Continued Focus on Communication

When we enter professional life, we immerse ourselves in the jargon and principles of our chosen field and obediently follow precepts laid out by our respective priesthoods.   Yet we rarely put serious effort toward expressing ourselves in a language that can be understood by those outside our tribe.  Then we wonder why our efforts and achievements fail to resonate.

It has become fashionable to say that our present epoch is an information age, but that’s not quite right.  In truth, we live in a communication age and it’s time we start taking it seriously. -Greg Satell

The above quote comes from a Forbes article/blog posted by Greg Satell back in February 2015, and I have to agree with everything in this article.  This week, we will continue our focus on communication by finishing up some written assignments and then working on a presentation in which we take what we have written and lay it out for a specific audience: prospective WBL students.

Below is a breakdown of our weekly tasks:

Monday:

Clear Target: We can analyze and critique a writing sample

Basically, we have to finish up our newsletter creation by combining all our files into one Google Doc.  This file should include a design template, images, a cover page, and a table of contents. The reason why we’re going to make the file a Google Doc is so that multiple users can modify the file at the same time.  When finished, we will discuss our work and our entries so that we can address ways to improve our performance, as well as prepare for the rest of our week (hint: we’re going to make a presentation based on the newsletter).

Tuesday & Wednesday:

Clear Target: We can create an effective oral presentation

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will work together on creating a presentation about our newsletter.  For the reader, understanding what WBL is and how to become a better entry-level employee is interesting, but if we can focus on verbal communication, along with improving our presentation skills, we will be in a good position to really master Standard 7.

When making a presentation, it is in your best interest to condense all important points into short bullet points.  From there, adding images and planning to let your voice command the audience is the key difference between a poor presentation and a great presentation.  Too often, people just copy/paste their writing onto slides and add no graphics.  That takes the attention away from the presenter and accomplishes little.  This is why I will help you as you collaborate on your presentation.

Thursday & Friday

Clear Target: We can create an effective oral presentation

I realize the Clear Target is the same, but the task will be much different.  On Thursday and Friday, you are going to actually give your presentation on camera.  We will run through the presentation about 5 or 6 times, so that we can get the best footage possible and have something great to add to your websites.

Now, if we finish any of our assignments early (which is totally possible), we will focus on self-evaluation by completing the Student Self-Assessment of Skills and the Student Skills Assessment Rubric.  We will also blog about our experiences this week, either in class on Friday or over the weekend as a homework assignment.

That's it for this week.  I'll see you all tomorrow!

Communication

This week we will focus on the standard that separates a good job candidate from a great job candidate.  For this course, Standard 7 states:

Communicate clearly and effectively, verbally and in writing: Articulate ideas effectively in written communications with supervisors, coworkers, and customers by developing and delivering messages in written deliverables. Verbally articulate ideas effectively in interpersonal communications with supervisors, coworkers, and customers by developing and delivering messages in oral presentations. Demonstrate effective listening skills, attending to the meaning and intention of communications, by accurately paraphrasing what has been heard and by communicating with individuals of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures.

While our focus this week will be on written communication, there are plenty of opportunities for you to speak with classmates as we complete our tasks this week, especially since you will be working as a team to complete your project between Tuesday and Thursday.  Please see below for what we will do this week to master a portion of our most important standard:

Monday: Professional Email Composition

Clear Target: We can create an effective professional email

Today's class will run a little more like a traditional class, in which I instruct much like a classroom teacher, as opposed to the facilitator you're used to.  We will begin class by opening up our Gmail accounts.  I will explain the importance of coming across as intelligent as possible when communicating with superiors, co-workers, and subordinates.  I will then show you a few emails I have sent to provide you with models of what works best for effective communications.  From there, we will come up with a scenario in which you have to email a supervisor and one in which you need to communicate to team members to organize your project for the rest of the week.

You will then compose two emails as discussed and send them to me for a grade.  This project may seem insignificant and tedious, but if you master effective email composition, you will have a leg up on your contemporaries, and will gain a significant edge in the workplace.

