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Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western

OUR FOCUS IS YOU!


Soft Skills: We Know They Need Them How Do We Teach Them?

Trish BobstNational Curriculum Specialist

[email protected]

Tuesday, February 14 Session 2

1:15 – 2:30 pm Room 101/102


Soft Skills & This Generation… Gen Y learners (most of our students):

Are busy multi-taskers; media-oriented Used to working on teams Remain close to parents who raised them to think they are

“stars” and “special” Optimistic & confident; want to be rich and famous

Are achievement-oriented; need structure and feedback Will negotiate anything Lack diplomacy

Bring an “entertainment attitude” to school Get bored quickly if it’s not FUN

Don’t think of computers & devices as “technology”


Before 1946Silent Generation

1946-1959Baby Boomers

1960-1979Generation “X”

1980-1995Generation “Y”

Through the Ages…..


Generation Y

Censured


What are “Soft Skills” to you?

Oral and written communication Teamwork/collaboration Work ethic/self-motivation/dependability/honesty Critical-thinking/questioning/problem-solving Risk-taking Flexibility/adaptability Leadership/influencing Ability to work under pressure Creativity/innovation/resourceful Organizational/time management Attention to detail


What are Soft Skills?

• Moss and Tilly termed these subjective requisites as “soft skills, which are defined as skills, abilities, and traits that pertain to personality, attitude, and behavior rather than to formal or technical knowledge.” (Moss and Tilly 2001)



• Soft skills are the qualities or social skills we all possess. They are the interpersonal skills we have and use when working with others—how we interact with our peers; how we network and communicate; how we empathize with others; our integrity, optimism, and enthusiasm; how we formulate important problems and find solutions for them.(Amstatnews, 2010)



Soft skills, sometimes known as "people skills," are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which tend to be specific to a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are broadly applicable.

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci1314710,00.html


What Industry Says…

• Technical skills ALONE do not make someone competitive in the job market

– In fact, computer literacy skills are assumed!• Today’s workers demonstrate GAPS in:

– Communication skills– Team/interpersonal skills– Problem solving– Quantitative reasoning– Business process knowledge– Project management


What Employers Say…

Attributes Most Desirable in New Employees… Ability to work productively on a diverse team Oral & written communication skill Ability to think critically and analytically Resourcefulness in solving problems Ability to locate, organize & evaluate information from

multiple sources Creativity & innovative spirit Ability to understand and communicate quantitatively Sense of integrity and ethics Understanding of global cultures and values


Employers also…

Expect colleges & universities to prepare students in these areas

63% say we are not doing our job 87% rate this preparedness as critical to the United

States remaining competitive in the global economy


What Recent Graduates Say…

Provide balance between general knowledge and major-specific skills (72%)

Many end up in fields not closely related to major They AGREE with Employers!

Critical to success are: Teamwork skills Critical-thinking skills Oral & written communication skills

Yet majority don’t think college prepared them well (51%)


2003

#1 reason students chose to major in a particular subject


2003

They were interested in or passionate about that field

or subject.


2009

#1 reason students choose to major in a particular subject


2009

Career OpportunitiesJob Potential

$$$


Maybe at one time this was true?


Recently…





Which would you hire?

What if she added another certification? Now would you hire her?








There are different approaches

• Teach soft skills as a piece of your core subject (integrated throughout)

• Teach soft skills as a separate component of your core subject

– Teach one unit of “soft skills”– Then teach a few units of core subject

• Teach soft skills as an equal “piece of the pie”– Capstone, Assessment, Senior Project, etc.


Soft Skills – What % of grade?

• 10% will affect a letter grade• If you keep it less than 20%, it won’t affect a

grade in a big way


Think about this…

• You could have great technical skills, but if you cannot communicate those skills, what good are they?

• Aren’t Soft Skills more like…

Life Skills?



