Leader
ISTE Artifact 2: Leader Standard
Artifact 2 in Support of :
Criteria 5: Promote a shared vision
2.2.a | Shape, advance and accelerate a shared vision for empowered learning with technology by engaging with education stakeholders.
Criteria 6: Advocate for equitable access
2.2.b | Advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students.
Criteria 7: Model new resources or tools
2.2.c | Model for colleagues the identification, exploration, evaluation, curation and adoption of new digital resources and tools for learning.
CONTEXTUALIZATION
For this artifact, my learners are the professional career coaches in the Center for Career and Professional Development at the three physical locations of PennWest University. Prior to the integration of three legacy institutions, the career coaches predominately met with students through in-person, one-on-one appointments. As part of the integration process, our office recognized the challenge traditional career coaching would be. I advocated for the creation of an asynchronous, on-line platform using the University's learning management system creating a sustainable model for student's career education by empowering all PennWest career coaches to feel confident in an online learning option and their ability to assist with facilitating such a program. Artifact 2 highlights my promotion of a shared PennWest University vision, my advocacy for sustainable and equitable access, and how I modeled the new resources and tools for the career center staff.
The Pennsylvania Western University Strategic Planning Process:
Pennsylvania Western (PennWest) University embarked on a yearlong planning process to shape its future and create a five-year strategic plan guided by the five guiding principles:
We offer education your way.
We are student ready.
We advocate for all members of our community.
We are Western Pennsylvania.
We empower and invest in our people and culture.
Additionally, PennWest University identified seven focus areas for the strategic plan, which included the career readiness of graduates. While two of the three legacy universities had specific programs focusing on career planning and preparation of students, they did not necessarily align with the five guiding principles with a specific focus on career readiness.
At the start of integration planning, I began leading a committee to design, create, implement, and facilitate a new digital career education program.
To help empower the committee members, I created an Google Form to learn more about each coach's prior experiences with any previous career education programming and what they believe should be a focus of future programs and why. This data was the drive behind the instructional design process of the Professional Advantage Academy.
Below are the survey questions and results:
Career D2L Planning.pdfOnce the survey results were completed, each member of the committee was asked to create a statement indicating WHY an online, asynchronous education program was important. The following committee meeting led the team through a why and how process for creating the online program:
Why is this important?
How will we:
Educate
Deliver content
Enroll students
Dec 16 Meeting Agenda.docxWhile the meeting went well and all committee member participated, it felt as though each person was passionate about their prior experiences. As the leader, I wanted to provide an opportunity for each member of the committee to express their passions, emotions, and ideas in a safe environment to help accelerate the shared vision of an asynchronous online program. I designed our next meeting using concepts from the "Six Thinking Hats" which resulted in greater collaboration, less conflict, and greater objectivity among the group.
The following is a summary of ideas from our meeting highlighting the open and honest conversations. After this meeting, our group began to work more efficiently and cohesively making good progress toward creating an online program.
Thinking Hats D2L Meeting.pdfOur committee established the name of "Professional Advantage Academy" which blended the names of the two legacy programs and established the word academy added a level of prestige. The academy would focus on the three major areas of emphasis within the career center: Exploration, Preparation, and Application.
Career Center staff were emailed an overview of the D2L program, a sample mock up of the program, and asked to complete an assignment as an academy participant. This provided me an opportunity to promote the shared vision of an asynchronous online program and model how the program would work for their students.
The following is the email sent to staff members, the example mock up, and module assignment experience:
d2l 1 and 2.pdfModule 1 Personal Reflection SAMPLE.pdfAfter months of preparation, Cohort 1 of The Professional Advantage Academy launched in February 2023 and Cohort 2 began in March of 2023. In June 2023, I provided the staff of the career center with an overview of data and plans for the fall semester 2023. Additionally, I shared a video overview modeling the academy staff would have a visual understanding in addition to the data. I then scheduled individual meetings to answer their specific questions about the program.
After leading the career center staff through this process, the career coaches are now less apprehensive and excited about their role with this project. Advocating to university leadership about how a career coach's time is extremely limited and an online program would help to move the ration of 1:1 to 1:many was of significant impact. Now, rather than each coach leading their own online program, I will continue in my role as PAA facilitator with their support.
A comprehensive slideshow of Artifact 2:
