Table of Contents
16
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:
SUPPORTING WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Student Self-awareness and Assessment for Placement. Successful work-based learning
activities require that students have the opportunity to learn about their interests and skills. It
is important that the school staff assist in the development of student career awareness.
Various assessment opportunities or tools can be utilized to increase student awareness. The
following suggestions may help students identify career interests and connect them with
employers:
·
·
·
·
Student interest interview between the student and the school staff
·
·
·
·
Skills and aptitude tests
·
·
·
·
Career Information System
·
·
·
·
Career Pathway Planner
·
·
·
·
Dictionary of Occupational Titles
·
·
·
·
Pre-vocational self-awareness activities
Developing Learning Objectives. Learning objectives are an essential part of the work-based
training plan and include the major concepts to be learned on the job and in the classroom.
The objectives, which contain concepts to be learned and skills to be acquired should be
developed together by the coordinator, the student, and the employer. Learning objectives
should:
·
·
·
·
Individualize each student's objectives based on his/her educational and/or career
objectives and interests
·
·
·
·
Outline student's tasks, duties, and responsibilities
·
·
·
·
Be specific, achievable, and measurable
Creating Links to Classroom Learning. The work-based learning coordinator should
collaborate with the classroom teachers to facilitate connections between students' work-based
learning experiences and their educational career goals. The coordinator may:
·
·
·
·
Establish a dialogue with teachers in which teachers have opportunities to discuss
what they see as the connections between classroom learning and work site learning
·
·
·
·
Develop joint activities (when appropriate) that enhance learning in both arenas
Seminars/Classes. Seminars/classes are highly recommended for all students participating
in work-based learning programs. Seminars/Classes provide students with the opportunity to
meet and discuss common job-related experiences, gain insights into the culture and
environment of work, and reinforce the connections between classroom content and work-
related learning. Seminar/Class activities may include:
·
·
·
·
Peer interaction and discussion of job-related concerns and problems
·
·
·
·
Opportunities to share successful experiences from the work site
·
·
·
·
Projects that provide students the opportunity to gather, evaluate, and report
information, both individually and in teams
·
·
·
·
Audio-visual media, discussions, lectures or demonstrations
·
·
·
·
Assignments that include keeping journals, preparing research papers, or developing a
portfolio
·
·
·
·
Guest speakers and panels who provide additional opportunities for students to
question and interact with employers