CH-6-11 Leveraging Technology and Doing Research – POWER Learning and Your Life: Essentials of Student Success : Chapter Notes

This Document Contains Chapters 6 to 11 P.O.W.E.R. Learning Instructor Manual (K. Surman) Chapter 6: Leveraging Technology and Doing Research This resource for Chapter 6 contains the following: 1. Learning outcomes 2. Messages to the student and to the instructor 3. Ideas and concepts 4. Clarifying questions and discussion prompts 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. learning process in your instruction 6. Activities and assignments for the classroom or online 7. Extending the course content beyond the classroom 8. Additional activities and assignments 9. Connections within the text 1. Learning Outcomes LO 6.1 Identify technologies that contribute to your efficiency and effectiveness in your academic and everyday life. LO 6.2 Determine whether taking a distance learning course is the right choice for you and your learning style. LO 6.3 Discuss the principles of effective online communication and collaboration. LO 6.4 Demonstrate information competency by identifying techniques and technologies that help you locate and evaluate information and organize the information that you find. LO 6.5 Identify the different types of plagiarism and explain how plagiarism can be avoided through proper citation methods and the use of citation software. 2. Messages 2.1 To the student You have grown up in a world that is driven by technology and by instant access to information. Anything that can be digitized can be shared, and surprisingly little cannot be digitized. It is useful to know the abilities and limits of technological tools so that you can choose those that allow you to be more efficient and effective in your studies. In addition to identifying the academic applications of technology, you need to develop discrimination skills that allow you to gather accurate information and to avoid time with poor resources. 2.2 To the instructor While it is humbling to admit it, most faculty members are immigrants and most students are natives in the world of technology. A key issue in approaching this chapter is to assess the online skills your students bring to the classroom. Furthermore, you need to know how your institution prepares and supports its students through technology. The learning and lifestyle choices influenced by our online access can be far reaching. Most of your students have applied to your program through an electronic application, participated in a virtual tour of your institution, and registered online for specific student services (e.g., parking permit, orientation, classes, etc.). Your institution may be one that requires students to create an electronic portfolio that can be evaluated by several individuals, or one that offers or even requires that students complete hybrid or distance learning courses. Beyond the technology, a numbing explosion of information has occurred. Our response is often to be moved and seduced instead of thoughtful and questioning. Never has the ability to discriminate been more needed by our students, and this chapter provides a strong platform for discussions about how to select sources that are credible and useful and about how to increase information competency as a marketable skill. 3. Ideas and Concepts Blended (or hybrid) courses Blog and Vlog Distance learning Emoticons Information competency Netiquette Online database Plagiarism Podcast 4. Clarifying Questions and Discussion Prompts These questions can be used to encourage class discussion, small group work, or individual reflection about the information presented in this chapter. • Why does online communication allow us to feel an anonymity that we should not? Does this anonymity encourage uncivil behavior? • How would you characterize your information competency? • How important will finding and using online information be to you during the first year of your program? • What classes are you now taking that expect you to engage in research activities that will require technology? • To what level are you willing to reveal personal information in an online public domain? What are the implications of your choices with regard to such revelations? • Does your program require you to complete online or hybrid courses? If so, what are the benefits and challenges of these offerings? • How do you use technology to get organized? • How can you use technology to get the most out of your courses? • How can you use technology for group work? • How can you use technology for networking? 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. Learning Process in Your Instruction Here are some ideas for applying this process specifically to LO 6.2 Determine whether taking a distance learning course is the right choice for you and your learning style. Prepare: Identify distance learning course possibilities. This step is described in Try It! 2: Get some distance on the problem. Organize: Obtain access to technology. Most students will have home access to the internet, and many will be using portable devices to access the internet on the go. Work: Participate in a distance learning class. Successful participation involves skills such as time management, regular check-ins, and having a technology backup plan. Evaluate: Consider your “classroom” performance. Students should be prepared to get online feedback from their instructor, as well as to give online feedback to their classmates. Principles of netiquette as covered in Try It! 3 should be considered. Rethink: Reflect on what and how you learned. Many aspects need to be considered in a reflection of an online learning experience: comfort with technology, satisfaction with learning outcomes, and fit with course-taking style as described in Try It! 1. TRY IT! Jot down in your teaching journal the ideas that worked and changes you would make the next time you teach this topic. 6. Activities and Assignments for the Classroom or Online The following activities appear in the textbook and are also available through Connect. Therefore, they can be completed during class time using the textbook or using laptops. They can also be completed online as part of a hybrid or online student success course. Try It! 1: Assess Your Course-Taking Style Have students read the statements and indicate whether they agree or disagree with them to see if distance learning is a good fit for them. The more they disagree with these statements, the more their course-taking style is suited to distance learning. You may wish to discuss the relationship between striving styles and learning styles (Chapter 1) to course-taking styles. Try It! 2: Get Some Distance on the Problem Encourage students to check out your institution’s online offerings to figure out if they can complete some courses toward their credential. Additionally, have students investigate online course offerings at other Canadian academic institutions such as Athabasca University and Mount Saint Vincent University. Try It! 3: Using Email Netiquette Have students answer several questions on the email shown here as written by a student to his instructor. You may wish to have a dialogue regarding mistakes people have made in the past using improper netiquette in social, academic, and workplace situations. Use the opportunity to share your institution’s policies on online communication and the use of technology, including institutional resources. Try It! 4: Work the Web: Information, Please! Have students respond to the five questions in Part A using three different search engines. Then, discuss their responses to the two questions in Part B regarding their search engine preferences. Many students do not realize that online search results may be in order of websites’ popularity rather than relevance. Just because a site is listed first does not mean the information on it is the best. Discuss the ways that search engines find websites, and the ways that websites engage in search engine optimization. You may wish to discuss how you and your students determine what is important, credible, and useful using Table 6.1 as a starting point. 7. Extending the Course Content Beyond the Classroom Here are some ideas that can carry the conversation beyond the chapter activities. Goal: To connect the information to the student’s life. Students can use this opportunity to refine their e-resumes and online job application materials, and to become more aware of how online screening works in terms of keyword searches. You may also wish to encourage them to join professional online networking sites such as LinkedIn. Students need to be consciously developing their online identities. These identities are cumulative pictures that may sway the minds of employers, colleagues, and potential romantic partners are the result of photographs and statements made now that might lead to unintended consequences later. Have students write their technology biographies. Encourage them to think back on significant technological moments in their lives. Challenge them to identify when they sent their first email, did their first search engine search, and set up their social networking profile. GOAL: To connect the information to the programs and practices in the broader academic community. Have students brainstorm on courses, programs, and situations that encourage distance or online learning. Can they see where it would be expedient in their futures? Having a backup plan is critical to academic success. Discuss the time-stamped nature of online assignments. GOAL: To connect to the global society. Ask students to explore online the possibilities of international study. Have them discover different ways they could travel and continue earnings academic credit at your institution. Ask your students to find information about distance learning courses at an academic institution outside of Canada and outside of North America. On the basis of this information, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of attending a school that they have never actually seen. 8. Additional Activities and Assignments 8.1 Exploring Online Databases A central resource of any academic institution is its library. A library is a rich repository of knowledge, ranging from printed books to electronic information sources. A significant proportion of your school’s library is not in the library itself; instead, it can be found online. Most libraries subscribe to a wide variety of online databases that are accessible to enrolled students anywhere, anytime. An online database usually includes a searchable listing of periodical articles by title, author, subject, and keyword. These databases contain advanced search options that allow you to perform many functions listed in Chapter 6. Have students find, read, and write a one-page summary of one article pertaining to a technology in their shared field of study (if this is a course offered in a learning community) or pertaining to a group project, personal interest, or class assignment using the online databases. Have them briefly list the steps they took to locate the article, including the keyword search. 9. Connections within the Text This chapter’s ideas link with those of other chapters: • Chapter 1: course-taking and preferred learning/thinking styles and striving styles are linked; information competency is valued by Canadian employers • Chapter 2: taking online courses requires the use of a master calendar and other time management tools; additionally, the use of technology can be a time-saver or a black hole • Chapter 4: link note taking to preparing study notes on online material • Chapter 9: netiquette is linked to collaborating with others • Chapter 11: netiquette and a managed online presence are connected to job search success Chapter 6 “Leveraging Technology and Doing Research” Case Study Answers 1) How well did Joelle use her time to work on her paper? What advice would you give her about the preparation stage of working on a paper? Answer: Joelle did not accurately reflect on the time it would take her to complete both the paper and the research needed for the paper. She should have started far before the day before the paper was due. Likewise, she could have spent time on previous days completing research for her paper. Additionally, Joelle did not work on her paper during a time of efficiency, as she was already tired and needed coffee to stay awake. Her thoughts were most likely scattered and research was slow. 2) Clearly, Joelle should have saved her work frequently while she was working. What else should she have done while working on her paper to help her recover from such a catastrophe? Answer: Joelle could have hand-written out her notes for the paper. This would have kept her more organized while writing and provided safety, in that she could go and refer back to these notes in case of such a catastrophe. Obviously, she should have saved it on the computer more frequently, but saving it on her e-mail or on an external drive would have safeguarded the paper in case any problems occurred with the actual computer. Students should be made to think creatively about this problem and provide as many options as possible. 3) Do you think Joelle's instructor would be sensitive to her problem? Do you think he or she would be willing to give her an extension? What could Joelle do to make her case that she had nearly finished the paper? Answer: No, most likely the instructor will not be sensitive to her problem because she only started the paper the night before it was due. By waiting until the last minute students, such as Joelle, are unable to cope with any unfortunate surprises. Individual professors may vary on their leniency on due dates but most will probably only allow a short extension, if any at all. Joelle could try to make her case for an extension by citing some of the websites she had used for research and talk to the professor about the outline and some key points from her paper. 4) What should Joelle do next to begin reconstructing her paper and recovering as much of her work as possible? Answer: Joelle needs to revisit the websites where she conducted her research. Afterwards, she should remember as much about her paper’s outline and key points as possible and write these out onto a piece of paper. With this, Joelle can begin her paper again—this time remembering to save often! P.O.W.E.R. Learning Instructor Manual (K. Surman) Chapter 7: Writing and Presenting This resource for Chapter 7 contains the following: 1. Learning outcomes 2. Messages to the student and to the instructor 3. Ideas and concepts 4. Clarifying questions and discussion prompts 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. learning process in your instruction 6. Activities and assignments for the classroom or online 7. Extending the course content beyond the classroom 8. Additional activities and assignments 9. Connections within the text 1. Learning Outcomes LO 7.1 Describe the type of writing done at the postsecondary level. LO 7.2 Explain the process involved in preparing and writing a report or case analysis. LO 7.3 Discuss the process involved in creating and delivering effective presentations. 2. Messages 2.1 To the student Communication is the lifeblood of the 21st century. You cannot have an impact on the world around you if you keep your thoughts and ideas to yourself. You may choose to blog, upload a video, or communicate via text, tweet, or email. Alternatively, you may be required to write reports and to make presentations as part of your postsecondary experience or in the workplace. Use the methods that best suit your learning and striving style, and communicate with your audience in mind. 2.2 To the instructor An individual’s ability to communicate in written and spoken form is a differentiator in the workplace: it can provide a competitive advantage when applying for work, being considered for employment, and being considered for promotions. Encourage students to apply the P.O.W.E.R. framework to academic and workplace writing and presentations, and emphasize that the skills in this chapter are both immediately useful in their programs and of lasting use in their careers – regardless of discipline or seniority. 3. Ideas and Concepts Arguments Dry run Mind mapping Outline Presentation anxiety Thesis 4. Clarifying Questions and Discussion Prompts These questions can be used to encourage class discussion, small group work, or individual reflection about the information presented in this chapter. • Thinking about your learning style, what approaches are likely to be effective for you when generating ideas for a report or presentation? • Thinking about your striving style, what approaches are likely to be effective for you when generating ideas for a report or presentation? • Thinking again about your learning style, what tasks should you volunteer to do when beginning work on a group report or presentation? • Thinking again about your striving style, what tasks should you volunteer to do when beginning work on a group report or presentation? • What do you fear most about making presentations? • What kinds of tricks do you use to overcome presentation anxiety? • Do you ever find it difficult to start writing? • How do you overcome writer’s block? 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. Learning Process in Your Instruction Here are some ideas for applying this process to LO 7.2 Explain the process involved in preparing and writing a report or case analysis. Prepare: Figure out what to write about – do the necessary research. Exploring a topic involves some preliminary research and then some brainstorming to identify fresh angles and unique approaches to a topic. Consider using Try It! 1: Create a Mind Map to explore a topic. Organize: Identify major themes, find an angle, and outline the flow. Once you have uncovered subtopics and supporting ideas, you need to narrow your focus and select a major thesis or angle for your essay or report. Then, you can prepare an outline to set out the logical progression of your ideas. You can create a writing framework or outline by using sticky notes and moving them around until you get a logical flow. Work: Write the initial draft. Start writing your first draft as soon as possible after preparing the outline. Do not worry about the details at this point. If necessary, use Try It! 2: Overcoming Writer’s Block to get inconsequential thoughts out of the way to allow you to focus on writing segments of your essay or report as outlined in your framework. Consider writing chunks of your essay or report out of linear order as soon as the information becomes available. Evaluate: Rest, rereads, revise; rewrite, if necessary. If possible, leave your draft for a day or two and return to reread what you’ve written. And if you can, leave enough time to have your essay or report reviewed by someone else so that you can incorporate the feedback. Rethink: Reflect on instructor feedback. Incorporate your instructor’s feedback if you have the opportunity to submit a final essay or report. Otherwise, reflect on the comments and incorporate them when possible next time you are asked to write something. TRY IT! Jot down in your teaching journal the ideas that worked and changes you would make the next time you teach this topic. 6. Activities and Assignments for the Classroom or Online The following activities appear in the textbook and are also available through Connect. Therefore, they can be completed during class time using the textbook or using laptops. They can also be completed online as part of a hybrid or online student success course. Try It! 1: Create a Mind Map Have students generate ideas and angles for a report through the use of a mind map as shown in Figure 7.1. Consider assigning a topic from your course or from another course that your students may be taking as part of a learning community. You may wish to discuss the relationship between learning styles (Chapter 1) and the use of mind mapping, which works particularly well for visual learners. Try It! 2: Overcoming Writer’s Block Encourage students to write ‘morning pages’ or journals when they first wake up to get inconsequential thoughts out of the way and to facilitate focus on a paper or an assignment that is due. Alternatively, provide class time for this writing exercise which allows students to clear their minds so that they can focus on what they really need to write. Try It! 3: Measuring Your Anxiety About Speaking in Public Have students indicate whether or not they believe each of the 34 statement applies to them using the 5-point scale. The score they accumulate allows them to determine their position on the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety. Use the opportunity to share tips and tricks for managing presentation anxiety. Try It! 4: Getting Feedback on Your Presentation While students might assume that their message got through to members of their audience, they will have a better sense of their success if they can obtain feedback with this short and anonymous survey. Have your students make presentations, and have the other students complete the survey without identifying themselves. In this way, students can make improvements to future presentations. 7. Extending the Course Content Beyond the Classroom Here are some ideas that can carry the conversation beyond the chapter activities. Goal: To connect the information to the student’s life. Students can use this opportunity to refine their writing and presentation skills for other courses. Allow them to use your class for writing ‘morning pages’ or to practise and get feedback on presentations. Encourage students to review the application of the characteristics of their striving styles as discussed on p. 186 to their writing and presenting styles. Consider having students add to the list of Dos and Don’ts of Making Effective Presentations on p.184 in a way that is specifically relevant to them. Have students apply the presentation skills outlined in this chapter to a mock job interview following the tips provided on p.185. Have students act as editors, or at least readers, for each other’s upcoming assignment, report, or essay. Have students outline or even write a case analysis for a situation in their personal or professional lives. GOAL: To connect the information to the programs and practices in the broader academic community. Discuss the possibilities of attending a meeting of a group such as Toastmasters which may have a chapter on campus. Emphasize the benefits of taking on volunteer positions or joining clubs that require students to make presentations or to write materials. Students can look online at the local volunteer bureau offerings to determine possibilities. Have students outline or even write a case analysis for a situation in their program or on their campus. GOAL: To connect to the global society. Ask students to explore online the possibilities of international employment in their fields that requires skills in writing and in presenting in English, perhaps to an audience whose first language is not English. Have students outline or even write a case analysis for an international situation that has received significant media coverage recently. 8. Additional Activities and Assignments 8.1 Preparing a Presentation Have your students prepare a presentation for a diverse audience on a topic in your course or in another course. Encourage them to take steps to ensure that the content of their presentation appeals to the learning styles of the diverse audience. 