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DOCUMENT RESUME CS 215 881 ED 408 601 Applied English for the Workplace: A Course of Study. TITLE Idaho State Dept. of Education, Boise. INSTITUTION PUB DATE 91 47p.; For related documents, see CS 215 878-880, CS 012 836, NOTE and CS 509 533-534. Teacher (052) Classroom Guides PUB TYPE -- Legal /Legislative /Regulatory Materials (090) MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE Basic Writing; Career Change; Communication Skills; Course DESCRIPTORS Descriptions; Course Objectives; *English Instruction; Interpersonal Communication; *Job Skills; Organizational Communication; Secondary Education; State Curriculum Guides; *Workplace Literacy *Idaho IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT Delineating the content that must be covered in the secondary schools of the State of Idaho, this guide presents a course of study for teaching English language arts for success in the workplace. Although educators sometimes use the terms interchangeably, the course of study in the guide is not an instructional or curriculum guide--it prescribes what is to be taught; defines the subject in terms of purpose, definition, student goals and objectives; and can be changed only by action of the State Board of Education. The guide begins with some background on the development of the Applied English for the Workplace course of study and a letter from the state administrator, which notes that Applied English in the Workplace counts as core English credit and meets the college entrance requirements for overview. The an English course. It then presents an introduction and course guide next presents the goals and associated course objectives for the 15 modules that comprise the course of study. The modules in the guide have been rearranged to provide a logical sequencing for building skill upon skill. Modules include communication in the workplace; gathering and using information in the workplace; participating in groups; communicating to solve interpersonal conflict; upgrading, retraining, and changing jobs; communicating with supervisors; writing and responding to requests; and improving the quality of communication. A list of tech-prep coordinators for teacher training, and a 140-item annotated bibliography of literature selections (nonfiction, poetry, fiction, short stories, and drama) are attached. (RS) *************************** ***** ****************************** ****** ************ * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** APPLIED ENGLISH 00 for the W WORKPLACE A Course of Study PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL ED CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION HAS BEEN GRANTED BY VIEWING J CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. READING WRITING /CA\tkW 'Thinking Skills Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Comprehension Recall SPEAKING LISTENING DR. ANNE C. FOX SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION FOR THE STATE OF IDAHO BOISE, IDAHO 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE ENGLISH LIED WORKPLA STUDY. A COURSE OF For teaching English Language Arts for success in the workplace. Recommended for 12th 1991 by based on materials provided Technology The Agency for Instructional Bloomington, Indiana Third Printing March 1995 Lynette J. Hill, Ed.D. Jerry Pelton Consultant Bureau Chief English Language Arts Instructional Services State Department of Education Anne C. Fox, Ph.D. Darrell Loos le State Superintendent Chief Deputy, Superintendent of Public Instruction Division of State-Federal Instructional Services State Department of Education Len B. Jordan Office Building P.O. Box 83720 Boise, Idaho 83720-0027 FAX 208-334-2228 3 TABLE OF CO E S Table of Contents Credits ii Preface iii History 1 Letter by Trudy Anderson, Administrator, Division of Vocational Education 2 Introduction 3 4 Course Overview Course Objectives Communication in the Workplace Module 1: 5 Gathering and Using Information in the Workplace Module 2: 6 Starting a New Job Module 4: 7 History of Work in America Focus Unit 8 Participating in Groups Module 6: 9 Communicating with Clients and Customers Module 10: 10 Communicating to Solve Interpersonal Conflict Module 12: 11 Communicating with Co-Workers Module 5: 12 Work and Personal Worth Focus Unit II: 13 Upgrading, Retraining, and Changing Jobs Module 14: 14 Presenting Your Point of View Module 9: 15 Communicating with Supervisors Module 8: 16 Evaluating Performance Module 13: 17 Occupational Culture in the Workplace III: Focus Unit 18 Writing and Responding to Requests Module 11: 23 Following and Giving Directions 24 Module 7: Using Problem Solving Strategies Module 3: 25 Improving the Quality of Communication Module 15: 26 Ethical Research in the Workplace 27 Focus Unit IV: Tech-Prep Coordinators (for teacher training) 31 Annotated Bibliography of Related Literature 32 4 CREDITS Course of Study The following educators helped to develop A gracious for Applied English for the Workplace. They were most The State Board of in sharing their expertise and time. Education thank each Education and the State Department of contributions. of them and their employers for their Committee Members for Applied English in the Workplace Jim