Teaching Sequence

35 minutes	Part A: Right Way/Wrong Way - Demonstrating Transferable Skills
25 minutes	Part B: Skill Application - Time Management Challenge
15 minutes	Part C: Linking Work Skills to Aspire Generation and Volunteering
15 minutes	Reflection

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Part A: Right Way/Wrong Way - Demonstrating Transferable Work Skills.

Step 1.

Invite students to form groups of three. Project a list of Transferable Skills for the class to view. You could leave the visual display up for this part of the lesson.

Problem Solving
Digital Literacy
Financial Literacy
Communication Skills
Creativity
Teamwork
Critical Thinking
Presentation Skills

Step 2.

Allow students to choose a skill to research or allocate one to two of the skills to each group. Give students 20 minutes to find out about what the skill involves. They could do so by talking about their own understanding, personal experiences or going online to find examples. Students can make individual notes on the Student Worksheet.

Step 3.

Once the groups have a clearer understanding of the skill and what’s involved, they should plan two skits: one that illustrates the skill being performed well or the right way (DO); and one that features what not to do in relation to the skill, or the wrong way (DON’T).

Step 4.

Invite the class to sit on their chairs in a circle formation with the tables pushed to the sides of the classroom to ensure that the class members can all see each other, listen and communicate effectively. Encourage each group to perform their 'DO' and 'DON'T' skits. After each group's performance, engage the whole class in a quick debrief discussion to summarise what they saw in each skit.

Step 5.

Once all of the groups have performed and whilst still seated in a circle, guide students to think more deeply about the usefulness of each of the transferable skills. You could use these questions to guide the discussion:

Who found it difficult to imagine what the skill looked like? What could this mean?
How could you develop the skills that help us to be successful in work, without working in a paid job?
Besides learning skills, what are some of the other benefits of volunteering (hint: the benefits are not necessarily just for individuals)?

It’s worth pointing out to students that transferable skills can be called many different things- 21st Century Skills, Core Skills for Work, soft skills, enterprise skills, to name a few. The important thing is the skills are in high demand, and students are able to carry them across many different jobs, industries and life situations...which is awesome!

Part B: Skill Application: Time-Management Challenge

Step 1.

Inform students that they now have the opportunity to apply the skills explored in Part A of the lesson. Students can remain in the same groups of three.

The Time-Management Challenge activity gives students the opportunity to practise prioritising tasks according to the value attributed to them. Students are presented with a list of tasks, each with a number of points associated with its completion. In groups, they must earn points by completing tasks in a set period of time. They must decide the relative value and time commitment of each task in order to earn the most points.

Distribute one Time Management Challenge instructions to each group, and read through the instructions together as a class. Encourage students to ask any clarifying questions.

Step 2.

If the chairs are still in a circle formation, ask the class to move them to the sides of the classroom. Ask groups to get ready, then give them ten minutes to collect as many points as they can by deciding which tasks to perform and recording their achievements on the instruction sheet. If necessary, circulate amongst groups to check in with and encourage students to collaborate. This activity focuses on having fun while experiencing a challenging situation, so if the noise volume is high, that’s ok.

Let the neighbouring classes know in advance that some noise will come from your classroom- that way you won’t be interrupted. It will also ensure that you are aware of any sensitivities around you, such as students completing assessment tasks.

Step 3.

In order to ensure that students do understand the point of the challenge and consider what they have learned, an effective debrief discussion should occur. Remind students that their opinions are all legitimate; there are no wrong or right answers in this situation. Ask your students to grant you permission to encourage them to extend their answers if you think they could be saying more (but don’t push too far if you perceive that your students are feeling embarrassed or threatened). Use the following prompts to guide a class discussion around the activity and the learning taken from it:

How did you make decisions about which tasks to prioritise?
What group dynamics came into play during the challenge?
How you determine the value of each task?
How does this activity mimic real life, whether it be at school, work or home?
What do you think you will do differently after experiencing this challenge?

When you’re facilitating a class discussion like this, it can be tempting to move on to the next question if no responses are forthcoming from students. If you are met with “I don’t know”, try saying to the whole class, without singling anyone out: “These questions are asking for you to recount your experiences during the last activity so that you can reflect and learn from what we just did. There are no wrong or incorrect responses, because the discussion is about YOUR personal experiences”.

Part C: Linking Work Skills to Aspire Generation and Volunteering

Step 1.

Introduce this part of the lesson by informing students that there are many different experiences that we can have that help us to develop work skills. Formal work situations aren’t the only place that transferable work skills can be developed. An example of this is volunteering and community service, and the valuable transferable skills that can be learned.

Introduce the clip below by letting students know that it is a brief look into the experiences of Brianna, a young woman who volunteers as a lifeguard in northern Victoria. Through her community service contribution, Brianna was awarded a place at La Trobe University through the Aspire Program. Encourage students to name transferable skills demonstrated by Brianna throughout the clip. They can take notes on the Student Worksheet.

Aspire: Breanna (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNztbhTw8zw)

Reflection

Encourage students to reflect on their learning throughout the lesson by completing the Reflection Pyramid. They are asked to detail the following:

(For printable version of the Pyramid reflection tool, click here.)

Extension/Homework

Invite students to create a written piece or a video blog that reflects their understanding of the connection between volunteering, community service and the transferable skills explored in the lesson. The questions below may be used to prompt student's thinking:

How can we develop transferable job/life skills through volunteering and other similar activities?
What value are we contributing through volunteering/community service?
What good are we doing through volunteering/community service?

Assessment

Students will reflect on the skills and knowledge developed throughout this lesson in a Career Portfolio that showcases their learning and skill development. This assessment task can be introduced at either the beginning or during the unit. Alternatively, it could be set as summative assessment at the end of the unit.

Considering Social Action

The Aspire Generation is a community of young people connected by their aspiration to make a difference through community service and leadership. They are the givers, the dreamers, the doers and the leaders who passionately pursue opportunities to address the big issues of their time. They think boldly and act responsibly and strive to leave a lasting impact on the world.

Students currently in year 10, 11 or 12 and have a passion for giving back, are eligible to be part of the Aspire Generation. Encourage students to give back by working in groups to plan and deliver an action project to make positive change in their community. The Aspire Generation: Work Studies Year 9 & 10 - Social Action lesson facilitates students to drive change through community engagement, volunteerism and leadership opportunities.

Aspire Generation - Skills for Every Job

Go to

Summary

Lesson Guides and Printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

Additional Info

In this lesson