Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
I teach in an alternative education program that works with students that are at-risk of dropping out of high school and therefore not attaining a high school diploma. Typically, students come to us needing to do credit recovery. A traditional educational setting has not worked for them. We have the freedom of taking different approaches to helping these students not only attain their credits for graduation but help to prepare them for life after high school.
One way in which I have blended career exploration and academics using technology is the use of Google Sites to create a PLP, or Personal Learning Plan for each student.
I had students log in to our school Gmail site and then using the various tools available through Google they created a shareable folder that includes different domains or subfolders such as "academic" or "career". The students then created documents and presentations that included resumes, career inventories, interests, and work that was assigned to them. Since the folders were shared I was able to assess their work digitally, make the appropriate comments and share my feedback with them digitally. I feel like this has prepared them to operate in a world that is becoming digital and less paper oriented. Collaboration can come in the form of an email or comments on a page. Many of the careers our students decide to pursue are going deal with technology and they know how to use it properly to communicate.
Students were also able to use their PLPs as a digital portfolio to highlight work that they have done. I had students take photos of projects that they were particularly proud of and then we uploaded the images into the folders that they had created. They now had a portfolio that they can access anywhere in the world and show off the work that they have created.
I teach in an alternative education program that works with students that are at-risk of dropping out of high school and therefore not attaining a high school diploma. Typically, students come to us needing to do credit recovery. A traditional educational setting has not worked for them. We have the freedom of taking different approaches to helping these students not only attain their credits for graduation but help to prepare them for life after high school.
One way in which I have blended career exploration and academics using technology is the use of Google Sites to create a PLP, or Personal Learning Plan for each student.
I had students log in to our school Gmail site and then using the various tools available through Google they created a shareable folder that includes different domains or subfolders such as "academic" or "career". The students then created documents and presentations that included resumes, career inventories, interests, and work that was assigned to them. Since the folders were shared I was able to assess their work digitally, make the appropriate comments and share my feedback with them digitally. I feel like this has prepared them to operate in a world that is becoming digital and less paper oriented. Collaboration can come in the form of an email or comments on a page. Many of the careers our students decide to pursue are going deal with technology and they know how to use it properly to communicate.
Students were also able to use their PLPs as a digital portfolio to highlight work that they have done. I had students take photos of projects that they were particularly proud of and then we uploaded the images into the folders that they had created. They now had a portfolio that they can access anywhere in the world and show off the work that they have created.
