Personal Skill Development.ppt

Personal Skill Development,Christine LaRoccoInternational Center Educational C,New International Center Product:,Resource Kit:Personal Skill Development in Grades 6-12:Enhancing Learning for 21st Century Success,Four Learning Criteria,Core Academic Learning Achievement in the core subjects of English language arts,math and science and others identified by the school.Stretch Learning Demonstration of rigorous and relevant learning beyond minimum requirements,Student Engagement,The extent to which students are motivated and committed to learning have a sense of belonging and accomplishment have relationships with adults,peers and parents that support learning.,Personal Skill Development,Measures of personal,social,service,and leadership skills Demonstrations of positive behaviors and attitudes.,Table of Contents,Chapter 1:Necessary Personal Skills for a Changing WorldChapter 2:Character-Centered Learning As the Basis for Lifelong SkillsChapter 3:Soft Skills for Success in School and in the Workplace Chapter 4:Communication Skills for the WorkplaceChapter 5:Group Communication Skills for the 21st Century,Table of Contents,Chapter6:Self-Management Skills for Success in Life and Work Chapter7:Problem Solving and Decision Making SkillsChapter8:Training Students in Leadership SkillsChapter 9:Skills for Civic and Financial Literacy Appendix A&B Descriptions of Successful Programs&Handouts,Data Gathering,How do we measure student personal skill development?,Sample Data Indicators of Personal Skill Development,Participation or hours in service learningStudents holding leadership positions in clubs or sportsAssessment of personal skills:time management,ability to plan and organize work Leadership and/or follower-shipRespect for diversity,More Indicators,Work as a member of a teamTrustworthiness,perseverance,other character traitsConflict resolution-Reduction in number of student incidences of conflictFollow-up survey of graduates on development of personal skills,Need for Personal Skill Development,The world of work is now literally a world of workers in global organizations whose employees are no longer separated geographically.,Who Would Have Thought?,Today,a sales associate in Kentucky may have a co-worker in Ireland,and a supervisor in Hong Kong.,The American Worker:,If they want to succeed on the team,American workers must be as sharp as their counterparts in China,South America,Europe,and India.,Competition in the Workplace,American workers must compete for jobs at every level with well-educated,highly skilled workers in other countries for jobs.Outsourcing strips this countrys workers of their jobs when companies hire providers overseas whose workers are better prepared and will work for less money.,Skills Needed to Compete,To work in this environment,team members must demonstrate strong communication skills,flexibility,organizational skills,respect,and a positive attitude.,The National Center on Education and the Economy,During the past 30 years,the workforce of America has steadily fallen behind workers in India and China in levels of preparedness for entering the workplace.,The National Center on Education and the Economy,Preparation for the workplace.30 years ago,the United States had 30 percent of the worlds college studentsToday-only 14 percent.,In comparative studies of achievement,American students place only in the mid-to-bottom of advanced industrialized countries in mathematics,science,and general literacy.NCEE,2007,Interview surveys of more than 1,000 business executives in 28 countries,Workers and managers need to develop personal soft skills in four areas of workplace literacy:PersonalSocialBusiness Cultural Literacy,Personal and Social Literacy,Personal Literacy:-self-confidence,flexibility,decision-making,and insight.Social Literacy:-engaging and challenging other people,listening skills,constructive attitude,and collaboration.,Business and Cultural Literacy,Business Literacy-guiding people through change,leading,setting goals,and connecting people.Cultural Literacy-looking beyond a personal culture,understanding cultural differences,and forming alliances with others.Rosen,R.and P.Digh.“Developing Globally Literate Leaders.”Training and Development Magazine.May 2001,pp.71-81,U.S.Department of Labor,Necessary Personal Qualities:ResponsibilitySelf-esteemSociabilitySelf-management Integrity,U.S.Department of Labor,Interpersonal SkillsParticipates as a Member of the Team Teaches Others Serves Clients/Customers Exercises LeadershipNegotiates Comfortable with Cultural Diversity,J.Willard Marriott,Jr.CEO of Marriott International,Young people need more than math and reading skills:substantial content knowledgeinformation technology skillsadvanced thinking skillsflexibility to adapt to changeinterpersonal skills to succeed on multi-cultural,cross functional teams.,Survey of 400 Employers,Surveyed by:The Conference BoardCorporate Voices for