8.2 Using Sticky Notes Have your students create a mind map or writing framework about a topic either for your course or for another course by using sticky notes on a table or wall. The sticky note approach (pp. 173-4) can work well for generating ideas in a group. Emphasize the difference between sequence of topics and hierarchy. Consider drawing analogies to heading levels in word processing software, e.g. Heading 1 = most important grouping of information, Heading 2 = subtopic, of which there will be several that appear within or under a Heading 1, and so on. 9. Connections within the Text This chapter’s ideas link with those of other chapters: • Chapter 1: preferred learning/thinking styles and striving styles are linked to writing and presentation styles • Chapter 2: taking online courses requires writing skills • Chapter 4: link note taking to preparing written outlines and mind maps • Chapter 6: doing research prefaces writing • Chapter 8: case analysis is linked to structured problem solving • Chapter 11: writing and presentation skills are connected to job search success Chapter 7 “Writing and Presenting” Case Study Answers 1) How well did Zenobia use her time to plan her presentation? What advice would you give her about the preparation stage of planning a presentation? Answer: Zenobia did not use her time well in planning the presentation, spending too much time on the visual and not enough time on the content and thinking about effective presentation strategies. In terms of advice for the preparation stage, students’ answer may vary, but may include thinking about her audience, spending time considering key themes, what needs to be covered in the presentation, what she would like the audience to remember about her presentation, and to make time for a dry run to check the flow of the material. 2) Clearly, Zenobia was enthusiastic about the topic of creativity, and she tried hard to make it “come alive” for her audience. Where did she go wrong? Answer: There are a few things that Zenobia did in her presentation that were not effective First, Zenobia spent too much time and effort on creating visuals that took away from the information she wanted to convey in her presentation, such as bringing in her dog for show and making the slides too colourful, which takes away from the written information. Second, spending so much time on colourful slides and costumes for her and her dog took away from her focus on the actual writing of the presentation. Cutting and pasting paragraphs onto slides is not effective as there is too much for the audience to read and does not allow Zenobia to highlight the key points and themes. 3) What was Zenobia’s priority when preparing this presentation? What should have been her priority? Answer: Zenobia’s priority when preparing the presentation was to entertain her audience. Zenobia’s priority should have been on the actual content presented, ensuring that it satisfied the topic she was presenting on. Zenobia could also have considered her level of presentation anxiety by taking the “Measuring Your Anxiety about Speaking in Public” survey in the text. This may have alerted her to the fact that if she was anxious she may have used these elaborate techniques to try to cover up her anxiety. 4) Do you agree with Zenobia’s instructor’s decision to provide feedback publicly? Why or why not? Answer: Student’s may agree or disagree with Zenobia’s instructor’s feedback method. If they disagree they may suggest that it is important to let students know what is expected of a presentation but that it should not be done at the expense of a single student. Zenobia’s instructor could have discussed the issue with her after class in private. Her instructor could also restate the requirements of the assignment to the class at another time or write the requirements in a handout or post on the course management system for all students. If students agree with the instructor’s method they may state that other students need to know this so they do not make the same mistake on their presentations. They may also feel that Zenobia should have known this was not acceptable as the requirements for the presentation were clearly outlined and discussed beforehand by the instructor. Agreeing: Public feedback can benefit the entire class by providing collective learning opportunities and clarifying expectations. Disagreeing: Public feedback may violate privacy, increase anxiety, and fail to address individual needs. P.O.W.E.R. Learning Instructor Manual (K. Surman) Chapter 8: Making Decisions and Solving Problems This resource for Chapter 8 contains the following: 1. Learning outcomes 2. Messages to the student and to the instructor 3. Ideas and concepts 4. Clarifying questions and discussion prompts 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. learning process in your instruction 6. Activities and assignments for the classroom or online 7. Extending the course content beyond the classroom 8. Additional activities and assignments 9. Connections within the text 1. Learning Outcomes LO 8.1 Outline a framework for decision-making. LO 8.2 Discuss how critical thinking can be applied to the problem-solving process. LO 8.3 Apply critical thinking to everyday problems. 2. Messages 2.1 To the student Your first reaction to the title of this chapter is probably a very personal one. For those of you who have just graduated from high school, you may be on your own for the first time in your life, and the decisions you are asked to make take on greater meaning than before. Prior to starting your postsecondary education, you had family, friends, and community members overseeing your decisions and providing reassurance or support for the choices you made. Now, you feel the weight of deciding about new friends, a new environment, and a new lifestyle, and you understand that your decision making affects your academic life. You have choices and there are different ways of arriving at decisions. For those of you who have been on your own and know the importance of decision-making skills, there may be lessons that have you learned that your classmates need to know. You may be able to assist others in dealing with the luxury of choice. 2.2 To the instructor Too many students do not believe that they have control over their own destiny. For many reasons, many students tend to embrace the idea that things just happen to them. They don’t feel in control and they have learned to quickly make excuses, claim ignorance, blame others, pray for miracles, or do anything rather than move internally to that difficult place called “personal responsibility.” Part of this concern results from the normal cognitive and emotional developmental stage of younger students (17 or 18 years old). Students may need to move from a worldview that suggests that there is “a right or wrong answer” to one that makes a place for many voices, solutions, and perspectives. The ability of students to cope with this uncertainty is an indication of their maturation. For older and returning students, taking on the new responsibilities of school in addition to work and family life is a true juggling act. The decisions they make must account for the needs of others. This chapter provides the opportunity to practise the skills of good decision-making and problem solving. It also reviews goal setting and reinforces critical thinking skills in terms of alternatives and outcomes particularly in application to what Feldman refers to as “life’s messier problems.” 3. Ideas and Concepts Analogy Critical thinking Decision-making Freewriting Problem-solving 4. Clarifying Questions and Discussion Prompts These questions can be used to encourage class discussion, small group work, or individual reflection about the information presented in this chapter. • Are you satisfied with the decisions you have made up to this point in your life? • Would the people who know you best (i.e., friends, parents, community members) say they trust your decision making? • What is the worst or best decision you have made in your life? What were the consequences or benefits? • Do friends and family come to you with problems to solve? Are you good at it? • What is the most difficult problem you have ever been involved in, and how did you resolve it? • What great decisions are facing you in your postsecondary education? What serious problems might you encounter? • How would you describe the process you use or the steps you take when making decisions? • What motivated your decision to attend school? What were some of the problems associated with this decision? How did you solve these problems? • What connection exists between indecision and personal values? • How do learning styles and striving styles influence decision making? • What kinds of concerns fit into the category of “messy problems”? 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. Learning Process in Your Instruction Here are some ideas for applying this process to the material in this chapter. Prepare: Examine your goals. Every decision should start with a consideration of both short- and long-term goals. Identifying the goals that underlie decisions ensures that decisions are made in context and not just to provide short-term answers to immediate problems. Students should also be encouraged to review their personal values in relation to establishing priorities (as done in Chapter 2 Managing Your Time) and making decisions. Organize: Consider and assess your alternatives. Two phases are required here: identifying alternatives, and assessing alternatives. To identify alternatives, students can be encouraged to use mind mapping (Chapter 7) if they have a visual/graphics learning style, or freewriting (Try It! 1) if they have a read/write learning style. Either way, students need to identify most obvious and less obvious alternatives. This process may require research and speaking to others. To assess alternatives, three steps are required: determine the possible outcome for each alternative, determine the probability that each will take place, and compare the alternatives, taking into account the potential outcomes of each. Systematic comparison can take place using a simple pro/con list as shown in Figure 8.1. Work: Make your decision and carry it out. Choosing among alternatives means that you have to accept the costs of that choice and give up the benefits of the other alternatives. Figure 8.2 illustrates the fork-in-the-road concept in a decision tree. Then, the final stage in making a decision is to act upon it. Roosevelt’s quotation indicates that the worst option when making a decision is doing nothing. Discuss whether or not students agree. This discussion may illuminate why some students tend toward inaction when faced with a difficult decision. Evaluate: Consider the outcome. Review the results of your decision. Rethink: Reconsider your goals and options. Take stock of whether your decisions are still producing the desired consequences, whether they are still appropriate for your life, and whether they are consistent with what you want to get out of life. TRY IT! Jot down in your teaching journal the ideas that worked and changes you would make the next time you teach this topic. 6. Activities and Assignments for the Classroom or Online The following activities appear in the textbook and are also available through Connect. Therefore, they can be completed during class time using the textbook or using laptops. They can also be completed online as part of a hybrid or online student success course. Try It! 1: Use Freewriting Freewriting is a technique involving continuous writing, without self-criticism, for a fixed period of time. Have students write as many ideas as possible, without stopping, in terms of alternatives for a particular decision they must make. Remind students that freewriting is an activity that can be used regularly in other courses to get ideas down on paper without judgement or evaluation. Try It! 2: Exercise your Problem-Solving Skills Have students work in a group to solve these six problems. Answers are found on p.212. Try It! 3: Distinguish Fact from Opinion Have students work individually to determine whether the six statements are fact or opinion. This exercise gives students a chance to examine the power of language as well as the developmental nature of language in shaping thinking. Try It! 4: What’s the Real Explanation? Even though two events are related to each other, it doesn’t mean that one causes the other. Instead, there is often some other factor that is the actual cause of the relationship. Answers are found on p.212. 