This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
- 1 -
OUTPUT 06:TEACHING GUIDE
Author: Pilar Belloc, Institut Europa, L’Hospitalet del Llobregat,Spain. in collaboration with: Olivia Nicolae and Corina Ionescu, Liceul „Charles Laugier“, Craiova, Romania
Lyubima Konstantinova, Nadiya Milusheva, Iliya Valchev, Yana Stoyanova, Bogdana Kostadinova. Professional High School of Economics "Ivan Iliev" Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria Daniel Matkovic, Lycée Clos Maire, Beaune, France Christian Altmann, Berufliche Oberschule Erlangen, Germany Carla Sbarbati, Giulia Chesi, Daniele Laurente di Biasio and Felice Santilli,
IISS “Charles Darwin”, Rome, Italy
Luís Nunes, Agrupamento de Escolas do Fundão, Portugal Ayşe Musaoglu,Duygu Şeneglu,Özlem Aşam, Ayçin Çilkin, Gümüşpala Mesleki ve
Teknik Anadolu Lisesi, Turkey
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Table of contents
RATIONALE __________________________________________________________________ - 5 -
TEACHING GUIDE DESCRIPTION __________________________________________________ - 7 -
Participants __________________________________________________________________ - 8 -
End of the course syllabus assessment ____________________________________________ - 9 -
Module 1- WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT ____________________________________________ - 10 -
MODULE DESCRIPTION ____________________________________________________________ - 11 -
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER ________________________________________________________ - 12 -
Student self- assessment (pre-post test on the topic) ____________________________________ - 13 -
Pre/post-test on the topic __________________________________________________________ - 13 -
Job advertisements-general knowledge test ___________________________________________ - 13 -
Activities ________________________________________________________________________ - 15 -
Teacher’s evaluation ______________________________________________________________ - 20 -
BIBLIOGRAPHY ___________________________________________________________________ - 20 -
Module 2- PERSONAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT ________________________________________ - 21 -
MODULE DESCRIPTION ____________________________________________________________ - 22 -
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER ________________________________________________________ - 23 -
PRE/POST TEST ON THE TOPIC _______________________________________________________ - 24 -
Activities ________________________________________________________________________ - 25 -
Teacher’s evaluation ______________________________________________________________ - 35 -
BIBLIOGRAPHY ___________________________________________________________________ - 35 -
Module 3 – CAREER PLAN MODEL– Discovering your Hidden Skills _____________________ - 36 -
MODULE DESCRIPTION ____________________________________________________________ - 37 -
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER ________________________________________________________ - 38 -
Student self- assessment (pre-post test on the topic) ____________________________________ - 39 -
Activities ________________________________________________________________________ - 40 -
Teacher’s evaluation ______________________________________________________________ - 49 -
WEBOGRAPHY ___________________________________________________________________ - 49 -
Module 4: USEFUL TIPS FOR YOUR CAREER ________________________________________ - 50 -
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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MODULE DESCRIPTION ____________________________________________________________ - 51 -
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER ________________________________________________________ - 52 -
Student self- assessment PRE/POST TEST ON THE TOPIC _________________________________ - 53 -
Activities ________________________________________________________________________ - 54 -
Teacher’s evaluation ______________________________________________________________ - 64 -
BIBLIOGRAPHY ___________________________________________________________________ - 64 -
Module 5 – Team building _____________________________________________________ - 66 -
MODULE DESCRIPTION ____________________________________________________________ - 67 -
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER ________________________________________________________ - 69 -
PRE/POST TEST ON THE TOPIC - ARE YOU A GOOD TEAM WORKER? (Team Building skills test) ___ - 70 -
Activities ________________________________________________________________________ - 74 -
Teacher’s evaluation ______________________________________________________________ - 85 -
BIBLIOGRAPHY ___________________________________________________________________ - 85 -
Module 6: COMMUNICATION SKILLS _____________________________________________ - 86 -
MODULE DESCRIPTION ____________________________________________________________ - 87 -
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER ________________________________________________________ - 89 -
PRE/POST TEST ON THE TOPIC _______________________________________________________ - 91 -
Activities ________________________________________________________________________ - 93 -
Teacher’s evaluation _____________________________________________________________ - 133 -
BIBLIOGRAPHY __________________________________________________________________ - 133 -
Module 7 – PRESENTATION SKILLS ______________________________________________ - 137 -
MODULE DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________ - 138 -
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER _______________________________________________________ - 140 -
Activities _______________________________________________________________________ - 141 -
Teacher’s evaluation _____________________________________________________________ - 153 -
BIBLIOGRAPHY __________________________________________________________________ - 153 -
Module 8: PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING_____________________________ - 154 -
MODULE DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________ - 155 -
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER _______________________________________________________ - 157 -
Student self- assessment (pre-post test on the topic) ___________________________________ - 158 -
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Activities _______________________________________________________________________ - 160 -
Teacher’s evaluation _____________________________________________________________ - 199 -
BIBLIOGRAPHY __________________________________________________________________ - 200 -
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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RATIONALE
The Teaching guide is a useful resource kit that gives guidance and support to the teaching toolkit,
a source of materials offered to the students and included in the Optional Course Syllabus of the
Project called “Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path”and consists of 8 modules (4 career
oriented and the other 4 focused on high transversal skills development). According to the general
aim of the project, it will help students face the future challenges they will find when they finish
their studies and enter in the labour market. We have to prepare and help them achieve their goals
and success in life.
The aim is of this guide is to provide teachers a framework for engaging students in activities and
lessons that will allow them to gain a greater understanding of the labor market requirements. It
will be designed to offer teachers accessible ways to approach learning about developing high
transversal skills, as well as the opportunity to make the best of using them for career building
purpose. It will include fundamental concepts of cross curricular approach with stimulating ideas
for including the teaching material as integrating part of the on-going teaching activities for several
domains, reflection on how to navigate through the work related materials available either paper-
based and on-line, lesson planning and schedule, practical information on all aspects of the
instruction. The teaching notes will offer guidance on how to deal with the material of each module.
All the materials are grouped in sections where it is specified the best methodological approach.
Sample lessons plans will be created for each module and practical examples to apply the materials
will be provided. Supporting information will be added.
The teachers of the eight European countries taking part in this project have elaborated a kit of
materials corresponding to one of the 8 modules, offering students a lot of different activities with
the aim to prepare them for the challenging they will find when they try to enter in the labour world
.
The teaching guide offers guidance to the teachers indicating how to use these resources, offering
an active methodology based on the major objectives of the project: to develop employability
through basic high transferable skills acquisition, maximize learning potential, encouraging self –
reflecting and critical thinking on how to use these skills to chart their career path, using these
creative tools for self-promotion.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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All these materials will be continuously revised and updated and other additional topics can be
added and can be used in vocational or general schools.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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TEACHING GUIDE DESCRIPTION
This guide is divided into 8 modules, 4 career oriented(Employer requirements, Personal skills
assessment, Career plan model, Useful tips for your career) and the other 4 focused on high
transversal skills development( Team building, Communication skills, Presentation skills, Problem
solving and decision making). Each country has been responsible of elaborating a module, looking
for the most suitable, innovative and creative materials according to the topic and always taking
into account the main object of the project, it means: “to develop employability through basic high
transferable skills acquisition, to maximize learning potential, encouraging self –reflecting and
critical thinking on how to use these skills to chart their career path, using these creative tools for
self-promotion”.
Each module has different activities (role plays, group work, individual, interacting students with
students) to help and prepare students for their future career, taking into account the labour market
requirements. Innovative and active methodology has been used in all the activities, most of them
focused on students’ learning, more than in teacher. So, the students can use them on their own,
they don’t need the teacher and can work in pairs, groups and get feedback from their peers.
As there are so many different ones, grouped according to the module, students can decide,
according to their weakness points and needs, the ones they should do.
In each module there is a self-assessment test to help students know better about the weak points
they should improve. All these methods are explained here in the teaching guide, where the
teachers can find useful resources based on the implementation of the new methodologies.
Assessment sheet and bibliography are provided too.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Participants
Olivia Nicolae, Corina Ionescu, Liceul “Charles Laugier”, Craiova, Romania.
Lyubima Konstantinova,Nadiya Milusheva, Iliya Valchev, Yana Stoyanova, Bogdana Kostadinova.
Professional High School of Economics "Ivan Iliev" Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
Daniel Matkovic, Lycée Clos Maire, Beaune, France
Christian Altmann, Berufliche Oberschule Erlangen, Germany
Carla Sbarbati, Giulia Chesi, Daniele Laurente di Biasio and Felice Santilli, IISS “Charles Darwin”,
Rome, Italy
Luís Nunes, Agrupamento de Escolas do Fundão, Portugal
Ayşe Musaoglu,Duygu Şeneglu,Özlem Aşam, Ayçin Çilkin, Gümüşpala Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu
Lisesi, Turkey
Pilar Belloc, Institut Europa, L’ Hospitalet del Llobregat, Spain
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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End of the course syllabus assessment
After the self-assessments of each module, students should complete this table:
!! I need more practice/ ! I could do this better / . I am satisfied / .. I can do this very well
SKILLS !! ! . …
What employers
want
Personal skills
assessment
Career plan model
Useful tips for
your career
Team building
Communication
Presentations
Problem solving
and decision
making
# It can be useful for teachers, to realize if more reinforcement is necessary.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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HARD-SOFT SKILLING-CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH
Output 6 –Teaching guide
Module 1- WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT
Author: OLIVIA NICOLAE and CORINA IONESCU
School: LICEUL “CHARLES LAUGIER”, Craiova, Romania
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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MODULE DESCRIPTION
The module intends to help students learn to decode essential information available on the labor
market which may help them improve their chances in finding a job. To learn how to decode the
message sent in job advertisements, to analyze it and to become able to respond to it
accordingly using it to their advantage.
Aims/Competences:
1. To decompose a job advertisement into its main parts
2. To understand the required set of skills
3. To synthetize relevant information relevant to meet requirements
4. To present the information required in a logical sequence
Sections
1. What parts can you identify in a job description?
2. What skills are requested?
3. What skills should be associated with that type of job?
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER
Title of the activity
Brief description
Pre/post test Checking knowledge on the topic.
How to find a job
Lesson meant to broaden students awareness of the
diversity of job searching possibilities.
How to ”decode” job adds
Lesson aiming at decoding employers’ job description
by interpreting and managing information, adapting it
to personal use.
Teacher’s evaluation
List of teaching difficulties and possible solutions.
Bibliography
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Student self- assessment (pre-post test on the topic) Pre/post-test on the topic
Job advertisements-general knowledge test Choose the best option:
1. What is a job advertisement?
a. A paid announcement in a newspaper or any other medium
b. A warning to get a job sooner
c. A TV commercial
2. Who are the job advertisements created by?
a. Human resources or external recruitment agencies
b. The owner of the company
c. The secretary of the company
3. What is the purpose of the job advertisement?
a. To show it is a big company/firm
b. To attract suitable candidates for the position
c. To announce someone left the company
4. Any job advertisement includes:
a. Questions about your hobbies
b. Knowledge, experience and skills
c. Information about the payment
5. An efficient job advertisement must contain :
a. Capital letters and over-designed graphics in order to catch attention
b. Clear and relevant information
c. Long and detailed descriptions of the ideal candidates
6. A job advertisement should be no more than:
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KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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a. A full page
b. Half a page
c. A quarter of a page
7. The first paragraph:
a. Should include detailed information about your work experience
b. Should grab the reader’s attention
c. Should include information about benefits
8. An advertisement can reduce the number of jobseekers having the right profile simply
stating:
a. The title of the job,
b. The education and experience requirements
c. The salary
Job advertisements-general knowledge test- Answers
1. a 2. a 3. b 4. b 5. b 6. c 7. b 8. b
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KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Activities ACTIVITY 1: HOW TO FIND A JOB
Description: The lesson is meant to broaden students
awareness of the diversity of job
searching possibilities.
Strategies
Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant
information by identifying and analyzing
resources;
Making predictions.
Transferring knowledge into new contexts.
Identifying similarities and differences.
Objectives:
Given guidance, students will be
able to accurately identify the
main types of media used for job
advertising.
Exploring different resources,
students will be able to accurately
find job information.
Procedure:
1. Warm-up - The teacher asks the students to
think of jobs that used to be in the past, jobs
which are fashionable now and jobs which
might be available in the future and divide
them in the 3 columns. Then, in groups, the
students must identify reasons for certain
jobs being fashionable in certain periods of
time and how people applied/apply or will
apply for them.)
2. The teacher divides the students into groups
and ask students to make a list of media
where they could find a job e.g. Newspapers,
Internet, Public places, Networking, etc.
then discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each type of media.
3. The teacher presents different job ads taken
from different sources and asks the students
to match the source to the correct source
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KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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(see activity 1 Where is the job
advertisement taken from?, Module 1,
Teaching toolkit)
4. Presentation of the web directory
http://www.hardsoftskilling.eu/index.html
5. The teacher asks students to write a
paragraph about their ideal job and where
they expect to find information about
6. Then, each student should try to find a
similar job to the desired one either in their
own country or abroad using the web
directory or other sources of information
7. In groups students are required to make a
list of searching tips
Schedule: 50 minutes.
Materials Worksheets, Internet websites, PPT-
presentations.
Tips:
Teach students to look for a job
also on the companies’ websites;
Explain that students should be
careful with the false job ads;
Advise students to keep record of
the sources they have searched
and the jobs they have applied for.
Evaluation:
Observing students accuracy in identifying the right
sources of information and present them logically.
The students are able to identify a relevant number
of jobs.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 2: HOW TO “DECODE” JOB ADDS.
Description: The activity intends to
familiarize students with
decoding employers’ job
description by interpreting and
managing information,
adapting it to personal use.
Strategies used: Clarifying and analyzing the meanings of words or phrases;
Making interdisciplinary connections - understanding possible causes
of misunderstandings;
Making plausible interpretations;
Exploring implications and consequences.
Objectives:
Given a job
advertisement, the
students will be able to
decompose it into its
main parts with
accuracy.
Students will be able to
synthetize relevant
information in order to
meet specific
requirements.
Reading job adds,
students will be able to
recognize and decode
vocabulary correctly.
Procedure: 1. Brainstorm success criteria for obtaining a job:
e.g. confidence, knowledge, emotional control then the
teacher provides students with a set of “incentives” and asks
students to name a job which matches the mentioned
criteria.
Good
salary
Flexible
working
hours
Bonuses Job
satisfaction
Travelling Growth
opportunities
2. The teacher presents the typical parts composing a job
advertisement.
3. Dividing the class into groups, the teacher gives each group a job
ad and asks the students to read the ad and fill in the information
required in the worksheet( see Activity 2- Decomposing job
advertisements, Module 1, Teaching toolkit).
4. The teacher sticks on the blackboard cards containing words
taken from various job advertisements and asks students to
guess what they mean, giving definitions for each
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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word/phrase( see Activity 3 -What are employers really
looking for?, Module 1, Teaching toolkit)
5. The teacher provides students with a series of words taken
from various job advertisements. The students have to decide
if they are more suitable to attract men or women candidates
and then motivate their choice( see Activity 5- Best for men or
for women?, Module 1, Teaching toolkit).
6. Students are required to write down things to keep in mind
regarding job advertisements on slips of paper. The teacher
provides the worksheet and students compare what they
have written with the things written on the worksheet
received. As a result they extend the worksheet. (see Activity
6 Important things to keep in mind about job adverts, Module
1, Teaching Toolkit).
Schedule: 50 minutes.
Materials: Worksheets, cards.
Extra activity: The teacher presents students a list with abbreviations in job
advertisements and teach them to decode it
(see Glossary of terms, Module 1, Teaching toolkit).
Tips:
Teach students to:
Look for key words to
help understand the
exact requirements!
Evaluation: -Students recognize the job advertisement structure;
-Students’ accurately decode the vocabulary related to the topic.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Make sure students
understand the hidden
meaning of words that
sound good!
Try to find a connection
between the job offer
and their needs!
Compare their skills to
the ones required in
the job advertisement!
Don’t bother reading
further if their studies
do not match the
requirements!
Pay attention to
acronyms and make
sure they understand
the meaning.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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Teacher’s evaluation Difficulties on teaching this module
Scarcity of teaching materials.
Difficulty in adapting information and vocabulary to the students level.
Dependency on internet connection.
Difficulties in activating interdisciplinary knowledge.
Lack of time to practice the skills acquired sufficiently enough.
Possible solutions
Use and permanent update of the Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path Teaching
toolkit and Employment web directory.
Courses in the multimedia lab.
BIBLIOGRAPHY(web sides and books used by the teachers to create the activities)
http://www.hardsoftskilling.eu/index.html
Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path-Teaching toolkit
Sonmez, J.(2014), Soft Skills: The software developer's life manual, Manning Publications
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
- 21 -
HARD-SOFT SKILLING-CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH
Output 6 –Teaching guide
Module 2- PERSONAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT
Authors: Ayşe MUSAOĞLU
School: GÜMÜŞPALA MESLEKİ VE TEKNİK ANADOLU LİSESİ
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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MODULE DESCRIPTION Description
The module will guide students towards gaining insight on the most used transversal skills and
personal skill self-assessment. The learning aim is to assess personal information, select and self-
reflect on it.
