Focus
on Technology
Equipped for
Technology:
Linking Study and Career in an EFF Family Literacy
Classroom
by Martha Hyland, Even
Start Instructor, Canton, Ohio
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A group of
adult learners at a family literacy class in
Canton, Ohio, participated in career exploration
by writing career brochures. Prior to this, the
class assessed their skills by taking the Career
Decision-Making Survey (CDM); they listed
possible career choices based on the results of
the career assessment. In the career exploration
project, learners were expected to write a
brochure advertising their chosen career. During
class, the learners were given a sample brochure
to provide guidelines for the
project.
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The
Process
1. The learners used
classroom computers to access the program Ohio Career
Information System (OCIS) in order to research the
necessary information for their brochures. The OCIS
program enabled the learners to gather information on a
variety of topics related to a chosen career; for
example: detailed description of the job, worker
characteristics, physical demands, wages, availability of
jobs in the state, etc. After obtaining the information,
they completed a worksheet designed to lead them from the
computer-printed abstract to an original brochure. This
part of the project focused on reading strategies, as
learners were required to find the main idea, read for
details, and summarize.
2. After reading and
researching, the learners were ready to organize the
layout of their brochures. They made decisions regarding
the number of columns, font style and size, pictures
(clip art) and spacing. After writing their brochures,
the learners began revising and editing them. With the
final revision completed, they were ready to use the word
processing program to prepare the final copy. After
completing the brochures, they shared them with the other
members of the class via oral presentation. The brochures
were then displayed on the classroom bulletin board
allowing others to gain access to career
information.
Discussion
What sets this learning
activity apart from other activities? The answer is
simple. The adult learners used parts of the EFF
framework throughout the project. Familiarity with the
Equipped for the Future framework focused the learners'
awareness on the multitude of skills they had practiced
in this activity. They used skills from each of the four
areas of generative skills. These included the
communication skills of reading, writing, speaking,
listening; interpersonal skills of cooperating with
others; decision-making skills of planning, researching,
and problem solving; life-long learning skills of using
technology and taking responsibility for
learning.
I support this framework
for adult literacy because I have seen the benefits in
the classroom. In my family literacy class, I do not
follow a set curriculum. Although this freedom offers
flexible planning, some might wonder if such an approach
adequately covers necessary skills. Equipped for the
Future provides both flexibility and certainty in
developing the foundation skills learners need to be
successful in the three EFF roles in life: family member,
worker, and community member.
Equipped for the Future
has greatly impacted my class. One example is Rosa, who
told me, "Now what we are doing in the classroom makes
sense to me! I understand that what I am learning not
only prepares me for the GED test but also prepares me
for life." Equipped for the Future has helped the adults
in my class realize the importance of improving skills
that transfer across the EFF three roles. The
applicability of skills was evident when the class
participated in volunteer work experiences in an
elementary school. They had to cooperate with others,
solve problems, use technology, read, speak, listen,
write, and resolve conflicts--the same skills they had
practiced in the classroom. They invited a city council
member tospeak about their rights and responsibilities as
citizens of the community. In their role as community
members, they used the generative skills of EFF,
including communication, decision-making, and lifelong
learning, to take action on a local issue that affected
the community. Other activities such as planning a
"family math night" at a local elementary school and
organizing a mentor luncheon provided experiences that
enhanced the learners' skills.
The connection between
learning and life is apparent to the learners as they
reflect on and evaluate their learning activities. When
adult learners begin to understand that the skills that
they are learning in the classroom can also be applied to
their life and help them in their three roles, they are
in fact becoming equipped for the future.