7. Extending the Course Content Beyond the Classroom Here are some ideas that can carry the conversation beyond the chapter activities. Goal: To connect the information to the student’s life. Family living situations demand a great deal of time. Ask students who live with families to identify strategies used at home to support academic success. If most of your students live independently, dealing with the everyday dilemmas of paying rent, utilities, sharing resources and expenses fairly, commuting to campus, parking, and being in class on time provide material for decision-making and problem-solving exercises. Many students are good at knowing they have problems, but they can’t always articulate where the issue stems from or formulate a solid plan for solving the problem. Consider having students pair up to assist in identifying problems. GOAL: To connect the information to the programs and practices in the broader academic community. This chapter provides a good opportunity to explore career decision-making. Encourage students to connect to your institution’s career development centre, either physically and virtually. Have the class brainstorm problems facing your institution (e.g. parking, growth, tuition increases, controversial speakers). Have the students choose sides or research their positions and debate the issues in class. Instruct your students to focus on logical arguments and realistic solutions to the problems. GOAL: To connect to the global society. Have students identify the problem that is at the heart of a contemporary world issue. Just as there are hot topics on campuses, there are hotter ones in the global arena. Help students understand how international conflict, terrorism, global warming, deforestation, health crises, and other issues affect their world on a daily basis. Will our students choose to make these issues their own? Will they become world citizens or restrict their world only to those issues that impact their “backyard”? 8. Additional Activities and Assignments 8.1 Weighing Options After choosing what type of education and career to pursue, one of the most important decisions students make is choosing how to apply this education in an employment setting that will stimulate them and that they will enjoy. This exercise encourages students to consider their long-term goals, their personalities, striving styles, and learning styles (p.209) to decide what might be best suited to them. Follow the Career Connections exercise on p.197. Have students take the following steps: • Generate a selection of choices to consider. • Determine life-satisfaction considerations. • Determine how well a particular option fulfills each of the life-satisfaction factors using a chart like the one shown in Table 8.1. • Compare choices. 8.2 Life’s Messier Problems To solve many of the problems we face in our daily lives, we need to devise novel approaches. Consider having students individually come up with a messy problem that they are currently facing, and then have them methodically apply the eight strategies listed on pp.200-201 to reframe the problem: • Chunking • Working backward • Using graphics • Considering the opposite • Using analogies • Taking another’s perspective • Forgetting about it • Approaching it in the spirit of trial and error 8.3 Locus of Control It is a common tendency among first year students to see outside forces as controlling their destiny. This activity allows students to express their feelings about control in areas that influence their lives. It could be important to acknowledge that the level of “control” we feel might change depending on our most immediate experiences. If a pattern of feeling “out of control” is felt with every topic, the student should take that as a serious warning. This activity works well using a scale of one to five to reflect the level of control or as a simple forced choice exercise, with two possible choices: “Complete Control” or “Out of Control.” Step 1. Place signs with one to five on the walls around the room or divide the room with one side designated as “Complete Control” and the other as “Out of Control.” Step 2. State the topic and let students move to the place in the room that best reflects their feelings. If appropriate, allow them to share their concerns. • Relationship with parents or family • Relationship with partner • Money • Time • Class assignments • Work • Health • Eating habits • Online habits • Sleep • Selecting a program • Past choices • Future decisions 8.4 Forced Choice “Thinking on your feet” is a skill that is valued in many environments; the Forced Choice exercise allows this to happen naturally. Create a list of eight to ten statements or questions on any topic; label one end of the room as Agree and the other end as Disagree. Pose the statement or question and have the students move to the appropriate side of the room. Allow one or two individuals to explain their choice without creating an opportunity for discussion. Then, quickly move on to the next question. This activity allows students to move around the room, to speak, and to listen, and allows discussion regarding priorities and personal values that underlie the problem-solving and decision-making in this chapter 9. Connections within the Text This chapter’s ideas link with those of other chapters: • Chapter 1: preferred learning/thinking styles and striving styles are linked to decision making and problem solving • Chapter 2: decision making is tied into priorities and personal values • Chapter 7: case analysis is linked to structured problem solving • Chapter 11: decision making and problem solving are connected to job search success Chapter 8 “Making Decisions and Solving Problems” Case Study Answers 1) Of the problem solving strategies outlined in this chapter, which would you use to approach this problem? Answer: Student answers may vary but they should be urged to consider breaking the problem down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Once Megha does this, she can look at the individual areas of concern. For example, by reviewing different areas of her budget, she may be able to cover the lost cost of the rent by cutting back in some areas. Another alternative approach students may suggest is that Meghae works backwards in trying to solve her problem. By figuring out why this occurred, she may be able to prevent it happening again in the future. I would use the IDEAL strategy (Identify, Define, Explore, Act, Look) to systematically address the problem, ensuring each step is carefully considered and executed. 2) What alternatives does Megha have for dealing with the situation? Answer: There are few alternatives for Megha’s situation: she could try to find the nursing student and demand her to move back or pay the money for the month; Megha could review her budget and try to live more simply without the added income; or she could find a replacement roommate as soon as possible. 3) How should Megha go about evaluating the outcomes for each alternative? Answer: Since there are several alternatives available to Megha, she should compare them all to find the one which works the best for the situation. This includes considering money, time, and energy needed for each alternative. She can ask herself some of the following questions: Does one of the solutions have a greater chance of working? Which one addresses the most aspects of the problem? How can an alternative be refined to work better in the situation? 4) Based on your analysis of the problem, what advice would you give Megha for dealing with the situation? Answer: Students answers may vary, but they may suggest her finding a new tenant or reviewing her budget to cover gaps from the lost income. Approaching the nursing student for money or demanding that she return is less likely to work given the situation. I would advise Megha to clearly identify the root cause of the problem and explore multiple solutions, then choose the most feasible option and implement it systematically. 5) Is there anything Megha could have done to avoid this problem in the first place? (Hint: If you've signed a lease in the past, did you have to pay any money up-front?) Answer: Before finding her next tenant, Megha should prepare a contract for the new tenant to sign before moving in, which includes payment information and general rules for the room. Megha needs to demand that new tenants provide a money deposit up-front, both to hold the room and cover any unpaid damages to the room caused by the tenant. P.O.W.E.R. Learning Instructor Manual (K. Surman) Chapter 9: Collaborating with Others This resource for Chapter 9 contains the following: 1. Learning outcomes 2. Messages to the student and to the instructor 3. Ideas and concepts 4. Clarifying questions and discussion prompts 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. learning process in your instruction 6. Activities and assignments for the classroom or online 7. Extending the course content beyond the classroom 8. Additional activities and assignments 9. Connections within the text 1. Learning Outcomes LO 9.1 Explain why the ability to work well as part of a group is an essential skill, and describe how groups evolve into well-functioning teams. LO 9.2 Discuss ways of communicating openly with other group members. LO 9.3 Identify the various types of diversity and discuss how to build the kind of cultural competence that facilitates working with people who are different from you. LO 9.4 Describe approaches that can be used to resolve conflicts. 2. Messages 2.1 To the student You’ve probably had many people tell you that your postsecondary years will be the best years of your life. Maybe you were told that the friends you make now will be your friends for years to come. But were you prepared for the joys and challenges that would come from being around so many individuals with different experiences, beliefs, and values from your own? Have you considered how you enter into your relationships? Most of life’s enduring relationships take time, trust, and commitment. How long have you actually known the people you consider your friends? Relationships are dependent on the way you understand yourself and how you choose to interact and choose to include others you meet throughout your postsecondary years. Collaborative and conflict resolution skills, cultural competence, and emotional intelligence all factor into the success of these relationships. 2.2 To the instructor Regardless of your institution’s location and characteristics, it is important to model the inclusion that is implicit in this chapter’s discussion and to demonstrate an appreciation for both the individuality and diversity of your students. We all want to belong to some community; we want to share our stories, and we all must learn how to listen to others. Human relationships are powerful, and the ability to build them, to work collaboratively, and to resolve conflict within them are key skills at school, at work, and at home. 3. Ideas and Concepts Brainstorming Conversational markers Cultural competence Culture Discrimination Emotional intelligence Ethnicity “I” statements Prejudice Reflective feedback Stages of a group’s evolution Stereotypes Team charter Zero-sum game 4. Clarifying Questions and Discussion Prompts These questions can be used to encourage class discussion, small group work, or individual reflection about the information presented in this chapter. • How would you define your culture? • How would you define your ethnicity? • Is that culture or ethnicity all good or are there some things you wish were different? • How important is it for you to be a part of a diverse community? • Can you think of a defining moment in your life when you discovered or observed someone being treated differently from you? • What formal and informal ways has your campus sought to emphasize diversity? • Are you a good communicator in your personal relationships? • How do you deal with conflict in relationships? What strategies have you used that worked well? What methods have you tried that failed? • Do you prefer doing individual or group work? Why? • What methods have you used to resolve a conflict? • How does your striving style affect how you collaborate with others? 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. Learning Process in Your Instruction Here are some ideas for applying this process to the material related to LO 9.1 Working Productively in Groups in this chapter. A project for either your class or another class can be used for the process. Prepare: Choose group members thoughtfully. Encourage students to choose members that have a similar end goal in mind and with whom they have compatible schedules. Emphasize that the most important variables for optimal group performance are social sensitivity and speaking in turn -- variables related to emotional intelligence. Organize: Select a topic for a group project. See Try It! 1 for guidelines on holding a brainstorming session. Work: Determine how the group will function. Discuss the five stages of a group’s evolution. Consider drawing up a team charter as shown in Figure 9.1. Evaluate: Decide what to do when things don’t go as planned. Discuss how striving styles affect collaboration with others. Encourage students to keep lines of communication open as conflicts and disagreements arise. Rethink: Hold a post-mortem meeting. Once the group has received the grade on the project, have them hold a meeting in the adjourning stage to discuss what worked and what didn’t, and how to do things differently the next time. TRY IT! Jot down in your teaching journal the ideas that worked and changes you would make the next time you teach this topic. 6. Activities and Assignments for the Classroom or Online The following activities appear in the textbook and are also available through Connect. Therefore, they can be completed during class time using the textbook or using laptops. They can also be completed online as part of a hybrid or online student success course. Try It! 1: Organize a Brainstorming Session The scenario depicts a marketing instructor’s request to come up with ideas for new applications for the iPhone. However, you may wish to have students come up with ideas for other projects, products, or applications of technology or science. The key is to divide the class into groups and to explain the rules of brainstorming: idea generation without censoring or critiquing. Try It! 2: Determine the Diversity of Your Community Have students assess the degree of diversity that exists within their community, depending on their own personal definition of community. Encourage them to include the people they encounter and interact with on a regular basis. Try It! 3: Switch “You” to “I” Working in a group or in pairs, have students turn the statements into less aggressive alternatives. Spoken in terms of oneself and one’s individual interpretation rather than casting blame on the other person, these statements are more likely to defuse anger. 7. Extending the Course Content Beyond the Classroom Here are some ideas that can carry the conversation beyond the chapter activities. Goal: To connect the information to the student’s life. Living issues will abound in your discussion of this chapter, whether your students live on campus or share an apartment or house with their families. Facilitate a discussion on living with others including communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution. What backgrounds do your students bring to the classroom in terms of culture and ethnicity? Ask them to describe their families and home communities. Remind your class of the importance of respectful language. Most students want to be culturally sensitive, but they may not have had guidance on appropriate language. Have students consider the importance of cultural competence in their careers, including ways in which a lack of cultural competence may create conflict or lack of success. Discuss diversity in the workplace as depicted in the Career Connections segment on p.226 and diversity in the classroom as depicted in the Course Connections segment on p.229. Have students talk about instances in which assumptions made on first impressions or general appearance were proven incorrect. What did they learn from this experience? Consider using a movie or a TV series to have students to identify the stages in group evolution and to analyze the factors involved. The issues of communication and conflict resolution as depicted in the movie or series can also be discussed. GOAL: To connect the information to the programs and practices in the broader academic community. You may wish to consult your campus’s International Studies office or Centre for Students with Disabilities for resources and speakers on diversity and cultural competence. Discuss ways to develop cultural competence as outlined on pages 226-7, and consider designing a check-in later in the term to check on progress in attaining cultural competence. GOAL: To connect to the global society. Any activity that you plan that includes international studies either on your campus or on other campuses will connect your students to the global community. This is a theme that can be developed throughout the semester. Global interdependency is very relationship-based. Ask your students to bring in examples of healthy and non-healthy relationship interaction between two or more countries. What would they recommend doing differently? How do they assess these interactions in terms of the skills outlined in this chapter (cultural competence, emotional intelligence, listening skills, conflict resolution)? 8. Additional Activities and Assignments 8.1 Parent/Partner/Family Interview Listening is perhaps the most important communication skill we can develop. The purposes of this interview are: • to provide an opportunity for students to communicate with someone close to them about their first several weeks of a term • to give students a chance to find out how things may have changed for them and their partner or family member since beginning their educational program • to increase the awareness of the need for continued support and communication • to promote the importance of developing listening skills, particularly the value of supportive silence The interview takes approximately 20 minutes, while the reflections take another 15 minutes. Encourage students to review the suggestions on pp.220-1 to improve their ability to listen. Each student will interview his or her parent, partner, or family member at home. The students should let individuals know about the interview ahead of time so that they can pick a mutually convenient time and a comfortable setting that is free of distractions. Instruct students to complete the questionnaire at the time of interview prior to writing your impressions of the interview. 1. Please try to recall and describe your feelings when I started my educational program. 2. What are the three most noticeable changes around the house since I started school? 3. What were your impressions of my campus when you first saw it? 4. Do you think I have changed since I began school? If so, how? If not, what do you think might happen that will change me? 5. What do you expect my grades to be this semester? Will it be okay if I don’t make all A’s? Do you have a specific grade point average that you expect? 6. What between us has changed? How much have we communicated since school started? Then, write up your impressions of the interview. Did you get non-verbal cues from your respondent during the interview? Did you use conversational markers? Did you sense that your relationship has changed, and if so, how? Did the interview lead to more general discussions? If so, what topics were discussed? What is one thing you learned from this conversation? 9.2 Diversity Wheel Diversity is composed of many different characteristics. Have students describe themselves on these characteristics using the wheel in Figure 9.2. 9.3 Generational Differences at Work Students are likely to find themselves collaborating with people from a different generation either at school or in the workplace. Consider matching students from different generations to discuss the fit of the information in Table 9.1 to their own situations and characteristics. 9. Connections within the Text This chapter’s ideas link with those of other chapters: • Chapter 1: link striving styles to collaboration and conflict resolution • Chapter 2: diversity is tied to priorities and personal values • Chapter 8: link decision making and problem solving to conflict resolution and brainstorming Chapter 9 “Collaborating with Others” Case Study Answers 1) Can you identify with Jorge's situation? Are there aspects of yourself that you feel self-conscious about? Answer: Student answers may vary, though they should be encouraged to think not only of racial insecurities, but also those involving class, gender, background, physical or mental traits, sexual orientation, and personality. Yes, I can identify with Jorge's situation, as everyone has aspects of themselves they feel self-conscious about. It's important to focus on strengths and seek supportive environments. 2) What assumptions does Jorge fear his classmates will make? Answer: It seems he is most afraid that some students may assume he is unintelligent or slow due to his accent. Worse, he fears some students will completely disregard what he says because of his accent. Deeper still, Jorge may fear that his behaviour will reinforce certain prejudices and stereotypes about Hispanics. 3) What assumptions about his classmates is Jorge making? Answer: Jorge assumes that his classmates have not been exposed to people of different backgrounds because, in Toronto, diversity seemed much more prevalent than at his current college. He is also assuming that the students have not developed their own cultural competency and will, therefore, have no understanding or knowledge about his own background and race. Further, Jorge assumes that his classmates will base their assumptions of him on his accent rather than his work in class or his insights during discussion. 4) What advice would you give Jorge to help him feel more comfortable not just speaking in class, but also in college in general? Answer: Canada is becoming increasingly diverse and Jorge should remember that, while there are no other Dominicans in his class, many students will have engaged with and befriended Dominicans in the course of their daily lives. Alternatively, if it is a student’s first encounter with a Dominican person, Jorge is helping that person develop his or her own cultural competency and understanding. Jorge also needs to realize that, besides racial differences, his fellow students share many of the same concerns and interests as he himself does. If Jorge is willing to think positively of his fellow students, both in class and in college, he will find other positive-thinking people for companionship. 5) Have you ever judged someone based not on what they say, but how they say it? What did you learn from this incident, and how could you avoid it in the future? Answer: Student answers may vary based on their own experiences. In the future, students can broaden their own understanding of different cultures and ways of life by traveling, studying other cultures, or participating in community service. When first talking with somebody, they should try not to make any assumptions about who the person is and accept any differences without judging. Yes, I have judged someone based on their tone rather than their words. I learned that it can lead to misunderstandings, and I now strive to focus on the content of the message and ask for clarification when needed. P.O.W.E.R. Learning Instructor Manual (K. Surman) Chapter 10: Managing Stress and Money This resource for Chapter 10 contains the following: 1. Learning outcomes 2. Messages to the student and to the instructor 3. Ideas and concepts 4. Clarifying questions and discussion prompts 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. learning process in your instruction 6. Activities and assignments for the classroom or online 7. Extending the course content beyond the classroom 8. Additional activities and assignments 9. Connections within the text 1. Learning Outcomes LO 10.1 Define stress and analyze its effects in your life. LO 10.2 Identify practical ways of managing stress. LO 10.3 Differentiate between needs and wants, prepare a budget, and explain how to stick to it. LO 10.4 Discriminate between good and bad debt, discuss how student loans and credit cards work, and explain how to use credit wisely. 