• Abilities for understanding communication

• Interpersonal Skills that complement technical skills

• Emotional intelligence• The capacity to behave appropriately


Scenario Email Memo Other

1. Many people need to receive the same short message 2. You want quick answers to one or more questions 3. You are responding to a colleague’s e-mail 4. Your manager asks you to confirm a decision 5. You are inviting others to a meeting 6. You are updating a simple procedure 7. Meeting participants need to review the details of a plan 8. You are circulating a new set of formal company policies 9. You want to express enthusiasm to a colleague 10. You need to resolve a conflict 11. Your message is confidential

Appropriate Uses for Email and Memos Check One Box

The digital workplace is where work is what you do, not a place

where you go to.

Soft skills are what you learn after you know everything

else.


Soft Skills in Action

• Participating as member of a team• Teaching others new skills• Exercising leadership• Communicating competently



Soft Skills for a Digital Workplace

• Give your students a 360 degree education and a career advantage

• Students become more marketable to employers

• Signature two-page spread format

• Robust Online companion siteHands-on activities, scenarios, projects, problems, games, read, listen and quizzes


What is the content of these products?

Written CommunicationEmail and MemosSecrets of Clear WritingDeveloping Reports and ProposalsWriting For EmploymentWriting Professional Letters



Verbal Communication Basics of Communication Working With Customers Developing Professional Telephone Skills Improving Informal Communication Making Formal Presentations



Problem Solving and Decision Making? Identifying and Defining the Problem? Solving the Problem? Thinking Critically? Group Decision Making and Problem Solving? Decision and Support Tools



Professionalism Presenting Yourself Professionally Developing a Professional Work Ethic Developing Your Interpersonal Skills Winning at Office Politics Planning and Managing Your Career



Teamwork and Team Building Working in Groups and Teams Team Roles and Processes Team Building and Development Being a Team Leader Having Successful Meetings




Learning


Online companion





Be The Critic Graded


Critical Thinking Questions

From the end of unit materials 5 critical thinking questions Graded by instructor with a rubric.


Critical Thinking – Instructor View


Putting Your Soft Skills to Work

Peer review and critique activity


The student will read the assignment, build the document/assignment and upload it where it will be visible (on the right side of this image) for all students and instructors to critique via ratings and rubrics.

“Putting Your Soft Skills To Work” Interface


Soft Skills Survivor - Graded

A movie will play in the left panel, pausing at set points in a scenario. Students will be prompted with a question based on the presented scenario. If they get the question wrong, they are prompted to watch the video clip again and they cannot move onto the next video segment until the get the question correct.


ExamView - Test Generator


Reproducible Binder

• Written Communication

• Verbal Communication

• Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Teamwork

• Professionalism

Includes 30-pack student access codes (additional codes can be purchased, as needed)

Preview Guide 0538477806


21st Century Skills

21st Century Skills


•Core Subjects – 3Rsand 21st Century Themes Global awareness Financial, Economic, Business

and Entrepreneurial literacy Civic literacy Health literacy Environmental literacy

•Learning and Innovative Skills,•including the 4Cs: Critical thinking and problem

solving Communication Collaboration Creativity and Innovation

•Information, Media andTechnology Skills Information literacy Media literacy ICT (Information,

Communications and Technology) literacy•Life and Career Skills Flexibility and adaptability Initiative and self-direction Social and cross-cultural skills Productivity and accountability Leadership and responsibility

21st Century Study Outcomes

21st Century Skills


Common Core State Standards


STANDARDS FORENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

&LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES,SCIENCE, AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS

JUNE 2010


Design and Organization

Four strands Reading (including Reading Foundational Skills)• Writing• Speaking and Listening• Language

An integrated model of literacy

Media requirements blended throughout


Key Advances

Reading• Balance of literature and informational texts• Text complexityWriting• Emphasis on argument and informative/explanatory writing• Writing about sourcesSpeaking and Listening• Inclusion of formal and informal talkLanguage• Stress on general academic and domain-specific vocabulary


http://www.cengage.com/school/coursecare/


http://www.cengage.com/focus/

http://www.cengage.com/focus/


OUR FOCUS IS YOU!


Soft Skills: We Know Our Students Need Them,

But How Do We Teach Them?

Thank you!

Trish BobstNational Curriculum Specialist

[email protected]