Coughlin, Capital High School Traci Hunter, Second Chance Project, Blackfoot Chris LaRocco, Boise High School Bob McCarl, Idaho Commission on the Arts Education Lynn Langer Meeks, State Department of Education Ann Stephens, Division of Vocational Reviewers Council High School Regina Ainslie Mountain Home High School Betty Ashcraft Wood River High School Martha Banning Kellogg High School Joan Boyd Kuna High School Linda Goodwin Boise High School Cindy Hartley Centennial High School, Meridian Lloyd Hiner Blackfoot High School Ellen Hughes Caldwell High School Nancy Hyslop Twin Falls High School Janis Mottern-High Mary Lou Parke South Fremont High School, St. Anthony Murtaugh High School Julie Pence Blackfoot High School Marilyn Petersen McCall-Donnelly High School Wilmina Phelps Meridian High School Jan Ricketts Teton High School Vini Scott Filer High School Arlene Sommer Homedale High School Troy Sullivan Borah High School, Boise Heather Thien Twin Falls High School Marilyn Thompson in the The purpose of a course of study is to delineate the content that must be covered Education has the secondary schools of the State of Idaho. By law, the State Board of The State Department authority and responsibility to prescribe the content of these courses. forth these courses of Education, in concert with curriculum committees, has defined and set It now becomes the of study for each of the subjects to be taught in grades 9-12. responsibility of the local school district to extend these standards by producing at the teaching level an instructional guide based upon the defined courses of study, is not an Although educators sometimes use the terms interchangeably, a course of study document, the instructional or curriculum guide. To compare the two as used in this following may be helpful: INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE COURSE OF STUDY Describes how the given subject Prescribes what is to be taught in a 1. 1. may be taught. given subject or program. suggestions to Makes as Defines the subject or program in 2. 2. materials, instructional aids, definition, of terms purpose, learning experiences, and methods student goals and objectives. of teaching. Can be changed only by action of 3. Is revised and adapted as needed 3. the State Board of Education. school of discretion at the educators. Courses of study will generally be brief outlines in skeletal form. Instructional guides should be developed to augment and supplement courses of study. School personnel are encouraged to place a complete set of the Course of be Study with each school administrator. Individual Courses of Study should given to the appropriate instructor for use in planning and teaching. School personnel should use both student needs and the Course of Study as the basis for course development, adopting instructional materials, developing curriculum guides, and setting direction for staff development. Education joined approximately 40 other In 1986 the Idaho State Division of Vocational form a consortium interested in developing an applied states and provinces of Canada to the would meet the needs of students intending to enter course in communication which The Applied English course was developed workforce immediately after high school. Physics) and Applied Math. Chosen to write similarly to Principles of Technology (Applied Technology in Bloomington, Indiana. the curriculum was the Agency for Instructional sites for lessons prepared by AIT, and Chris Three schools in Idaho were designated as test School represented Idaho at workshops in La Rocco, language arts teacher at Boise High (1989). During these sessions, teachers Nashville (1987), Bloomington (1988), and Memphis effectiveness of the written materials and videos. and directors were asked for input on the re-testing materials at the field site schools. AIT responded by re-structuring weak areas and distribution in the spring of 1989. The full course was completed and ready for Department of Education to be piloted in the Applied English was approved by the State be developed to meet state guidelines, fall of 1989. However, a literature strand needed to literature into the course. During the summer and teachers required training in integrating in conjunction with Oregon's Department of 1989, an annotated bibliography was developed of Education. (See Appendix.) Rocco to teach the course. A one week, Five teachers from Idaho were trained by Chris La previewed materials and developed two-credit course was developed during which teachers assignments into the Applied Communication lessons to integrate literature and writing be called Applied English for the Workplace. course. The new course was to for the fall of 1989, Boise High School Two schools were able to schedule the pilot course High School). At both sites, the course was and Project CDA (Coeur d'Alene Alternative requirements for English and replaced an existing offered as a full-year class which met the and 31.) basic English class. (See case studies, pages 30 training was offered to all school districts Because of the success of the pilot course, In June, 1990, 78 language arts planning to implement the course in the 90-91 school year. in Boise, Idaho Falls, and Coeur d'Alene, teachers participated in one-week training courses time with the benefit of student input similar to the course taught the year before, but this from the pilot classes. one-week workshops held in Idaho Falls, In the summer of 1991, 53 teachers were trained in of the fall of 1991, both Blackfoot and Twin Falls, and Lewiston. (See pages 30-31) As the Applied English curriculum from grade Boise districts are implementing plans to expand grades 9-11, (Boise). These will be piloted 12 to include grades 10-11, (Blackfoot), and will be held at least once a year to share during the 1991-92 school year. Follow-up meetings ideas for improvement and to track the success of the course. 