2. Messages 2.1 To the student School is not for wimps. Pursuing a postsecondary education is not only mentally challenging but also physically and emotionally demanding. Some of you have unlimited freedom of choice regarding when to eat, sleep, or exercise. Others will be constrained in your choices by family or work obligations. Career opportunities, lifestyle options, and long-term financial security will be tied to many of the decisions you make while you are a student. You have the freedom to choose with whom you associate; the manner in which you develop and maintain personal relationships can influence your overall emotional and physical well-being. You may have illnesses or disabilities, or you may experience loss over which you do not have control, but your responses and attitudes about these aspects of your life are totally within your control. Additionally, you will have tremendous influence over the choices that family members, classmates, and friends make. When you know that someone is making unwise or unhealthy decisions, it is incumbent upon you to speak up. This chapter explores the role that competing influences in your life play and provides you with information that should be taken to heart as you consider the lifestyle choices and habits that will serve you as a student and beyond your postsecondary experience. 2.2 To the instructor Leading your students through choices that impact their health requires trust and respect. As a result, this chapter is not easily taught in the beginning of the semester, even though that is when it seems that our students need and would benefit most from it at that time. It simply makes sense that you need to develop a relationship with someone before discussing eating habits, rest, addictions, money, or other issues related to personal choice. Each individual has a responsibility to make healthy and wise choices but the safety of all requires that we watch over one another as each of us learns to live well individually. It is important to develop a culture of concern for one another. Perhaps it is useful to know that by the middle or the end of the semester, there often exist experiences and crises that make this information useful, even urgent. Use current events to discuss issues of fiscal integrity and judicious financial planning. You can expect some unusual revelations from your students when they begin to explore this information with you. Be genuine with your concern, thoughtful with your responses, and accurate with your referrals. 3. Ideas and Concepts Budget Cataclysmic events Coping Credit rating Daily hassles Disposable income Personal stressors Social support Stress 4. Clarifying Questions and Discussion Prompts These questions can be used to encourage class discussion, small group work, or individual reflection about the information presented in this chapter. • What causes personal and/or academic stress in your life? • How would you define health? • What habits would you like to change? How can you do this? • What would your day look like if you were to live a healthy life? • What role does your ability to maintain positive relationships play in your ability to remain healthy? • What does keeping your promises and commitments really mean? • How do your lifestyle choices reflect your values? • What is the difference between a want and a need? • How do you justify the cost of higher education in your life? Is this the same motivation for all of your classmates? • Have you ever lived on a budget? • What sense do you have of the amount of money you need to live the way you believe you want to live? What starting salary is appropriate at your first job out of school? • What other ways to save money can you think of other than the ones listed in this chapter? • Can you remember a situation where you had to sacrifice and save money for something special? What was your financial goal? How did you make it happen? • Why does our culture support the notion of living on borrowed funds? 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. Learning Process in Your Instruction Here are some ideas for applying this process to the material related to LO 10.3 Managing Your Money in this chapter to assist students in developing a budget. Prepare: Track the money coming in and going out. Have your students get a sense of job-related income and other funds they can count on in the coming year. Encourage them to track all the little items that they tend to pay for with cash. Organize: Prepare a budget. Have students complete Table 10.2 to record the amounts and types of money they have coming in. Then, have students estimate their expenditures using Table 10.3. Encourage them to include an amount that they will routinely put aside in a savings account. Work: Balance your budget. Have students transfer the information from Tables 10.2 and 10.3 (income and expenses) to Table 10.4 to determine if they need to make changes to balance their budgets. Discuss ways to save money such as the list on p.258. Evaluate: Review your budget regularly. Encourage students to review their budgets at the end of every month or at the end of each semester to determine how closely actual expenditures and income match their budget projections. Rethink: Revisit your budget when circumstances change. Students need to revisit their budgets when personal circumstances change in a significant way. In that way, they can take immediate steps to rethink and revise their budgets. TRY IT! Jot down in your teaching journal the ideas that worked and changes you would make the next time you teach this topic. 6. Activities and Assignments for the Classroom or Online The following activities appear in the textbook and are also available through Connect. Therefore, they can be completed during class time using the textbook or using laptops. They can also be completed online as part of a hybrid or online student success course. Try It! 1: Assess Your Level of Mental Health Students can complete this test to assess their levels of mental health. If they receive low scores, they should be encouraged to meet with a campus counselor. This exercise provides an opportunity to discuss the three main types of stressors (cataclysmic events, personal stressors, and daily hassles) and the physical reactions to stress. You may wish to have students journal on the types of stressors that they experience. Identifying the factors that cause stress is more difficult than it seems, and what is stressful to one person is not always stressful to someone else. Help your students to find the real causes of their stress. Emphasize that stress and time management are intertwined topics. While good time management will not relieve all stress, it can make the situation better for many students. Try It! 2: Look for the Silver Lining Have students consider the list of potentially stressful situations and find something positive about them. Discuss the fact that students with high emotional intelligence (see Table 10.1) tend to cope better with stress than students who are more emotional reactive. Discuss effective coping strategies for dealing with stress as listed on pages 244-7. Also discuss ways to alleviate future stress, including the relaxation techniques in Section 8.2. Try It! 3: Test Your Knowledge of Personal Finance Students can complete this quiz to get a sense of the basics of personal finance. Try It! 4: Determine Your Saving Style Have students rate the statements on their ability to describe them. Use the results to discuss savings styles, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Link savings styles to the ability to keep to a budget. 7. Extending the Course Content Beyond the Classroom Here are some ideas that can carry the conversation beyond the chapter activities. Goal: To connect the information to the student’s life. Many campuses have individuals, groups, or organizations that regularly provide programs focusing on healthy lifestyles. Consider inviting a speaker from one of these organizations. Health concerns of students may be different from those of the rest of Canada. Have your students research the health concerns of individuals who are not attending postsecondary institutions. How is it that individuals (you and your students) who have almost unlimited freedom of choice regarding diet, exercise, and access to health care sometimes choose to practice unhealthy lifestyles? What habits do your students have that they can relate to their own family’s practices? As they examine their habits, which ones would they want to keep when raising children of their own? Which ones would they discourage? Use the same tools used in Chapter 2 (Making the Most of Your Time) to develop money management skills. Ask your students to brainstorm all of the ways they can save money. GOAL: To connect the information to the programs and practices in the broader academic community. Ask your students to create a program about health or campus safety that they would be willing to present to other students on your campus. It would be particularly useful for them to identify information that is not currently provided through an office or other organization. Have your students create a realistic budget for next year’s first year students on your campus, particularly for those entering their program(s). GOAL: To connect to the global society. Canadians, in general, have access to health care at a different level than the rest of the world. Ask your students to examine one culture that attempts to provide greater access to health care for its citizens and one that provides less access. What impact does this have on the overall health and well-being of its citizens? What about longevity of life? Some diseases are not only health concerns but also political and geographical issues. Ask your students to explore HIV/AIDS, polio, and tuberculosis through the filter of politics, religious beliefs, and ethnicity. Ask students to consider the budgets of three different countries. Compare and contrast the financial commitments of these countries with regard to education, defense, and the environment. What values are reflected by the budget decisions of these countries? Determine the “value” of a dollar in three different countries. Ask students to explore the cost of their most recent grocery bill from the perspective of a working citizen in each of those three countries. 8. Additional Activities and Assignments 8.1 The Cost of Higher Education A simple way to enlighten students concerning the value of their money is by illustrating the cost of a postsecondary education. Use this activity to have students come up with the true investment they are making. Step 1 Have students figure out how much it actually costs per year to attend school. Encourage them to add in all of the costs. They should determine what their total expenses would be throughout an entire diploma or degree experience. Step 2 Next, ask your students to search for starting salaries of two types of jobs: those requiring a degree or a diploma, and a typical job (usually minimum wage) that does not require a degree or a diploma. Multiply each salary type by 30 years of employment (just arrive at the gross number, do not try to adjust for raises, benefits, increase in minimum wage, inflation, or deductions for taxes, insurance) Step 3 Subtract the cost of a postsecondary education from the gross amount of working for 30 years in a job requiring such an education. Then compare that to the total amount earned if the student simply went to work and did not earn a postsecondary education. Step 4 Ask them what they have discovered. Are they making an investment in their education? Are they likely to earn more over a lifetime with a diploma or a degree than without one? How much of an investment in their future financial security is their education? 