Aims/Competences:
1. To identify personal skills from a given set. 2. To match skills with appropriate jobs. 3. To compare and contrast the difference between employee and employer skills. 4. To gain awareness of personal job expectations. 5. To create his own employee job profile. 6. To evaluate information.
Sections:
1. What are the most common required transversal skills?
2. What skills are necessary for a specific job?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having your own business?
4. What are your job expectations?
5. What is your employee profile?
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER
Title of the activity Brief description
Personal Interests,Personal Traits,
Self Confidence,Personal Skills
Sentence Completion
Offering plausible interpretations
My Skills,Personal Qualities Matching skills to jobs
My Employee Profile Creating a template
Creating an employee job profile
template.
Are you the type of person who can run a
business?
Questionnaire
Clarifying issues, conclusions
What Are My Transferable Skills? Identifying the transversal skills
the circle of viewpoints
Analyzing Transferable Skills Sentence Completion
Transferring knowledge into new
contexts
My Profile
Chart Completion
Evaluating yourself in all aspects
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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PRE/POST TEST ON THE TOPIC
1.What can you say about your strengths?
2.What are your weaknesses?
3.What do you know about your skills?
4.Which jobs do your skills correspond to?
5.What do you know about the most common transversal skills that employers want?
6.What are your competences in transversal skills?
7.How can you assess/evaluate yourself?
8.What are the advantages/disadvantages of having your own business?
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Activities ACTIVITY 1-2-3-4: PERSONAL INTERESTS, PERSONAL TRAITS, SELF CONFICENCE, PERSONAL SKILLS.
Description: The activities will guide students to gain insight and broaden their awareness of themselves.
Strategies:
The circle of viewpoints
Asking and answering questions
Positive self-image.
Criticism acceptance.
Objectives:
To assess personal
information, select and self-
reflect on it.
Procedure:
Let the students think about themselves on the spot
Give them some time to brainstorm
Ask a few questions such as 1. What are your interests? 2. How can you describe yourself? 3. What are your abilities? 4. What do you like doing most? 5. What can you say about your strengths and
weaknesses? 6. Is there anything bothers you about your
personality? 7. Which traits you have, do you like most?
After getting the answers, each student are able to
complete the given sentences with plausible
interpretations
Make the students work in groups and in pairs to
be able to gain positive self-image
In group work, students will be able to share their viewpoints and statements on how they can express themselves better.
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Schedule: 60 minutes.
Solutions: Students’ own answers.
Materials Videos and Internet websites can
be used to diversify their
expressions.
Extra-activities:
Tips:
Guide students to watch
videos related self-
expression and to use the
websites.
Let the students generate
as many adjectives as they
can to express themselves.
Evaluation: Teachers are able to evaluate the students’ answers according to the interests, traits, skills related words.
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ACTIVITY 5-6 MY SKILLS-PERSONAL QUALITIES.
Description: Students are able to identify personal skills from a given set and match their skills to corresponding jobs individually.
Strategies:
Compare and contrast.
Matching.
Objectives:
To identify personal skills
from a given set.
To match skills with
appropriate jobs.
Procedure:
Students are asked for identifying personal skills from a given set.
After identifying their skills, teachers should guide them to match their skills with appropriate jobs.
Schedule: A class session
Materials: Internet website for extra information.
Extra-activities: http://www.careers.govt.nz/tools/skill-matcher/
Tips:
-Guide the students to look for jobs
related to their skills for an extra
activity
Evaluation: Students are just able to gain awareness of their skills and corresponding jobs.
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ACTIVITY 7 MY EMPLOYEE PROFILE
Description: Students will be able to create their
own job profiles through a situation
given.
Strategies:
Assessing sources of information
Making inferences, predictions or interpretations.
Negotiate.
Questioning.
Objectives:
To create their own employee job profiles.
To compare and contrast the difference between employee and employer skills.
To gain awareness of personal job expectations.
Procedure:
By writing the title on the board to take attention, students are expected to tell their ideas about the topic.
Then the following questions can be asked 1. Which qualifications do you need an
employee should have? 2. What kind of information do you need to
inquire about an employee you will be able to work with?
Qualifications the students need as an employer can be classified.
Taking into consideration the sample situation, students should be guided to create their employee profile and write a job description.
Schedule: A class session.
Solutions: Students’ own answers according to the job profile given.
Materials: Paper sheets.
Extra-activities: Drawing a chart.
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Tips:
Make them think about all
the qualifications and skills
both an employee and an
employer should have.
Evaluation: All students are expected to draw a chart with the titles of
CV content.
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ACTIVITY 8: ARE YOU THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO CAN RUN A BUSINESS?
Description: The activity intends to gain
awareness of running business and
also is a guidance for students for
inferring and interpreting the
advantages and disadvantages of
having their own business.
Strategies:
Self-motivation and independence in carrying
out work.
Desire for personal and professional success.
Challenge or risk taking.
Objectives:
To be aware of advantages and disadvantages of having their own business.
Procedure:
Students are asked for doing the test titled ‘ARE YOU THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO CAN RUN A BUSINESS?’
The results are shared in the classroom.
Students are asked about the intends to run their own business one day in the future.
The teacher asks for students to interpret the advantages and disadvantages of having their own business by scanning the test.
Schedule: A class session.
Solutions: Students’own answers according to the test.
Materials:
Tips:
Don’t forget to tell your
students that they need
capital to run their own
business.
Having their own business is
risk taking.
Evaluation: If they say Yes more than No, then they can run their
own business.
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ACTIVITY 9: WHAT ARE MY TRANSFERABLE SKILLS?
Description: The activity reveals the
competencies of high transferable
skills and enables students to match
their competencies with them.
Strategies:
Initiative regarding professional development.
Matching.
Desire for personal and professional success.
Objectives:
Acquiring self knowledge skills.
Knowing and exploiting personal potential.
Procedure:
The following questions are written on the board -What do you know about transferable skills? -What are they?(Students are expected to give many possible answers and they are written on the board.) -What do you think about the transferable skills that employers demand most?(Students elicit the most common transferable skills and they are circled.)
Let the students do the test.Read the instruction
loudly and give them some time.
Students are asked for matching the titles to the
columns with competencies.
Volunteer students share their answers to the class
and tell their dominant transferable skills which
they have more ticks and stars than 5 in each
column.
Students are able to realize their incompetencies
and need the information so they can search from
the Internet.
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Schedule: 60 minutes.
Solutions: Transferable skills are skills that you can take with you
from one situation to another, from onejob to another.
1.Communication Skills 11. Learning Skills 2. Teamwork Skills 12. Computer Skills 3. Time Management Skills 13. Listening Skills 4. Problem-Solving Skills 14. Creativity Skills 5. Organization Skills 6.Desicion making 7. Research skills 8. Emotional Intelligence 9. Interpersonal skills 10. Flexibility
15.Leadership Skill 16.Presentation Skills 17.Working to deadlines 18.Conflict solving skills 19. Adaptibility 20.Negotiating
Materials: Websites to get more information
about the most common
transferable skills.
Tips:
Make sure your students
assess themselves right if you
know their personal traits,
you can ask some guided
questions.
Give students enough time to
make sure that they
understand all the words
correctly.
Evaluation: If they have less than 5 ticks and stars on a column,this is
their problem area.Having more than 5 ticks and stars
shows their dominant skills.
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ACTIVITY 10 ANALYZING TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Description: The activity reveals the content of
high transferable skills and enables
students to complete the
sentences.
Strategies:
Desire for personal and professional success.
Initiative regarding professional development.
Generating or assessing solutions.
Objectives:
Acquiring self knowledge skills
Knowing and exploiting personal potential
Procedure:
After activity 9,students are asked for
completing the sentences according to their
knowledge about the most common
transferable skills.
The teacher gives the students some time to
complete the sentences. Meanwhile he/she
observes.
After the sentence completion, volunteer
students can share their way of acting.
A classroom discussion can be made to reveal
the features of high transferable skills so that the
students can have extra information.
Websites can be used to show the features of
high transferable skills.
Schedule: 80 minutes
Materials: Websites
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Tips:
Group work can be done
here.
Let the students understand
the context well by sharing
their ideas within the
groups
Evaluation: A detailed evaluation can be done from the websites
including the necessary information. This part can be
homework for all the students to overwork.
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Teacher’s evaluation Difficulties on teaching this module
-Lack of time for all the activities to evaluate.
-Students tendency for untrue answers about themselves such as ‘the student himself is lazy in
fact but he can say ‘I’m hardworking.’
-Dependency on Internet connection.
-Incompetence of the students for expressing themselves.
Possible solutions
-Guided questions can be asked by the teachers to make students feel more realistic.
BIBLIOGRAPHY (web sides and books used by the teachers to create the activities)
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/communication-skills.html
http://www.byronstock.com/ei/eicompetencies.html
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/skills-and-competencies/300766-problem-solving-the-
mark-of-an-independent-employee
https://business2success.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/core-management-skills-and-
competencies-decision-making/
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/conflict-resolution-skills.htm
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/time.htm
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/teamwork.htm
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HARD-SOFT SKILLING-CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH
Output 6 –Teaching guide
Module 3 – CAREER PLAN MODEL– Discovering your Hidden Skills
Authors: Luís Nunes
Schools: Agrupamento de Escolas do Fundão
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MODULE DESCRIPTION
Description:
Discovering your hidden skills through volunteer work and part-time jobs.
Aims/Competences
1.Students should learn what steps to take to enrich their curriculum, apart from their normal
specific preparation for a job through a university degree and specific training.
2.Students should understand the importance of volunteer work and part-time jobs throughout
their teenage years and young adulthood as a way to gain different experiences and discovering
hidden skills.
Sections:
1. 1.Student self- assessment (pre-post test on the topic)
1.1 Ice-breaker
2. Activity 1
3.Activity 2
3.1.Volunteer and part-time jobs
4.Teacher’s evaluation
5.Webography.
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SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER
Title of the activity
Brief description
1.Student self- assessment - (pre-post test on the topic) 1.1 Ice-breaker
Students answer questions to check their awareness about certain jobs and their
3.Activity 1:Strategies to find part-time
jobs or volunteer jobs
Students are taught strategies to find part-time jobs or volunteer jobs.
3.Activity 2 3.1.Volunteer and part-time job.
Identifying certain volunteer activities or part-time jobs as being a good preparation for specific jobs.
4.Teacher’s evaluation Teacher evaluates students’ performance.
5.Bibliography
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Student self- assessment (pre-post test on the topic) To break the ice and raise awareness, students answer these questions by ticking the right column,
according to their opinion. This test can be answered again at the end of the activities to see how
much students’ opinion changed.
Very
much
Not
much
Not
at all
1 How important is it for a mechanical engineer to be able to drive
several machines?
2 How important is it that a teacher knows a lot about current issues
that may not be directly related to his subject?
3 How important is it that a doctor knows how to be patient and
caring with his patients?
4 How important is it that a human resources manager knows how
to solve conflicts between different people?
5 How important is it that a human resources manager can speak
several foreign languages?
6 How important is it that a doctor can speak several foreign
languages?
7 How important is it that an actor knows the characteristics of
specific jobs?
8 How important is it that a flight attendant understands different
customs and attitudes from different peoples in the world?
9 How important is it that a doctor knows how to sing?
10 How important is it that a teacher can deal with new technologies
with ease?
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Activities ACTIVITY 1: STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT STRATEGIES TO FIND PART-TIME JOBS OR VOLUNTEER JOBS.
Description: Class discussion guided by the teacher around specific jobs forwarded to the students.
Sts are given certain desirable jobs and discuss in small groups what part-time or volunteer activities they can undertake to become the preferred candidates for those jobs. Jobs: 1.Manager of Human Resources 2.Doctor (GP= General Practitioner) 3.Teacher 4.Mechanical Engineer 5.Actor 6.Flight Attendant
Objectives:
Raise awareness about the
different skills needed for a
specific job.
Get to know today’s world
of work.
Procedure:
Students discuss how important certain activities can help you develop the skills necessary for a specific job.
(Ex: working in a café during summer can help you develop your people skills. These can be essential when working in any management role. Working as a volunteer in an orphanage can help you become a better GP later on because you develop your humanitarian skills, etc).
Students check some job adverts online to see what employers are looking for when hiring new employees.
3.Students select the activities they link with certain jobs, so as to have a clearer idea about how to better prepare for a specific job.
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The students devise strategies to look for and apply for the adequate part-time and volunteer jobs they consider most valid for their career choice:
a)writing an advert to be published in a local newspaper saying in what areas the students want to try something professionally; b)checking online for job offers (part-time and volunteer activities) and apply directly; c)enroll in summer courses, at home or abroad, either to learn a new skill or to learn a language better; d)travel to foster the knowledge about the world; e)help their parents in their professional activities so as to develop certain specific skills.
Schedule: 2 lessons, each 50 minutes.
Solutions: Students’ answers may differ from each other.
Materials Job descriptions.
Internet job sites.
Newspaper adverts.
Extra-activities: Each student can search for possible jobs that will match their personal interests and do the same activities individually at home.
Tips:
Sts should look for different
types of jobs as a way to
find the different skills
being asked for in the world
of work, mainly in what
concerns the soft skills.
Evaluation: How to evaluate sts’ performance in this activity.
Quality of interaction between peers;
Capacity to identify the most important;
characteristics of certain jobs;
Most effective advert written.
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ACTIVITY 2: IDENTIFYING CERTAIN VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES OR PART-TIME JOBS AS BEING A GOOD PREPARATION FOR SPECIFIC JOBS.
Description: Students are given descriptions of certain volunteer activities or part-time jobs and match them with the jobs mentioned in activity 1.
Objectives:
Students recognize the
importance of early working
experiences.
They recognize the variety
of possibilities there are in
the world around them,
many without leaving their
home.
Students learn how to
analyse an advert and
dissect it to find out the
hidden skills expected from
an applicant.
Students train the writing of
an application letter.
Procedure:
Students are organized in 5 different groups,
each having the responsibility to analyse and
discuss one advert for volunteer jobs or part-
time jobs.
Students read the descriptions of the volunteer
activities or part-time jobs given to them.
Students analyse the individual characteristics of
each job and identify the possible
correspondences with other jobs in the list.
Students decide what documents are needed to
submit a successful application for these
volunteer jobs and / or part-time jobs.
Students write an application / cover letter.
Schedule: 2 lessons (50 minutes each).
Solutions: Students’ opinion may differ.
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Materials: Worksheets.
Extra-activities: Students check the sites provided for updates.
Tips: Evaluation: How to evaluate sts’ performance in this activity:
Students vote for the most effective application
letter written by their peers;
Teacher asks students to vote for the 5 most
involved students in the activity, one from each
group.
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MATERIALS OF THIS MODULE
1.Volunteer job
Research potential sponsors of sports equipment shipment from Portugal to Zambia
Youth Press and Development Organisation
TASK
The Youth Press and Development Organisation (Y.P.D.O) has been offered various sports
equipment by Portuguese organisations for the projects in Zambia. The YPDO through its sporting
initiative called Malalo (Bridges) Sports Foundation (www.malalosport.com) uses football as a
tool for social change. The initiative is recognised by the UN Sport as one of the organisations that
are bringing change in communities through sport. The assignment is supposed to be concluded
within 12 weeks. The Y.P.D.O shall provide all the required information for the volunteer on the
assignment and collaborations shall be done online. Volunteers will not submit any funding
requests on behalf of our organisation neither approach their personal contacts.
Number of volunteers: 10
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The main objective of the assignment is to find sponsors to ship already pledged football
equipment from Portugal to Zambia. We have already identified the most cost effective way of
shipment via a Zambian American company. We would like volunteers to research on potential
sponsors of small boxes and bins of equipment.
OBJECTIVE
The Y.P.D.O works through the bridges for hope using sports as tool for social change. The task
relates to our objectives of elimination of poverty through the use sport. The assignment also
resonates to the bridging of gender inequality for the girls through the use of sport.
Languages
English
Hours per week
6-10
Duration in weeks
12
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__________________________________________________________________________
2. Volunteer job
Help to improve website for educators
Noble Missions for Change Initiative
TASK
We are in need of a volunteer who can help us improve thementored.com beyond what it is now.
The website was built with Joomla 3x. But we need it to have membership levels as well as custom
registration forms and other functionalities for teachers. All the required information will be
supplied through email. We expect to have the website fully functional by mid July 2015.
Number of volunteers: 2
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Noble Missions for Change Initiative (NMI) envisage a developed society where young people are
empowered for quality living, free of social vices with enhanced productivity and well-being.
This website is the social enterprise of NMI. The goal is to contribute to the development of
teachers thereby improving the quality of education for children.
OBJECTIVE
Launching this website will enable us reach thousands of students and teachers worldwide. And
the information in the magazine will improve the quality of education in Nigeria and other
developing countries.
- To improve the quality of education in rural communities.
- To connect teachers globally.
Region or country
Nigeria
Development topic
Education
REQUIREMENTS
Volunteers should be knowledgeable in: Website development using Joomla; HTML and CSS
coding and be creative!
Areas of expertise
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Computing
Languages
English
Hours per week
6-10
Duration in weeks
12
3. Volunteer job
Research on volunteer sending organizations in Portugal
TASK
Nka Foundation is an NGO that runs site-based volunteer program in rural Ghana and Tanzania.
We seek the support of online volunteers to identify and connect our program with potential
partners in Portugal, such as volunteer-sending organizations and colleges/universities that can
provide us with onsite volunteers to come to participate in our EXPERIENCE RURAL AFRICA
program.
