Technology is an integral part of today’s workplace across all sectors of business and industry. The integration of technicians into the fabric and conduct of business has resulted in a radical change to the set of skills required for their career success. In this changing environment, XXI Tech focuses on developing these skills in members of the emerging workforce and on creating awareness of career options and pathways which result from this changing and emerging technological infrastructure.
The XXI Tech Skills and Careers after-school program has now completed its pilot sessions for the fall of 2005. This pilot program was a collaboration among the Center for Information Technology Education (CITE) at Nashville State Community College, the Nashville Career Advancement Center (NCAC), Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Alignment Nashville, and the Nashville Technology Council (NTC).
Goals and Expected Outcomes
- The pilot program will provide opportunities for both educators and business to test the model and assumptions developed for the after-school program.
- Students will begin to gain important workplace skills that are associated with the 21st century workplace and often missing from standard curricula.
- Student will complete an inquiry-based project by the end of the session.
- Finally, students will have a better understanding of education and career options for technological careers.
- Teachers will gain experience with the Ford PAS curriculum and can use this experience in their regular classroom instruction.
- Business volunteers will be active participants with the students and teachers, will provide business context and authenticity to the learning experience, and will develop a deeper appreciation for the abilities of today’s youth.
Areas of Achievement
Students
During an eight-week period of time student emotions ranged from excitement to amazement. Students were excited by the prospect of earning money and gaining workplace experience in the school setting, but they were often amazed at the responsibility required to be successful in a job. The session began with 33 students learning the ropes of the workplace – completing official forms such as the Form I-9, time cards and contracts and learning to work in teams to complete a project. Students quickly settled in and learned that the workplace is quite different than the classroom – teamwork, problem solving and communication replaced seatwork, tests, and a quiet environment. By the end of the session, 25 students successfully completed the program; 7 received bonuses based upon their performance. All reported that the time spent was meaningful and that they would like to participate again in the future.
Teachers
Four teachers were involved in the pilot session, and each of them reported that students were excited, engaged, and eager to learn new skills. Observations of today’s classrooms are not always so encouraging, and these four teachers were able to see the excitement in the students’ eyes as they learned in a new way. One major accomplishment is the image of today’s student moving from lazy, unresponsive and uninterested to excited, engaged and eager. Additionally, teachers want to continue the use of the Ford PAS curriculum in their regular classrooms. They also saw the benefit of community business people coming into the classroom and want to continue using that resource.
Business Volunteers
Four brave business leaders were willing to go back to school, and at the end of the day perhaps their biggest lesson learned was the reality of today’s youth. Most adults haven’t been in a high school classroom in years and things have changed. With the onset of the Information Age, students are no longer content with a brilliantly planned lecture. Not only are workplace skills such as critical thinking, communications and teamwork now vitally important but the method of teaching and learning is also quite different from the past. These business representatives had an opportunity to learn more about the values and motivation of today’s youth, to help advance a group of 25 young people on a journey to their career, and to share their personal knowledge and expertise with eager and receptive students.
Organizational Partners and Participants
Center for IT Education (CITE) at Nashville State Community College: CITE serves as the convening and principal support organization for XXI Tech Skills and Careers and for this pilot program. David McNeel is the Center’s Executive Director, and Donna Gilley is the Coordinator for the pilot sessions and a teacher at Overton High School.
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS): Lance Lott is the CAO of MNPS and was a volunteer with McGavock High School’s after school program. Lyndell Norton is the Coordinator of Career and Technical Education for MNPS and provides resource and organizational support for the program.
Nashville Chamber of Commerce: The Nashville Chamber of Commerce is instrumental in connecting the area business community with CITE programs. Bob Obrohta is the Vice President of Education and a key member of the advisory committee for XXI Tech Skills and Careers.
Nashville Technology Council (NTC): The Nashville Technology Council, an association of technology company executives affiliated with the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, provides networking opportunities for recruitment of area business community representatives for work with XXI Tech Skills and Careers.
Alignment Nashville: Alignment Nashville was started as a result of recommendations from the Citizens Report Card, a survey conducted annually by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. It is supported by Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and provides a positive impact on student achievement and public school success. Sydney Rodgers serves as Executive Director for Alignment Nashville and seeks out and promotes common opportunities for Alignment Nashville and XXI Tech Skills and Careers.
Nashville Career Advancement Center (NCAC): The Nashville Career Advancement Center (NCAC) is part of the Tennessee Career Centers system funded by the Tennessee Department of Labor, Employment Security and Human Services. NCAC provides a significant amount of funding support and expertise. Dr. Christine Bradley is the Executive Director, and Xiu Cravens is a consultant for NCAC.
