An out-of-school Learning Task Ein ausserschulischer LernJob, Berufspädagogik, Prof. Max Woodtli, PHTG This document describes the process of a 4 week project, covering a total of ten 40 minute lessons, aimed at encouraging 2nd year apprentices to gain a greater appreciation of the relevance of the English language as it is used in companies in Switzerland. It requires students to leave the classroom and enter the world of work.

2014

John Robinson SBW Neue Medien AG

1/15/2014

LernJob – Excursion To A Company, Berufspädagogik PHTG 2014 John Robinson

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Contents Road Map - Excursion to a company ..................................................................................................... 2

Learning Aims ....................................................................................................................................... 3

Timetable and deadlines ....................................................................................................................... 4

Assessment Criteria .............................................................................................................................. 5

Preparation in class before the excursion ............................................................................................. 6

Advanced Organizer 1 – Reasons for learning English ...................................................................... 6

Advanced Organizer 2 – Why English in companies? ........................................................................ 7

Job To Do 1 - Questionnaire .............................................................................................................. 7

Job to do 2 – Contacting a company which needs English ................................................................ 8

On location at the company.................................................................................................................. 9

What if….? ......................................................................................................................................... 9

Job to do 3 – Interviews .................................................................................................................... 9

After the excursion ............................................................................................................................. 10

Job to do 4 - Presentation ............................................................................................................... 10

Job to do 5 – Giving a presentation and peer-assessment .............................................................. 11

Evaluation and Reflection ................................................................................................................... 12

Short personal reflection (self-assessment) .................................................................................... 12

Quality Control Rubric ........................................................................................................................ 13

Self-assessment (Home Team) ........................................................................................................ 13

Final checklist ...................................................................................................................................... 14

Job To Do 6 - Task for the KNW .......................................................................................................... 14

Rubric for assessment – Mind Map (for external assessment) ........................................................... 15

Rubric for assessment – Questionnaire (for external assessment) ..................................................... 15

Rubric for Peer-assessment (Presentation)......................................................................................... 16

Rubric for Teamwork (for external assessment by teacher) ............................................................... 17

Rubric for assessment – Team Reflection Document (external assessment) ...................................... 17

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Road Map - Excursion to a company

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Learning Aims

After this LernJob you….

1. will have developed your English language skills (speaking, writing, reading, listening) 2. will have thought about why English is important in the Swiss work place 3. will have done computer research into Swiss-based companies which require English skills,

contacted these companies to explain your project aims and arranged a meeting with a company representative

4. will have visited a company in which the English language is important and interviewed employees in English about how, when and why they need English

5. will have recorded and used new and useful English vocabulary and structures 6. will have worked together in groups of three using the English language to

i) create a Mind Map & questionnaire, ii) organise an excursion to a company, iii) conduct a survey and iv) prepare a presentation

7. will have used new media to record interviews and prepared a 7 minute presentation 8. will have given a 7 minute individual presentation about the relevance of English in the

Swiss work place (practice for the BMS Speaking Test) 9. will have used assessment rubrics for self-assessment (of your own products)

and peer-assessment (of a partner’s presentation) 10. will have created an assessment rubric for self-assessment of the quality of your group

work and products 11. will have written a short reflection of your own learning experiences 12. will have created new learning resources using what you have picked up during your

LernJob so that others can benefit from your work 13. will have uploaded all products by the deadline (to be decided)

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Timetable and deadlines SBW Neue Medien AG, Romanshorn (SBWNMAG)

LG12 – 2nd year Mediameticians (BMS) 30 students – English 3 x 40 minutes per week Level : A2 to C1

Timetable for 4 weeks (9-10 lessons x 40 minutes) - The excursion takes place in week 3 and takes up one whole day. There are no lessons on that day. Students are expected to use their time travelling to and from the companies and to use any extra time in preparation.

LernJob Week 1

Tuesday Thursday

Lesson 1 - 8.15 – 8.55 Start of project Presentation and explanation of Jobs to do and Road Map (hand-out, overview, pdf.)