The online volunteer tasks include:
- Research and create database of potential partners such as volunteer-sending organizations,
student unions, study abroad programs, service-learning programs, colleges and university
departments in Portugal that are willing to use our site for projects abroad to benefit their
students.
- Establish contact with them through email, social media, Skype, etc.
Number of volunteers: 4
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Nka Foundation exists to serve underserved communities in Africa and similar places across the
globe. We do this by creating project sites where individuals, groups and institutions can interact
with the underserved communities to build cultural bridges for knowledge and skills transfer. Nka
projects promote volunteerism, especially through the arts and design education.
OBJECTIVE
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To increase our volunteer recruitment. Our organization does not have established paid staff. Nka
projects are run by volunteers dotted all over the globe.
Region or country
Sub-Saharan Africa.
Development topic
Culture.
REQUIREMENTS
- The volunteers need to have good research and communication skills. Experience in
administrative areas will be a plus.
- Task requires a speaker of Portuguese because some of the materials to look at might be in
Portuguese.
If you are interested in undertaking this task, please submit a CV, and clearly outline how your
skills and experience will be an asset to the assignment.
Areas of expertise
Business and administration.
Languages
English, Portuguese
Hours per week
6-10
Duration in weeks
52
__________________________________________________________________________
4.Part-time job
CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT (PART-TIME)
Company: Calspan Air Services
Area: Niagara Falls
Calspan Air Services, located at the Niagara Falls International Airport, provides aviation services
on a 24 hour/7 day a week basis and have immediate openings:
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Customer Service Agent (part-time): Performs a variety of customer-related duties such as
providing outstanding customer service to passengers, handling customer complaints, multi-
tasking and enforcing polices in a professional and courteous manner. Must be able to attend and
pass a two-week training course in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Part-time position.
Successful candidates must pass a pre-employment/SIDA background check and drug screen,
available to work a flexible schedule including days, evenings, weekends & holidays.
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Part-time job
Designing New Planetary Gear System for Electric Bicycles
This part-time job involves designing of a new planetary gear system for electric bicycles with
existing motors. The freelancer is expected to engineer and design a gear system based on a
patented gear system applied for an electric bicycle solution.
The freelancer needs to have a working knowledge of bicycles as well as a background in
mechanical engineering with some experience in planetary gear systems. It would be helpful to
know the inner workings of an internal hub from SRAM or Shimano and implement its gear
structure to this task.
Successful engagement of this task involved not only a set of blueprints but also a working
prototype that could be further engineered for manufacturing. The task will be deemed complete
when the prototype is proven to be working.
This task is an opportunity to experience one of the leading technologies that could reshape the
bicycling industry. There are series of work to be done upon a successful completion of this task.
Skills Required: Computer-Aided Design Mechanical Engineering Rapid Prototyping
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Teacher’s evaluation
Difficulties on teaching this module
-Students might find that these jobs are not the ones they want to have later on and this can
demotivate them.
-Students lose focus when working in group because they will tend to talk too much between
them instead of concentrating on the task at hand.
Possible solutions
-Students will be told that these jobs are examples but realistic ones because they were found in
real internet sites;
-By knowing that group performance will be evaluated, students will try to focus harder.
WEBOGRAPHY https://www.upwork.com/o/jobs/job/_~01882bd3bca8d4ae10/
www.calspan.com/
http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1364954965516
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HARD-SOFT SKILLING-CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH
Output 6 –Teaching guide
Module 4: USEFUL TIPS FOR YOUR CAREER
Authors: Sbarbati Carla,
Chesi Giulia,
Daniele Laurente Di Biasio,
Felice Santilli
School: IISS “Charles Darwin”
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MODULE DESCRIPTION Description
The module will help students revise and acknowledge information regarding vital tools for
getting a job: revising different types of CV templates; differences application letter/cover
letter/resume; tips before/during the interview; tips for writing good application letters.
These activities will help students in writing an effective CV or resume, a captivating Cover Letter
and conducing a good interview.
Aims:
1. To create awarenessof the existence of different types of CV.
2. To compare and contrast the differences between application letter/cover letter/resume.
3. To understand the right way of writing a good application letter.
4. To identify the right way of conducting a job interview.
5. To evaluate and manage information regarding tools to get a job, adapting them to
personal use.
Sections:
1. What is meant for CV?
2. What is meant for Cover Letter?
3. What is a good Job interview?
4. What is meant for Application Letter?
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SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER Title of the activity
Brief description
CV templates
Answering questions, filling in cv template,
creating your own CV
Cover letter
Understanding questions and answers, writing
your own cover letter
Interview tips
Role play to practice interviews
Application letter tips Understanding questions and answers, writing
your own application letter
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Student self- assessment PRE/POST TEST ON THE TOPIC
1. What types of CV templates do you know?
2. Which are the main parts of a CV?
3. what do you have to write in the personal profile heading?
4. What to write in qualification, skill, quality?
5. What are the differences among application letter/cover letter/resume?
6. What should you do before/during the interview?
7. What does a good application letter mean?
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Activities ACTIVITY 1: ICE-BREAKERS/WARM-UP ACTIVITY
Description: Group discussion on the use of a CV. Answering the questions, students have to discuss and understand the use of a CV.
Strategies: Group discussion.
Objectives: Understanding the use and the importance of a CV.
Procedure: Divide the students into groups and give them a sheet of
paper with the questions below. Make them compare
their answers with the responses of the other groups.
Schedule: 40 minutes.
Materials: Sheets of paper.
Evaluation: It is important to evaluate students’ degree in understanding the topic.
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ACTIVITY 2:
CV CATEGORIES, WHAT TO WRITE IN THE PERSONAL PROFILE HEADING.
Description: Students have to discuss on the categories of a CV and understand what to write in the first one( the personal profile heading).
Strategies: Group discussion.
Objectives: Understanding the different parts
of a CV and what to write in the
personal profile heading.
Procedure: Divide the students into groups and make them
discuss about these topics, doing the activities in the
papers that you give them.
Schedule: 20 minutes for the first exercise.
20 minutes for the second exercise.
Materials: Sheets of paper.
Evaluation: Teachers have to evaluate the use of new adjectives and the originality of the writing. .
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ACTIVITY 3:
CV CATEGORIES, WHAT TO WRITE IN QUALIFICATION, SKILLS, QUALITY?
Description: Doing this activity, students have to discuss and understand which skills and qualifications should be written in a CV.
Strategies: Group discussion.
Objectives: Understanding the different parts
of a CV and what to write
qualification, skill ,quality.
Procedure: Divide the students into groups and make them discuss
about this topic doing the activities in the papers that you
give them.
Schedule: 15 minutes for the first exercise.
15 minutes for the second exercise.
Materials: Sheets of paper.
Evaluation: It is made on the quality of groups’ discussion.
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ACTIVITY 4:
CV CATEGORIES, WRITING A CV.
Description: Game on guessing a CV owner.
Objectives: Learning the right tips for writing a
CV.
Procedure: After distributing a template of a CV, each student
writes a CV of a famous character. After reading it, the
class have to guess the character.
Schedule: 20 minutes for writing the CV.
30 minutes for reading and
guessing.
Materials: Sheets of paper.
Evaluation: Evaluation is made on the correctness of the CV and its appropriatness to the character described.
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ACTIVITY 5:
.MAIN TYPES OF CURRICULUM.
Description: Reading and understanding exercise Writing.
Objectives: Learning the differences of the
different types of CV and when to
use them.
Procedure:
After distributing the sheets of the activities, divide
the students into groups and make them read the
main different CVs and discuss about them.
Tell them to write a functional CV from the given
example.
Schedule: 15 minutes for reading.
30 minutes for writing.
Materials: Sheets of paper
Evaluation: We evaluate the quality of groups’ discussion and the correctness of the CV.
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ACTIVITY 6:
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CV, COVER LETTER AND RESUME.
Description: Reading and understanding the differences between CV, Cover letter and Resume. Writing activities.
Objectives: Understanding the differences
between CV Cover Letter and
Resume.
Procedure: Give the students the copy of the paper where the
differences are explained and make them make the
exercise under it. Then, have a class discussion on the
given answers . After that, taking the CV written before,
write a cover letter and a resume after that CV.
Schedule: 20 minutes for reading and
understanding activities.
10 minutes class discussion.
30 minutes for writing.
Solutions: K
E
Y
S
a b c d e f g h i j k l
T
as
k
5
fa
ls
e
fa
ls
e
tr
u
e
tr
u
e
fa
ls
e
tr
u
e
tr
u
e
tr
u
e
tr
u
e
fa
ls
e
tr
u
e
fa
ls
e
Task 8)
KEYS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
b a d d b d c c
Materials: Sheets of paper.
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Evaluation: The first thing to evaluate is the correctness of the understanding activity following the keys given and then the effectiveness of the cover letter and the resume.
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ACTIVITY 7:
JOB INTERVIEW.
Description: Reading and understanding exercise Roleplay.
Objectives: Knowing what to do before/during
the interview.
Procedure: Give the students the copy of the paper with the main tips
for a job interview and let them make a roleplay as
explained in the papers.
Schedule: 15 minutes for reading.
40 minutes for roleplay.
Materials: Sheets of paper.
Extra-activities: Discussion about the importance of behaving in the right way to conduct a good interview.
Evaluation: It is important to evaluate the ability of conducting the role-play and if the students follow the suggestions given in the reading.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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ACTIVITY 8:
APPLICATION LETTER TIPS.
Description: Reading and understanding exercise Reordering and filling in activities Writing.
Objectives: Understanding the importance of
writing a good application letter.
Learning how to write it.
Procedure: Give the students the copy of the paper in which the
application letter is explained or explain it and let them
make the exercises below. You can divide the students into
groups to have a better discussion on it. Make compare the
answers given by each group.
Schedule: 15 minutes for reading or
explaining.
10 group discussion.
30 minutes for activities.
Solutions: First exercise: O P E N I N G; I am writing in reply to your advertisement ... ;With reference to your advertisement in ... ; E X P E R I E N CE AN D Q U AL I F I C AT I O N S; Currently, I am working as a ... ;I have five years experience in this sector. I am in charge of ... ;As you can see from my CV, ... R E AS O N S F O R AP P L Y I N G: I am particulary interested in this position ... ;I am very keen to use my English ... C L O S I N G T H E L E T TE R: I look forward to hearing from you. ;I wil be available for interview from ... ;I would be more than happy to discuss ... ;Please do not hesitate to contact me for.
Second exercise: 87 Delaware Road; Dear Mr.; I am writing
to apply; in The Times Union Magazine; I am enclosing; The
opportunity presented; The key strengths; I provide
exceptional contributions; I have a degree in Computer
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Programming; I also have experience; Please see my
resume; I can be reached anytime; I look forward; Yours
faithfully
Materials: Sheets of paper.
Evaluation: The first thing to evaluate is the correctness of the understanding activity following the keys given and then the effectiveness of the written application letter.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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Teacher’s evaluation Difficulties on teaching this module
Students might meet some problems when choosing the right adjectives or sentences to write a
good CV or showing a convenient attitude and giving the correct answers during a job interview.
Possible solutions
It would be teachers’ task to help students with the appropriate suggestions, making them think,
learn and use adjectives, nouns or short ready made sentences in order to make them feel more
self-confident.
BIBLIOGRAPHY (web sides and books used by the teachers to create the activities)
CV
Video relativi a cv writing▶ 5:09
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTbyvLGqTR4 14 set 2011 - Caricato da AshleyKateHR Ashley Kate HR share their views on how to write an attention grabbing CV. www.hloom.com/download-professional-resume-te... - 279 free resume templates in Word you can download, customize, print, or email. Chronological, functional, combination formats. Traditional, modern, creative ... Clean Simple Resume Template - Modern Resume Templates ... How to Write a CV or Curriculum Vitae (with Free Sample CV) www.wikihow.com/Write-a-CV-(Curriculum-Vitae) – Resume Résumé - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Résumé - What's the Difference Between a Resume and a CV in ... - Monster.ca career-advice.monster.ca › ... › Resume Writing Tips - Resume versus CV? Which format should you use? Career Expert, Mark Swartz explains the difference.
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Cover Letter La struttura della cover letter - Come scrivere una lettera di ... www.studenti.it/foto/lavoro/...lettera-di...inglese/cover-letter-struttura.php Sample Cover Letter - Monster career-advice.monster.com/...cover-letters/cover-let... - Stumped on how to write a cover letter that will catch an employer's attention? Get ideas from this sample. Cover Letter Checklist - Cover Letter Samples - Cover Letter Mistakes How To Write A Cover Letter - Youth Central www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/.../how-to-write-a-co... - Job interview Job interview - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_interview - How to Prepare for a Job Interview (with Examples) - wikiHow www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-a-Job-Interview - Sample Job Interview - Sample Interview Day Checklist - Interview Tips and Tricks
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HARD-SOFT SKILLING-CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH
Output O6 –Teaching guide
Module 5 – Team building
Authors: NadyaMilusheva
LyubimaKonstantinova
YanaStoyanova
BogdanaKostadinova
IliyaValchev
School: Professional High School of Economics “Ivan Iliev”
Blagoevgrad
BULGARIA
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MODULE DESCRIPTION Description
This Module is a structured collection of original and revised resources, exercices and course
activities for testing, developing, delivering, and evaluating training on Team building topics
and skills. The Team Building Skills-module intends to:
•promote the importance of working closely together at school and future workplace.
•establish a positive team culture, the beliefs, values and norms of behavior.
•understand the role of the leader.
•develop communication and trust among team members.
•encourage experience sharing and generating new ideas.
•improve commitment and work efficiency.
Aims/Competences
1. To establish a positive team culture, the beliefs, values and norms of behavior.
2. To understand the role of the leader.
3. To develop communication and trust among team members.
4. To encourage experience sharing and generating new ideas.
5. To enhance team members’ motivation.
6. To improve commitment and work efficiency.
Sections:
1. What is a Team?
2. What is a Team Building?
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3. Team Building basics.
4. Reasons for Team Building.
5. Team Building tests/activities/games.
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SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER Title of the activity
Brief description
Pre/post test Checking competences on the topic
What is Team Building? Theoretical introduction on the topic
Threeice-breakers/warm-up activities:
1. Game:"Win, give"
2. Game: “Game with a ball”
3. Game: “Drop the ball“
Using a game approach to warm-up and ice-
break the students’ relations.
SWAT analysis SWAT analysis of your team/organization.
Feedback Game of the completion of activities and final
evaluation
„I – Message“ (How to influence others) To measure the ability to influence others and
the impact of the others on you - how to
conduct a conversation.
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PRE/POST TEST ON THE TOPIC - ARE YOU A GOOD TEAM WORKER? (Team Building skills test)
All participants complete the test. Their answers should be arranged, according to which view is completely true, mostly true, mostly false or completely false using the table at the end of the test. 1. a) each team must have one person to contro the work,being responsible for its implementation and results. b) for the team’s members is more important to have clearly defined areas of activity and responsibility than to have one person who controls everything. c) good leaders succeed in creating the necessary working atmosphere that motivates and encourages all team members. d) good managers and organizers have the necessary skills to motivate the others. 2. a) the team is the strongest when its objectives consistent with the wishes and needs of each member b) the team isthe strongest when it works well alone. c) the team is the strongest when the goals are clearly specified. d) the team is the strongest when at the beginning its goals seem difficult to be achieved. 3. a) I will mobilize all my energy for my team’s needs and objectives. b) I'm ambitious and I’ll harness all my strengths to become a team leader. c) the best organizer is the one who accepts challenges. d) I want to be a leader. 4. a) best leaders possess the ability to help others discover their strengths. b) most effective leaders are those who stand aside and watch if everything goes well in the team and intervene only when something goes wrong. c) a good leader should encourage a positive team spirit. d) a good leader is a catalyst of motivation. 5. a) the team and its members are motivated through giving them responsibilities. b) team members should be aware of the consequences of their errors. c) a team should not be afraid of changes. d) team members should continuously analyze and evaluate mutually. 6. a) I believe that the team will be better with my participation.
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b) team members should be equallycompetent in all its activity. c) it is important to be in support of each member of the team at any time. d) regular team meetings are necessary in order to discuss objectives and assess what has been done. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING: Please arrange each answer for each of 6 groups of questionsin the table below:
Group of
questions 1
Completely
true
Mostly true Mostly false Completely
false
Total
А 3p. 2p. 1p. 0p.
B 0p. 1p. 2p. 3p.
C 2p. 3p. 1p. 0p.
D 0p. 1p. 3p. 2p.
Group of
questions 2
Completely
true
Mostly true Mostly false Completely
false
Total
А 3p. 2p. 1p. 0p.
B 0p. 1p. 2p. 3p.
C 2p. 3p. 1p. 0p.
D 0p. 1p. 3p. 2p.
Group of
questions 3
Completely
true
Mostly true Mostly false Completely
false
Total
А 3p. 2p. 1p. 0p.
B 0p. 1p. 2p. 3p.
C 2p. 3p. 1p. 0p.
D 0p. 1p. 3p. 2p.
Group of
questions 4
Completely
true
Mostly true Mostly false Completely
false
Total
А 3p. 2p. 1p. 0p.
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B 0p. 1p. 2p. 3p.
C 2p. 3p. 1p. 0p.