Working FamiliesSociety for Human Resource ManagementPartnership for 21st Century Skills,Most Important Skills for Success,Professionalism and the Work EthicOral and Written CommunicationsTeamwork and CollaborationCritical Thinking and Problem Solving.,Survey Says,Basic knowledge in reading,writing,and math are always going to be fundamental to workplace success.But they must be paired with personal skills.,Survey Says,To maintain an entry level job and move up to better positions,workers need to demonstrate:Teamwork Critical Thinking Problem Solving LeadershipCreativity,On Professionalism and Work Ethic:,70 percent of employers rated high school graduates deficient Critical thinking and problem-solving skills were also considered deficient.,Hey,we knew that!Just ask the average consumer about the level of customer service at their local shopping center!,Dont You Wish the Clerk at the Store Had These Skills?,Teamwork and collaborationSelf-motivation and initiativeWork ethic including dependabilityCritical thinking and creativityFlexibility and adaptabilityLeadership and Interpersonal skillsOrganization skillsProblem-solving skillsMulticultural skillsTime management skills,550 Employers in Virginia Say:,Math,reading,writing,and speaking should be paired with decision making and problem solving.Workers should take the job seriously,and have a positive attitude and demonstrate responsibility,reliability,and flexibility.,Virginia Survey Says,The primary responsibility lies in the education system,K-12.Three-fourths of the respondents believe schools should prepare future workers with both the basic skills and the applied personal skills they need for success.,The Good News,Yes!There is good news!,300 Research Studies Say:,When students learn to communicate effectively,respect others,accept responsibility,resolve problems,analyze,evaluate,and work on teams,their academic achievement improves.,How Much Improvement?,Students improve 10 percentile points and more on standard achievement tests.Attendance records improve.Better classroom behaviors Far fewer discipline referrals,South Carolina Study,U.S.Department of Education Funding:91 percent improvement in student attitudes 89 percent improvement in behavior,Lets Repeat That Outloud!,Focusing Efforts on Personal Skill Development Will Increase Student Academic Achievement and Improve School Behavior,Hallelujah!,Okay,I believe you,but Where do we start?,Martin Luther King,Jr.,“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”,Character Education Programs,Learning and practicing responsibility,respect,integrity,compassion,perseverance,and other principles of behavior can transform a school and its student body.,Proven Results,A strong Character Education program will positively impact students personal lives,their families,and the community.,Character Education Partnership,Should partner with community groups,parents,administrators,local leaders,and others.Must be deliberate and intentionalMust be incorporated into all aspects of school lifeMust be stressed in students and adults interpersonal relationships,No Quick Fix,Changing to a“climate of character”takesstrong leaders and a committed andenthusiastic teaching staff.In the best programs,the entire community becomes involved.,Six Steps to a Model Initiative,1.Identify Leaders Leadership Team to design and implement the plan Must have top-down support for bottom-up change2.Develop Partnerships Community Advisory Panel:parents,students,and the community Determine the attributes children should possess when they graduate from high school,Next Steps,3.Determine Guiding PrinciplesWhich guiding principles should be the schools focus?4.Establish Plans Mission statement and a vision Strategic plan defining the activities to be conducted and methods for involving students,parents,and staff.,Last Steps,5.Implement Practices Emphasize development of strategies that teachers can implement naturally in interactions with students Students need positive experiences in applying the principles.6.Evaluate the Initiative Behaviors and attitudes should be evaluated to determine the effect of the initiative.,The Partnership for 21st Century Skills,Personal Skill Development:School programs should be designed to help students consciously cultivate the soft skills of responsibility,leadership,accountability,and adaptability.,Lesson plans:,Focus on developing opportunities to practice leadership,accountability,and social responsibility within the course content of core subjects.,To engage students and achieve authentic learning,Schools should move from traditional learning in school to out of school experiences.Create classrooms where students apply knowledge to real-world problems and practice working together in groups develops motivation for learning.,Lesson Design,Place students in a situation where they must interact as if they are employees of a company.Workplace situations impose:Authentic expectations