Lesson 3 - 10.00-10.40 Advanced Organizer 1 and 2 - Mind Map

Lesson 2 (Lernatelier) - 13.10 – 13.50 Reading of “Out-Of-School Learning Task” (pdf) Questions about project, tasks, products.

PLC (afternoon 13.50 onwards) Internet research, company contact – Job To Do 2

LernJob Week 2

Tuesday Thursday

Lesson 4 - 8.15 – 8.55 Job To Do 1 – Questionnaire (groups)

Lesson 6 - 10.00-10.40 Job To Do 2 – Research, material/equipment (camera/MP3)

Lesson 5 (LA) - 13.10 – 13.50 Job To Do 2 – Brainstorming, internet research

PLC (afternoon 13.50 onwards) Internet research, company contact – Job To Do 2

LernJob Week 3

Tuesday Thursday

Excursion (whole day) – Job To Do 3

Lesson 7 - 10.00-10.40 Job To Do 4 – Presentation preparation (groups)

LernJob Week 4

Tuesday Thursday

Lesson 8 - 8.15 – 8.55 Job To Do 5 – Presentations and peer-assessment (groups of three)

Lesson 10 - 10.00-10.40 Final check, Team Reflection Document

Lesson 9 - 13.10 – 13.50 (LA) Evaluation and reflection – short personal reflection, rubric and self-assessment of group work

Deadline for Team Reflection Document by end of week 4 (Dropbox) Job To Do 6 – Task of Choice for the KNW to be handed in before the end of term.

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Assessment Criteria Product/Job Points Quality assessment criteria

Individual Mind Map 5 (each member)

Detail (number of ideas)

Accuracy (spelling)

Language (range of vocabulary)

Presentation (clarity, use of colours, handwriting, layout)

Group Questionnaire 10 (group) Relevance and Challenge (Are the questions relevant to the task and challenging enough to get interesting and full answers)

Language (accuracy and range of vocabulary and structures)

Group Presentation 20 (group) Relevance

Length

Detail (facts about the excursion)

Usefulness (facts about how English is used in companies)

Use of English in the presentation (spelling, vocabulary, grammatical structures)

Quality of product (visual impact, use of new media, creativity)

Team Work 10 (each member)

Organisation (working together as one)

Cooperation within the group

Reliability

Team Reflection Document 15 (each member)

Is it complete? (5 points deduction for incomplete product)

Handed in on time (5 points deduction if handed in past deadline)

Reflection - 5 points per member (Does the reflection take into account future consequences of the learning experience? Has the student tried to see the LernJob from different perspectives?)

Group Quality Control (self-assessment)

10 (= 6.0) According to Home Team self-assessment criteria

Total number of points 70

Points and grades

To achieve a grade 4.0, you need to attain 70% of the total number of points (see below)

70-65 points = 6.0 49-45 points = 4.0 29-25 points = 2.0

64-60 points = 5.5 44-40 points = 3.5 24-20 points = 1.5

59-55 points = 5.0 39-35 points = 3.0 19-15 points = 1.0

54-50 points = 4.5 34- 30 points = 2.5 < 15 points = ungraded

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Preparation in class before the excursion

Read the following Jobs to do carefully and follow the instructions. Ask me if

you have any questions. Go for it!

Advanced Organizer 1 – Reasons for learning English

Alone, think about the reasons why people learn English in Switzerland.

Brainstorm and create a Mind Map. Use this link to help you if you want : http://thinkbuzan.com/articles/view/how-to-create-a-mind-map/

Compare and share your ideas with a partner.

Write some of your ideas on the board for everyone to read.

English in companies in Switzerland

Alone, think about companies which need staff to have good English to do business.

Use the pictures below to help you

Think about how the people might be using English

Brainstorm ideas and add these to your Mind Map.

Share your ideas with a partner.

Write some of your ideas on the board for everyone to read. What I want to see! Hand in your “Mind Map” (with name) at the end of the lesson.

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Advanced Organizer 2 – Why English in companies?

Alone, imagine you meet someone who works in Switzerland and who has to use English at work every day.

Imagine conducting a short interview with him/her and think of 3 questions you would ask him/her about how and why he/she has to use English at work.