D 0p. 1p. 3p. 2p.
Group of
questions 5
Completely
true
Mostly true Mostly false Completely
false
Total
А 3p. 2p. 1p. 0p.
B 0p. 1p. 2p. 3p.
C 2p. 3p. 1p. 0p.
D 0p. 1p. 3p. 2p.
Group of
questions 6
Completely
true
Mostly true Mostly false Completely
false
Total
А 3p. 2p. 1p. 0p.
B 0p. 1p. 2p. 3p.
C 2p. 3p. 1p. 0p.
D 0p. 1p. 3p. 2p.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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RESULTS: 48-72 POINTS You are not only a team worker, but a person who clearly aware of what is necessary to work in a team and how to make it function best. As a result, you could become a great leader. A good organizer should understand the importance of the goals and challenges of the team, but also need to maintain good collegial relationships, responsibility and development. Good organizers manage to create the right working atmosphere to motivate the team. If you are a member of a team, but have not yet taken leadership position you have the potential and perhaps should develop your aspirations, of course, only if you really want it. 24-47 POINTS You can be agood teamworkerwithleadership qualities. The team as well asthe individual member is encouraged by theresponsibilityandyou mostlikelyhavethe quality to takethese responsibilitiesseriouslyandtorealizethe need that allteam members must worktogether to achieve thecommon goals.It is true thata team is composedof individuals, but only when they work together ona commongoalthe teamcan be reallyeffective. 23 POINTS /OR LESS/ It seems you are rather individualist and as such you prefer tasks for independent work and not as a team. You simply do not like the involvement of other people or to work under the rule of others. Your results show that you are suitable for independent work in a profession in which you can work alone, with the least possible interference. But you should not forget, however, that life is a team game in which the collaboration is more productive than the isolation. The development of a team means also an individual development where all members are moving forward by learning new ideas, improving skills, expanding horizons and keeping motivated.
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Activities ACTIVITY 1:
WHAT IS TEAM BUILDING?
Description: Theoretical introduction.
Strategies: Brainstorming.Discussion. Questioning.
Objectives:
To familiarize students with the meaning, the importance and the origin and the history of team building.
To stimulate teamwork, cooperation and open communication.
Procedures: 1.1. Questions to the students: Do you know what teambuilding means? Do you know where teambuilding was first done and why? 1.2. Giving basic theoretical knowledge about teambuilding through discussion. Teambuilding is a word of English origin. It is a process that allows creation and development of collective values in an organization, institution or company. These values are achieved through activities of a game type. The main objectives of the games are: - Improving the communication within the team - Rallying the people in the team - Improving the teamwork - Overcoming the essential problems in teamwork Teambuilding can develop positive communication in a group and has the ability to make us work together to deal with certain problems as a team. Teambuilding programs, as an idea for a company training occurred in the United States and Britain in the second half of XX century. These programs basically came from team interaction methods of fighting groups from the Vietnam War and the Falklands crisis. 1.3. Question: What do you think is needed for a team to be successful and work effectively? Reply with one or two words! (Brainstorming - the answers are recorded on a board)
1.4. Theoretical part, represented by a PP presentation.
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A group of people is called "team" only when this group
has:
in carrying out their
work tasks
Team building is a management technique and team
building training is a tool to manage the effectiveness of
teamwork.
Factors of team effectiveness:
- team members need to create an
environment where together they can contribute far
more than as individuals. A positive interdependent team
environment brings out the best in each person enabling
the team to achieve their goals at a far superior level.
Conflict solving – Includes the ability to discuss issues
openly with team members, be honest, trustworthy,
supportive and show respect and commitment to the
team and to its individuals.
- The skillful management of the team of one
or more of its members almost always determines the
success or failure in achieving the common goal. Effective
leadership is essential for team success including shared
decision-making and problem solving.
- If the team members are truly motivated
to work, the team can achieve miracles.
- It would be
better if the team members feel that it is important not
only to achieve specific organizational goals, but develop
their professional and personal levels. This would be
useful for both -the participants, and the team work.
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- a team would be much more
effective if its members are directly involved in
determining the targets and periodically evaluate the
achievements. Team members need to be fully aware of
their specific team role and understand what is expected
of them in terms of their contribution to the team.
-making - If the team has a clear aproach for
decision-making ( e.g. not to allow the domination of one
or two members’ opinion), the benefits of teamwork
would be much greater, and efficiency - significantly
higher.
– Can you imagine the teamworkwithout
it? When people cooperate, the final results will be far
higher than if everyone works individually for themselves.
The team is not a place for solo performers!
- They are the blood system of every
team. Communication creates ideas, gives solutions,
smoothes misunderstandings.Actively listening to the
concerns and needs of team members and valuing their
contribution and expressing this helps to create an
effective work environment.
- Team members should be willing to give and
receive constructive criticism and provide authentic
feedback.
- Team members become involved in
action planning to identify ways to achieve goals. By
identifying specific outcome levels, teams can determine
what future resources are needed. Successful goal
settings help the teams to work towards the same
outcomes and make them more task and action oriented.
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Schedule: 50’
Materials: A board. PP Presentation.
Tips:
Ask appropriate questions to get students to understand the meaning of team building on their own.
Explain students the importance of working in a team.
Evaluation: Observing students and their answers. The students become aware ofthe meaning and importance of Team Building.
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ACTIVITY 2: THREE ICE-BREAKERS/WARM-UP ACTIVITIES
Description: Game 1.: "Win, give"
Strategies:
Using a game approach to warm-up and ice-break the
students’ relations.
Objectives:
To see all expectations of
the ongoing training, as well
as to show that each opinion
matters.
Procedure: There are 2 notice boards in the room titled “Give”
and “Win”. The participants write briefly what they
want to gain from the meeting on “Win” board and
what they want to give on the “Give” board. Built
"Wall of expectations" is left hanging until the end of
the session in order to be reviewed again later.
Schedule: 40’
Materials: 2 white boards
Tips:
Conduct students honestly
to express their willingness
to give what is need to their
peers.
Conduct students honestly
to express their
expectations of the meeting.
Evaluation: The facilitator summarizes the main themes and makes comments if it is possible or unlikely to be achieved.
Description:
Game 2.: “Game with a ball”
Strategies:
Using a game approach to warm-up and ice-break the
students’ relations.
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Objectives:
Game for introducing, stimulating
and motivating the group to work.
Procedure:
Participants: Small 4 groups
Instructions/short description of the activity: Each
participant to whom the leader of the group throws a
ball must present themselves (his/her name and
country). Then a representative of each group
presents people from his team to the others.
Schedule:
40’
Materials:
A ball.
Tips:
-Encouraging students to
understand the importance of
knowing each other well.
Evaluation:
Observing students behavior during the game.
Students become closer and demonstrate their
interest in each other.
Description:
Game 3.: “Drop the ball“
Strategies:
Using a game approach to warm-up and ice-break the
students’ relations.
Objectives:
A game for cooperation and
healthy competition.
Procedure:
Instructions:
Each small group receives 12 straws and 18
inches of masking tape. They get ten minutes
to build a container that will catch a golf ball
dropped from about ten feet.
Each group selects a ‘ball dropper’ — that
person stands on a chair, holds a golf ball at
eye level. That group places its container on
the floor under where it thinks the ball will
land. Each group gets three attempts.
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The group that gets a ball to go in and stay in
its container wins.
Shedule: 20’
Materials:
Golf balls, straws, tape.
Tips:
Teach students to work
together.
Teach students to rely on
each other.
Evaluation:
Teams can use their experiences in the game to
overcome work problems and relational issues.
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ACTIVITY 3: SWAT ANALYSIS
Description: Using SWAT analysis to point strengths and weaknesses of the team.
Strategies: Open discussion to identify the strong points and weak points of your team.
Objectives:
To get each member of the
team.
To understand what are
the strengths of their team
in order to benefit of.
To be aware of their weak
points in order to
overcome them.
Procedure:
1.Discussing with students the positive attributes within
their team and encourage them to answer the following
questions: What your team does well? What human resources do you have in your
team? What advantages does your team have?
2. Discussing and assess the factors that represent the
reason for your team to exist and prosper. Encourage
students to answer the following question:
What opportunities exist in your environment,
from which your team hopes to benefit?
3. Identify the weaknesses within your team. Encourage
students to answer the following question:
What are the factors that detract from your
team‘s abilities to obtain or maintain a good and
succefull team work?
4. Encourage students to answer the following question:
What are potential threats and risks to your
team/organisation?
Schedule: 40‘
Materials:
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Worksheets.
Tips:
Teach students to think
about and understand the
importance of knowing the
strong and weak points of
their team.
Teach students to use SWAT analysis techniques.
Evaluation:
Observing students and check out their sheets.
Analysing students sheets. The students are able to identify the strong and weak points of their team.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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ACTIVITY 4: FEEDBACK
Description:
Game of the completion of
activities and final evaluation.
Strategies: Using a game approach to get feedback.
Objectives:
To make participants
realize the incredible value
of the final assessment for
anyone in the team.
To make feedback and give
clarity what could be
improved next time.
Procedure: The participants stand in a circle. One of them
stretched his/her hand towards the middle of the
circle and says what were her/his difficulties in the
tasks and what he/she liked. She/he formulates it by
saying: "I did not like it when ...." and "I liked when ...".
The next one put her/his hand on the hand of the
former participant until all participants have their
opinion said and their hands gather in the middle of
the circle. Facilitator concludes by saying that what
the collected arms suggests is the power of the
participants as a group.
Schedule: 40‘
Materials:
Golf balls, straws, tape.
Tips:
Teach students to reveal his/her
views honestly.
Evaluation: Teams can use their experiences in the game to
overcome work problems and relational issues.
ACTIVITY 5: I – MESSAGE (How to influence others)
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Description: Using I-message to learn how to
communicate our feelings(positive
or negative) with anyone, in safe
and respectful ways.
I feel (name your emotion)when
you (describe the action or
problem).
Strategies: I-Messages and Active Listening approach.
Objectives:
Using I-messages to
encourage students to
share how they feel, no
matter what their
emotions are.
Procedure:
Conduct students to start with “I feel” and then express an emotion such as:
Angry Frustrated Confused Guilty
Sad Hopeless Depressed Grateful
Happy Encouraged Hopeful Peaceful
Once they have expressed their emotion, they are
free to describe the situation (i.e., “when you..”).
Theyshouldn’t insult the other person or to describe
the problem for a long time.
Schedule:
20 minutes.
Materials: None
Tips:
Teach students to send I-messages
as a very safe and powerful way to
communicate.
Evaluation:
Observe students I-messages and define if they are correct or incorrect.
Observe the students if they become defensive and react to what the other person says.
Students start to use successfully the correct form of I-message and listen to each other actively.
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Teacher’s evaluation Difficulties on teaching this module
Scarcity of teaching materials
Difficulty in motivating students to participate actively
Dependency on students honesty
Difficulties in getting desirable discipline during games and ice-breakers
Lack of time to practice achieved knowledge and skills
Possible solutions
Use and permanent update of the Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path
Teaching toolkit
Organizing regularly teambuilding sessions at school
BIBLIOGRAPHY Materials created by the authors of this module.
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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HARD-SOFT SKILLING-CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH
Output 6 –Teaching guide
Module 6: COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Authors: Pilar Belloc
Schools: Institut Europa
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MODULE DESCRIPTION Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills and one of the
most required in the labour market and it means the ability to speak, read listen and write
effectively, with clarity and conciseness. In order to help our students succeed in
communication, we have prepared a lot of activities, using an active methodology which entails
students’ interaction with their classmates in pairs, small or large groups, and help them
develop the capacity to understand and produce oral and written messages in English in
communicative situations related to their career, with different communicative intentions,
with a clearly and structured treatment of contents, acquiring fluency and accuracy, analyzing
the audience, being aware of the importance of the body language to convey messages,
simulating situations in real life related with their future career interviews and taking into
account the cultural differences in order to avoid misunderstandings.
We hope that these materials will help students improve their communicative competence
and at the end of the project the students will be able to communicate effectively in an
autonomous way, in oral and written form, in typical communicative situations through
specific tasks related to their career.
Aims:
1. To evaluate the communication context.
2. To create awareness of the existence of different types of communication.
3. To understand what effective communication means.
4. To compare and contrast cultural differences in communication.
5. To identify the right means of communication according to the target audience.
6. To select the desired action to convey meaning.
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Sections:
1. What is meant by effective communication?
2. What is meant by verbal and non-verbal communication?
3. What cultural differences may influence communication?
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SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER
Title of the activity
Brief description
Am I a good communicator?
Individual quiz to see what you should improve.
Acting out without words
Act out expressing feelings, without words Discussion: Importance of body language
Your mood
Say a sentence expressing a different mood.
Reading aloud Read aloud in front of a big audience in order to be a good reader getting feedback
from the peers
Body language at a job interview To be familiar with the positive body language
Verbal/ Non-verbal language
Role-play to practice oral communication (student A) and body language (student B).
Catching people’s attention Group work: To convey the message correctly using proper verbal and body language.
Learning from your mates To know other classmates’ cultures.
An enthusiastic student
Group work: a- How to communicate properly b- Peer’s observation
Role play: simulation of a basic situation. Tips to convince people
Mute video
Group work: analyze the body language shown in 3 videos( interviews to famous
people)
Cross cultural misunderstandings Small talk given by a foreign student
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Small discussions
Group work: For/against: the importance of first impression at an interview.
- Oral discussion with peers’ feedback.
- A for and against essay
Classmate’s interview
Pair work and write a report.
Getting feedback from the mates
Pair work performance and peers’
evaluation.
Cross cultural differences
Group work based on a memo exercise and winning competition
A real interview
Pair work and getting feedback from the peers
Volunteering work
Photo prediction Jigsaw reading activity. Further activity: A for/against essay
Unemployement problem
A jigsaw reading Take notes and write a report Formal letter to the Mayor of your Council.
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PRE/POST TEST ON THE TOPIC Oral Communication Self-Assessment
Oral communication is the ability to use speech to share thoughts and information. Complete this self-assessment to help you understand your oral communication strengths and
areas for improvement Never Rarely Sometimes Frequently Most often
I prepare for all
communications
and think things
before I speak.
I express my
opinions and ideas
clearly and
concisely.
I use appropriate
body language (e.g.
smiling, nodding,
making eye
contact) while
having a
conversation
I consider cultural
barriers when
planning my
communications
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I try to anticipate
possible causes of
confusion and I
deal with them up
front
Before I
communicate, I
think about what
the person needs
to know, and how
best to convey it.
Listen to others
without
interrupting
Persuade others to
consider different
options
I give support
and positive
feedback to the
others
I write and rewrite
a draft and then I
revise it, before
writing the final
version.
Self-assessment: students should improve all these points and answer “most often” at the end of
the year.
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Activities ACTIVITY 1: ARE YOU A GOOD COMMUNICATOR?
Description: Answer a test and know how good communicator you are in order to know your weak points that you should improve to be a good communicator.
Objectives: To know you better and to improve the weak points related to communication
Procedure:
Teacher asks students to write 3 adjectives that describe them as a communicator.
In groups of 3, students discuss the important skills that a good communicator is supposed to have.
Students enter in the following site and
discover how good communicators they are:
www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_99
.htm#Explanation
They see their scores and comment them with
the rest of the class.
Schedule: 60 minutes.
Solutions: After seeing their score, teacher recommends each
student which activities to carry out in order to improve
the weak skills.
Materials: Laptop and Internet access.
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Tips:
Read the questions carefully and
choose the most suitable answer for
you.
Evaluation: It is self-assessment to help students know themselves.
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ACTIVITY 2: ACTING OUT WITHOUT WORDS
Description: The activity consists in describing feelings acting out.
Objectives:
To be aware of the
importance of the body
language to avoid confusion
To be able to express their
feelings without using
words.
Procedure:
Brainstorm: students say adjectives describing a feeling
Teacher makes them write 1 adjective describing
a feeling on a piece of paper and put them into a
box.
Possible adjectives: afraid, nervous,
frustrated, bored, exhausted, happy,
embarrassed, disappointed, relied, and
so on.
One student takes one and has to act out without
using words.
The class has to guess the meaning and the one
who guesses the meaning has to say how he/she
noticed it (behaviour) and write it down on the
table.
Schedule: Brainstorming:5 minutes. 30 minutes acting.
20 minutes of discussion.
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Materials: Cards with the adjectives.
Extra-activities: Discussion about the importance of body language to
convey a message properly. Why do we sometimes get
a wrong message?
Tips: Remember you can’t use words, only body language.
Evaluation: Teacher evaluates how good the students are when they want to express a feeling without words.
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ACTIVITY 3:
YOUR MOOD.
Description:
The activity consists in repeating a
sentence expressing different
moods.
Objectives:
To be aware of the
importance of your mood
when you communicate
with people.
To be able to express your
mood.
To be able to recognize the
different moods expressed
by communicators.
Procedure:
Brainstorm: students say adjectives describing a
mood
Teacher makes them write 1 adjective describing
a feeling on a piece of paper and put the pieces
of paper into a box.
Possible adjectives: guilty, insecure, happy,
irritated, worried, relaxed, depressed.
The teacher writes a sentence on the board and
tells students to memorize it and repeat it
expressing the mood written on their card.
The rest of the class has to guess the reader’s
mood.
One student takes one and has to act out
without saying a word.
