Based on today's business tours and the qualifications that the employers are seeking, what skills do schools need be teaching? How are you contributing to teaching those skills and personal habits?
The most important skills that educators can teach at the middle school level to help their students prepare for entry into the workforce are: teamwork, communication skills, problem-solving strategies, and presentation skills. All content areas are easily able to integrate these skills into their lessons quite successfully.
Science is the perfect arena for teaching problem-solving skills and my students practice this throughout the year. Students are also given a chance for oral group and individual presentations. They are required to evaluate new science ideas and prepare written papers that support their ideas.
Projects have been designed that require all students (both regular ed. and special needs)to collaborate on work and present their findings in a multitude of ways, using a rubric to guide their work.
In our discussion of the field trips, the two qualities that stood out were good communication and teamwork. I think the teachers in our school do a great job with written communication---writing stories, letters, newspapers, cards, posters, etc. at all grade levels. They have also given oral presentations with persuasive and informational speeches/presentations, reenactments, role playing, etc. Many of these are done in conjunction with computer class. I take care of the "how to" and the teacher takes care of the content. Students are using Word, Excel, Power Point, the Internet, HyperStudio, Kid Pix, video cameras, digital cameras, and whatever else I can come up with to do their projects. Some of them are done individually, some with partners, and some in groups, where students get practice in brainstorming, compromising, agreeing on the goal and doing their part in order for their project to succeed.
Based on what I heard today at WPS and listening to other people's experiences at their businesses they went to, employees are looking for people who are problem solvers, who have good oral/written communication skills, and can work well with others. All of these skills can be easily incorporated into the curriculum on a regular basis.
In math class there are ample opportunities to have the kids become problem solvers. For example, I have given the kids a "budget" and they are responsible for planning a Super Bowl party for 24 people. They need to look through grocery ads to plan their menu and then figure out how much they would need to buy and how much it will cost them. Some of the communication skills that we require from our students is to make eye contact with the person you are speaking to. I have my students do a power point presentation each year where part of their grade comes from eye contact with the audience. Spelling in their power points also counts toward their grade.
It seemed like every business, including American Family which I visited, emphasized two different "must have" skills. First and foremost, the ability to work effectively on a team project was desired. Our tour guide, the human resources director, said he would like to see all candidates have project management experience. Working effectively on a team included being adaptable, patient, and courteous, traits referred to as "soft skills." The teamwork approach is one that all schools should be using more frequently. Of course this would include a variety of groupwork with group projects. My goal this year is to start with groupwork earlier in the year and have many partner rotations before students become locked into set partners or group members. In addition, my students are greeted at the door by name and I shake their hand before they enter the room. This year I am going to make each student greet me by name as well instead of just shaking hands and saying "hi" or nothing at all. I also plan to make all students in my class learn the names of everyone in the class as soon as possible in order to build the kind of community that promotes teamwork.
The second must have skill that businesses desired was the ability to communicate in both written and oral form. Sometimes it seems like schools have gotten away from some of the oral communication skills. With today's technology, students can communicate in written form in some many formats. However there is no substitute for the direct communication route. This year I plan to have occasions several times a week where students are talking to classmates in some fashion. That may be to a small group, one other person, or to the whole class. I want to make it as routine as possible so students build confidence and remember important social skills such as eye contact, voice projection and clarity, and observing social courtesies either as the listener or the speaker.
Finally, I think schools need to do a better job of stressing that there is a time and place for everything and according to Dave, our American Family tour guide, "People need to know how to work in the environment that they are in."
It wasn't spoken of at Monsanto; the trip was more about what Monsanto does. One could assume that attention to detail would be one of the most important skills because the whereabouts and substance of each one of those seeds, seedlings, plants, etc., needed to be kept track of all along the way. Most of what we observed was people working alone or in pairs. Nothing was actually said about team work, cooperation, or deadlines.
These real-life skills are tough to teach middle school kids who - the majority, at least - are interested in socializing more than they're interested in academics. At "my" school, 3 out of 25 students would meet deadlines; I rarely gave homework last year because it just was so disappointing when I knew they could care less - about responsibility, their grades, the impression they were making, about "training" themselves for the very skills other businesses emphasized today. Students would get several days of work time (which most blew off) and then, if they weren't done, they'd have just a bit to finish off before a due date. So sad.
Also, a tone is set in a building when admin. does little to crack down on tardiness or when due dates for permission slips become very flexible, etc.