Glencliff High School: Glencliff High School was one of the two MNPS high schools chosen to hold pilot sessions. Glencliff’s principal is Dr. Lora Hall; Linda Johnson and Deborah Crosby were session instructors and teachers at Glencliff.
McGavock High School: McGavock High School was the other high school chosen to participate in the pilot sessions. Glencliff’s principal is Mr. Michael Tribue. Brenda Ingle and Pamela Honarvar were session instructors and teachers at McGavock High School.
Emdeon Business Services: Emdeon Business Services, formally WebMD, is a business partner with the XXI Tech Skills and Careers. Damian Creavin is the CIO/SVP of Information Technology. He served as a business volunteer for McGavock High School this session and is a member of the advisory board.
Duthie Associates, Inc.: Andrew Duthie is the President of Duthie Associates, Inc. He served as a business volunteer for Glencliff High School this session.
HCA Healthcare: HCA, a leading provider of healthcare services, participates in business planning and program development for CITE. HCA is a business and institutional partner with XXI Tech Skills and Careers. Nadia Payne is the Education Technical Manager for HCA Healthcare, and she served as a volunteer and business resource coordinator at Glencliff High School.
Session Summaries by Schools
Glencliff High School
Glencliff High School started the program with 18 diverse students eager to learn more about the workplace. They were especially thrilled about working with businesses, HCA Healthcare Corporation and Duthie & Associates. The business volunteers, Andrew Duthie of Duthie & Associates and Nadia Payne of HCA Healthcare, wanted to bring the workplace into the classroom for the students.
Andrew Duthie helped the students analyze company image and develop professional presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint. Nadia Payne brought a group of her colleagues to discuss their careers and answer career-related questions. Although Nadia Payne worked hard to organize a job shadowing experience at HCA, this event did not happen due to timing problems.
Glencliff students completed Module 4 of the Ford PAS curriculum, Careers, Companies and Communities. In Module 4, students learn about the businesses and industries in their region, the range of positions companies may offer, and the changing nature of the workplace. They gained information through interviews, classroom speakers, and Internet research. Additionally, students used the entire Microsoft Office Suite to collect employment data about area businesses and ultimately presented their findings to their peers, teachers/managers, business representatives, and XXI Tech staff. Glencliff completed the program with 15 students who were excited about the skills and knowledge of the workplace they had gained. Glencliff teachers report that on several occasions, students remained working past the end of the session—they were having fun and didn’t want to leave.
McGavock High School
McGavock High School started the session with 15 students enrolled in XXI Tech. They were very diverse in age and background and excited to gain valuable work experience. When questioned about their expectations of the program, several students responded that “they felt that the program offered them possible opportunities for educational growth and job skills for present and future purposes”. One student added that his “parents were pleased with the opportunity to meet businesses interested in mentoring students at McGavock”. Perhaps the best response from a student was “I thought it would be like working with McDonalds or something—wow, I am excited to get to know real business people.”
McGavock students used Module 2 of the Ford PAS curriculum, Media and Messages. The goal of this module is to introduce students to communication issues in the workplace. The students learned and practiced several forms of workplace communication, both written and verbal: summarizing and organizing written and verbal information, giving and receiving feedback, writing resumes, cover letters and proposals, and making oral presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint.
McGavock students worked with Emdeon Business Services and Metro Nashville Public Schools. Damien Creavin with Emdeon Business Services created a case study involving his current staff and communication issues. At the end of the eight-week session, the students traveled to Emdeon Business Services to make a presentation of their recommendations to the other executives.
Additionally, Lance Lott with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools worked with the students about many aspects of communications. He challenged the students to evaluate the new MNPS website and make a proposal for improvement. Mr. Lott was amazed at the level of commitment and enthusiasm the students displayed while completing the project.
As evidenced from above, both schools were excited about the program and the opportunities.
Curriculum and Materials Used
The Ford PAS curriculum consists of a series of modules that link classroom learning with the challenges students will face in post-secondary education and the workplace of the future. The curriculum integrates academically rigorous, standards-based content with realistic applications in areas such as design and product development, information systems, environmental sustainability, global economics, business planning, and marketing.
Module 2
Media and Messages: Building a Foundation of Communication Skills engages students in addressing a variety of communication challenges encountered by a fictional food chain called Quick n’ Tastee—a company that is expanding its product line through a partnership with a company based in another country. As employees of Quick n’ Tastee, students select a new line of food, decide on the best locations for introducing their new line, prepare to interview potential employees, analyze styles of communication appropriate for different contexts, develop logos and slogans, and plan an ad campaign. In an ongoing assignment, students analyze advertisements to discover ways that the media communicate messages.