The class has to guess the meaning and the one
who has guessed the meaning has to say how
he/she noticed it (behaviour) and write it down
on the table.
Schedule:
Brainstorming:5 minutes.
30 minutes acting.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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Materials
Cards with the adjectives.
Given sentence written on the
board
Extra-activities:
You can repeat this activity, giving dialogues to the
students and making them repeat them using a
different mood.
Tips
Revise the tips for body language.
Evaluation
Teacher observes students’ performance conveying a
message expressing different moods.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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ACTIVITY 4:
READING ALOUD
Description:
The activity consists in reading a
text aloud taking into account the
tips for effective reading. The texts
are created by students and are
about familiar topics.
Objectives:
To develop effective reading
skills.
To be able to be confident
acting in front of a big
audience.
Procedure:
Brainstorm: Your favourite topics
Teacher invites students to write a short text
about a topic they know and are interested in.
2 volunteers read a text about a topic they know.
First they read it silently, then aloud in their
normal speaking voice and finally, they read it in
front of the class
The rest of the class working in groups of 4, take
notes about the reader’s communicative skills,
compare their notes, draw up the conclusions
and report them to the class.
Schedule:
Brainstorming:5 minutes
15minutes acting.
15 minutes getting feedback
Solutions:
If they don’t succeed in this activity, they can practice at
home as much as they need.
Materials
Texts about familiar topics for the
students.
Extra-activities:
From time to time teacher can repeat this activity in
class.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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Tip
-Slow down and don’t read fast.
-Keep your head up.
-Hold the document higher and
project your voice.
-Pause occasionally( pauses can be
useful for emphasis.
-Get feedback from your peers
Evaluation
Peer’s evaluation and final monitoring by the teacher.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 5: BODY LANGUAGE AT A JOB INTERVIEW
Description: The activity consists in being able to recognize positive attitudes at an interview, try to avoid the negative ones and improve your performance.
Objectives:
To be familiar with
vocabulary related to body
language.
To be aware of the
importance of body language
when communicating in a
job.
Procedure:
Warming up: in groups of 4 think about positive and negative attitudes at an interview.
The teacher projects vocabulary related with the topic.
Students try to understand the meaning
Teacher invites students in groups of 4 to put the sentences in the correct column.
They can add more
Then all the class group comment the classification.
Whole class discussion about it.
Schedule: 30 minutes.
Materials: Paper and pens.
Smart projector.
Extra-activities: Students can perform sketches with typical mistakes that the class will have to identify and correct.
Tips:
Tips for a good interview
Evaluation: -Teacher evaluates if students recognize the good attitudes for an interview. And if students are familiar with the vocabulary related to interviews.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 6: VERBAL/NON-VERBAL LANGUAGE
Description: The activity consists in a pair work activity, the students have to perform a dialogue where student A reads the lines out loud and student B communicates in a non-verbal way, expressing a secret emotional distraction(to be in a rush, bored or maybe guilty). After the dialogue, student A has to say what emotion was affecting student B.
Objectives:
To be aware of the
importance of body language
when communicating.
To understand how much
information we send to the
audience with non-verbal
messages.
Procedure:
Warming up: Important points in body language.
Teacher gives students a dialogue.
Students work in pairs: student A reads his/her lines out loud and student B reads the dialogue without speaking and expressing a secret emotional distraction.
At the end student A has to say what emotion was affecting student B.
Schedule: 15 minutes
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Materials: Paper with the dialogue, paper and
pens.
Extra-activities: The students can change their role and perform the same dialogue but expressing another feeling. Homework: Write a dialogue in pairs: a father is telling his son he spends too much time on the whatsApp. Using their imagination students can make a funny conversation. They prepare it and perform it in front of the class.
Tips:
Tips for Verbal performance:
Read clearly, intonation,
pronunciation, pauses.
Tips for non-verbal:
Eye contact,gestures, space, tone of
voice, intensity,etc.
Evaluation:
- Teacher evaluates the verbal performance of student A and the non-verbal of student B-
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 7: CATCHING PEOPLE’S ATTENTION
Description: The activity consists in preparing a short presentation on a subject of students’ choice. It can be a trip, a holiday, a favourite book,etc.
Objectives:
To catch people’s attention.
To convey the message
correctly.
To give positive feedback.
Procedure:
Teacher tells a student to speak about something important that has happened to her/him.
The student has 15 minutes to prepare the speech.
The teacher divides the class into 2 groups: the body language observers and the verbal observers.
Each group reads the guide to prepare their notes.
They can use the given one or create a new one.
The student begins to make his/her speech.
The others take notes and then compare the notes with the ones taken by the members of their group and complete the table.
They draw conclusions about if the body language was positive or negative or if the verbal language was positive or negative.
They explain their conclusions to the rest of the class and the speaker gets feedback from his/her peers.
Schedule: 60 minutes.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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Materials: Paper and pens.
Video camera if possible.
Extra-activities: You can repeat this activity with another student talking about a trip, a holiday, a film, etc. and the class listen to the presentation and give feedback on one thing the student did well and one thing he/she should improve next time.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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Tips:
Speaker:
Know the audience, use the correct
channel, use the body language to
create interest. Use personal
experiences to captivate the audience.
Speak slowly, pronunciation, intonation,
pauses, control your nerves
Body language observers:
Eye
conta
ct
How often? Avoided?
Facial
expre
ssion
Inexpressive? Emotionally
involved? Interested?
Smiling?Terrified?
Tone
of
voice
Does their voice project
warmth, confidence, and
interest, or is it strained and
blocked?
Postu
re
and
gestu
re
Relaxed or stiff and
immobile? Sit properly?
Tensed and raised
shoulders, or slightly
sloped? What about hand
and arm movements?
Inten
sity
Flat, cool, and disinterested,
or over-the-top and
melodramatic?
Evaluation: - The speaker: body language, tone of voice,
interesting start and ending, pronunciation, intonation, pauses.
- For the observers: how they interact with the group, listen to the others, give their opinion, discuss, make agreements, give positive feedback.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Timin
g and
pace
Is there an easy flow of
information back and forth?
Quickly or too slow
nonverbal responses?
Soun
ds
Do you hear sounds that
indicate caring or concern?
- Verbal observers:
Is the information well organized? Are
there few key points?, too long, too
short, many details, clear ideas,
examples, boring, interesting, finish or
unfinished sentences,etc.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
- 108 -
ACTIVITY 8: LEARNING FROM YOUR MATES
Description: To know about other cultures, explained by our foreigner classmates.
Objectives:
To know and accept cultural
differences and be able to
work with people from other
cultures.
Procedure:
A classmate from another country makes a speech about the cultural differences between his/her country and our country. The students have prepared the topics and given them to him/her.(possible topics: relationship between parents and kids, discipline at school, introducing yourself, lifestyle, etc.).After the speech the students can make questions.
Then write a report about similarities and differences between your culture and the one of the person interviewed.
Schedule: 30 minutes
Materials: Pen and paper.
Extra-activities: You can repeat this activity from time to time, changing the topic or the country.
Tips:
How to convey a message.
Evaluation:
- Teacher evaluates the speaker’s speech, how good communicator he/she is, pronunciation, intonation, pauses, short message with examples, techniques to catch students’ attention, vocabulary used, body language ….
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 9: AN ENTHUSIASTIC STUDENT
Description: A student tries to convince the sports teachers that he is a suitable person to train the 12 year-old students of the school. The rest of the class are the observers (group A body language observers, Group B verbal observers who take notes and give feedback to the speaker.
Objectives:
To be able to convince the
others.
To be able to express his/her
ideas.
To accept positive feedback
from the peers.
To be a good observer and
have clear ideas of the
importance of verbal/non-
verbal language when
communicating.
Procedure:
Revision of the basis of
communication(verbal/non-verbal tips).
One student is going to prepare a speech in
order to convince the sports teachers of the
school that he is the most suitable candidate to
train a 12-old students’ team at school.
Two volunteers are the sports teachers.
Teacher divides the rest of the class into two
groups:
o Body language observers.
o Verbal observers.
Both groups take notes about the speaker’s
performance.
Students compare the notes with the members
of their group and draw conclusions.
Teacher elicits the final conclusions and opens a discussion about them.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Schedule: 60 minutes
Materials: Paper and pens.
A record camera.
Extra-activities: This activity can be repeated as much as necessary but with variations. For example, students can write a different situation and requirements for the candidate.
Tips:
Use your body language to create
interest.
Use personal experiences to
captivate your audience.
Speak slowly, pay attention to
pronunciation, intonation, pauses.
Control your nerves.
Evaluation: - Teacher evaluates the speakers’ performance
taking into account the basis for a good communication.
- Teacher also evaluates the observers and the students’ interaction in the final discussion.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
- 111 -
ACTIVITY 10: A MUTE VIDEO
Description: The activity consists in observing the body language in 3 mute videos, predict the topic and the speakers’ mood.
Objectives:
To raise awareness of the
importance of the body
language in communication.
Procedure:
Warming up: Read the observation guide of the body language principles.
Students are divided into groups of four.
They watch 3 videos with mute sound and observe the body language.
They write downs their notes on the table.
Then they compare them with the ones taken by the other members of the group and complete the table together.
Teacher elicits the observations from each group.
Whole class discussion about if the body language of the video was positive or negative.
Students predict the topic and the mood.
They watch the video again but with the sound on.
They check their observations and comment them and summarize the key body language points and check how they show the speakers’ mood and language.
Schedule: 60 minutes
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Materials: Paper and pens.
A smart board with Internet
connection to watch the videos.
Extra-activities: This activity can be repeated from time to time using other videos.
Tips:
Body language keys:
Evaluation:
Teacher evaluates how good observers the students are and how they interact with their mates, giving their opinions, listening to the others, respecting the turns of speaking.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
- 113 -
ACTIVITY11: CROSS CULTURAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS
Description: Watching a video the students analyze why the message is sometimes misunderstood.
Objectives:
To be aware of the
importance of using the
proper communication skills.
Procedure:
Revise the tips for a good communication
Watch the following video and analyze the reasons of misunderstanding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrJTf97Ev8o
Intercultural interaction difficulties.
Cultural values.
Non-verbal communication: eye contact, facial expressions, posture and gesture, touch, intensity, timing and place.
How could this confusion have been avoided?
Schedule: 30 minutes.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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Materials: Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=BrJTf97Ev8o
Extra-activities:
Further activity: A foreign student from a very
different country like India, Pakistan, China
explains his/her personal experiences related to
misunderstanding and how the problem was
solved or should have been solved.
Tips:
Take into account the tips for good
communication and the cultural
differences.
Evaluation:
The teacher evaluates if the students understand the different cultural values and how importand they are when communicating and trying to convey a message properly.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 12: SMALL DISCUSSIONS
Description: Whole class discussion about the most important thing in an interview. First reading for a gist.
Objectives:
To be aware of the
importance of the first
appearance in a job
interview.
To read a test and
understand the most
important ideas.
Procedure:
Teacher asks students :”What is the most important thing to get a job?”
Teacher shows students the title of an article from the Daily newspaper.
A brainstorming of different opinions is open.
Teacher asks students to read the article.
Students are divided into 2 groups: group A in favour and gives arguments encouraging people to dress and behave properly in a job interview.
Group B disagrees and gives arguments stating that appearance is not the most important thing, there are others more important like personal skills, experience or qualifications.
Both groups write the arguments on flipcharts( Tips: I think/ In my opinion/ I agree/ I disagree/That’s true ,but…)
Group C the observers: half paying attention to the body language and the other half to the verbal communication.
A volunteer is chairing the discussion.
One person of each group presents the final conclusions giving as much support as possible.
The discussion begins.
The chairman controls the discussion between the groups and encourages participation, creativity and compromise.
Teacher films the discussion in order to take feedback of the activity.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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Schedule: 60 minutes.
Materials: Photocopy of the article from the
Daily Newspaper.
Flipcharts, pen and board.
Film camera.
Extra-activities: Write an opinion essay: ”Do you agree that the first impression is one of the main things considered by employers?
Tips:
PLAN for an opinion essay
Express your own opinion on
something and convince the reader
that your opinion is valid´
Paragraph1 : Introduction: introduce
the topic and state your opinion very
briefly using clear and precise ideas.
Paragraph 2: Give examples and
reasons for your opinion. Use a
different paragraph for each reason.
Paragraph 3: Summarize your
opinions.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
In my opinion, I
think/feel/believe that
Connectors: What is more, Besides
As I see it,
I agree/(strongly)disagree
In addition, Moreover
Evaluation:
- Effective reading for a gist. Understand the main ideas of the test.
- To discuss about the topic: listen to the others, respect the turns of speaking, give clear ideas with solid arguments to convince the others. ACTIVE LISTENING? The process of listening, clarifying, giving feedback, and self-disclosing. It involves the participation of both parties in verbal and non-verbal ways. Use of “I” statements is imperative. : Sit or stand in a comfortable position with your body aimed in the general area where the speaker is. Try to be in a relaxed position. -Face the speaker and make appropriate eye contact. Be aware of other non-verbals: placement of arms, leaning forward when necessary, head nodding, degree of personal space, smiling.
Paraphrase the speaker’s message. Ask clarifying questions for understanding.
Malke comments, answer questions when the speaker pauses. Provide appropriate feedback. Empathy.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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It seems to me that,
As far as I am concerned
Furthermore,
It is clear that,
Connectors of contrast:
although,
From my point of view,
in spite of, however, nevertheless
Listen with openness. Be a supportive, but neutral listener.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 13: CLASSMATES INTERVIEWS
Description: The activity consists in a mock interview as a previous step for a real interview.
Objectives:
To prepare students for a real
interview.
To be able to report the
collected information in an
interview.
Procedure:
Pair work activity: one student is the employer and the other the candidate.
They prepare questions( you can use the given ones and add others).
After the interview, the interviewer writes a report with all the information and reads the report to the class.
Schedule: 30 minutes.
Materials: Pen and paper.
Extra-activities: You can repeat this activity from time to time.
Tips:
Be punctual and properly dressed.
Good handshake.
Good posture while sitting.
Control your gestures, tone of voice
and pauses.
Come prepared with a resume or
references.
Evaluation:
Teacher evaluates the students performance, the communication( if they make eye contact, use appropriate volume,are confident, speak fluently and clearly, so the others can understand him/her,if they don’t over-praise themselves in front of the audience or don’t interrupt or talk over the other person.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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Don’t be the first to talk.
Be yourself.
Smile and be friendly. Eye contact.
Highlight that you love working with
people and learning new things.
Be a good listener.
Search information of the firm and
indicate you will be proud to work
there.
Have a good question on training.
Thank the interviewer and shake
hands.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 14:
GETTING FEEDBACK FROM YOUR MATES
Description: It consists in trying to persuade your boss and accepting feedback from your peers.
Objectives:
To know and accept feedback
from your peers.
Procedure:
In groups of 5, the students perform a small task.
-Read the text: “One student is the employer and the other the
employee who tries to convince his/her boss to allow
him/her to begin work at 8.30 instead of 8.00 because
he/she has to take his/her little son to school. He
suggests beginning 30 minutes later and finishing work
at 3.30 instead of 3.00.”
Remember the communication and body language rules.
A third student films the small dialogue. And the other 2 take notes about the performance, the message (clear, concrete, concise, etc.), the space, the language, tone of voice, etc, but they cannot interfere.
The other two students comment the notes they have taken during the dialogue.
The rest of the class adds comments and evaluates the positive and negative things.
The ones who have performed the task take notes about the things they have to improve when they get the feedback.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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Schedule: 30 minutes
Materials: Pen and paper
Extra-activities: You can repeat this activity using other examples.
Tips:
Remember the rules of
communication
To improve your performance,
remember the 3 ps:
PREPARE, PRACTISE AND PERFORM
Evaluation:
- The teacher evaluates the speakers’ performance and the notes taken by the observers, the way how they give feedback.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
- 122 -
ACTIVITY 15: CROSS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Description: The activity consists in explain the meaning of the gestures in your culture and in other cultures if you know.
Objectives:
To learn by heart.
To be aware of the different
meaning of gestures in
different cultures.
To raise awareness of the
problems that can appear
when you are not familiar
with cultural differences.
Procedure:
Teacher shows students a photocopy of different gestures and students have to say the meaning in their culture and in other cultures.
Teacher invites students to click on the websites and memorize in 15 minutes as much as possible about the different meaning of gestures around the word.
3 students have the photocopy with the answers
and in turns, they make questions to the whole
class and students in pairs try to answer. Possible
examples: “What does “head toss” mean in Italy?
The first ones who answer properly, get one
point.
And the winner is the group with more points.
Schedule: 20 minutes.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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Materials: http://www.crosscultured.com/doc
uments/Gesture%20answers.pdf
http://www.crosscultured.com/doc
uments/Gestures.pdf
Extra-activities: You can repeat this activity from time to time in order to be sure that your students know the meaning of the most important gestures in different cultures.
Tips:
Try to remember the most usual
ones in the cultures you may interact
in the future
Evaluation: - As it is a memo activity, evaluation is not
required.
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ACTIVITY 16: A REAL INTERVIEW
Description: The activity consists in preparing the students for a real interview, they have to look for information in the website of the company, read the requirements, prepare their CV and the questions for the interview.
Objectives:
Recognize the elements of a
successful interview.
Demonstrate the
interviewing skills.
