[Replicable Practices] Hey You, Opportunity is Knocking so GetInvolved.ca

What do you need to graduate from an Ontario High School?

In addition to the 18 compulsory, students must complete the following: (PDF)

• 12 optional credits
• 40 hours of community involvement activities
• the provincial literacy requirement

Where can I find opportunities to complete the 40 hours of community involvement activities?
  
Getinvolved.ca is a companion website linked to a TVO television series. On TVO, Get Involved is 25 documentary shorts celebrating people from 7-70 who are making a difference in their schools, in their community and through their work. They are stories of inspiration. The website was created was created to transform that inspiration into action.

Hey You, Opportunity is Knocking so GetInvolved.ca

[Replicable Practices] My Credo

eHow.com

I always like having the students develop their own personal credo. I like this activity for several reasons. Their credo helps me get to know the students better. Sometimes they provide information that they would not normally share with the teacher. In addition they sometimes also give me a glimpse into their aspirations or interests. I can then proceed and use that information to generate connections and as if not more importantly interest in the lessons. I really like giving the students the credo assignment after reading with them All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten - By Robert Fulghum. I used How to Write a Credo By Rhomylly Forbes, an eHow Contributor.

[Replicable Practices] What are essential skills? Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

One of the most difficult tasks I have yet to successfully overcome is the task of convincing my students there is a greater purpose to understanding concepts taught within a lesson.

Before I get into a specific lesson using the resources listed within this post I ask my students to navigate through the Workplace Skills site and the Essential Skills site. Once they had a period to do so I often ask a very general question such as "What did you discover?" 

Taken from What are Essential Skills:

The Government of Canada conducted extensive research to examine the skills people use in the workplace. From this research and through interviews with workers, managers, practitioners and leading researchers, over 350 Essential Skills Profiles have been developed for various occupations. The essential skills that people need for learning, work and life. They are used in the community and in the workplace, in different forms and different levels of complexity.

[Replicable Practices] Choices Into Action

I recently discovered the Choices into Action: Guidance and Career Education Program Policy, 1999 (PDF) via the Ontario Ministry of Education site. It is a document that can be found under the Administrators Policy and Reference page. The reason why I chose to blog about this as a Replicable Practice is because guidance is no longer an area that specifically contained with the guidance offices of a school or the guidance counselor. It needs to be addressed by the classroom teacher as well. Just think what the ultimate goal is that we have as teachers for our students. Taken directly out of the document:

Choices Into Action describes the purpose and importance of Ontario’s guidance and career education program, its content, and its unique approach to teaching and learning. It describes the approaches that principals and teachers are expected to take when teaching students how to develop their learning skills, interpersonal skills, and knowledge and skills in the area of career planning. It also outlines program planning strategies, accountability measures, and the roles and responsibilities of all involved – principals, teachers, students, parents, and community partners.

Choices into Action: Guidance and Career Education Program Policy, 1999

[Replicable Practices] Resumes II

Original Post: Resumes I

nextsteps.org

An additional resource I used designing one of the culminating activities. This website presents career information in three steps.

1. Career Planning
2. Job Seeking
3. Career Maintenance

Thanks to: The City of Calgary, The Government of Alberta and Canada.

[Replicable Practices] metronews.ca (Toronto)

Metro is Canada’s #1 free national daily newspaper publishing coast to coast in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax!

Toronto Edition of MetroNews

One of the unique features is that MetroNews offers an option to read the print edition (archived) online in a PDF format. What I normally do is print the article that I want to use from the online print edition through a PDF reader. By doing it this way I save time from picking it up from my local MetroNews box, save paper, and I get to preserve the newspaper format.

The section I grab articles from for a class discussion or assignment is the Workology section. In addition to getting tips on resume creation, it gives the students ideas of possible careers that they can pursue.

RSS Workology Feed

[Replicable Practices] Resumes I

Student Success Credit Tracker (PDF, 121 KB)

One of the culminating activities that I have the students work on is a careers development portfolio. One of the sections of the portfolio is to have the students create a resume. Many newer word processors have a resume wizard that the students can work within however I often deliver lessons based on the following site and use the examples provided.

A resume is a very valuable valuable tool when job searching. Simply put it is an inventory of who you are and what you have accomplished. A resume is often the first contact with a potential employer, so it is important to have a good resume that will leave a good impression. Think of your resume as an advertisement of yourself.

Thank you to Community Employment Services of Woodstock Ontario. They have created an excellent site that covers the basics of building a resume as well as preparing an electronic one.