Lesson Plan #1

Overview: The first lesson in the module asks students to make personal connections with the lifelong learning skill before naming the concept and summarizing the task statement in their own words.

Getting Ready/Options for Adaptation:

  • If your students are already familiar with the basic concepts related to lifelong learning, consider skipping the handout; instead,hold a brief oral discussion before moving to the next lesson.
  • To keep students engaged, employ a variety of discussion techniques throughout the lesson; whole-class, small-group, and pair-share techniques will help prevent students from losing focus as you lead them through the foundational knowledge.
  • If your students are younger or have not been exposed to the concepts at all, consider spending more time on this lesson, scaffolding discussion and supporting students in recording notes. Writing down ideas can help students prepare to share in discussion, support long-term memory, and provide a record of thinking to return to in subsequent lessons and/or to prepare for assessment.
  • The following materials should be prepared prior to beginning the lesson:
  • Copies of (or online access to) Lifelong Learning handout
  • Poster-size paper for wall chart of task restatement

Objectives:

  • The student will be able to restate the task statement in his/her own words.
  • The student will be able to identify examples of lifelong learning in his/her own life and in that of a peer, teacher, and/or other adult.

Correlations to Other Workplace Readiness Skills:

  • 3. Demonstrate teamwork skills.
  • 8. Demonstrate effective speaking and listening skills.
  • 9. Demonstrate effective reading and writing skills.

Instructional Steps:

  1. Ask students to connect. Engage students in identifying a hobby they enjoy or a topic they’re interested in, most likely outside of school (e.g., working on cars, playing a videogame, participating in a sport, practicing a creative pursuit like painting or writing). Scaffold students as needed, providing examples or asking willing students to share. If using the Lifelong Learning handout, distribute and ask students to write down their hobby or interest in the square labeled ME.
  1. Ask students to think about how they get better at doing what they love. Scaffold students as needed, by asking prompting questions (e.g., what do you do if you’re playing a sport and can’t seem to master a certain skill? What do you do if you’re playing a videogame and get to a level you can’t beat? If you love cooking, do you cook the same thing over and over…what do you do if you want to try something new?), by interviewing willing students, or by providing an example or two from your own life. Have students make note of their thoughts in the square labeled ME on the handout.
  1. Have students share their answers with each other.Discuss as a class or have students pair and share. Have students take notes in the second square of the handout, labeled CLASSMATE.
  1. Share with students, and make the workplace connection. Share with students that you also engage in activities to get better at hobbies you enjoy…and that you do the same thing with your job. Describe some of the things you do to improve your skills as a teacher, above and beyond teaching every day (e.g., read professional books, magazines, or websites; attend conferences and professional development sessions; take courses; collaborate with colleagues via Professional Learning Communities, in person or online). Have students take notes in the third square, labeled TEACHER.
  1. Name the concept. Tell students that the concept you’ve been discussing can be known as lifelong learning and that demonstrating lifelong learning skills is one of the Workplace Readiness Skills that employers value and that they will be working toward a credential in (if applicable).
  1. Work together to restate the task. Spend a few minutes helping students to restate the task in their own words. Scaffold as needed, asking students to discuss and restate the task in pairs, small groups, or as a whole class with your guidance, if needed. Examples of restatements could include the following:
  2. Lifelong learning skills are all the things you do to get better at something, including your career.
  3. Having lifelong learning skills means you can figure out your weak areas and how to get better at them.
  4. When you demonstrate lifelong learning skills, you’re showing that there’s always more you can learn about your career or interest, and you know what to do to find out what’s new.

Have students write their reworded task in the square in the center of the handout. Collect the handouts or ask students to keep them in a safe place for use in the next lesson.

  1. Why is it important? Lead students in starting to answer the questions: Why is lifelong learning helpful or important in your life and your career? Why is demonstrating lifelong learning skills important in the workplace? Tell students that you will continue to answer these questions in future lessons.
  1. What’s next: If you are using the next lesson, tell students that next time, you’ll discuss how lifelong learning specifically applies in the workplace.

Formative Assessment:

If using the Lifelong Learning handout, circulate to read students’ responses or have students hand them in to you (return them for the next lesson).

  • Look for signs of misconceptions or weak understanding. Be sure to address these areas as soon as possible.
  • Take note of the hobbies and interests students described; these can be helpful to refer to as you’re sharing examples or developing test questions, or for grouping students with like interests.

Suggestions for Follow-up:

  • If the class worked together to restate the task, post the restatement in the classroom. Refer to it as related concepts come up in future instruction or discussion.
  • Use knowledge of students’ hobbies/interests to encourage and affirm lifelong learning skills (e.g., share an article about a new training technique with a student interested in running marathons; point out student’s application of lifelong learning skills when she chooses to read an industry-related magazine during study hall).
  • Model a positive approach to lifelong learning in your own profession, explicitly mentioning the skill when you will be absent to attend a conference or when you receive a new professional text in the mail.