Procedure: Assumptions: The students are supposed to have written
their CV at home last week. CVs previously corrected by
the teacher.
Form 3 groups:
o Group A: the candidates for a job as a
secretary in the sales department.
o Group B: the interviewers
o Group C: the observers.
Check the tips for a good interview and enter in
the web page of the company to get information
about it (30 minutes), take notes and prepare the
questions.
Group A (3 applicants) task:
to get information about the company
Information about the working conditions
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Information about training and promotions
Types of contract, etc.
Group B (2 recruiters) task:
Prepare the questions.
Personal information, skills, weakness and strengths, goals, experience, qualifications, background, family, hobbies, interest for the company, team working, salary, etc.
Group C formed by the rest of the class split into two groups: Take notes:
Group C1: the body language observers.
Group C2: the verbal communication.
The recruiters: choose the best candidate for the job and give reasons.
At the end, the observers comment the results interview, focussing on the positive andnegative this
in order to give a positive feedback. It would be better if you had the opportunity to film the interviews.
Schedule: 30 minutes.
Materials: http://shop.mango.com/iframe.fac
es?state=she_006_IN
Video camera.
Extra-activities: You can repeat the same activity applying for a different job.
Tips:
Be punctual and properly dressed.
Good handshake.
Evaluation:
The teacher evaluates the students’ performance at an interview.
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Good posture while sitting.
Control your gestures, tone of voice
and pauses.
Come prepared with a resume or
references.
Don’t be the first to talk.
Be yourself.
Smile and be friendly. Eye contact.
Highlight that you love working
with people and learning new
things.
Be a good listener.
Search information of the firm and
indicate you will be proud to work
there.
Have a good question on training.
Thank the interviewer and shake
hands.
He /she also evaluates how good observers they are.
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ACTIVITY 17: VOLUNTEERING WORK
Description: It consists on predicting the topic from the photo, read a text to get information about the topic and use it to write a for and against essay.
Objectives:
To raise awareness of the
importance of volunteering
work.
To be able to predict
information from a photo.
To be a good listener and be
able to collect the
important information
about a reading.
To be able to work in a
cooperative way helping
each other build
comprehension,
encouraging group sharing
and learning of specific
content.
Procedure:
- Brainstorming: Ask students to focuss attention on the photo and elicit the answers to the questions. Teacher elicits answers and encourages students to express their opinions. Task: Jigsaw reading
Each student has a letter A, B, C, D, according to the text he/she reads and then explains it to the members of his/her group.
- Then, they answer ten questions individually in 15 minutes
The winner is the group with more correct answers.
Schedule: 120 minutes( 2 sessions of 60
minutes).
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Materials: Text taken from: New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07
/31/your-
money/31shortcuts.html?_r=0
Extra-activities: Homework: A for and against essay: “Volunteering work should be compulsory at schools”.
Tips:
PLANNING: For and against essay.
It is about a controversial topic. The
writer presents both sides of the
issue and gives his/her opinion at
the end of the essay.
Paragraph1: State the issue.
Paragraph 2: Provide arguments in
favour and give examples.
Provide arguments
against and give examples.
Paragraph 3: Summarize the topic
and state your opinion.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Many people say I
think It is
true
There are many reasons for It
is not an easy question
We must look at both sides of the
question
Connectors:
On the one hand/ on the other
hand.
Evaluation:
- The teacher evaluates how the students interact with the other members of the group. The ability of collecting information listening to their partners without having to read the whole text. ---Their writing performance writing a for and against essay about the topic.
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However/ But/What’s more…./In
addition…../Furthermore,…../More
over,……/
Ending:
In my opinion, …. /In conclusion,…./
To sum up,…./In conclusion,…
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ACTIVITY 18:
UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM
Description: Make students read a text about unemployment problem in order to raise awareness of it and how important is to be well-qualified and have the required skills to be able to get a job.
Objectives:
To raise awareness of the
unemployment problem,
looking for solutions and
make them aware of the
importance of being well
prepared .
Procedure:
Jigsaw reading:
The teacher invites students to form groups of 3, each student has a letter A, B, C.
They have to read the text according to their letter.
The other members of their group take notes.
Then they write a report using their notes.
At the end, they read it to the members of their group and pay attention to their comments and corrections (if necessary).
Schedule: 30 minutes.
Materials: Photocopy taken from:
Extra-activities: A formal letter or formal mail: Write a formal letter or mail to the Mayor of your city complaining about the difficulties that young people have to find a job.
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Adapted from: THE
FINANCIAL TIMES LTD 2015May 23,
2014 1:04 pm
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5908
da36-db09-11e3-8273-
00144feabdc0.html#slide0
Tips:
A formal letter
Plan
-Put your address in the top right
hand corner and write the date
under your address
-Put the name and the address of
the person you’re writing to on the
left, above the greeting.
-Don’t use contractions.
-Use formal language and phrases.
-Use the passive whenever
possible.
-Give a clear reason for writing.
-Organize your material into
paragraphs.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Greetings:
O If you don’t know the name: Dear
Sir/Madam and finish with: Yours
faithfully
Evaluation: - Evaluate how good listeners the students are. If their
notes are relevant or not, the way to sum up information and finally their written production: a formal letter.
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O If you know the name: Dear
Mr/Ms/Mrs and finish with: Yours
sincerely.
Reasons for writing: I am writing to
apply for……/ request some
information about…./ask
about……/ complain about…../ I
saw your advertisement in…./I read
about…./ regarding……
Formal language: I would like to
point out that…./I would be very
grateful if……
SEQUENCING
Firstly,……/Secondly,……/Finally,…..
/In conclusion,…
Ending: I look forward to hearing
from you.
Yours faithfully (with Dear
Sir or Madam)/ Yours sincerely
(with Dear Mr/Ms X).
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Teacher’s evaluation Difficulties on teaching this module
A possible problem can be the students’ lack of confidence when they have to speak up in front
of an audience, they usually feel nervous and are more concerned with the content than with the
way of communicating.
Although some activities are very short, you need time and practice, once is not enough if you
want to success in communication. The problem is the lack of time, the stated curriculums that
don’t give you many opportunities to introduce new topics.
Possible solutions
Students should practise, practise and more practice.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Communication:
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/1188-lessons
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/getthatjob/unit4interview/page
1.shtml
https://www.boecareers.co.uk/OA_HTML/RF.jsp?function_id=14296&resp_id=23350&resp_app
l_id=800&security_group_id=0&lang_code=US¶ms=aQhzj2W4CCLRwPqS9WKsL3g9L4-t-
7jg8PesrvKQBCBiD5wQ4V4p54l.zGnMeLWR
www.bogglesworldesl.com/lessons/job_fair.html
http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/an-introduction-to-group-communication/s03-03-
communication-in-context.html
http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/career-info/techniques-for-an-effective-job-
search/#ixzz3SwyuhelI
http://cape-commstudies.blogspot.com.es/2010/10/forms-of-communication.html
http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/youth/softskills/Communication.pdf
-Hadfield,J.1992. Classsroom Dynamics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
-Wood, J. (1997). Communication in Our Lives. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.
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http://www.ehow.com/how_5418579_improve-verbal-communication-skills.html
http://www.ehow.com/HOW_4867314_learn_effective.communication-skills.html
http://erc.msh.org/mainpage.cfm?file=4.6.0.htm&module=provider&language=English
http://etraining.communitydoor.org.au/mod/page/view.php?id=178
http://etraining.communitiydoor.org.au/resources/etraining/units/chcorg3b/documents/activit
ies_53.doc
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/CommunicationIntro.html
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_99.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/communication-strategy-framework.html
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/CommunicationsPlanning.html
www.mindtools.com/Commskll/SpeakingToAnAudience.html
www.skillsyouneed.com/general/communication_skills.html
www.skillsyouneed.com/general/what-is-communication.html
www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/verbal-communication.html
www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/effective-speaking.html
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/principles-communication.html
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/communication-strategy-framework.html
https://nationalvetcontent.edu.au/alfresco/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/3973a53f-00c9-4d22-
9a84-
4844a817f302/602/shared/resources/director/induction/communication/verbal_nonverbal_co
m.html
https://sielearning.tafensw.edu.au
www.nedarc.org/tutorials/utilizingData/determineTargetAudience.html
www.onestopenglish.com
www.careers.mt.gov
Writing skills
-Chapman,R.2013.English for Emails. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
-White,R and Arndt,V.1996.Process Writing.London: Longman.
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Body Language
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2012/08/10/how-to-use-body-language-to-improve-your-
social-work-practice
http://www.creducation.org/resources/nonverbal_communication/comprehension_check.html
http://Grammar.about.com/ad/mdg/g/Non-verbal-communication.html
http://homeworktips.about.com/od/mindandbody/a/nonverbal.html
-
Manninen T. & Kujanpää T. (2002) Non-Verbal Communication Forms in Multi-player Game
Session. In Proceedings of HCI 2002 Conference, Faulkner, X., Finlay, J. and Détienne, F. (eds).
Springer-Verlag, pp. 383-401
www.mindtools.com/pages/article/Body_Language.html
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/media/1487388/Interpretbody-Slides_topic3_Activity1.ppt
Cross-cultural
http://www.crosscultured.com/documents/Gesture%20answers.pdf
www.diversitycouncil.org/toolkit
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barrierscommunication.html#ixzz3WpYmC11A
-Donna Vocate’sVocate, D. (Ed.). (1994). Intrapersonal Communication: Different Voices,
Different Minds. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Ting-Toomey, S. & Chung, L. C.2005. Understanding Intercultural Communication. Los Angeles:
Roxbury Publishing Company.
First Impressions:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2661474/First-impressions-really-DO-count-
Employers-make-decisions-job-applicants-seven-minutes.html#ixzz3YJ56rt9w
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2661474/First-impressions-really-DO-count-
Employers-make-decisions-job-applicants-seven-minutes.html#ixzz3YJ5vxdo
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2661474/First-impressions-really-DO-count-
Employers-make-decisions-job-applicants-seven-minutes.html#ixzz3YJ5k6fdB
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2661474/First-impressions-really-DO-count-
Employers-make-decisions-job-applicants-seven-minutes.html#ixzz3J5SluJ9
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/FirstImpressions.html
www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/personal-appearance.html
www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/personal-presentation.html
An interview:
www.quintcareers.com/job_interviews/thought.html
http://www.quintcareers.com/interview_question_database/interview_questions_2
http://www.umt.edu/career/CareerResources/Interviewing/Before%20the%20interview/mock.
php
-Rinvolucri,M.1984. Grammar Games. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
www.teachingenglish.org.uk
www.slideshare.com
www.teachingenglish.co.uk
Videos:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUFPHW7BCCI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_T8rSmgMWQ#t=397
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3xW0ZFos0I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUO59Emi3eo
http://www.npr.org/2015/04/07/397933577/transcript-president-obamas-full-npr-interview-
on-iran-nuclear-deal
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HARD-SOFT SKILLING-CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH
Output 6 –Teaching guide
Module 7 – PRESENTATION SKILLS
Author: Christian Altmann
School:Fach- und Berufsoberschule Erlangen
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MODULE DESCRIPTION Description
Presentations skills and public speaking skills are very useful in many aspects of work and
life. Effective presentations and public speaking skills are important in business, sales and
selling, training, teaching, lecturing, and generally feeling comfortable speaking to a group
of people.
Developing the confidence and capability to give good presentations, and to stand up in
front of an audience and speak well, are also extremely helpful competencies for self-
development and social situations. The following module shall help students to improve
their delivery and to convince their audience in any kind of presentation.
Aims:
Students
1. create and use varied presentations.
2. analyze target audience and presentation context.
3. select appropriate presentation formats for different purpose.
4. create and deliver presentations in a concise and effective manner.
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Sections:
1. Tools
2. Powerpoint
3. The six steps to start a Presentation
4. Preparation of the Presentation
5. Body language
6. Mimik
7. Gestures
8. Effective Speaking
9. Rhetorical devices
10. Tips and Tricks
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SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER Title of the activity
Brief description
Tools Laptop, Flipchart, Pinboard
Powerpoint Typefaces, line distances, ...
The six steps to start a Presentation
Greetings, compliments, …
Preparation of the Presentation Objective, subject, audience
Body language Body language
Mimik Facial expressions during a presentation
Gestures Mannerism which can interfere a good
communication
Effective Speaking Finding your voice, Vocal production, …
Rhetorical devices Anaphora, Anthihesis, …
Tips and Tricks Surprise, question, provocation, …
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Activities ACTIVITY 1:
TOOLS Description: The lesson gives an overview what students should keep in mind by using a flipchart, beamer or a pinboard.
Objectives: Students find out in groups what
they should keep in mind by using a
flipchart, beamer or a pinboard.
Procedure:
Motivation phase (5 Min)
The teacher discusseswith the students, which
are the most important tools to create a
presentation. Then the teacher divides the
students into groups and distributes the
worksheets.
Students fill out the worksheets in groups (12
Min).
Comparing of the notes in plenary (8 Min).
Schedule: 25 Minutes
Solutions: In plenary the students compare their notes. Then teacher completes the results if necessary.
Materials: Worksheet“Tools”
Evaluation: The teacher observes the students and supports if necessary.
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ACTIVITY 2:
POWERPOINT Description: The lesson gives an overview what is necessary for a successful Powerpoint presentation.
Objectives: Students shouldfind out what is necessary for a successful Powerpoint presentation.
Procedure:
Motivation phase (5 Min).
Students fill out in individual work the
worksheet (10 Min).
Comparing of their results in plenary (5 Min).
Schedule: 20 Minutes
Solutions: In plenary the students compare their notes. Then teacher completes the results if necessary.
Materials: Worksheet“Powerpoint”
Evaluation: The teacher observes the students and supports if necessary.
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ACTIVITY 3:
THE SIX STEPS TO START A PRESENTATION
Description: The lesson gives an overview about what is necessaryto start a good Presentation.
Objectives: Students find out what is necessary for a good start of a presentation.
Procedure:
Motivation phase (5 Min).
Students watch the movie (5 Min).
The teacher divides the students into groups
and distributes the worksheets.
Students fill out the worksheetin partner work
(10 Min).
Comparing of the notes in plenary (5 Min).
Schedule: 25 Minutes
Solutions: In plenary the students compare their notes. Then teacher completes the results if necessary.
Materials: Worksheet “The six steps to start a Presentation” Computer, Internet
Evaluation: The teacher organizes a computer room with internet connection for all students. During the lesson he observes the students and supports if necessary.
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ACTIVITY 4:
PREPARATION OF THE PRESENTATION
Description:
The lesson gives an overview about
what is necessary to know about
the preparationof a presentation.
Objectives: Students should find out what is most important to know for the preparation of a presentation about
the Objective.
the Subject.
the Audience.
the Place.
Procedure:
Motivation phase (5 Min).
Students read the text about the preparation of
a presentation (5 Min).
Students answer individually the questions in
written form (10 Min).
Comparing of the notes in plenary (5 Min).
Schedule: 25 minutes.
Solutions: In plenary the students compare their notes. Then
teacher completes the results if necessary.
Materials: Worksheet “Preparation of the
Presentation”
Evaluation: The teacher observes the students and supports if necessary.
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ACTIVITY 5:
BODY LANGUAGE Description: The lesson gives an overview about what is necessary to know about the right position during a speech or presentation.
Objectives: Students should find out what is the right position during a speech or presentation.
Procedure:
Motivation phase (5 Min).
Students fill out the worksheet (5 Min).
Comparing of the results in plenary (5 Min).
Schedule: 15 Minutes
Solutions: In plenary the students compare their notes.
Materials: Worksheet“Body language.”
Evaluation: The teacher observes the students and supports if necessary.
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ACTIVITY:
MIMIK
Description: The lesson gives an overview
about what characteristics the facial expression of a person should have during a speech or presentation.
Objectives:
Students should find out what characteristics the facial expression of a person should have during a speech or presentation.
Procedure:
Motivation phase (5 Min).
Students fill out the template in individual
work (5 Min).
Comparing their results in plenary (5 Min).
Schedule: 15 Minutes
Solutions: In plenary the students compare their notes.
Materials. Template “Mimik”
Evaluation: The teacher observes the students and supports if necessary.
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ACTIVITY 7:
GESTURES Description: The lesson gives an overview about
what mannerism can interfere a good communication.
Objectives: Students should find out students
what mannerism can interfere a good communication.
Procedure:
Motivation phase (5 Min).
The teacher divides the students into
groups and distributes the worksheets.
Students answer in partner workthe
questions (15 Min).
Comparing of the results in plenary (5 Min).
Schedule: 25 Minutes
Solutions: In plenary the students compare their notes.
Materials: Worksheet “Gestures.”
Evaluation: The teacher observes the students and supports if necessary.
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ACTIVITY 8:
EFFECTIVE SPEAKING
Description:
The lesson gives an overview about
what is necessary for effecive
speaking.
Therefore
1. Students read a text how they can
improve the sound of their voice
and the way they speak. Afterwards
they read another document three
times, first silently, then in their
normal voice and after that they
record it if possible or they read it
out loud.
2. They concentrate on reading the
text about The Effect of Breath on
Voice and Speech. After that they
do some breathing exercises
together with a partner.
3. They read a text about vocal
production. They discuss the text
with a partner.
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Objectives: Students should find out what is
most important to know belonging
to Effective Speaking about
Finding their voice.
The Effect of Breath on
Voice and Speech.
