Professional Development
Although I have used my upcoming job as the Career Center Coordinator, as the focus for this class, I actually also am recreeating a Teen Parent Program as well, so I will include professional development for each area. I honestly do not think that I would be able to create these two programs, if it were not for the skills and knowledge I have gained while in the Info Tech Program at Western
Career Center/Education Related
This coming year I will be creating and managing the plan for Personalized Learning for the studens of Central High School (CHS). For one part of this plan, I will be using the Career Information System (CIS) out of the University of Oregon, to create a checklist of activities, by grade level, which students will have to complete. The instruction for CIS activities will be delivered by teachers at CHS, in advisory groups of 20-25 students which will meet on Fridays. I will have one of those Fridays a month for Career-related activities. So I have two learner audiences: Teachers and the students they advise. To teach the teachers, I will need to become very familiar with the portfolio management systems of CIS. I am doing that through online meetings with one of the programmers of the site. The first meeting, we used "Go To Meeting," where he shared his screen with me to allow him to explain to me how the system works. (That was OK, but I was put in a passive position and following him was challenging. The next meeting, I decided we will trade spots and I will share my screen with him. He said he had never done that. I am expecting to learn a lot more because I will be in the active position and he will be able to direct and correct me.)
I will create screencasts and podcasts to help teachers learn how to manage their students' portfolios and ones to help students create portfolios and manage their career-related activities. On the right is a sample of a CIS screencast I created in your class last summer.
I am also planning to create a series of four websites for students, by grade, each with resources for career development. I will use Google Sites to construct these websites so that they will be compatible with the Google environment at CHS. Many of the links that are on my Student Resources page on this site, will be sprinkeled throughout the four sites. Assessments for freshmen like O'Net Skills Search and After High School Alternatives for seniors, like Its My Life, will be included. I am in the process of learning the ins and outs of Google Sites.
Teen Parent Program (TPP)
I will be integrating technology into the new Teen Parent Program in several ways. For example, in terms of program management, I will use Google Forms to create a check-in system for students. The form has a QR code attached and students with smartphones will be able to scan the code as they walk through the door. The form will then be right on their phones. Or they will be able to check in with the form using a classroom Chromebook (I have ten dedicated to the TPP.) Scan the QR code to the right to get to the Teen Parent Check In Form.
Tech-Education Related
Because I will be requiring students to use technology in their career development activities, I have plans to educate students on various topics such as copyright and cyberbullying prevention. I like infographics because of the clear, visual communication they afford. I will use Pictochart to create visuals to communicate with students. Here are a couple of examples of tech-related infographics I created which I will share with students in a variety of ways:
Caring For and Managing Chromebooks: Website Access:
I will also use Piktochart with teen parents. One emphasis of the program is teaching teen parents about child development so they will be better equipped to parent their own children. Parents will research the develomental stages and summarize the information they find by creating an infographic of the stage.
In addition, I will also recruit teen parents in our community into the TPP by placing the infographic at the right in doctors' offices and other key locations. To the right is a draft of the recruitment flyer.
