The Hayfield Education for Employment course is a specialized career-focused program that teaches essential workplace readiness skills to at-risk 9th – 12th grade students. The instruction is school-based and community-based leading towards an individual’s career path. Students receive a graduation credit for the class and additional credits for their cooperative internship experiences on a job site. This paid on-the-job training is an extension of the classroom instruction and is jointly coordinated by the instructor and the employer. Students receive one or two additional graduation credits based on hours worked in their supervised place(s) of employment.
The physical classroom, Room 1309, is a small facility with space maximized to meet the needs of 15 -20 students. The strategy behind the classroom arrangement is for it to simulate an office environment. Computers are used daily in the Education for Employment classes since technology skills are essential workplace skills and the EFE students’ computer literacy skills are typically weak. Over the past five years, it is evident that many of the EFE students do not have computers or internet access at home; hence the lower skill level. Although a community library is a good resource for computers, access is difficult when the library is not within walking distance for the student and/or they cannot get transportation. Due to this specific need for skill development in technology, the classroom is open and used as a computer lab before school, during lunches, and throughout the day when there is not another class using the space. The Microsoft Office suite and use of the internet are the main computer resources for teaching Education for Employment.
The room is arranged with six tables in the middle; this area is classified as the “conference area” similar to a workplace. Each day students begin the class seated in the conference area. On Mondays, the class networks as a total group to discuss topics such as: activities from the previous week related to job concerns/issues, employer critiques of student performance gathered from job site visits, and new job openings in the Hayfield community. Students receive instruction and are assigned tasks/projects to complete individually, in partnerships, and/or small collaborative groups. Teamwork is one of the essential workplace readiness skills. Learning opportunities are created for the students to work with everyone throughout the year by utilizing various grouping methods. A description of grouping strategies for cooperative learning experiences in the conference area is attached. These grouping strategies force students to work with everyone in the class at different times and on different assignments; in the real workplace, students will need to adapt to working with a diverse population of employees in our global society.
This room arrangement is also conducive to class instruction and powerpoint presentations either instructor or student-facilitated. Presentation equipment in the classroom include a huge white board, pull down projection screen, digital presenter, overhead projector, LCD projector, computer connected to a hanging television, VCR, and DVD player.
Fifteen Hewlett Packard (HP) VL400 desktop computers with the Windows 2000 Professional operating system on them are arranged against along the longest walls denoting individual “work stations” similar to an office cubicle scenario. There is one computer work station for most students as the EFE classes average 20 students. There is an HP 2420dn laserjet printer to accommodate printing needs and office supplies (stapler, pens, pencils, electric pencil sharpener, and paper) are arranged by the printer to simulate a copying area. Technology is an integral part of instruction daily as well as the classroom utilization. See attached photos of the Education for Employment classroom.
One of the greatest strengths of Room 1309, with its office environment arrangement, is that is greatly enhances the Education for Employment program as the physical setting creates the tone of a workplace. Students are more readily able to transfer work skills learned in the simulated classroom setting to the real workplace. With continuously improving technology, the students are able to stay current with workplace trends and equipment. Another strength of this arrangement, with the computers along the walls of the class, is that it allows the teacher to easily circulate around the room to assist students as well as see what students are accessing and viewing on the computers.
The greatest weakness identified in the program during last year's FACS Exemplary Standards Review was the availability of newer computers—Education for Employment had the most outdated desktop computers in the school based on memory and speed. In addition, there are not enough computers. There are only 15 desktops (usually with one needing repair) for 20 students! While there are laptop mobile lab carts in the school, they are all controlled by the Hayfield Technology team and are checked out on an at-need basis. They are limited in availability by advance requests, maintenance issues, and testing situations which take priority over all else. A need for a 16 laptop mobile lab cart was expressed personally to the FACS Curriculum Specialist, Sandy Jones, at the end of the Exemplary Standards Review to fulfill one of the items on the FACS improvement plan. CTE funds were requested for this purpose and approval for purchase was given from Diane Pruner, CTE Director of Fairfax County Public Schools. The new mobile lab arrived in the Winter 2008; it is now incredible having this “state of the art” technology accessible for EFE students. Student motivation immediately escalated with a laptop format and a newer, faster operating system. It is truly a dream come true!! Not only do the Education for Employment students use it constantly, but the 21 CTE teachers at Hayfield have access on a sign up basis for each block. The mobile lab is utilized daily (almost every block) as evidenced by a calendar located with the mobile lab.
The mobile lab is secured in the Office of the Education for Employment Room 1309. Hayfield's Technology Team is responsible for all maintenance and CTE does not have to share the cart with other disciplines, so the daily challenges of old computers and too few computers has been virtually eliminated.
A major goal as Hayfield's CTE department chair is to continue maintaining and updating the program technology to offer students the most relevant and current learning experiences possible in preparation for the 21st century workplace.
Technology offers instruction in an interactive, motivational format that provides opportunities for this "wired generation" of students to access information quickly, reinforce learning, practice skills, and prepare for the future. To support the EFE program and keep activities current and relative to students, there is a constant search for existing instructional pieces that can be transformed into a creative approach using technology, while equipping students with computer literacy as a workplace readiness skill. The following are examples of technology that are used frequently in Education for Employment:
1. 15 Desktop Computers and a 16 Laptop Mobile lab available for all CTE instuctors to check out.
2. HP LaserJet two-sided printer that saves paper and is networked to the desktops and laptops.
3. LCD Projector - used to project various instructional media from instructor's laptop.
4. Mounted TV in yoke with DVD and VCR players - used for viewing multi-media presentations that reinforce teaching concepts.
5. Computer attached to TV as a student presentation station used for presentations in the simulated workplace classroom/conference area.
6. Digital Presentor - used for instructional purposes to teach concepts and edit individual student corrections as a group.
7. Digital Cameras - four digital cameras are available in the department to create cooperative internship photo identification badges, highlight class activities, document FCCLA events, and promote positive public relations. Digital photos are also shared with employers and parents via email.
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