The vocal production..
Procedure: Students read the text about how they can improve the sound of their voice and the way they speak(10 Min).
They read another document three times,
first silently, then in their normal voice and
after that they record it if possible or they
read it out loud
(10 Min).
Break (5 Min).
They read the text “The Effect of Breath on
Voice and Speech” (10 Min).
They do with a partner some breathing
exercises (10Min).
Break (5 Min).
They read the text about vocal production (10
Min).
They discuss the text with a partner (15Min).
Final Discussion (15 Min).
Schedule: 90 minutes
Solutions: No solutions necessary. Open questions can be answered in the discussion at the end of the module.
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Materials: Templates
Find your voice
The Effect of Breath on
Voice and Speech
The vocal production
Evaluation: The teacher observes the students and supports if necessary.
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ACTIVITY 9:
RHETORICAL DEVICES
Description:
The lesson gives an overview about
what rhetorical devices are useful
in a presentation.
Objectives: In order to provide their speech with
a little more variety and to make it
less boring students should learn
some rhetorical devices and to give
some examples.
Procedure:
Motivation phase (5 Min).
Students read the text about rhetorical
devices(10 Min).
They try to find in partner work for every
rhetorical device an
example (15 Min).
Comparing of the results in plenary (10 Min).
Schedule: 40 minutes.
Solutions: In plenary the students compare their notes.
Materials: Worksheet “Rhetorical devices”.
Evaluation: The teacher observes the students and supports if necessary.
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ACTIVITY 10:
TIPS AND TRICKS
Description:
The lesson gives an overview about
which tips and tricks are useful in a
presentation.
Objectives: Students learn some interesting tips
and tricks to make their speech less
boring and more interesting.
Procedure:
Motivation phase (5 Min).
Students read the text about tips and tricks(10
Min).
They try to find in partner work for every tip an
example (15 Min).
Comparing of the results in plenary (10 Min).
Schedule: 40 minutes.
Solutions: In plenary the students compare their notes.
Materials: Worksheet “Tips and Tricks.”
Evaluation: The teacher observes the students and supports if necessary.
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Teacher’s evaluation
Difficulties on teaching this module
Most of the templates are easy to fill out by individual or partner work. So it should not be
difficult to teach the activities of the module, as all results of every unit will be compared at
the end. The only problem which could arise, is that for the activities 8 to 10 students have
to find appropriate examples on their own and it might be difficult to control all the results.
Otherwise students work in these activities always together with a partner who will control
the results. And in case of need there is always the teacher, who can help.
BIBLIOGRAPHY (web sides and books used by the teachers to create the activities)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8KjtN3sSo&index=2&list=PL9060FE7B23B0B20B
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/effective-speaking.html#ixzz3YIsuFCQ2
http://time.com/2903011/tips-perfect-presentation/
http://www.karrierebibel.de
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HARD-SOFT SKILLING-CHARTING YOUR CAREER PATH
Output 6 –Teaching guide
Module 8: PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING
Author: Daniel MATKOVIC
School: Lycée Clos MAIRE 21200 BEAUNE (FRANCE)
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MODULE DESCRIPTION Pre-requisites
Being taught in English the course requires at least a B1 level of English language. However the
difficulty of the practical part can be adapted to any grade. Moreover it can be translated in
mother tongue and implemented.
Module description
The module is meant to develop students’ abilities to solve difficult problems and/or make
complex decisions.
Aims: Students should be able to :
1. To identify a problem.
2. To define the problem.
3. To compare and contrast the problem with similar ones using past experience.
4. To identify a range of options and alternative solutions when making decisions.
5. To analyse the solutions, to discriminate among options and to select the best
alternative.
6. To identify the advantages and disadvantages of individual and group decisions.
7. To make informed decisions and to take responsibility.
8. To have students work in groups, see how team working can help them to solve a
problem.
9. To help students generate as many creative ideas as possible.
Sections:
1. What are the main parts/key components of the problem solving process?
2. What various alternatives can you identify to solve a problem?
3. What skills do you need to solve the problem?
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4. What steps can you take to solve a problem?
5. What are the steps in decision making?
6. What positive and negative consequences a certain decision may have?
7. How to make the best decision?
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SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER
Title of the activity Brief description
TEST: How good are you at problem solving? Pre/post test on the topic
The game of the six glasses Ice-Breaker 1
How to solve the Water Jug Riddle from Die Hard 3? Ice-Breaker 2:
Getting to know problems/conflicts Game
A Theoretical facts about problems/conflicts. Lecture n°1
Types of problem and problem solving strategy Lecture n°2
Practice How to solve a problem Single/Group Activity
Deciding When to Problem-Solve Mini lecture + role playing
Solving problems/conflicts role playing Role playing
Switcheroo Group Activity
Stereotype Group Activity / Role playing
Moody problem solving Group Activity / Role playing
Tower of Air Group game
Role-playing Problem-Solving with Toothpicks, Dots,
and Coins Group role playing
Tips for… Problem solving
Recommended links
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Student self- assessment (pre-post test on the topic)
Not at all Rarely Some
times Often Very Often
1 point 2 points 3 points 4 points 5 points
1 Once I’ve chosen a solution, I develop an
implementation plan with the sequence of
events necessary for completion.
2 After a solution has been implemented, I
immediately look for ways to improve the
idea and avoid future problems.
3 To avoid asking the wrong question, I take
care to define each problem carefully
before trying to solve it.
4 I strive to look at problems from different
perspectives and generate multiple
solutions.
5 I try to address the political issues and other
consequences of the change I’m proposing
so that others will understand and support
my solution.
6 I evaluate potential solutions carefully and
thoroughly against a predefined standard.
7 I systematically search for issues that may
become problems in the future.
8 When I decide on a solution, I make it
happen – no matter what opposition I may
face.
9.I find that small problems often become
much bigger in scope, and thus very difficult
to solve.
10 I ask myself lots of different questions
about the nature of the problem.
11 After my solution is implemented, I relax
and focus again on my regular duties.
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12 I focus on keeping current operations
running smoothly and hope that problems
don’t appear.
13 I evaluate potential solutions as I think of
them.
14 When I need to find a solution to a
problem, I usually have all of the
information I need to solve it.
15 When evaluating solutions, I take time to
think about how I should choose between
options.
16 Making a decision is the end of my
problem-solving process
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Activities ACTIVITY 1:
PRE/POST TEST ON THE TOPIC
Description:
This test might be used as:
A pre/post test on the
topic: by comparing the
answers, the students
would be able to
evaluate what they
have learned during this
course. In that case the
teacher should reduce
the number of
questions and keep only
10 of them.
A normal activity to
introduce the module,
after collecting the
answers, the teacher
will have to make a
“global analysis” and
introduce the plan of
the module.
Objectives:
To help student knowing
about their problem
solving skills
Procedure:
If the activity is used as a pre/post test, the
teacher should keep the sheets and give them
back by the end of the module and ask the
students to answer again and analyze the
changes.
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Evaluate how good
students are on problem
solving
If the test is used as a regular activity, the teacher
will collect the answers and make a global
analysis. An interesting interpretation would be
to use that analysis to build, with the students,
the plan of the module.
Schedule:
30 minutes
Solutions:
Score Comment
16-36
You probably tend to view problems
as negative, instead of seeing them as
opportunities to make exciting and
necessary changes. Your approach to
problem solving is more intuitive than
systematic, and this may have led to
some poor experiences in the past.
With more practice, and by following
a more structured approach, you’ll be
able to develop this important skill
and start solving problems more
effectively right away.
37-58
Your approach to problem solving is a
little “hit-and-miss.” Sometimes your
solutions work really well, and other
times they don’t. You understand
what you should do, and you
recognize that having a structured
problem-solving process is important.
However, you don’t always follow that
process. By working on your
consistency and committing to the
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process, you’ll see significant
improvements.
59-80
You are a confident problem solver.
You take time to understand the
problem, understand the criteria for a
good decision, and generate some
good options. Because you approach
problems systematically, you cover
the essentials each time – and your
decisions are well thought out, well
planned, and well executed. You can
continue to perfect your problem-
solving skills and use them for
continuous improvement initiatives
within your organization.
Materials:
- A room with chairs
- Pencils
- One printed worksheet for
each student.
Tips: Evaluation:
Students will mainly evaluate their knowledge by
themselves.
The teacher could help them if there is
something they don’t understand.
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ACTIVITY 2:
ICE-BREAKER 1: THE GAME OF THE SIX GLASSES
Description:
This first activity is based
on an easy problem to
solve, although some
students may have
problems going through
it… By the end of the
activity the teacher will
explain that it is
necessary to analyse the
problem and to set up a
problem solving process
in order to solve it
quickly and efficiently.
- This activity might be
used as an ice breaker or
a regular activity to
introduce problem
solving.
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Objectives:
To identify a range of
options and alternative
solutions when making
decisions.
To identify the
advantages and
disadvantages of
individual and group
decisions.
To make informed
decisions and to take
responsibility.
To have students work in
groups, see how team
working can help them to
solve a problem.
To help students
generate as many
creative ideas as
possible.
Procedure:
Split the class into groups of 3-4 students.
Ask each group to solve this problem:
Six drinking glasses stand in a row, with the first three full
of juice and the next three empty. By moving only one
glass can you arrange them so empty and full glasses
alternate?
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Schedule:
30 minutes.
Solutions:
1. The solution is easy: Hold the second full glass
and pour its contents into the fifth glass and
replace the glass in place 2
2. Unconsciously, people create a rule that does
not exist: one cannot move the glasses’ content.
This is a very common kind of mental block
generating assumptions in our minds about
how things should be. This is particularly
relevant in problem solving.
Materials:
6 glasses: 3 will remain empty
and 3 will be filled with a colored
liquid.
Tips:
As the solution is quite easy, the
teacher shouldn’t provide any
help to the students even if
they’re quite interrogative… In
that case the feedback will be
important to make.
Evaluation:
Ask students to describe the process they followed
to solve this problem.
Ask them to think why some of them had trouble
finding the solution.
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ACTIVITY 3:
ICE-BREAKER 2: HOW TO SOLVE THE WATER JUG RIDDLE FROM DIE HARD
Description:
Like the previous activity, this one
can also be used as an ice breaker
or a regular activity.
Objectives:
To have students work in
groups, see how team
working can help them to
solve a problem.
To help students generate
as many creative ideas as
possible.
Procedure:
Split the class into groups of 3-4 students.
Ask each group to solve this problem:
You have to measure exactly 4 liters of water, but you
only have a 3-liter bottle and a 5-liter bottle. How do you
do it?
Schedule:
30 minutes.
Solutions:
Possible answers:
1. Fill the 3-liter bottle and pour it into the empty 5-
liter bottle.
Fill the 3-liter bottle again, and pour
enough to fill 5-liter bottle. This leaves exactly 1 liter in
the 3-liter bottle.
Empty the 5-liter bottle; pour the
remaining 1 liter from the 3-liter bottle into the 5-liter
bottle.
Fill the 3-liter bottle and pour it into the
5-liter bottle. The 5-liter bottle now has exactly 4 liters.
2. Here is another way to do it*
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Fill the 5-liter bottle and pour water from
it into the 3-liter bottle until it is full. This leaves 2 liters in
the 5-liter bottle.
Empty the 3-liter bottle and pour the 2
liters of water from the 5-liter bottle into the 3-liter
bottle.
Fill the 5-liter bottle again.
Fill the 3-liter bottle from the 5-liter
bottle. Since the 3-liter bottle had 2 liters of water, only
one liter is transferred leaving exactly 4 liters of water in
the 5-liter jug.
Materials:
- Two bottles (one of 3 liters
and the second of 5 liters)
- An access to tap water.
Tips:
Let the students (and
encourage them to)
experiment as many
solutions as possible.
The teacher should ensure
that in each group every
member gives at least one
solution.
Evaluation:
Ask students:
Did you try several options before getting to
the solution?
Did one of you behave like a leader?
Was each member of the group involved in the
problem solving process?
By the end, did you plan your solution or just
experiment different ones.
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ACTIVITY 4:
GETTING TO KNOW PROBLEMS/CONFLICTS
Description:
Before solving a problem or a
conflict, one should be aware that
this problem exists… During this
activity, students will learn that the
perception of a conflict depends on
the person who is analyzing the
situation, on its past experience...
Objectives:
To identify a problem.
Procedure:
The teacher tells some situations, students
have to decide if it's a conflict/problem or not.
If they aren't sure, they can stay near the
central line...
The teacher will ask two students to explain
their choices (one for no, one for yes) for each
situation.
Schedule:
45 minutes-1 hour.
Materials
- A room split into two parts,
if possible draw a line on
the floor. On one side of the
room, tape a paper with a
YES written on it, on the
other a paper with a NO.
- A list of situations
(problem/no Problem).
Extra-activities:
The teacher gives some theoretical facts about
conflicts. (see activity 5).
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Evaluation:
The teacher will ask the students:
Think about why every single person
analyses a situation differently (conflict/no
conflict)
What situations were without a doubt
identified as a conflict?
What situations were ambiguous? Explain
why.
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ACTIVITY 5:
LECTURE Nº1- THEORETICAL FACTS ABOUT PROBLEMS/CONFLICTS
Description:
This short lecture gives some
theoretical facts about problems.
Objectives:
To define a problem.
Procedure:
The teacher can teach using the classical “chalk and talk
method”.
Schedule:
45 minutes-1 hour.
Materials
A room with tables and chairs.
Tips:
This lecture should take place after
the students had a couple of
activities on problem solving (for
example activity 2 and an ice
breaker). It will help to define what
a problem is, what the different
types of problems are and how
they arise. That will help to
introduce and justify the work
which will be done after this lesson.
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ACTIVITY 6:
LECTURE n°2 - Types of problem and problem solving strategy
Description:
In lecture n°1, the different types of
problems have been defined, let's
see how to solve a problem.
Objectives:
To identify a range of options
and alternative solutions
when making decisions.
To analyze the solutions, to
discriminate among options
and to select the best
alternative.
To identify the advantages
and disadvantages of
individual and group
decisions.
To make informed decisions
and to take responsibility.
Procedure:
The teacher can teach using the classical “chalk and
talk method”.
Schedule:
45 minutes-1 hour.
Materials:
A room with tables and chairs.
Extra-activities:
The IDEAL problem solving method will be used in
activity 7.
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Tips:
The teacher makes this lecture
trying, as much as possible, to link
the theoretical facts to the examples
that have been studied in the
previous activities. This should be a
lesson of course, but also a kind of
feedback of what was seen in the
beginning of the module.
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ACTIVITY 7:
PRACTICE HOW TO SOLVE A PROBLEM
Description:
Practice the IDEAL problem solving
process.
Objectives:
To identify a range of
options and alternative
solutions when making
decisions.
To analyze the solutions, to
discriminate among options
and to select the best
alternative.
To identify the advantages
and disadvantages of
individual and group
decisions.
To make informed decisions
and to take responsibility.
Procedure:
The teacher gives the example of the use of the “IDEAL”
strategy to solve a problem, discuss the steps with
students. In the second part of the activity students
practice the strategy during the practice.
Schedule:
45 minutes-1 hour.
Materials:
- A room.
- Some draft paper.
- Printed activity sheets for
the “practice”.
Tips:
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The teacher shouldn’t assist
students much during the problem
solving process even if they seem
stuck. This point is tricky because
you have to help students to solve
their problem but not help them
solving the problem.
The typical help might be:
To ensure if they read the
questions well,
Check if they know on what
point of the solving process
they’re working,
Encourage them to explore
their solutions a bit further,
find other ones.
Make sure that students are
not skipping some steps of
the process.
Maybe give another
example of the solving
process to the class if the
first one wasn’t clear
enough...
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 8:
DECIDING WHEN TO PROBLEM-SOLVE
Description:
Sometimes people are not aware
there is a problem to solve or
they're trying to solve a problem
that doesn't really exist! This activity
will help students to learn how to
use reflective listening to analyse a
situation and decide when to
"problem-solve"
Objectives:
To identify a range of
options and alternative
solutions when making
decisions.
To analyze the solutions, to
discriminate among options
and to select the best
alternative.
To make informed decisions
and to take responsibility.
To have students work in
groups, see how team
working can help them to
solve a problem.
To help students generate as
many creative ideas as
possible.
Procedure:
This activity starts with a mini lecture and finishes with
some short role playing.
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Schedule:
30-45 minutes.
Materials
A room.
Extra-activities:
Activity 9.
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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ACTIVITY 9:
SOLVING PROBLEMS/CONFLICTS ROLE PLAYING
Description:
In the beginning of this module,
students have been taught what a
problem is, how to detect if a
problem exists and how to solve it.
Now it's time to practise a bit with
some role playing.
Objectives:
To identify a range of
options and alternative
solutions when making
decisions.
To analyze the solutions, to
discriminate among options
and to select the best
alternative.
To make informed
decisions and to take
responsibility.
To have students work in
groups, see how team
working can help them to
solve a problem.
To help students generate
as many creative ideas as
possible.
Procedure:
Split the class into groups of 2-4 students or you can
start with asking each student to work on his or her own
for part 1 and then make groups for role playing.
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Schedule:
30-45 minutes.
Materials:
A room - printed diagrams.
Extra-activities:
Activity 8.