Since I'll be teaching Careers next year, I'll be sure to emphasize what I already know and what I heard other classmates report today.
During the actual tour, the engineers and scientists focused on the tasks at hand, their background education and the equipment involved. While we were waiting for the second group, the guide, Amanda, discussed the skills that she believed were essential for any type of position. She noted that communication between departments was important in order to intergrate the various steps of the growing processes. Even though some of the jobs lended themselves to more of a secluded environment, there were numerous required meetings for the members. Over and over we heard the need for team work. I believe that a second language, such as Spanish, is truly an asset for any student, since there are and will be more Hispanics in the workforce in our own communities. I emphasize oral proficiency in the target language and real-life applications.
One of the main themes that kept coming through was communication and working together to accomplish a certain task. In my tour, the students really needed to work together when they were developing a new product or revising an old one. If they didn't work together or communicate, the project wouldn't get done successfully. In my classroom, I try to foster in my students an attitude of good team work. We do quite a bit of group activities. If they don't work together and communicate, they can't get their job done.
Monsanto didn't really talk about what they are looking for as far as skills, but most of the employees we talked with had science or biology background. One employee had a business background and one had no college experience, but had worked for the company for 17 years. Some of our class had mentioned basic writing skills as important to businesses. I try to put emphasis on writing proper paragraphs- (some students think a sentence is a paragraph) in writing assignments. I think schools should be teaching basic writing skills and reinforcing it for all levels. They also should be teaching communication skills. I teach students the importance of communicating with others and having eye contact. How you say something tells as much as what you say.
From what I saw at Monsanto, schools should definitely be teaching science skills. At Monsanto, Biology is obviously important. What I was extremely pleased to see was the lab set up. Whether you're teaching middle school or high school, teaching kids how to properly write a lab notebook and how to properly follow lab procedures are necessary skills for any lab based job. From my own experience, my college's chemistry labs were set up the exact same way. Some of the materials were exactly the same. The procedures were exactly the same. And preparing kids for college might be the most important thing of all. Also, communication skills and teamwork are very important. People working in this field need to be able to work with others cooperatively. In school, we always have cooperative learning assignments. In science class, we have the kids work in teams to promote those teambuilding skills. They learn immediately what works best with working with certain people.
I really enjoyed seeing the professionalism while I was on the tour of WISC-TV - Channel 3. Everyone in the studio was dynamic, experienced, and had lots to share with us. Each one gave us their background and how they got there. The staff we met often had degrees in seemingly unrelated areas to broadcasting. However, they eventually found themselves in fortunate situations and built on their knowledge so that they became successful in their jobs.
Employees at the studio mentioned teamwork between departments. They indicated that if one of the departments didn't do their job, that everyone would need to cover and lose precious time. It is very important to emphasize the right kind of education and knowledge to succeed in whatever job you have. Specialization is also essential to carve out a niche for yourself so that you become an integral part of your own profession.
Several staff members indicated that education was wonderful, but that their kind of job required meeting timelines. No matter how you got there, what happened after you arrived is what matters most in getting the job done.
My job is to relay my knowledge, skills, and experience to students about how to get along in society. Hopefully they can find their own niche and learn that they should be happy with whatever position they choose and relay that happiness to others.
These qualities were those emphasized by all the speakers at Thermo Fisher Scientific: • Communication skills—written and oral; • Ability to get along with people—to be a team player; • Willingness to accept failure; and • Problem-solving abilities. Technical skills are needed, but a person must first possess the qualities listed above. I noticed how respectful staff members were of one another and their visitors. At school, we do teach our students to be respectful of others, of the school, and of the environment. Now I see that it’s important to do so for our students to be successful in the workplace. I was also struck by one of the speaker’s use of basic chemistry concepts in explaining how one of their products, spectrometers, works. This revealed to me a close relationship between school learning and the workplace; specifically the science connection. I would love to have our students hear this man speak about how what their learning now is important to their futures. In my job as the library media specialist, I teach research skills. I try to help students develop problem solving skills when they hit a roadblock in their research and have a difficult time going on. We talk about what he or she has done and then what he or she should try next. Students ask for my help on any and all assignments. I must remember to be thoughtful when I’m helping them write reports or complete other tasks, focusing on writing and speaking skills. I enjoyed listening to the people at Thermo Fisher. First, they were all excellent presenters, knowledgeable and animated. They interacted with each other and with us casually and comfortably.
