At a Glance
At Career Institute of Technology (CIT), the Networking/IT instructor created a detailed learning guide that meaningfully incorporates a variety of instructional strategies, technology, and literacy activities.
Overview
The Networking/IT instructor used a format created by the school’s Supervisor of CTE to develop the learning guide. Students use the learning guide to work through their learning activities. The guide consists of a checklist for multiple activities. All of the activities must be checked off and completed in order for the task to be considered finished, at which point students progress to the next step.
The guide is organized into manageable steps, each with specific instructions, to help students pace themselves. In order to engage students and address their different learning styles, the guide integrates multiple instructional strategies and relevant technology. The guides tasks include a focus on reading and writing, gaming, technology, and performance assessments.
Origin / Implementation
CIT administrators wanted to develop a new learning guide that was simple in format and focused on key instructional strategies to address the needs of the 21st century learner. In 2013, the Supervisor of CTE created an easy-to-use learning guide template for instructors to adapt. The template emphasizes the integration of literacy and numeracy strategies, technology, and gaming into the curriculum.
Results / Impact
CIT administrators report that the student learning guides provide competency-based instruction options for students on various levels. The instructor is able to direct and facilitate learning while students work through the learning guide independently. Students are able to monitor their progress as they work through the assignments and receive constant feedback from the instructor.
The Networking/IT instructor has developed these learning guides / unit checklists for all of his units of instruction according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Programs of Study (POS) task list. Although it is a work in progress, he plans to have all tasks completed with checklists and student learning guides by the end of 2015-2016 school year.
CIT is in the process of developing a school-wide framework of student learning guides that follows a similar format to the one used by the Networking/IT instructor but allows for individual customization.
Contact
Career Institute of Technology
Ron Roth, Director
roth@citvt.com
Adrianne Jones, Supervisor of CTE
jones@citvt.com