In pairs, compare and share your questions.

Write your ideas on the board for everyone to read.

Jobs To Do

Job To Do 1 - Questionnaire In a group of three people, you are going to visit a company/factory and interview its employees about the reasons they need English at work.

Make a group of 3 people. This will be your Home Team until the end of the LernJob.

Create a Questionnaire of at least 6 questions which you will ask the employees. Include questions which will tell you about how, why, when and what kind of English the employees need. You may choose more than 6 questions if you feel this is relevant.

Choose a way of recording your results and group process digitally

You will need a digital record of your results and group process for your Team Reflection Document.

What I want to see! Hand in a copy of your “Questionnaire” (with names) at the end of the lesson.

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Job to do 2 – Contacting a company which needs English

Alone, brainstorm industries in Switzerland in which employees need to understand and use the English language (e.g. in the hotel industry, banking)

In your groups, compare and share your ideas.

Record your ideas in your Team Reflection Document.

Internet research, preparing an excursion

In your Home Team, use the internet to do research about companies in your area of

Switzerland (Ostschweiz) which require their employees to have a good knowledge of English. Important - Do this research in the Lern Atelier or during PLC.

In your group, choose a company

Contacting a company and arranging a visit with interviews

In your group, choose a way of contacting the company you would like to visit

Contact a representative of the company using the following checklist to help you: Checklist before you go to the company:

a) Explain the reason for your interest in the company b) Ask for permission to visit the company and interview its employees c) Arrange a date for week…. XY (which will be during the PLC block on the timetable) d) Confirm the time and date of the visit as an email e) Get written permission from the company to take photos within the company f) Get a contact telephone number of the company representative in case of a delay g) Organise train times, tickets (if necessary) and any other travel arrangements h) Organise an MP3 player (or some other way of recording the interviews) and a camera to record evidence of your excursion and results What I want to see! Send me a copy of the email confirmation of the company name, location, date and time of your Group Excursion with cc. to the Head of School

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On location at the company

What if….? What if you cannot find a company? Alternative Job to do 6 and 7 Each student in the group finds and interviews at least 2 people who are known to them (i.e. in his/her family or circle of friends) who use English at work. Use the questionnaire. Keep me informed if this is the case and ask for help if necessary. If you have another suggestion, please let me know.

Job to do 3 – Interviews

In your Home Team, travel to the company on the correct date

Be early! Inform the person if there are any delays.

In English, each member of your Home Team should interview one employee in the company (i.e. 3 interviews in total per team) using the guiding questions in the questionnaire. The answers should be in English.

Record the questions and answers using an MP3 or similar device.

Get additional written permission from the people you interview to take photos of them

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After the excursion

Job to do 4 - Presentation

In your Home Team, compare the different interviews

Choose some facts which you all feel give interesting and useful information.

In your Home Team, create a short group presentation (max 7 minutes) which reflects the results of your excursion using the following checklist:

Your presentation should include:

a) Basic facts about the company, location, branch (product, industry, etc.) b) Facts about the employees (job description, function, position, etc.) c) A selection of quotes from the interviews d) Useful examples of English which you heard (vocabulary, special expressions, new terms) e) Any photos of your excursion

Prepare notes (or prompt cards) for your presentation.

Each member of your team should have his/her own copy of the presentation

You may use short notes (or prompt cards) during the presentation (but reading from a script is not allowed – as in the English BMS exam)

You may choose different ways to create your presentation (i.e. poster, Power Point, cartoon, etc.). Make a digital record of your presentation in your Team Reflection Document (scan, photo of poster, etc.).

What I want to see! Send me a copy of your Group Presentation and upload your interviews to the class Dropbox

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Job to do 5 – Giving a presentation and peer-assessment

Leave your Home Team and make a new group of 3 people

Each member must be from a different group

Alone, give your 7 minute presentation to the two people from the other teams.

