost every task we complete this week will require some sort of online publication, so we are going to take a good amount of time making sure what we produce is worthy of going public.  Also, our interview transcript (the one in which you interview an industry professional) is due Friday, 9/2.  See below for a breakdown of our weekly tasks:

Monday: Set Up Blogger & Introductory Blog Publication

Clear Target: We can create a positive online presence

***Please seat yourselves away from distractions so you can work as efficiently as possible***

Based on the fact that our excellent guest speaker was able to captivate you for longer than expected, we never really got a chance to work on our introductory blogs.  On Monday, your main goal is to set up a Blogger Account specific to this course and publish your introductory entry.  In this entry, you are going to obviously introduce yourself to the audience, tell them why you’re here, and really open up about what you would like to accomplish this year.  I would like you to address the following topics:

1. Who are you?  Please don’t just state your name.  Tell the reader about yourself:
1. Where did you grow up?
2. What are some of your favorite hobbies?
3. Remember, this is the beginning of your journey in WBL, but you need to catch your readers up on how you got here and where you plan to go
1. Don’t give us your life story, but don’t just address these topics with a single sentence
2. Why are you here?  How did you get here?
1. Go beyond “because I have to write a blog for this class”
2. Address your career goals and how being in WBL will help you achieve them
1. Be genuine & proud of your affiliation with this academy
3. What do you wish to get out of this course?
1. Again, be genuine - are you looking for work experience? Exposure to different opportunities for your future? Time to work on your college and scholarship applications?
4. Thank the reader for his/her time, welcome any comments/feedback, and invite him/her to check back or subscribe to the feed.  Remember, this entry is just the beginning of this portion of your Senior Experience

This entry should be proofread and published once you have my permission.  Understand that it is extremely important that you put your best foot forward on EVERY post you make, ESPECIALLY this one.

Tuesday: YouTube/Weebly Setup, Host Video, Publish Site

Clear Target: We can create a positive online presence

***Please seat yourselves away from distractions so you can work as efficiently as possible***

The sandbox time you had last week was a good start for you to begin working on your websites.  On Tuesday, you’ll actually start putting together bits and pieces of your website.  Please feel free to bring scanned versions of any certificates/awards you’ve received, letters of recommendation, and/or pictures of yourself that demonstrate your hard work and dedication.  When class begins, you’ll set up your YouTube page and host your intro video.  Make sure to describe your channel when you’re setting up the profile.  You can use something like, “Hi my name is (insert name).  Welcome to my channel where you can find videos from my Senior Experience in Work-Based Learning at Northwest High School in Clarksville, Tennessee.”  You can obviously go into far more detail if you wish, but please have at least that in your channel description.

Once your video is hosted to your YouTube channel, go ahead and start working on your Weebly site.  You’ll need tabs on your site for:

1. “Home”
2. “About Me”
3. “My Awards/Certificates”
4. “Contact Info”
5. “Work Samples.”  

I can go into further detail about what to enter on each page in class on Tuesday if you have any other questions.  By the end of class, you should have your YouTube page and Weebly published.  

Wednesday: Resume Lesson

Clear Target: We can analyze all elements of an effective resume

Today’s class will be all about making an effective resume.  During lecture, we’ll go over all 7 elements of a strong resume, discuss how to make your resume stand out, and target the following areas of focus:

1. Strong references
2. Proper keywords that catch the reader’s eye
3. How to stand out even with little to no work experience

After reviewing some previously created high school resumes and a quick resume I put together on Google Drive, you will have a solid understanding of what to include in your own resumes.  

If we have extra time, I will allow you to write up a “data dump” in a Google Doc and just list as many things you think you can include in a resume.  You’ll then work on making them sound professional, highlighting keywords and making good use of the right action verbs (redundant, I know) to appeal to the reader.  If we don’t have time during Wednesday’s class, we can make good use of Thursday’s work day to get this done.

Thursday: Work Day - Resume Completion

Clear Target: We can create an effective resume

Today is a work day for you.  Throughout class, your main objectives will be as follows:

1. Finalize resume
2. Add QR code (linking to your Weebly) to resume
3. Host resume to your Weebly
4. Submit hard copy of resume

I will be circulating throughout the room all period to tend to whomever needs assistance.  I am more than happy to help as needed and know that most of you will be finished with this with about 30 minutes to spare during our block period.  Once you finish this assignment, you will continue to work on your Weebly site and/or any assignments that you need to refine.  

Friday: Professional Interview Reflection

Clear Target: We can create a positive online presence

Three weeks ago, I told you to complete an interview with an industry professional.  I asked you to try your best to find a professional who works in the industry you wish to pursue, but fall back to something as close to your desired career as possible.  Worst case scenario, most of you have a family member or friend of the family who is gainfully employed and can shed some light on what it’s like to have a job in the real world.  Sample questions for this assignment, along with helpful tips regarding what to do before and after the interview, can be found in the Sample Interview Guide packet in the WBL Toolbox.