7 State of Idaho DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION FAN 018) .S.SI .2.06 ) K i72, ) r wrs-r s (.2()SI ). \l (;50 i( 'Hsi_ rATF. Dear Colleagues: alternative to Applied English in the Workplace offers an excellent curricular who also traditional high school English. Many students, in particular those have meaningful participate in Vocational Education, succeed in courses that of Vocational application to the working world. For this reason, the Division Communication Education has purchased state membership into the Applied and sponsored the curricula through the Agency for Instructional Technology Guide. development of the Applied English in the Workplace Curriculum holding English Applied English in the Workplace is to be taught by teachers of Applied Certification who have participated in an inservice for teachers Applied English is not taught as or considered to English in the Workplace. It counts as a core English credit be a basic or remedial course in English. English course. and meets the college entrance requirements for an of Education are The Division of Vocational Education and the Department partners in the implementation of Applied English. Cordially, Trudy Anderson, Ph.D. State Administrator 8 Equal Opportunity Employer Each individual plays a Many demands are placed on individuals today. member, friend, variety of roles - worker, family member, organization These varied roles require many skills: active acquaintance, citizen. getting along, and being communication, working together, problem solving, responsible. skills currently being taught Rapid changes call for a shift in the language arts secondary levels. on the secondary and post level course designed Applied English for the Workplace is presently a senior communication demands of the information to prepare these students for the Applied English are being piloted in grades nine age. However, programs in school year. through twelve in some Idaho districts in the 1991-1992 communication skills. The emphasis in Applied English is mainly workplace deal with skills necessary The broader application in such courses should also fulfillment, and for living a rich, full life in terms of relationships, career creativity. become workers and are **Since the majority of students are or will soon designations as "basic" or concerned with living fulfilled lives, such course has value and "remedial" have no meaning in Applied English. This course bound. relevance for all students, whether college or workforce 9 3 COURSE OVERVIEW L organized into 15 modules The skills taught in Applied English for the Workplace are These modules have been developed by the Agency for Instructional Technology. introduced, rearranged to provide a logical sequencing for building skill upon skill. Once individual instructor should the various skills are reviewed throughout the course. The determine which modules to include and their order and length. workplace. Workbook readings have been chosen for content specific to the worker and the literature selections from Instructors should enhance the modules with traditional emphasize not only anthologies and other sources available to them. Such selections can issues. An annotated bibliography work-related settings and themes, but also important life conjunction with the Oregon State of suggested literature selections has been developed in projects. Department of Education. These selections may prove helpful in research techniques and practice in In addition to the literature, reading instruction will include forms, and other specific workplace applications such as reading charts, graphs, order reading demanded on the job. practice in formal writing, The teacher will provide instruction and opportunities for regularly for gathering and business writing, and creative writing. Notebooks will be used Practice in units. recording data and reacting to ideas introduced in the modules and and revising. writing will emphasize modeling, brainstorming, drafting, editing, small groups, cooperative Students will practice speaking and listening skills through in interactive techniques learning, and role-playing. Teachers will provide direct instruction will practice group problem which apply in both workplace and classroom settings. Students solving, negotiation and conflict resolution. and business applications. Spelling and vocabulary should be relevant to literature from student writing. Mechanics and sentence structure exercises should be generated variety of outside Teachers are encouraged to supplement the content of the course with a speakers. resources such as field trips and guest 104