Misunderstood Activity
I teach co-op preparation to students enrolled in the mechanical engineering technology program. It is academically, a very challenging program and when they arrive at semester 4 and see the readings and resume/cover letter assignment, most do not find the content particularly interesting. I find that the majority of students, not all, but a good portion believe that once they have their diploma they will walk into a job without having to prepare their professional documentation. They see little need of taking time with formatting or spelling or, even correctly articulating the name of the program they are enrolled in because the work that they are doing and the knowledge they are gaining in their core courses will provide for entry into the workplace. I understand this – they are working hard to get through the program, learning their craft and this should speak for why they should be hired…not whether they use the correct verb tense when listing their job duties or if they choose to include their references on their resume. It is challenging as an instructor to make career preparation engaging and, to address areas that students repeatedly do not seem to be able to grasp – information surrounding formatting, spelling, and punctuation – in both cover letters and resumes. And again, this information is not exciting but, professionally presenting yourself to the world is imperative therefore, I do my best to engage students – I offer as many opportunities using technology, and give feedback and more feedback to help enlist their interest and draw attention to the importance of the class and, to show them that I want them to be successful and I am here to help but that they have to put the work in. I create videos and post many links that I find on YouTube, blogs and websites and use tools such as EdPuzzle for formative assessment. I use other tools such as Flip to afford opportunities for students to introduce themselves at the beginning of a course (they can use audio or text if they don’t want to use video) but also to record interview questions for assessment and peer feedback (if they so choose as some may not feel comfortable with this or, are neurodiverse and prefer not to participate). To keep it interesting I will have students break out into rooms to discuss job postings or, as a class, have students return from breakout rooms to discuss transferable skills from a select number of common jobs they may have held to build confidence and show them how marketable they are already. Providing options is key. Kahoot, collaborative activities using google slides, jamboard – in small groups and in a classroom setting. I think of different types of learners and attempt to create activities that will appeal to as many students as I can – quizzes, and feedback verbally for those who wish to speak in the classroom and through surveys, one-on-one opportunities to meet with me, virtual office hours as well. I’ve also used techniques whereby work they do in class is used as part of course content, somewhat like a WIKI, so they are adding to the resources of the course. And I listen to the feedback and modify my approach each semester. Listening, being responsive and evaluating both the engagement level and the work produced is imperative as you move to the next semester. Being upfront with the class before I try a new activity and afterwards, asking for feedback. Bringing guest speakers in to speak about careers and getting them excited about their future options is something I try to do but most students are afraid of the process and terrified of interviews. Opportunities to practice, positive reinforcement and not overwhelming them with too much information at once (opening the course module by module) help them to pay attention to the little things like verb tense, which will enable them to get to the bigger things like securing a co-op job.
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