After you complete your emails, we will take a look at the class newsletter my WBL students created last year.  This will serve as our model and the bar which this year’s students must eclipse.  We will then determine who will take the lead on each section of the project, and with the remaining class time, you can conduct some preliminary research.  By the end of class, you’ll share with me your findings.

Tuesday through Thursday: Newsletter Creation

Clear Target: We can create an effective Newsletter

Each week in Virtual Enterprise, my HR and Admin departments create a company newsletter to distribute to the class.  By working each week on this, my students improve their writing and learn a lot about business issues.  Since you aren't business students, the newsletter we make this week will spotlight our Work-Based Learning class and the interests you are pursuing.

Each section of the newsletter is to be written like a brief (200+ word) article.  You will need to do research on your section, using simple online searches.  Each student will be responsible for at least one section of the newsletter (some sections can be completed in pairs) and his/her brief student description (similar to an employee spotlight).  Here are the sections of the newsletter you are to complete this week:

• Cover Page - Be sure to include images and a title for the newsletter
• What is Work-Based Learning?
• The Importance of Safety in the Classroom and Workplace
• How to Apply for an Entry-Level Job (fast food, grocery store, etc.)
• Proper Interview Techniques for an Internship
• What to wear
• What to bring
• When to show up
• The Importance of a Resume
• Why Make a Portfolio for College or Job Applications?
• Digital Footprint
• Social Media
• YouTube Channel
• Blog
• Personal Website
• What's a QR Code and how can you use one?
• Student Description (this should be between 150 and 250 words):
• Who are you?
• What career do you wish to pursue?
• How will you achieve your career goals?
• Which school will you attend?
• What will you study?
• What degree do you need?
• How will you accomplish your goal

For a point of reference on how to write, please check out this rubric my VE class uses for its newsletters.  Please work hard on this project.  When this newsletter is finished, you will have a nice artifact to include in your portfolio and can highlight it on your Weebly page.

Friday: Report Out & Blog Entry:

This week, in addition to our regular reports from students who have placements, you too will share out what you’ve done this week.  You can inform your classmates of their need to complete a student profile for the newsletter as well as let them know the hard work you’ve completed.  When finished, you will blog about what you've done this week and how you think your work has improved your communication skills.  Discuss how your written and spoken communication has improved and what you feel is an important skill(s) you have learned or improved.  

Multitasking

This week’s blog isn’t going to be very long since most of you have found a placement and have been doing a lot of quality work.  I definitely notice a sense of pride when you share out your experiences for the week with the group and also understand you’re learning firsthand about life in the professional world.  Your weekly tasks will again be divided between those with placements and those still looking for placements.  Please see below for a breakdown of your weekly assignments:

Those With Placements

While you’re working or training, think of TWO different portfolio artifacts you could create based on what you learned or did for the week.  When you arrive in class, we will begin working on them.  Suggestions for portfolio artifacts include:

• Instructional/Training video of your own
• Video footage of you working in the office
• An interview with one of the professionals (hint: your workplace mentor is a great candidate for this)
• An audio recording of you discussing some of the things you learned for the week
• Think about creating a 3 to 6 minute podcast with one of your classmates in which you share out what you learned for the week.  This could be almost identical to what we do on Fridays in class

When you return to class on Friday, we’ll work on how you make one of these in your own time outside of class or even on the job (remember to remain HIPAA compliant)

Those without placements

1. In addition to searching for and finding your placement, publish your Weebly page.
2. Create a class Weebly page similar to what my class created last year.  
3. Create a class Twitter page similar to last year’s Twitter page
4. Create a class YouTube page similar to last year’s YouTube page
1. I suggest creating a class email account and Google+ profile as well

Divide these tasks among yourselves and work diligently.  Once the accounts are created, I’ll let you know what to post.  I look forward to seeing your progress.

On Thursday and Friday, we’ll continue to work on the promotional video our administration suggested and write a short blog entry about your week.  Be engaging with the reader when you’re writing so you don’t sound like you’re strictly reporting facts in an interrogation.  This will make the blog easier to read and will make the assignment more fun.  That’s it for this week.  I look forward to seeing you in class!

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.