8.2 Relaxation Techniques Deep Breathing Slow your breathing, inhaling as deeply and slowly as comfortable, with your right hand on your abdomen. As you exhale, slowly say silently to yourself the phrase, “release, rest, and relax.” Each time you exhale, breathe more slowly and more deeply. Each time you exhale, repeat the phrase. Allow your diaphragm to do all of the work. If the diaphragm is doing the breathing work, the hand on your abdomen should be the only other part of you that moves. Quick Muscle Tensing Tense every muscle group in your body. Hold your breath and hold the tension while you slowly count to five. Then, relax and exhale. Take several slow, deep breaths, and then tense again. Allow yourself at least 30 seconds to enjoy the resulting feeling of relaxation. Quiet Reflection Take several deep breaths. Relax muscle tension. Imagine briefly a place that is very relaxing, safe, and comfortable. Visualize yourself in this safe and relaxing place. Notice the details of your surroundings—the objects close to you and those farther away. Notice the colors around you and the lights and shadows. Be aware of the time of day. Notice the textures—the feeling of the surfaces you are standing or sitting on, the way your clothing touches your skin, and the air moving against your skin. Allow your thoughts to slow down. Allow your mind to clear. When you are refreshed and ready to return to your activity, do so gradually. 8.3 Staying Alert If you’re having trouble staying alert or even awake in class, the best solution is to get more sleep. Keep a sleep log for seven nights to track when and for how long you are sleeping. Consider making some of the simple changes listed on p.250 to help you sleep better. Then, if you still have trouble staying alert in class, try some of the strategies listed on p.252 to help you stay awake, such as throwing yourself into the class, sitting up straight, eating or drinking something cold, avoiding heavy meals, staying cool, and taking off one shoe. 9. Connections within the Text This chapter’s ideas link with those of other chapters: • Chapter 1: link the costs to the benefits of a postsecondary education • Chapter 2: link time management to money management • Chapter 8: link decision making and problem solving to stress reduction and money management • Chapter 9: link emotional intelligence and stress management Chapter 10 “Managing Stress and Money” Case Study Answers 1) Is Antonio's college career really over? What should his next steps be if he wants to stay in college? Answer: Probably not. If Antonio takes charge of his situation and draws from all available resources, he should be able to find a way to continue paying for college. He should look into areas of financial aid, such as grants, loans, and scholarships. Other family members or friends may be able to help him in the short-term. He could consider asking for a raise for one of his jobs or looking for a higher paying position. Finally, he needs to try to relax and realize that he will get through this crisis—one way or another. 2) What can Antonio do in the long-term to make sure he doesn't face a similar crisis down the road? Answer: For the long-term, Antonio needs to prepare a budget which includes not only daily living expenses, but also saves some money for surprise situations such as this one. He needs to constantly renew and revise his budget as his situation changes. Antonio and his brother should also discuss ways for his brother to pay him back for all the expenses incurred. 3) Is there anything Antonio could have done to have avoided this situation in the first place? Answer: Student answers may vary for this question. Most likely, students will answer that there was little Antonio could have done to avoid this situation, other than setting money aside for emergency situations or having his brother work part-time to help with expenses. Antonio could have avoided this situation by creating and sticking to a budget, saving regularly, and monitoring his expenses closely. 4) Do you think Antonio was right to support his brother while he was injured? Would you have done the same thing in a similar circumstance in your own life? Answer: Student answers will vary but they should consider how this emergency would affect them financially, academically, and personally. Yes, Antonio was right to support his brother while he was injured, as family support is important in times of need. I would have done the same in a similar circumstance. 5) Have you ever had a moment when you thought your financial plans had been ruined? In the end, was the situation as bad as it first appeared? Answer: Student answers will vary but many students should answer that the situation was often not as bad as it first appeared. Students should be reminded then that many stressors need to be put into perspective before panicking. By keeping well in other areas, such as maintaining good eating and sleeping habits, students can also be better prepared to handle financial emergencies as they happen. Yes, I've had moments when financial plans seemed ruined, but upon reassessment, the situation often turned out to be less severe than initially thought. P.O.W.E.R. Learning Instructor Manual (K. Surman) Chapter 11: Planning Your Career This resource for Chapter 11 contains the following: 1. Learning outcomes 2. Messages to the student and to the instructor 3. Ideas and concepts 4. Clarifying questions and discussion prompts 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. learning process in your instruction 6. Activities and assignments for the classroom or online 7. Extending the course content beyond the classroom 8. Additional activities and assignments 9. Connections within the text 1. Learning Outcomes LO 11.1 Identify your ideal career. LO 11.2 Prepare a Career Portfolio, including up-to-date resumé and cover letter. LO 11.3 Explain some effective job search strategies. LO 11.4 Demonstrate your interviewing skills. LO 11.5 Evaluate the impact of your striving style on career choice and career development. 2. Messages 2.1 To the student Among the most dynamic processes you will undertake in your postsecondary education relates to career exploration. The careers that exist today might well be obsolete tomorrow. Therefore, a developmental approach that you can use throughout your life needs to be integrated into your skill set. Taking a variety of classes and becoming involved in diverse organizations is a good way to prepare yourself to act on ideas that truly matter to you. You shouldn’t assume that the title of your area of study will guarantee a job in a specific field, nor should you allow your interest in a particular area of study to serve as a limiting factor for the job you may eventually undertake. The skills that you need for a satisfying career (writing, speaking, collaborating with others) will be as important to your academic success as to your selection of a specific job. Creating space in your educational journey for volunteer work, internships, co-op placements, research, campus jobs, service learning, and possibly travel will provide a strong foundation for making a good decision about the world of work you will enter upon graduation. 2.2 To the instructor One of your primary teaching responsibilities is to expand the notion of career preparation within the broader context of earning a postsecondary credential. Very few students recognize that the process for being tapped for a promotion, higher pay, or position of importance begins with every skill they learn throughout their lives. They should research information that supports their decision-making processes and your class assignments should encourage this data gathering. Students need to identify support structures for making good decisions under sometimes stressful circumstances, and they need to engage in career planning from the beginning of their postsecondary education, rather than post-graduation. There is no such thing as too soon for students to seriously consider their careers. Because the world is increasingly interdependent, a well-developed global understanding is important when considering career development. In addition to national and international experiences, it is critical to introduce your students to language development. And finally, to prepare for the world of work, the importance of planning should be emphasized, whether it is for the selection of courses or determining how to complete an entire course of study online. Students have more resources and opportunities than ever, but they must be agile in their abilities to access the information needed to make their career of choice happen. 3. Ideas and Concepts Career portfolio 4. Clarifying Questions and Discussion Prompts These questions can be used to encourage class discussion, small group work, or individual reflection about the information presented in this chapter. • What are the resources at your institution that support career development? What populations do these resources specialize in serving? • What kinds of job experiences have you had at this point in your life? Can you attach specific job-related skills to these experiences? • What qualities or characteristics do you associate with specific careers? • What attributes of a career do you view as being achieved only through the completion of a postsecondary credential? • What do you love to spend time doing? What passions do you have that you would like to integrate into your career? • What is the impact of your striving style on your career choice? 5. Using the P.O.W.E.R. Learning Process in Your Instruction Here are some ideas for applying this process to the material in this chapter. Prepare: Identify your career goals. Many students will be in jobs as they work their way through school. Talk to students about how well their current jobs align with their long-term goals. What are some of the advantages of their current jobs? How might these jobs impact their long-term goals? Have students complete the Try It! 1 exercise. Alternatively, tell each student to come with the four-line descriptor of what their ideal job would involve. Using their four-line descriptor, have students form groups with those with similar job descriptions. Then, have these groups identify jobs or career fields that include the specific attributes that the group has decided are important. Ask the groups to discuss whether they now have a broader or more narrow field of interest in a career or profession. Also have them list the courses and experiences that would be valuable and relevant. Organize: Find and research career opportunities. Have students research job opportunities within their field of study. Encourage then to spend time on government databases. Also encourage them to set up information interviews as described in Sections 8.1 and 8.2. Work: Create a career portfolio. This portfolio includes background information such as personal data, career research notes, course materials, transcripts, a personal history, long-term career goals, writing samples, and credentials. Have students complete a personal history with every significant experience they’ve had using Try It! 2. This history can be used to create a resumé, which together with a cover letter shown in Figure 11.2, comprises the more public and widely distributed part of the portfolio. Evaluate: Get feedback on your resumé and cover letter. Have students get feedback from an instructor or career centre staff member, and, if possible, from individuals in the field in which they’re interested. Rethink: Rethink your initial career choice. Even if students are certain about what they intend to do professionally, encourage them to reconsider their initial choices to avoid “foreclosure”. TRY IT! Jot down in your teaching journal the ideas that worked and changes you would make the next time you teach this topic. 