MONTANA ESOL conference- 2015

ESOL Career Pathways Project/ M.C.I.S.

 Broad WIOA Goals In general, WIOA is in effect on July 1, 2015
Final Rules by January 22, 2016

• Increased access to education, training &

employment
• High quality workforce development system
• Improved quality of labor market: relevance
• Enhanced services and design
• Increased prosperity of workers and employers
• Needs met through a competitive nation
 US ED
Programs

US DOC US DOL
Programs Programs

US DOA US DHHS
Programs Programs
ESOL Career Pathways Project/ M.C.I.S.

• Teachers connected through Skype technology, as they integrated

21st century skills and workforce development goals into their
statewide project based learning collaboration.

• They worked on developing workforce vocabulary, computer

literacy skills and oral and written competencies as they
documented their research and created workforce related power
points or any other tool that they shared in class, via the ESOL
WIKI with other sites, and with colleagues/ friends at their Spring
ESOL conference.

• All of their activities intended to promote the ESOL and Career

Readiness Standards for the State of Montana.
 ESOL Pathways Project 2015 Skype Dates and Objectives

Skype calls 12:10 PM -12:55 PM –on Thursdays monthly

Call Dates Call Objectives_______________________

October 23: Collaborative State Project Overview
Homework: Explore MTCIS site: mtcis.intocareers.org

November 20: MTCIS Integration into Project : Brainstorm class activities

Homework: Plan and implement MTCIS activities at three levels in ESOL classroom,

December 18: Discuss student “Occupation Exploration Projects” & vocabulary

Homework: schedule a field trip to the local Job Services Center

January 22: Share outcomes and experience of class trip to Job Service
Homework: Organize instructional PowerPoint lessons for students so they can begin to create their Occupation
PowerPoints.

February 26: Sharing on experience and outcomes of student PowerPoints.

Homework: Prep work success strategies in classes

March 26: Collegial evaluation of the state project, Skype, and technology
Integration as a whole. Homework: Prepare your site presentations for April conference.

April (TBD): ESOL Pathways Projects State Presentations and Strategies

For ESOL Student Success in Transitions to the Workforce
Step 1: MCIS registration
https://mtcis.intocareers.org/timeout.aspx
Step 2: Explore MCIS web and understand how to navigate on it
Step 3: Interest Profiler
https://mtcis.intocareers.org/onet_ip/onet_ip_intro.aspx
Step 4: Choosing Occupations
https://mtcis.intocareers.org/ViewHtmlWithNav.aspx?File=Occ/Occ100.htm
Step 5: Education and training
https://mtcis.intocareers.org/ViewHtmlWithNav.aspx?File=Occ/Occ310.htm
Step 6:Employme
https://mtcis.intocareers.org/LandingPage.aspx?Tab=5
Step 7: Plan Presentation
To learn more about
themselves and
careers that match
their background
and interests.
 To explore occupations
and training options and
begin networking or job
seeking.
To plan their
next steps.
Katya Arpon Marandino Irish
Key skills students learned in this project:

• -Project Authenticity, ensuring students use technology to create a final

product;

• Student Engagement, allowing students to shape the curriculum as they make

significant production choices throughout the project;

• -Active Learning, encouraging students to solve problems and communicate

their understanding by using technology tools;

• Rigorous Communications Skills, developed in the reading, writing, listening,

speaking, and presenting activities integral to technology-based projects;

• - Practical Life Skills, developed through collaboration, decision-making, and

critical thinking; transferable to other educational and work settings.
Habits of mind that students practiced in this project :

Students clearly define everyone's roles, responsibilities, and contributions

to the project, and students are held to it.

Students work together to figure out what their final product is going to
be and how they will acquire the knowledge they need to complete it.
 Project in Great Falls

1.Explore M.C.I.S site

2. Take Assessment- interest profiler
3. Understand Reality Check
4. Learn about skills
5. Explore occupations
6. Explore education options
7. Network & Job service
8. Set Goals
9. Make Plan
10.Manage Finances
Visiting the Job Service in Great Falls

Completing employment applications

Attending weekly Guest speakers presentations
Navigating on the internet

Performing Interviews

Creating resumes
Creating Puzzles

Studying cases

Writing Cover letters

 Presenting PowerPoints
Creating PowerPoints
Ellen & Joanna
*
In The Bozeman ABLE Classroom
 *

*They created PowerPoints,

compared careers, and
created “Next Steps.”
*
It was a positive first step into project
based learning in the ABLE classroom
& we will do more next year!
*
*Bozeman Jobs
Project
2014-2015
*JobService
Field Trip
 *Fabulous Guest Speakers

Firefighting and Emergency

Medical Services IT Services
Teaching/Retirement

Law Enforcement (K9 Unit)

Nursing
* Research, Collaboration, Application
Shannon Davis
* The majority of our students either already work or are not actively seeking
employment (housewives, ineligible visa)

* Students were already working with another teacher who teaches PEP Talk and uses
MTCIS in her classroom

*
* Students focused on career-specific vocabulary (waiter dialogues, common phone
inquiries/orders, restaurant terms)
* Focused on creating resumes (exploring their strengths, education, etc.) and
cultural differences when interviewing, resigning, etc. (did not use MTCIS)
* Explored online resources for jobs in the area with only one student, who was
actively looking for a job change (was employed)

*
* Met with Migrant Council and Job Service to discuss how they could help students

* One student found a position through her introduction to Job Service as a

bookkeeper for a company in town—she was already a trained accountant in Russia
and had taken accounting classes through our Community Ed program here.

*
Bobbie
The entire class was introduced to the MCIS Website with translation help for the beginning students. While
visiting the Occupations Clusters page, there was discussion of one of Chinese student’s home country
occupations along with related vocabulary.

The class visited Flathead Job Service with an orientation provided by a former ESOL student who is
employed there. This was a very successful activity as it provided information about services that are
available to all. Students indicated that they didn’t know of its existence even after living in the area for 3
years. One of the Chinese students was surprised and pleased to learn that people over 35 are employable
as in China she would be considered “too old” at the age of 51.
As the project progressed, the students were introduced to “Your Guide”, the Montana 2 Year College
Workforce Development Guide. This provided information new to the students relating to some of the
Postsecondary Education Opportunities available and associated vocabulary.

The students completed various exercises in the National College Transition Network Curriculum
Guide to again address our project questions of “Who Am I?”, Where Am I Going?” and How do I Get
There?”
Although the class wasn’t able to progress through MCIS as quickly as hoped, I felt the project was a
good start. Having enough class time is always a challenge as we meet twice a week for 2 hours each
time.

We have had 3 students hired recently to work at the campus day care center. Their employment
highlights the need for alignment between ESOL students and their employers. Employment
reinforces to the students that their language skills need to continue to improve.
 Six Steps to Career Pathway Decision-Making:

• identify their interests and talents through career research, job-shadowing, Community Classrooms,
Career and Technical Education Programs, and other self-examination/exploration opportunities.

• consider the possible careers in each pathway, in relationship to their interests, abilities, and talents.

• collaborate with family members, counselors, and teachers, evaluate and decide which Career
Pathway seems to fit them best.

• select courses that are related to their chosen Pathway.

• complete course work to the best of their ability, including paid or unpaid work experience,
internships, or apprenticeships.

• continually assess their performance and pathway choice along the way.