Batman Needs a New Job

The Tennessee Department of Education academic standards are located at https://www.tn.gov/education/instruction/academic-standards.html . This lesson is proposed as an introduction to Middle School Students under Career and Technical Education (CTE) exploration. The Middle School CTE coursework for 6-8 grade include interdisciplinary curriculum on Career exploration. This lesson can provide the keyboarding element listed in the 6-8th grade: • The student will develop skills in operating a keyboard by touch with emphasis on entering the alphabet, numbers, and symbols with proper technique. Grades: 4-8 Course Codes: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/ccte/cte/cte_std_keyboarding.pdf • 8th grade students have a Career Exploration course (course code 6166) that encompasses this entire lesson: https://www.tn.gov/education/career-and-technical-education/career-clusters/cte-cluster-middle-school-cte-coursework.html The course standards indicate three steps the student follows to create a personal (career) assessment. The lesson also indicates what academic achievement the students should acquire. The lesson will provide an interdisciplinary approach to answering major questions regarding intended learning. “Batman needs a new job” will allow students to discuss what is the difference between a job and a career. Students will be able to discuss and analyze terms such as learning style and personality traits. The lesson provides an overview of the difference between academic, technical, and “soft skills”. The lesson will provide an opportunity for students to experience critical thinking and problem solving. An overview of the importance of honesty and integrity in academics and career by describing appropriate and non-appropriate practices in the work place (e.g. full disclosure of competing priorities). Finally, students will be able to demonstrate learning by completing a new resume and providing counseling to the “client”; Demonstrate appropriate communication at various levels; Develop and practice oral and written communications; Address the class using a public-speaking activity This lesson uses authentic Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach to the lesson plan. PBL is a type of Authentic Assessment. Unlike a multiple-choice or true-false test in which a student is asked to choose one of the responses provided, a performance (or authentic) assessment requires a student to generate his or her own response in the form of a culminating activity. Students learn how to apply their skills to authentic, or real life, questions and projects. A few of the benefits of using PBL is that it is superior to traditional testing methods; and that it prepares students to do more than memorize information. PBL allows students to practice higher-order thinking skills.