Now that you’ve completed your assignment, you are going to first write a Thank-You email and/or letter to the person you interviewed.  This should only take about 10 minutes, so once you’re finished, you are going to review your transcript so that you can begin your reflection assignment, which will be in blog form.  Your blog entry should have an appealing title and address what you learned from this experience.  Begin your post by explaining that this past week, you conducted an interview with an industry professional and learned some very worthwhile information (or something along those lines… you’re all much better writers than Mr. Spinella).  Some questions that can guide the rest of your writing can be found right in the Sample Interview Guide on page 6:

1. What interests of mine would be satisfied in this career path?
2. What personality traits do I have that would help me to be successful?
3. What skills and special knowledge do I already have that will help me be successful?
4. What skills and special knowledge will I need to develop?
5. Where can I develop these new skills and/or knowledge?
6. Overall, how has the information obtained helped me clarify or redefine my educational and career goals?

By no means are you forced to use these questions if you have a direction and purpose for your entry.  However, if you need some help with where to go with this blog post, feel free to use the above questions.  Please proofread the entry and show it to me before you post it.  By the end of class, you should have this assignment published.  Once finished, please continue to work on your Weebly page.

That’s it for this week.  I look forward to getting a lot accomplished.  See you all in class!

College Exploration & Creating an Online Presence

Welcome to my WBL blog where I publish all the tasks that my Career Practicum: Work-Based Learning students will be completing each week.  This week I will be out of the building on Monday and Tuesday, as I will be training other CTE teachers to become certified WBL coordinators, so you will have to work independently on a fun project in my absence.  When I return Wednesday, we’ll set up some online accounts that will help us throughout the school year and write a rough draft for our first ever blog entry.  On Thursday, we’ll have a meeting about managing our school laptops and Windows 10, followed by a lesson on video editing with Ms. Burgess.  Friday, we’ll finalize and publish our first blog entry.  Then we will have a guest speaker share with us some information about his career.  Below is a breakdown of your daily tasks:

Monday and Tuesday:

Clear Target: We can create a comprehensive academic profile

Tasks: First, you will put together a personal academic profile, which will include the following information:

1. GPA
2. ACT score
3. List of Honor Societies to which you belong
4. Certificates/Licenses held (think HIPAA, CPR, etc.)
5. Extracurricular activities
6. Service & Volunteer work
7. Job(s)

You can enter this information in a Google Doc or Google Sheet.  Once finished, you will create a list of post-secondary opportunities for yourself.  Identify at least one safety school, one target school, and one reach school based on the profile you created

Next, you’re going to go to www.collegedata.com and create a free profile.  After logging in, you will conduct a search on each of the three schools you listed above.  For your research, please make note of the following information:

1. Average GPA & ACT scores for class of 2020 enrollment
2. Selection Criteria - “Admission” tab
3. Cost - Find out information about overall cost, cost breakdown, financial aid information such as percentage of students who request and receive financial aid, and average amount of debt
4. Application requirements: specifically, identify whether an essay/personal statement is required, whether letters of recommendation are required
5. Percentage of students who are accepted
6. Percentage of overall admission (males vs. females)
7. Percentage of student accepted students who were in the top 10% of their graduating class
8. Is this school realistically a reach, target, or safety school?  Why?

Again, you can enter this information in a Google Doc or Sheet, whichever you prefer.  Please share this information with me.  

If you complete this work and have additional class time, please work on securing an interview with a professional in your industry.  Your interview project is still due 9/2.

Wednesday:

Clear Target: We can create a positive online presence

Tasks: Today, we are going to create accounts for the following online resources:

1. Blogger - I realize you all have Google accounts, so you’re going to create the actual Blogger accounts
2. Edmodo - If you already have an account, I’ll just give you the class code
3. Weebly - We’ll play around with this resource (“sandbox” time for those of you who had Mr. Deflitch)

Additionally, we’re going to write a draft for our first blog entry.  In this entry, you will introduce yourself and address what you would personally like to gain from this course.  This is only a draft and will not be published without approval from an English teacher or me.

Thursday:

Clear Target: We can apply safety concepts in the workplace

Tasks:  Today, during 6th period, you will learn how to safely use your laptops and how to navigate through Windows 10 with our Technology Coach, Ms. Daigle.  After this meeting, we will head out to Ms. Burgess’s room to learn about video editing.  Topics to be addressed include:

1. Adding effects to a video
2. Voiceovers
3. Running a slideshow with voiceovers
4. Adding music to a video
5. Cutting, transitioning, and other editing concepts

With this knowledge, you will be able to begin working on editing your intro videos in MovieMaker on Friday.

Friday:

Clear Target: We can create a positive online presence

Tasks: Today we will have a guest speaker, Dr. Zach Meyer.  I do not have a specific time for his arrival, so we will take the remaining class time to revise and publish our introductory blog post and work on editing our intro videos.  

Other things to keep in mind on Friday include your 9/2 deadline for completing your industry professional interview.  Please do not overlook this project, as it will obviously count as a grade.  Also, please work on taking a headshot for your web page.  

That’s it for our first week.  I look forward to seeing all of you on Wednesday and learning about your post-secondary research.