Unit 1 Communication and Employability Skills for IT 1

Basic Housekeeping Check Lanyards Complete Register Health and Safety check Reminder about use of mobile phones Reminder about classroom rules No food or drink, thank you! 2

Ice Breaker 1 3

Follow these instructions: Pick a number between 1 and 10 and keep it secret. Multiply this number by 9. If this number has 2 digits, add them together. Subtract 5 from this number. Equate this result to a letter of the alphabet (1 = A, 2 = B, 3 = C etc). Think of a country beginning with that letter. Think of an animal beginning with the second letter of that country. 4

And your answer is … Oxanne Wilson Intro to SAGE5

Ice Breaker 2 Who am I? 6

Ice breaker 3 Discussion – what is E&D? Oxanne Wilson7

Lesson’s Aims & Objectives 8 Learning aims In this lesson you are learning about: Introduction to the unit Unit Criteria Key Terminology

Please remember: ANY task not completed fully and correctly to meet the criteria in the lesson will need to be completed as part of your homework. Task must be printed off, proofread, checked for criteria, page numbered and then filed in your purple folder If you manage to complete the task fully and correctly before the lesson is over please use Puzzle Books or Software Packs to select and Extension Activity to improve your English, Maths and ICT skills 9

You should make notes as you go along when theory is delivered in order to complete the task successfully therefore bring a pen and some paper please! Please make notes to the best of your ability. 10

Introduction to the Unit The employability part of the unit is all about soft skills. These include communication skills, teamwork skills and other positive attributes such as dependability and conscientiousness. It is likely that you already have the technical skills and knowledge required for specific jobs in IT but without soft skills, you may find yourself unemployed and, worse, unemployable. To identify which soft skills you already possess, you will assess your own strengths and weaknesses and, where necessary, work on improving the skills needed to make you an effective employee. 11

Introduction to the Unit Once you get a job, continual self-development will be essential. The rapidly changing nature of IT makes this particularly relevant for those who work, or aspire to work, in the IT industry. To familiarise you with the self-development process, while working on this unit, you will produce and follow a personal development plan (PDP) to identify and track your training needs and the accumulation of new skills and knowledge. 12

Introduction to the Unit – main parts: Learning outcomes: after completing this unit, you should: 1.Understand the personal attributes valued by employers 2.Understand the principles of effective communication 3.Be able to use IT to communicate effectively 4.Be able to address personal development needs 13

Unit Overview: Unit Overview: 14

Generic Assignment Tips: Create a folder in your documents called Unit 1 Comms and save all relevant files in this folder. Save you work regularly throughout the process. Use Header and Footer to put your full name, unit number and task number. Complete all tasks. Always proofread your work and spell check before handing your work in. Keep tracking up to date and write down page numbers for each task. Check assignment submission deadline and hand in your assignment on time. One submission only. Deadline can not be missed (Exam board requirements) Use resources effectively. 15

Specific Assignment Tips: Be completely honest with yourself when considering your own personal attributes and try to see yourself as others see you. Practise the art of active listening in all conversations, not just those to do with this course. This will make you more aware of the hidden messages conveyed through body language, which will allow you to become a more effective communicator. 16

Specific Assignment Tips: When using IT to communicate, use all the tools at your disposal to make sure your communications are as error free as possible. Spelling errors and typing mistakes are not acceptable when a spell check is just a click away. Be realistic when setting targets for yourself. A lower target achieved is better than a higher one missed. 17

Key terms In small groups identify the following terms: o Attitudes o Attributes and abilities o Skills Share with the rest of the class and agree their definitions Check your answers on the next slide 18

Key Terms: Attitudes: these refer to your own personal behaviours in a work context. Examples would include that you show an interest in your work, that you show a willingness to put in effort, that you have a pride in your personal appearance, that you are polite and respectful. 19

Key Terms: Attributes and abilities: these are the personal characteristics that employers expect you to have. Examples would be that you can solve problems, that you can be creative, that you have leadership qualities, that you can work as part of a team, that you can work with a minimum of supervision. 20

Key Terms: Skills : these are relatively easy to measure. For example, do you have IT skills at a particular level? They will be shown by your qualifications or, in some cases, employers will give you a job-related test to measure particular skills that they expect you to have (although in many cases employers will be prepared to offer additional training, if needed). 21

Key terms: Create a table and in the first column put a list of the main technical terms you will learn in this unit. In the second column write definitions from the text book (pages 5, 6, 7, 12, 16, 18, 19, 22, 27, 28, 30). Then, try and think of a simple way of saying each term and put this in the next column. Try them out on your friends or relatives to see if they make sense. Add additional terms as you go along and follow the same process. 22

How you will be assessed This unit will be assessed by a number of internal assignments. The assignments will be designed to allow you to show your understanding of the unit outcomes. These relate to what you should be able to do after completing this unit. 23

Assessment Criteria - pass To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that you are able to: P1: explain the personal attributes valued by employers See Assessment activity 1.1, page 14 P2: explain the principles of effective communication See Assessment activity 1.3, page 25 P3: discuss potential barriers to effective communication See Assessment activity 1.2, page 19 P4: demonstrate a range of effective interpersonal skills See Assessment activity 1.3, page 25 24

Assessment Criteria - pass To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that you are able to: P5: use IT to aid communications See Assessment activity 1.4, page 31 P6: communicate technical information to a specified audience See Assessment activity 1.4, page 31 P7: produce a personal development plan See Assessment activity 1.5, page 34 P8: follow a personal development plan See Assessment activity 1.5, page 34 25

Assessment Criteria - merit To achieve a merit grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, you are able to: M 1: explain mechanisms that can reduce the impact of communication barriers See Assessment activity 1.2, page 19 M 2: review draft document s to produce final versions [EP4] See Assessment activity 1.4, page 31 M 3: explain how an awareness of learning style can aid personal development [RL5] See Assessment activity 1.6, page 36 26

Assessment Criteria - distinction To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, you are able to D 1: evaluate interpersonal and written communications techniques See Assessment activity 1.3, page 25 D 2: review progress on a personal development plan, identifying areas for improvement [RL3] See Assessment activity 1.6, page 36 27

Assignment Submission 28 Submission – all tasks completed Formal Written Feedback from me Second Submission ONLY if could improve I will be assessing your work regularly and will be providing verbal feedback. Formal feedback will only be issued ONCE and it will determine your final grade!

Case study (Text book Page 3) or a hand out) Discuss in small groups and try to relate to your own circumstances, share with the rest of the group 29

Over to you! What areas of this unit might you find challenging? Which section of the unit are you most looking forward to? How can you prepare for the unit assessment(s)? Any questions? 30

Moodle and MEGA Log on to Moodle to access course materials. For some tasks you are asked to use MEGA: mega.co.nz/ mega.co.nz/ Log in: Password is collegework

At the end of the session revisit aims and objectives to check if the learning took place aims and objectives aims and objectives 32