The goal of Module 2 is to introduce students to communication issues in the workplace. The Quick ‘n Tastee scenario provides the context in which students learn and apply a variety of written and verbal workplace communication skills, such as summarizing and organizing written and verbal information, giving and receiving feedback, writing and speaking persuasively, writing and then revising a short report, and making oral presentations. Students develop an awareness of issues of diversity in communication and the importance of shaping information for a specific audience and purpose. Students also practice developing communication skills using presentation software.
Module 4
Careers, Companies, and Communities introduces students to three interwoven themes that continue throughout this course. The first, "The Changing Nature of the Workplace," is introduced through the Change in the Workplace assignments that students complete in each of the six activities. The second and third themes, "Interplay Between Industry and Community" and "Industry Clusters," are explored through both in- and out-of-school activities, as well as through a Career Exploration Journal. Students are given a Career Exploration Journal assignment in each of the first five activities, and they use those assignments and their new understanding of both industry clusters and the interactions between industry and community to create a career presentation.
In Module 4, students learn about the businesses and industries in their region, the range of positions companies may offer, and the changing nature of the workplace. They gain information through interviews, classroom speakers, a worksite visit, and other resources. Throughout the module, students develop technology skills: working with databases, creating and delivering presentations, and doing Internet research. By the end of this module, students will have a better understanding of careers they may want to pursue, places they may want to work or intern, and the ways that people and companies adapt to change.
Evaluation/Assessment
Student Evaluation
All student involved in the fall session were surveyed to determine their thoughts and perceptions of XXI Tech. Students reported that they thought the program was interesting and that it opened their eyes to careers in society. They liked their teachers and especially benefited from the teamwork. All students enjoyed the way the curriculum was taught and seemed to realize the connection between education and successful careers. A summary of the survey for students is attached at the end of this report.
Teacher Evaluations
During the pilot session of the XXI Tech program, all four teachers were surveyed and the findings are summarized below.
- Business partners were a positive addition to the program, but more teacher/business partner planning was recommended for future sessions.
- All teachers were pleasantly surprised at the level of enthusiasm by the students. Teachers often experienced students staying past the session ending time.
- All teachers really liked the Ford PAS curriculum. Each felt the curriculum was especially helpful developing teambuilding skills, workplace values and communication skills.
- Teachers and business partners need to spend more time planning prior to the start of the session.
- Some teachers felt that a six-week session would be more effective due to other school activities and burnout of the students.
A summary of teacher evaluation responses is also attached at the end of this report.
Business Partners Evaluations
Four principal business partners helped launch this program. At the end of the session they were asked a series of questions, and a summary follows along with a compilation of all individual responses at the end of the report.
- All business partners thoroughly enjoyed going into the classroom and developing relationships with the students. For the most part, they were amazed at the students’ level of knowledge, skills, and commitment to the program and their future.
- Additional planning is needed to better define the role of the business partner.
- There was overwhelming agreement to have only one business partner per school.
- All partners would like to return as volunteers next semester.
Coordinator Evaluation
Donna Gilley served as the coordinator of the program, and her findings are reported as follows:
Students were excited to be involved in the program; they seemed to like the curriculum and looked forward to the interactions with the business representatives. The business influence was the component that made the curriculum come alive for them.
The teachers worked well together in the team-teaching approach and were able to learn from each other. Rarely in traditional education are teachers allowed the opportunity to team-teach; as a result, teachers were able to step outside their comfort zone of teaching their material to a collaboration and project-based curriculum. In all cases, the teachers reported that they wanted to use the Ford PAS curriculum in their regular classrooms.
Perhaps the most rewarding experience of the pilot session was seeing and hearing the responses from the business representatives. They were surprised at the students’ level of knowledge and skills; they were encouraged by the students’ willingness to jump in and try something new; and most importantly, they all want to return for a second session.
Great things do happen in our schools. Unfortunately, bad news sells newspapers and television ratings, but a glimpse inside these two schools during the eight week pilot program revealed a group of young people making well thought-out decisions and using technology to solve problems.
Lesson Learned and Recommendations
As in any pilot program, many lessons have been learned. Below is a brief discussion of those lessons.
Things to Continue:
- Use the Ford PAS Curriculum – it delivers student interest, challenge, technology usage and critical thinking.
- Business Involvement – students and teachers not only want but need the addition of the real world component.
- Employee/Employer Relationship – student responded well to the role of an employee and teachers were able to take on a different type of position of authority.
Things to Increase:
- Increase the planning component, especially before the session starts.
- Match the business partner and the school at least a month before the start of a session.
- Teachers and business partners establish a working relationship earlier.
- Approach the teachers and business partners with more structure – the role and responsibilities are more clearly defined up front.
Place more emphasis on the module material.
Recommendations for Change
- Place only one company with a school.
- Develop more organizational planning for the teachers and business partners.
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