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 10:
SWITCHEROO
Description:
Switcheroo is based on the old
saying, “You can’t see the forest
for the trees.” We sometimes get
so close to our problems that we
lose the perspective needed to
generate creative ideas. One way
to overcome this obstacle is to
shift our focus to something else.
Objectives:
To make informed
decisions and to take
responsibility
To have students work in
groups, see how team
working can help them to
solve a problem.
To help students generate
as many creative ideas as
possible.
Procedure:
Split the class into groups of 4-7
students.
Have someone in each group write
down a problem challenge on a flip
chart.
Tell the group to spend 5 to 10 minutes
brainstorming ideas and recording
them all in writing, individually on Post-
it® Notes.
Request that they shift their focus to
another problem challenge relevant to
each group and spend 5 to 10 minutes
generating ideas for it. This problem
should be completely different from the
original one.
Call time and have them resume work on
the original problem.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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Tell them to write down any ideas on
Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and
place them on flip charts for evaluation.
Schedule:
30-45 minutes.
Materials:
A room.
For each group:
markers, two flip
charts, and masking
tape for posting flip-
chart sheets.
For each participant:
one sheet each of three
different colors of
sticking dots and one
pad of 4x6 Post-it®
Notes.
Tips:
The students will choose one
problem and see that, sometimes,
switching to another problem
may help to solve the original one.
Evaluation:
Switching problems in this manner will often allow us to
see the original problem differently.
The break from the problem provides a change in
perspective. Moreover, working on the new problem
often sparks ideas for the first problem. If switching to
another problem doesn’t help, have the groups try
switching to nothing—just take a break and walk around,
then return to attack the problem with new energy.
Also consider having participants debrief using the
following questions:
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• What was most helpful about this exercise?
• What was most challenging?
• What can we apply?
• How would you rate the value of this exercise to
helping us with this issue?
• Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other
sessions?
• What did you learn?
• What will we be able to use from this exercise?
• What ideas were generated, and which ones were most
interesting.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 11:
STEREOTYPE
Description:
This exercise is based on the
concept of getting a new
perspective by consulting
someone else. However, instead
of actually talking with another
person, the objective is to think as
if you were someone else.
Objectives:
To make informed
decisions and to take
responsibility.
To have students work in
groups, see how team
working can help them to
solve a problem.
To help students generate
as many creative ideas as
possible.
Procedure:
Split the class into groups of 4-7 students.
Have someone in each group write down a
problem challenge on a flip chart.
Distribute the Stereotype Handout.
Instruct participants to select some occupation
and think of how a stereotypical person in that
position would try to resolve the challenge.
Ideally, this occupation should be unrelated to
the problem. Suggest that they think of how a
police officer, lawyer, accountant, chemist,
physician, butcher, or carpenter would resolve
the problem.
Have them write down on the flip chart
everything they know about how someone in
another occupation would solve the challenge.
Tell them to think about kinds of solutions that a
person would think of and to use them to
generate ideas to resolve the challenge.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it®
Notes (one idea per note) and place them on flip
charts for evaluation.
Schedule:
30-45 minutes.
Solutions:
The descriptions might prompt the following
ideas:
“Blunt” the impact of errors by developing a
quality program that “hammers” on the theme of
quality improvement.
Require all manufacturing employees to check
their output twice.
Provide all employees with additional training in
quality control activities.
Conduct regular meetings with employees to
make sure they are aligned with management’s
goals and philosophy.
Make sure all employees use the latest
technology to improve job quality.
Materials:
- A room.
- For each group:
markers, two flip
charts, and masking
tape for posting flip-
chart sheets.
- For each participant:
one sheet each of
three different colors
of sticking dots and
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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one pad of 4 x 6 Post-
it® Notes.
Tips:
Let the students (and encourage
them to) to think as though they
were someone else and see how it
will help to solve a problem.
Evaluation:
Ask the groups to discuss what occupations might be
best for what types of problems. In general, the more
different an occupation is from the challenge, the more
likely it is to prompt creative ideas. Also consider having
participants debrief using the following questions:
•What was most helpful about this exercise?
•What was most challenging?
• What can we apply?
•How would you rate the value of this exercise to
helping us with this issue?
•Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other
sessions?
•What did you learn?
•What will we be able to use from this exercise?
•What ideas were generated, and which ones were most
interesting?
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 12:
MOODY PROBLEM SOLVING
Description:
In this activity, students will learn
how their mood or their
background impacts the way they
see or solve a problem. This
parallel thinking approach forces
each of the participants in group
to adopt the particular thinking
style and see what its
consequence on the problem
solving process is.
Objectives:
To compare and contrast
the problem with similar
ones using past
experience.
To identify a range of
options and alternative
solutions when making
decisions.
To analyze the solutions,
to discriminate among
options and to select the
best alternative.
To identify the advantages
and disadvantages of
individual and group
decisions.
Procedure:
Split the class into groups of 3-4 students.
In each group one student will be the scribe
and will write down the idea of each
participant.
Give all the groups an example of a
problematic situation (or ask students for
one), it might be a situation, an image or a
video… For example «Luis has 4 tests
tomorrow, he hasn’t started working on his
lessons and his friends are calling him to go
out for a drink »
Ask the students to think, for 3 minutes, as
if they were in a negative mood. They
should write down all they think about the
situation/image.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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To make informed
decisions and to take
responsibility.
To have students work in
groups, see how team
working can help them to
solve a problem.
To help students generate
as many creative ideas as
possible.
After 3 minutes, move around the groups
and ask them to give examples of what they
wrote.
Do this work again with different
moods/point of views (for example :
optimistic, pragmatic, feelingless …).
Schedule:
45 minutes – 1 hour.
Solutions:
One possible conclusion could be: to tackle a problem
correctly and to have chance to solve it, it is better to
adopt a neutral point of view or to set up different
solutions and see which is the best one.
Materials:
A room, some printed versions of
the activity sheet.
Tips:
Each group will have to deal with a
problematic situation assuming
different points of view. The
teacher should encourage them to
strictly follow this rule even if their
real point of view is very
different…
Evaluation:
Discuss with students on how your mood can bias
your point of view.
Give some other examples, students will work in
groups, each student will assume « one mood » and
answer some questions. An example of what can be
done is given on the activity sheet.
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 13:
TOWER OF AIR
Description:
Again, a "recreative" activity. The
main aim is to show how team
working may help in a problem
solving process.
Objectives:
To identify a range of
options and alternative
solutions when making
decisions.
To analyze the solutions, to
discriminate among options
and to select the best
alternative.
To identify the advantages
and disadvantages of
individual and group
decisions.
To make informed
decisions and to take
responsibility.
To have students work in
groups, see how team
working can help them to
solve a problem.
To help students generate
as many creative ideas as
possible.
Procedure:
Divide your group into teams of three.
Give each team 10 balloons and a strip of
masking tape.
Explain that the object of this challenge is to
build the tallest free standing tower using both
the balloons and the masking tape that they
have been given. The tower must be built on
the floor (or table) and may not use any other
objects to lean against or help support it.
They will have 10 minutes to build their tower.
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Schedule:
30-45 minutes.
Materials:
10 Balloons for each team of 3
people.
Masking tape (in 1 m long strips).
Tips:
Variations: While the activity is
under way, call out certain
instructions that must be followed.
For example, “For the next 60
seconds no one in your group may
“talk” or “For the next 60 seconds
everyone in the group may only use
one hand.”
Evaluation:
What happened?
1) How tall did your tower end up being?
2) Did you do any planning before you started
building?
3) Did the plan change after you started building?
How?
4) Did everyone provide input to the plan?
5) What happened in your group as time was
running out?
6) Was your end product satisfactory? What would
you change next time?
What does it mean?
1) Did you look at what other teams were doing to
get ideas? (Mention that this would not be
cheating. You did not tell them they couldn’t look.
It is a good practice to use good ideas no matter
where they come from).
2) What can this activity tell us about working
together?
3) What problems can occur when you work in
groups?
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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4) Was a leader chosen in your group? Did one
emerge? Who? Why?
5) Describe the roles that each person in your group
played. Were some people more involved than
others? Why?
Now what can we do with this information?
1) How does working together help us to solve
problems?
2) What behaviors should you exhibit when working
as part of a team?
3) How important is communication with your team
members?
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
KA 2 - Strategic Partnership for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
2014-1-RO01-KA201-002736_8
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ACTIVITY 14:
ROLE-PLAYING PROBLEM –SOLVING WITH TOOTHPICKS, DOTS AND COINS
Description:
The purpose in this activity is not
only to solve a problem, but also to
teach what kinds of different
persons could be involved in the
process and what their exact role
is.
Objectives:
To identify a problem.
To define the problem.
To identify a range of
options and alternative
solutions when making
decisions.
To analyse the solutions, to
discriminate among options
and to select the best
alternative.
To identify the advantages
and disadvantages of
individual and group
decisions.
To make informed decisions
and to take responsibility.
To have students work in
groups, see how team
working can help them to
solve a problem.
Procedure: (step by step)
I. Large Group Preliminaries (10 min.) - Facilitator
A. Introduction and overview of activity.
B. Description of roles:
1. Distribute Role Descriptions handouts
to Candidates.
2. Instruct Candidates to read through
role descriptions.
3. Gauge Candidate understanding of
roles by questioning .
C. Introduction of puzzles :
1. Distribute blank index cards on which
Candidates will record their names (Cards will also be
used to document known puzzle solutions for each
Candidate) .
2. Display each puzzle briefly and ask if
anyone knows the solution to any of the puzzles
(Candidates expressing knowledge of puzzle solutions
will: 1) write down puzzle numbers for which solution is
known on the index card and 2) automatically be
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"Hard-Soft Skilling-Charting your Career Path"
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To help students generate
as many creative ideas as
possible.
excluded from playing the Problem Solver role for that
particular puzzle).
D. Assignment of groups:
1. Divide large group into triads; “extras”
will be randomly assigned to existing triads as fourth
members.
2. Assign an Assistant to coordinate
activities of each small group.
E. Reminders to Candidates:
1. Success in the interview does not
depend on one’s ability to successfully complete the
task, as the purpose of this experience is to enable
interview personnel to observe candidates’
engagement in and interactions during the process.
2. Individuals’ success will only be
enhanced by the success of the group; in other words
cooperation (as opposed to competition) is desired.
3. Monitor volume level during the role
play so that one group’s interactions are not overheard
by other groups who might be working on the same
puzzle.
[Note: Led by an Assistant, each small group reports to
the appointed location. During the remainder of the role
play, the Facilitator “floats” to observe, monitor
progress, and address problems and/or concerns that
might arise.]
II. Small Group Role Play (25 min.) – Assistants
A. Preparation:
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1. Collect index cards and assign
Candidate roles (Problem Solver, Helper, Observer) for
each puzzle.
a. Problem Solvers must not know the solution of the
puzzle to which they have been assigned (Refer to index
cards).
b. Roles will be rotated for each puzzle; any group
having four members will have two Observers for each
puzzle.
2. Clarify roles as needed
[Note: The Assistant monitors the small group’s
progress on each puzzle. It is recommended that each
group complete all three puzzles, but no fewer than two,
so that Candidates can be observed playing more than
one role.]
B. Engagement in role plays:
1. Direct Problem Solver to leave the area.
2. Display puzzle solutions to Helpers and
the Observer(s) so they can effectively assist the
Problem Solver.
3. Configure role play materials.
4. Invite Problem Solver back into room
with Helpers and Observers.
5. Direct Candidates to work on first
puzzle until solution is discovered or time is up.
6. Rotate roles, and then repeat 1-5 for
the second puzzle; role play continues until solution is
discovered or time is up.
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7. Rotate roles, and then repeat 1-5 for
the third puzzle; role play continues until solution is
discovered or time is up.
[Note: Led by the Assistant, each small group rejoins the
large group.]
III. Debriefing (15 min.) - Facilitator
[Note: Order in which questions are posed is important,
especially with early questions.]
Instruct Candidates to respond as they desire, but
inform them that individuals may be directly questioned
at the discretion of the Facilitator.
1. Describe the various helping behaviors
you observed when you were an Observer or
experienced as a Problem Solver.
2. Observers, what behaviors seemed to
be most helpful? Why? What behaviors seemed to be
least helpful? Why?
3. Problem Solvers, what behaviors were
most helpful? Why? What behaviors were least helpful?
Why?
4. Describe how you were trying to help
the Problem Solver in your group when you were a
Helper. Why did you choose the particular helping
behaviors or strategies you chose to use?
5. As an Observer, what was the perceived
effect of each of the various helping behaviors utilized
on the problem solving process?
6. From a Problem Solver’s perspective,
were the effects of the various helping behaviors
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actually as they appeared to the Observers? Why or
why not?
7. How do you like to be helped? Why?
8. How could this experience and the
knowledge you have gained from it be applied to a
situation in which you are trying to provide assistance
to a student?
9. What things would you change about
your performance in this situation?
10.What things should we change about this experience
when we do it again?
11.How do you think this experience will help us make a
decision about prospective employees?
Schedule:
1 hour.
Solutions:
Puzzle 1 (Toothpicks): Solution.
Directions: Remove eight toothpicks so there are only
two squares left.
Puzzle 2 (Dots): Solution
Directions: Connect all nine dots with four straight lines
without picking up the point of your pencil.
Puzzle 3 (Coins): Solution
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Directions: Move three coins to transform Arrangement
A into Arrangement B without removing the coins from
the tabletop.
Materials
A. Materials for Large Group
Preliminaries:
1. One for Facilitator
and each Assistant.
a. "Problem Solving
with Toothpicks, Dots, and Coins"
agenda.
b. Puzzles.
2. One per
Candidate.
a. Blank index card.
b. Role Descriptions
handout.
B. Materials for Small Group Role
Play
1. One for Facilitator
and each Assistant.
a. Puzzle solutions.
b. Materials kit for
use by Candidates during role play
(contains at least 20 toothpicks, 10
dot sheets, and 20 coins).
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2. One per Candidate
(previously distributed during
Large Group Preliminaries): Role
Descriptions handout.
Tips:
Instructions to the Problem Solver:
Just as students in a class might be
assigned problems they don't know
how to solve, you are asked to
solve a problem. (You need to
attempt give a correct answer, but
be aware that your success in the
interview does not depend on your
ability to successfully solve this
puzzle.) Just as a student might
seek assistance in solving class
problems, you are seeking
assistance from a helper. Be
conscious of how you feel during
the helping process, for you will be
asked to discuss your feelings and
observations afterwards.
Instructions to the Helper:
You are asked to help the Problem
Solver to solve the problem that
has been presented. Remember
that you are a helper, not the doer.
(You need to assist the Problem
Solver in giving the correct answer,
but be aware that your success in
Evaluation:
Ask for final questions or comments.
Direct Candidates to return any materials to an
Assistant.
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the interview does not depend on
the Problem Solver’s ability to
successfully solve this puzzle.) How
can you help the Problem Solver
without actually taking over the
problem yourself? Be conscious of
how you feel during the helping
process, for you will be asked to
discuss those feelings and your
observations afterwards.
Instructions to the Observer:
Observe the interaction between
the Problem Solver and the Helper,
but do not intervene yourself. In
the discussion that follows this
exercise, you will be asked to
supply examples as you give
feedback to the Problem Solver and
the Helper about their interaction.
You may find it helpful to take
notes. Consider the following
questions:
What behaviors did you
observe?
Were there any frustrating
times? For whom was it
frustrating and why?
What gestures, if any, did
the Helper use? Were they
useful?
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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What was the Problem
Solver's reaction to the
Helper?
Did the task get done in the
allotted time? If not, why
not?
What did the Helper do to
make this a particularly
fruitful session?
What did the Problem
Solver do to make this a
particularly useful session?
What would have made this
a more productive
interaction?
This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only This project is funded with support from the European Commission. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
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Teacher’s evaluation Difficulties on teaching this module
As you can see, in this module there is no much “chalk and teaching”. The students have to be
creative and involved in the activities in order to improve their problem solving competencies.
In order to get them involved, the teacher should be a facilitator, see some possible solutions
below.
Possible solutions
Use some ice breakers to let people know themselves and feel comfortable and confident
working with the group.
Before starting the module, maybe show that problem solving is not something natural
and easy but an intellectual process. For example, one can use a video showing how
animals do:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2r44u1_big-stick-narrow-bridge-adorable-
problem-solving_fun (how a dog goes problem solving)
Here rigidity is inoperative, the students have to be creative generate as many ideas as
possible for example. The teacher will have to encourage them in their work without
interfering in the process, he should act like a facilitator.
Role playing is an important part of this module, in order to get students involved the
teacher should encourage them to choose their own situations, the problems they would
like to solve.
Some students don’t feel like working in group, maybe they should start like observers
before being involved in a team work.
Minimize negative thinking.
Finally, during problem solving activities the teacher should make sure that students don’t judge
others ideas or propositions. They won’t be efficient if they spend time criticizing and evaluating
them. They should save evaluation for later after they have finished the process.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
A definition of problem solving: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_solving
http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/11/04/the-4-most-effective-ways-leaders-
solve-problems/
Problem solving in maths: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/gmat/problem-solving
Why problem solving is important for your career? https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/skills-
and-competencies/300766-problem-solving-the-mark-of-an-independent-employee
A good book to read: http://www.amazon.com/Problem-Solving-101-Simple-
People/dp/1591842425
Some videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftgtzFaHFGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKuX-sLqtNk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_oUSZBgRDM