The most important skills that educators can teach at the middle school level to help their students prepare for entry into the workforce are: teamwork, communication skills, problem-solving strategies, and presentation skills. All content areas are easily able to integrate these skills into their lessons quite successfully.
ReplyDeleteScience is the perfect arena for teaching problem-solving skills and my students practice this throughout the year. Students are also given a chance for oral group and individual presentations. They are required to evaluate new science ideas and prepare written papers that support their ideas.
Projects have been designed that require all students (both regular ed. and special needs)to collaborate on work and present their findings in a multitude of ways, using a rubric to guide their work.
In our discussion of the field trips, the two qualities that stood out were good communication and teamwork. I think the teachers in our school do a great job with written communication---writing stories, letters, newspapers, cards, posters, etc. at all grade levels. They have also given oral presentations with persuasive and informational speeches/presentations, reenactments, role playing, etc. Many of these are done in conjunction with computer class. I take care of the "how to" and the teacher takes care of the content. Students are using Word, Excel, Power Point, the Internet, HyperStudio, Kid Pix, video cameras, digital cameras, and whatever else I can come up with to do their projects. Some of them are done individually, some with partners, and some in groups, where students get practice in brainstorming, compromising, agreeing on the goal and doing their part in order for their project to succeed.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I heard today at WPS and listening to other people's experiences at their businesses they went to, employees are looking for people who are problem solvers, who have good oral/written communication skills, and can work well with others. All of these skills can be easily incorporated into the curriculum on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteIn math class there are ample opportunities to have the kids become problem solvers. For example, I have given the kids a "budget" and they are responsible for planning a Super Bowl party for 24 people. They need to look through grocery ads to plan their menu and then figure out how much they would need to buy and how much it will cost them.
Some of the communication skills that we require from our students is to make eye contact with the person you are speaking to. I have my students do a power point presentation each year where part of their grade comes from eye contact with the audience. Spelling in their power points also counts toward their grade.
It seemed like every business, including American Family which I visited, emphasized two different "must have" skills. First and foremost, the ability to work effectively on a team project was desired. Our tour guide, the human resources director, said he would like to see all candidates have project management experience. Working effectively on a team included being adaptable, patient, and courteous, traits referred to as "soft skills." The teamwork approach is one that all schools should be using more frequently. Of course this would include a variety of groupwork with group projects. My goal this year is to start with groupwork earlier in the year and have many partner rotations before students become locked into set partners or group members. In addition, my students are greeted at the door by name and I shake their hand before they enter the room. This year I am going to make each student greet me by name as well instead of just shaking hands and saying "hi" or nothing at all. I also plan to make all students in my class learn the names of everyone in the class as soon as possible in order to build the kind of community that promotes teamwork.
ReplyDeleteThe second must have skill that businesses desired was the ability to communicate in both written and oral form. Sometimes it seems like schools have gotten away from some of the oral communication skills. With today's technology, students can communicate in written form in some many formats. However there is no substitute for the direct communication route. This year I plan to have occasions several times a week where students are talking to classmates in some fashion. That may be to a small group, one other person, or to the whole class. I want to make it as routine as possible so students build confidence and remember important social skills such as eye contact, voice projection and clarity, and observing social courtesies either as the listener or the speaker.
Finally, I think schools need to do a better job of stressing that there is a time and place for everything and according to Dave, our American Family tour guide, "People need to know how to work in the environment that they are in."
It wasn't spoken of at Monsanto; the trip was more about what Monsanto does. One could assume that attention to detail would be one of the most important skills because the whereabouts and substance of each one of those seeds, seedlings, plants, etc., needed to be kept track of all along the way. Most of what we observed was people working alone or in pairs. Nothing was actually said about team work, cooperation, or deadlines.
ReplyDeleteThese real-life skills are tough to teach middle school kids who - the majority, at least - are interested in socializing more than they're interested in academics. At "my" school, 3 out of 25 students would meet deadlines; I rarely gave homework last year because it just was so disappointing when I knew they could care less - about responsibility, their grades, the impression they were making, about "training" themselves for the very skills other businesses emphasized today. Students would get several days of work time (which most blew off) and then, if they weren't done, they'd have just a bit to finish off before a due date. So sad.
Also, a tone is set in a building when admin. does little to crack down on tardiness or when due dates for permission slips become very flexible, etc.
Since I'll be teaching Careers next year, I'll be sure to emphasize what I already know and what I heard other classmates report today.