Remember, you may use prompt cards (but no reading from a text)

Take it in turns to listen to each other’s presentations This format is used in the English BMS exam (7 minutes presentation to two other students)

Peer-assessment “He who listens well takes notes” (Dante Alighieri)

Take notes while you are listening to your peers’ presentations

Use the Rubric for Peer-assessment (page 16) to award a grade and give a brief feedback to one presenter after his/her presentation (one assessment per presenter)

Write the name of the person you are assessing on the Rubric for Peer-assessment document

What I want to see! Include the Rubric for Peer-assessment in your Short Personal Reflection (as part of your Group Reflection Document).

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Evaluation and Reflection

Short personal reflection (self-assessment)

Alone, write a Short Personal Reflection in English of the whole LernJob. (half a side of A4)

Choose some of the following questions: 1. When were you most engaged? Why? 2. When were you most distanced? Why? 3. What was most helpful? 4. What was confusing? 5. What surprised you?

Obligatory questions:

6. What can you do now that you could not do before the LernJob? 7. What do you now need to focus on to improve your English?

Compare and share

Share your answers to questions 6 and 7 with a partner

Be ready to tell the group your answers to questions 6 and 7 in the group discussion

Add your Short Personal Reflection to your Team Reflection Document

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Quality Control Rubric

Self-assessment (Home Team)

In your original Home Team, think of categories with which you can grade your team’s performance during the LernJob

Create a rubric with at least 6 categories (see example below)

Include the following : quality of presentation, teamwork, how much English spoken

Add 3 more categories .

Example of a Quality Control Rubric Job/grade 1 2 3 4 5 6

Teamwork √

Presentation √

English

Your idea

Your idea

Your idea

Final grade =

Comment about why you awarded this grade (to be filled in by each member of the group):

Award your Home Team a grade for each separate category (1 to 6)

Work out the final grade. This grade is part of your overall mark.

Write a short comment about why you awarded yourselves this grade

Add your Quality Control Rubric to your Team Reflection Document

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Final checklist

Your Team Reflection Document should include the following:

1. Group Presentation 2. Short Personal Reflection (including Rubric for Peer-assessment) 3. Quality Control Rubric (for the whole team)

When you are sure that you have included all your documents, send your Team Reflection Document to me via the Dropbox.

Job To Do 6 - Task for the KNW

This Bonus Job can be handed in later than the LernJob deadline and counts

as part of your next end of term KNW (Kompetenznachweis)

Future Learning Resource (KNW grade) Create an English Learning Resource with the language you picked up during the LernJob excursion so that your peers and future students can learn and benefit from your hard work and experience You decide which task you want to do and also the length. You may use all of your resources. Choose ONE of the following:

1. Using your IT skills, create an interactive Business English vocabulary activity which helps students to learn typical and useful Business English vocabulary and expressions. This should help students to self-check. Make this product available to everyone in the English class Dropbox

2. Using the Interview recordings, make a short Listening Comprehension Test. Choose a way

of testing (i.e. multiple choice questions, gap fill tasks, etc.). Using your new media skills, cut and upload the recording to the class Dropbox with the test questions and answers.

3. Create a Business English vocabulary cartoon (or poster) which shows typical everyday company situations and the English which is needed in those situations. Take a photo of your cartoon or poster and upload it to the class Dropbox.

4. Imagine you work in a big company. In English, write a diary entry describing your day at work and how you had to use English to solve a problem

5. Other option – Be creative and come up with another idea which will help your peers to understand and use Business English. Come to me with your further suggestion.

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Rubric for assessment – Mind Map (for external assessment)

Product 1 point 2 points 3 points 4 points 5 points

Individual Mind Map (Jobs 1 and 2)

Very negative effect on reader, very limited range of vocabulary and ideas, very frequent spelling mistakes and incorrect use of vocabulary, inadequate layout, no use of colours, symbols

Negative effect on reader, a limited range of vocabulary and ideas, frequent spelling errors which impede message, insufficient effort with regard to layout, limited or unimaginative use of colours, little or no use of symbols

Good effect on reader, a range of vocabulary and ideas, occasional spelling errors which sometimes impede message, satisfactory layout and some use of symbols/drawings to enhance meaning

Very good effect on reader, a range of ideas, a wide range of vocabulary, very few spelling errors which do not impede message, clear layout and effective use of colour and use of symbols

Excellent effect on reader, a very wide range of ideas, very ambitious use of vocabulary, accurate spelling, very clear layout and very effective use of colour, wide use of symbols, drawings.