Demonstration of workplace behaviors,Incorporate Teamwork in Lessons,Create teams to work on workplace projects.Teams force students to practice interacting with others and honing their soft skills.Expect the teams to behave professionally,responding to one another with respect.,Workplace Expectations,Students should be expected to perform the activities at the high level of proficiency demanded in the workplace.Businesses cannot send materials to customers with mistakes in sentence construction,grammar,or spelling.,Students as Managers,Give students managerial roles where they can experience the workplace through the eyes of employers.Managerial roles allow students to practice leadership and organizational skills.They must analyze a situation,determine solutions to a problem,assist others,and view the big picture.,Invite Professionals to School,Ask employers to speak to the class about the importance of soft skills at work.Discuss ways they participate in groups and the necessity of strong interpersonal skills.Reliable and respected community people make a strong and lasting impression.,Example:Language Arts,Beowulf Legendary Dragon-Slayer,kills Grendel who has terrorized the communityGroups of students:what community problems are causing conflict?Attend City Council,County Commission,or Department of Transportation open meetings Interview elected officials or community leaders,Beowulf Lesson Plan,In groups Brainstorm the problem,cite the opinions of all entities involved,determine what solution will provide the best solution for all parties.Write an action plan that presents their solution and includes a timeline,approximate costs,sources of funding,and other detail.Presentation to appropriate audience.,Example:Social Studies,Study the Dust Bowl Period in American History Gather data on the cost of supporting a family of four for one month in their area of the state.Research includes costs of housing,groceries,child care,transportation,utilities,insurance,clothing,and other standard expenses,and the average salaries of representative jobs in the region.,Social Studies,Design a 6-panel informational brochure outlining these costs for young families moving into the area.Deliver the brochures to appropriate agencies in the community.Prepare a panel presentation on the data and their findings.,Integration:Health and Art Classes,Research the use of art as therapy for Alzheimers,post traumatic stress disorder,mental illness,and other diseases.In groups,develop a plan for implementing art therapy for patients in conjunction with the schools art department.Write a proposal that includes the feasibility of such a program,an outline of the activities,a timeline,costs and materials,and other pertinent information.,Group Communication Skills for the 21st Century,Advantages of Learning Group Communication Skills,Research on Group Projects:,Student achievement improves,as well as their attitude toward the subject,when they work together in heterogeneous groups.Greater acceptance for their peers from different cultural backgrounds and for those students who are academically and physically challenged.(Slavin,1995),Self-Management Skills,Self-management skills training for students involves training in:goal settingplanning their timeeffective follow-throughcompleting tasks efficiently.,Self-Management Skills,Students need practice in:identifying goalsprioritizing taskseliminating procrastinationdeveloping action plans for time management.,Self-Management Skills,Study skills strategies:remembering informationnote-takingvocabulary developmenttest taking,Problem Solving and Decision Making,Instruction and practice in problem-solving and decision-making is basic:“Students can learn to think better if schools concentrate on teaching them how to do so.”(Preisseisen).,Problem Solving and Decision Making,The three categories of necessary skills are:1.Process skills include planning,implementing,and reviewing skills.2.Interpersonal skills involve listening,offering an opinion,and consulting with others.,3.Personal qualities for effective problem-solving include determination,responsibility,leadership,initiative,and confidence(McNeil),Problem-Solving Skills,Students who use problem-solving skills discover a new role for themselves in school.They are no longer“passive recipients”of information.Participate as active learners,participating in the“creation of understanding.”,To make this shift:,Students should be engaged in activities that have meaning.Do not force them to choose one“right”answer.There should be a variety of responses possible.(Rossman).,Research and Solve Community Problems,Lack of student parking at the schoolRecycling program for the areaNeed for an animal shelter in the areaAssistance for the elderly:yard clean-up,errands.Recreational facilities for youth,senior citizensTutoring programs for younger studentsAffordable day care center for young families.Student health clinics;youth emp