Focus on Freshmen 2018 - Santa Barbara
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How to Implement the Freshman Course
Chapter-by-Chapter Introduction for High School Instructors
using Career Choices and Changes
May 17 & 18, 2018

Session Descriptions

These sessions explore the implementation of the college textbook, Career Choices and Changes, in secondary school classrooms for dual credit.

Session 1:
Understanding the Pedagogy of the Career Choices Series: Why It Works and Secrets of Successful Implementation
The Career Choices series is unique among curricula. We know that better than anyone, and we want to save you from “reinventing the wheel.” Throughout this institute we’ll review what we’ve discovered in our 25+ years’ experience with thousands of schools and educators, sharing what works and, just as important, what doesn’t. After a quick overview, we’ll discuss the secrets of successful planning and implementation and explore the resources in the Instructor’s Guide.

Session 2:
Two Crucial Components: How You Launch and Who Am I?
How you launch your course is a crucial consideration. We’ll provide recommendations for putting your best foot forward before jumping right into the text to give you first-hand with critical content in Section 1 (Who Am I?) while demonstrating integrations that can enrich students’ understanding—the Chapter Introduction Videos hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist Dain Blanton and the Possibilities anthology.

Session 3:
Making the Most of the Budget Exercise
Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen! This is the activity where you’ll see students’ attitudes and perceptions of education turn on a dime. We’ll spend this hour exploring the concepts of this critical project through the text and the other resources that can enrich the experience, including the optional Lifestyle Math workbook.

Session 4:
What Do I Want & How Do I Get It? The Systematic Process Continues and Culminates with a Student-Centered 10-year Plan
Get hands-on with the balance of Section 2 as this session looks at ways to promote critical and strategic thinking as students articulate the work conditions that will match their personality and goals, and explore industries and careers that could provide a life of satisfaction and accomplishment. Then we turn our time and attention to Section 3, including The Final Chapter and the much-anticipated creation of a 10-year Plan. The breadth and depth of the process is apparent as everything students have tackled comes into play. We’ll explore strategies for using this chapter as your course final and discuss how you can institutionalize students’ 10-year education and career plans in your school.

Session 5:
Maximizing Your Options: Strategies for Pacing, Implementation Plans, and Technology Enhancements
Now that you have an overview of the course and the content students will encounter, we’ll take a deeper look at the resources that can help as you roll up your sleeves and prepare for your implementation. We’ll take a tour of The Teachers’ Lounge and revisit key sections in the Instructor’s Guide, so you have everything you need to finalize your pacing, lesson planning, and daily prep throughout the school year. Time will also be available for teams to prepare for the sample lessons they’ll present in Session 6.

Session 6:
Bringing It All Together in a Mini-PLC Session
Here’s your chance to apply some of tools and resources covered in earlier session. Small teams will present lesson plans to the rest of the group, sharing ideas and demonstrating how effective the available resources can make you with minimal prep time.

Session 7:
From an Instructor’s Perspective: Advice for Career Choices Teachers from Career Choices Teachers
Attendees from several Institutes will be treated to a very special panel discussion exploring freshman transition classrooms that work. This panel of Career Choices instructors will share some of the insights they've gained, techniques they've honed, and strategies they've implemented successfully in their own classrooms.