6. Activities and Assignments for the Classroom or Online The following activities appear in the textbook and are also available through Connect. Therefore, they can be completed during class time using the textbook or using laptops. They can also be completed online as part of a hybrid or online student success course. Try It! 1: Identify Your Long-term Career Goals Using the list provided, have students create sets of their three most important occupational goals to help them learn what it is they want out of work. Emphasize that while employers are more interested in what you bring to a job, it is important to know how well a job fulfills important goals. Try It! 2: Cataloguing Your Personal History Here, students describe activities and events, when and where they occurred, their responsibilities and actions, skills and talents used or learned, achievements, and insights gained. This allows them to determine their unique capabilities that they can leverage when seeking a job. Try It! 3: Creating a Resumé As a result of exploring ideas about occupational goals in Try It! 1 and gathering important elements of their personal histories in Try It! 2, have students use the worksheet to create a resumé that they can have reviewed. Encourage students to see the sample resumé in Figure 11.1 on p. 278 and to use the Power Words listed in Section 8.3. Discuss the use of online job applications, key words in resumés , and the use of resumé screening software in organizations. Try It! 4: Interviewing Consider holding mock or practice interviews with students in pairs for positions in which they are interested. Have them choose a company for whom they’d like to work, research the company, outline the job, hold the interview, and debrief with a critique of their performance. You can alleviate the normal tension of a job interview by having students practise answers to common questions asked by potential employers. Have students develop a list of these common questions. Remind students that many of the questions in 8.1 work equally well when students interview for jobs. They should be prepared not only to answer questions, but also to ask relevant questions. 7. Extending the Course Content Beyond the Classroom Here are some ideas that can carry the conversation beyond the chapter activities. Goal: To connect the information to the student’s life. The job-finding process has changed significantly even in the past decade. Interview your parents. Ask them how they got their jobs. What was their job search like? Do you think that today’s economic climate, access to technology, and mobile society have changed the process necessary for preparing for and finding a job? Create the resumé that you would like to give a potential employer when you are about to graduate. What types of courses and experiences can you envision on this resume to get the job you want? GOAL: To connect the information to the programs and practices in the broader academic community. Contact graduates of your program who are willing to answer questions about specific careers or who might sponsor internships or job shadowing opportunities. Find out how they made their decisions, which classes they found most valuable, and what experiences made a difference. Participate in a company-, community- or institution-sponsored Career Day program. GOAL: To connect to the global society. Identify three potential programs and determine whether you can also travel to meet course or internship requirements. When would you need to plan for this experience? View the online advertisements for jobs in your desired field in other areas of the country and in other countries to determine their appeal to you. Join a professional networking site. Identify a recent opening or closing of a local employer, industry, agency, or government department. Uncover the reasons for this action and identify the connections you can attribute to a global economy. 8. Additional Activities and Assignments 8.1 Instructor Interview Interview one of your instructors or another employee of your institution in a field that interests you. • How did you choose your particular field? How old were you when you decided to go into it? Did you ever want to do anything else? • Where did you go to school? Which teacher had the greatest influence on you? Why? Did the influence impact your career choice? • What do you like best about teaching? What do you like least? • Do you have a philosophy of teaching? • What lifestyle factors were most relevant to your career choices? What significant experiences beyond the classroom shaped your education? • Why did you choose to work in postsecondary education instead of some other setting (e.g. corporate, non-profit)? • What challenges have existed by working on a campus? • What non-teaching careers are possible in an educational setting? • What transferable skills should students possess? • If you had it to do over again, would you pursue the same profession? Why or why not? 8.2 Information Interview Many of the questions listed in 8.1 can also be used as part of an information-gathering interview that students hold with graduates of their programs or with professionals working in their career of choice outside of the institution. Instead of asking for a job, students can become informed about the work, which may increase or decrease their desire to pursue this type of work. Relate this exercise to the segment on Career Guides (Course Connections) on p.274. Other questions are listed on p.273. 8.3 Power Words All resumés may look alike but they don’t all read alike. Consider using the following verbs to describe your accomplishments when preparing your resume. • Go through the entire list and check off all of the action verbs (skills) employers in your intended career field look for • Go through the list a second time and check off all of the verbs (skills) you have used in the experiences you are describing on your resumé • Note all of the words that you have checked twice and incorporate into your resumé (and cover letter) the ones that best describe your skills and abilities accelerated created generated medicated reported accomplished defined governed modified researched achieved delegated graduated monitored reviewed adapted demonstrated guided motivated revised administered designed halved negotiated scheduled advanced to detailed headed obtained served advertised developed hired operated simplified advised devised identified ordered sparked analyzed directed illustrated organized sold approved discovered implemented originated solved arranged distributed improved overcame specified assembled doubled increased participated stimulated assisted drafted influenced performed strengthened built earned informed persuaded structured calculated edited initiated pioneered succeeded changed educated innovated planned supervised clarified effected inspired prepared surveyed collaborated eliminated installed presented synthesized collected engineered integrated processed taught communicated established interpreted programmed trained compiled estimated interviewed promoted transformed completed evaluated invented proposed transmitted composed examined investigated provided trebled conceived executed justified publicized unified conceptualized expanded keynote purchased used conducted experienced led reconciled won controlled explained licensed recorded wrote converted facilitated maintained recruited coordinated financed managed reduced constructed formed manipulated reinforced consulted formulated marketed related correlated founded mastered reorganized 8.4 Mapping Your Career Planning Timeline Don’t wait until graduation to think about career planning. There are steps you can take even if you haven’t decided on a program. Early in the your program • Visit a peer career centre or other early career exploration sites • Explore your interests and abilities by taking a variety of classes • Become involved in a student or community or online organization • Start and continually update your resumé and career portfolio • Research careers • Visit the campus career development center • Explore leadership position and community programs • Seek out volunteer opportunities • Take a course with a service learning requirement • Take on assignments, projects, and reports that relate to your career interests Later in your program • Activate an online career account with your campus career development centre • Identify an internship opportunity • Conduct information interviews • Start networking physically at events and virtually through career networking sites • Become involved in professional associations • Work on career-related skill development • Refine your resumé and career portfolio • Develop interview and job-seeking skills • Explore options for graduate certifications • Focus on career preferences • Start targeting employers • Conduct your job search 8.5 Moving Your Career Forward and Striving Styles Understanding and accepting your striving style is the first step on the path to self-actualization. The resources available at www.strivingstyles.com can be used in many ways, such as taking the online personality assessment and subsequently booking an interpretation or coaching session. 9. Connections within the Text This chapter’s ideas link with those of other chapters: • Chapter 1: link the costs to the benefits of a postsecondary education • Chapter 8: link decision making and problem solving to stress reduction and career planning • Chapter 10: link emotional intelligence and stress management to career planning Chapter 11 “Planning Your Career” Case Study Answers 1) What advice would you give Jayden? How is this interview different from the one he experienced just after finishing high school? Answer: Students may focus on the rehearsal and research aspects of preparation for the interview. Jayden needs to practice going through questions the interviewer may ask and rehearsing his own answers to these questions. Rehearsing in front of a mirror or out loud may make him feel more confident. He should also research as much as he can about the company beforehand. This interview is different from his first interview because he should have more confidence after completing college and should be able to portray himself in a better light. Also, his experience and now knowing what he wants to do and why will help while he answers the interview questions. I would advise Jayden to focus on highlighting his relevant experience and skills while preparing for common interview questions. This interview differs as it emphasizes career growth and experience rather than just entry-level qualifications. 2) What steps could Jayden take to ready himself for the interview? How could he build his confidence? Answer: To ready himself for the interview, Jayden needs to research the company, rehearse any possible questions and his answers to them, think of his own questions to ask the interviewer, and prepare his clothing and transportation for the actual day of the interview. By practicing his answers to questions, he can make sure to highlight his best experience and qualities. 3) What could Jayden do to prepare for questions about his work experience? Answer: Jayden should look over his resume and highlight his best areas of experience. He should then prepare answers to any likely questions the interviewer may ask about his experience. He can rehearse these answers in front of a mirror or with a friend. 4) What tactics could Jayden employ to make sure the interview remains cordial, and to get him on his interviewer's good side? Answer: To ensure that he stays on his interviewer’s good side, Jayden needs to arrive to the interview early and dressed appropriately. He should speak confidently and try to be himself during the interview. Jayden needs to have questions prepared beforehand about the position and company, which will show his interest in the position. Afterwards, Jaydden should write a thank-you note thanking the interviewer for his or her time during the interview. Instructor Manual for POWER Learning and Your Life: Essentials of Student Success Robert S.Feldman 9780073375205