Rubric for assessment – Questionnaire (for external assessment)

Product 2 points 4 points 6 points 8 points 10 points

Group Questionnaire (Job 4) 5 point deduction for fewer than 6 questions

A very limited range of mostly irrelevant questions, a basic lack of language control which would not be sufficiently understood by the interviewee without considerable effort and good will

A limited range of questions, some irrelevant questions, a number of errors which impede communication, limited use of vocabulary and simple grammatical structures, some effort required to fully understand the message

A sufficient range of relevant questions which allow the interviewee to give a sufficiently full answer, occasional non-impeding grammatical and vocabulary errors, use of a range of vocabulary and simple grammatical structures

A wide range of relevant questions which will allow the interviewee to give detailed answers, mostly accurate use of vocabulary, mostly accurate use of a wide range of simple and some complex grammatical structures

A very wide range of relevant and challenging questions which will encourage the interviewee to extensively develop very full and detailed answers, accurate and ambitious use of a very wide range of appropriate vocabulary, accurate use of a wide range of simple and complex grammatical structures

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Rubric for Peer-assessment (Presentation)

Product 1 to 4 points 5 to 8 points 9 to 12 points 13 to 16 points 17 to 20 points

Group Presentation (Job 10 - each member of group) The presentation will be given in groups of three during the LernJob The same presentation will be individually repeated in the presence of an examiner during the KNW exam week before the end of term (for individual oral grades)

CEFR Level A1. Lack of content, total dependency on notes (reading from script), fewer than 5 minutes in length, very frequent hesitation, very poor or no use of visuals, very difficult to follow

CEFR Level A2. Sufficient content with heavy reliance on prompts, frequent hesitation, some difficulties with basic pronunciation, 5 minutes in length, limited use of vocabulary and simple grammatical structures, lack of confidence, poor use of visuals and/or media, difficult to follow

CEFR Level B1. Relevant content, some reliance on prompt cards with some hesitation, 6 minutes in length, a range of vocabulary and simple and occasional complex grammatical structures, satisfactory use of media/visuals, confident manner

CEFR Level B2. Relevant content, useful facts, freely spoken with very little reliance on prompt cards, 7 minutes in length, effective use of a wide range of appropriate vocabulary and some complex grammatical structures, mostly accurate pronunciation, mostly correct spellings on visuals, effective use of media, very confident manner

CEFR Level C1. Relevant and complex content, very useful information, freely spoken without reliance on prompt cards, 7 minutes in length, extremely effective use of a very wide range of appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures, accurate pronunciation, very confident and professional manner, correct spellings on visuals, very effective visuals and use of media/material

Short feedback on one person’s presentation (two or three sentences): What was good? What could be better next time? etc.

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Rubric for Teamwork (for external assessment by teacher)

Product 2 points 4 points 6 points 8 points 10 points

Team Work and Social Competence (each member)

Totally unwilling to participate, little or no contribution to team activities, unreliable (often forgot to do things for the group)

Sometimes unwilling to participate, limited contributions to team efforts, occasionally unprepared and sometimes unreliable (sometimes forgot to do things for the group)

Mostly willing to participate with some useful contributions to the team products and activities, mostly reliable and in a positive mood

Good willingness to participate, valuable contributions to team products and activities, well-organised, friendly and reliable

Total willingness to participate in group tasks with highly valuable contributions to products and activities, very reliable, share work and offer support and resources whenever needed, extremely well organised

Rubric for assessment – Team Reflection Document (external

assessment)

Product 1 to 5 points 6 to 10 points 11 to 15 points

Team Reflection Document (team and each member)

Incomplete, late, poor impression on reader. Individual short reflections incomplete

Complete, on time, good impression on reader. Individual short reflections included

Complete (see checklist), on time, excellent overall quality, very good impression on reader. Individual short reflections included and detailed