Sharon Ram Fremont Adult School CASAS Summer Institute June 12-14, 2012 CASAS 2012 Promising Practice VESL Lab Students Build 21st Century Employability & Soft Skills

Practice Summary Students in this interactive, highly engaging, multilevel ESL computer lab are encouraged to work together to help each other to accomplish weekly curriculum objectives that relate to improving English communication, technology skills, and hard and soft employability skills.

VESL Lab Students

Curriculum student-driven e-portfolios, student web pages, collaborative classroom writing, job readiness projects, keyboarding, file management, creating audio files, student portfolios, and more! This year the lab has been converted to a "blended course" with the integration of the online component, USA Learns 1, 2, and 3, from home. Students compile and present their work in a portfolio after self-assessing each week on objectives and skills gained completing surveys created in Survey Monkey.

Components of the VESL Lab engage students in computer-based language practice build students’ computer skills and keep them current with technology develop appropriate soft skills for the workplace practice job readiness skills help students achieve personal goals through differentiated instruction provide curriculum that is current, relevant, engaging, and authentic

Employability Skills Employability skills are defined by the teacher as well as by the students. Employability skills acquired in the course include both hard and soft skills. Students have defined employability skills as improving their English communication, keyboarding skills, using a computer and other technology equipment.

Employability Skills soft skills such as participation, cooperation, attendance, and organization into the course definition. Through teacher observation and student reports, 100% of the students demonstrate participation and cooperation and helping others. Each day, students help each other and new students log in to the teacher webpage and guide each other through the day’s lessons. These soft skills directly translate to good teamwork skills in the workplace. Some examples of specific employability skills are filling out online job applications, finding and answering job interview questions, creating a practice resume, researching about a job of interest, and reading job ads. In Quarter 2, 26/35 = 74% of students participated in the activities listed above and also saved it to their personal folders on the computer.

Sample of Weekly Lessons pre/post Technology Survey Pre/post 1 minute timed typing test Log into weebly and view lessons Beg-Adv Marshall Adult Education or other ESL lesson Mini-lesson of the week on Microsoft Application Collaborize classroom for writing Students work together, help each other Print assignments and weekly checklist on survey Monkey Student portfolio

Projects Student Weebly E-portfolios Job interview questions and answers Research a job and job outlook Complete mini projects using MS Word, powerpoint and excel Use a scanner, printer, microphone Cover letter and resume Job application online Writing drafts, editing, final copy Use the internet

Resources Student samples are posted on Resources Handout available on my webpage Live binder – in process

Thank you! Q and A Contact: Sharon Ram Fremont Adult School Fremont, CA