During the actual tour, the engineers and scientists focused on the tasks at hand, their background education and the equipment involved. While we were waiting for the second group, the guide, Amanda, discussed the skills that she believed were essential for any type of position. She noted that communication between departments was important in order to intergrate the various steps of the growing processes. Even though some of the jobs lended themselves to more of a secluded environment, there were numerous required meetings for the members.
ReplyDeleteOver and over we heard the need for team work. I believe that a second language, such as Spanish, is truly an asset for any student, since there are and will be more Hispanics in the workforce in our own communities. I emphasize oral proficiency in the target language and real-life applications.
One of the main themes that kept coming through was communication and working together to accomplish a certain task. In my tour, the students really needed to work together when they were developing a new product or revising an old one. If they didn't work together or communicate, the project wouldn't get done successfully.
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom, I try to foster in my students an attitude of good team work. We do quite a bit of group activities. If they don't work together and communicate, they can't get their job done.
Monsanto didn't really talk about what they are looking for as far as skills, but most of the employees we talked with had science or biology background. One employee had a business background and one had no college experience, but had worked for the company for 17 years. Some of our class had mentioned basic writing skills as important to businesses. I try to put emphasis on writing proper paragraphs- (some students think a sentence is a paragraph) in writing assignments. I think schools should be teaching basic writing skills and reinforcing it for all levels. They also should be teaching communication skills. I teach students the importance of communicating with others and having eye contact. How you say something tells as much as what you say.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I saw at Monsanto, schools should definitely be teaching science skills. At Monsanto, Biology is obviously important. What I was extremely pleased to see was the lab set up. Whether you're teaching middle school or high school, teaching kids how to properly write a lab notebook and how to properly follow lab procedures are necessary skills for any lab based job. From my own experience, my college's chemistry labs were set up the exact same way. Some of the materials were exactly the same. The procedures were exactly the same. And preparing kids for college might be the most important thing of all. Also, communication skills and teamwork are very important. People working in this field need to be able to work with others cooperatively.
ReplyDeleteIn school, we always have cooperative learning assignments. In science class, we have the kids work in teams to promote those teambuilding skills. They learn immediately what works best with working with certain people.
I really enjoyed seeing the professionalism while I was on the tour of WISC-TV - Channel 3. Everyone in the studio was dynamic, experienced, and had lots to share with us. Each one gave us their background and how they got there. The staff we met often had degrees in seemingly unrelated areas to broadcasting. However, they eventually found themselves in fortunate situations and built on their knowledge so that they became successful in their jobs.
ReplyDeleteEmployees at the studio mentioned teamwork between departments. They indicated that if one of the departments didn't do their job, that everyone would need to cover and lose precious time. It is very important to emphasize the right kind of education and knowledge to succeed in whatever job you have. Specialization is also essential to carve out a niche for yourself so that you become an integral part of your own profession.
Several staff members indicated that education was wonderful, but that their kind of job required meeting timelines. No matter how you got there, what happened after you arrived is what matters most in getting the job done.
My job is to relay my knowledge, skills, and experience to students about how to get along in society. Hopefully they can find their own niche and learn that they should be happy with whatever position they choose and relay that happiness to others.
These qualities were those emphasized by all the speakers at Thermo Fisher Scientific:
ReplyDelete• Communication skills—written and oral;
• Ability to get along with people—to be a team player;
• Willingness to accept failure; and
• Problem-solving abilities.
Technical skills are needed, but a person must first possess the qualities listed above.
I noticed how respectful staff members were of one another and their visitors. At school, we do teach our students to be respectful of others, of the school, and of the environment. Now I see that it’s important to do so for our students to be successful in the workplace.
I was also struck by one of the speaker’s use of basic chemistry concepts in explaining how one of their products, spectrometers, works. This revealed to me a close relationship between school learning and the workplace; specifically the science connection. I would love to have our students hear this man speak about how what their learning now is important to their futures.
In my job as the library media specialist, I teach research skills. I try to help students develop problem solving skills when they hit a roadblock in their research and have a difficult time going on. We talk about what he or she has done and then what he or she should try next.
Students ask for my help on any and all assignments. I must remember to be thoughtful when I’m helping them write reports or complete other tasks, focusing on writing and speaking skills.
I enjoyed listening to the people at Thermo Fisher. First, they were all excellent presenters, knowledgeable and animated. They interacted with each other and with us casually and comfortably.