This is a self-paced, asynchronous course. It is crucial for Career Navigators working with adult education students to be able to use basic teaching techniques. In addition to the education they are receiving in the classroom, students need foundational employability or job readiness skills to be successful reaching their post-secondary education and career goals. Career Navigators are often responsible for formally teaching and informally coaching students to develop and strengthen these skills and behaviors. Career Navigators should use their knowledge of basic adult learning theory and learning styles to ensure they are creating an environment of invisible learning within career navigation sessions. They must ensure that they are creating and sustaining a motivational learning environment for students that taps into and sustains students’ intrinsic motivation. When Navigators integrate these concepts into their practice they are able to provide information in a way that students can understand, easily digest, and most importantly, remember and use in the future.

This course will provide a practical overview of teaching and coaching best practices that Career Navigators can implement to improve their sessions with students. Trainees will explore concepts that include:

·      A strength-based approach to coaching

·      Adult learning theory (andragogy)

·      Learning styles and multi-modal instruction (VARK model)

·      Creating a motivational learning environment

·      Essential job readiness & employability skills

This course aligns with the Teaching Competency from the Career Navigator Core Competency framework.

Target Audience:

Adult Education Career Navigators and professionals who will be providing career and academic coaching services to adult education students.

Learning Objectives:

By the completion of this professional development offering, trainees should be able to:

·      Summarize strength-based coaching.

·      Describe current coaching practices.

·      Identify challenges and sources of frustration when coaching and teaching students.

·      Describe best practices for teaching adults.

·      Provide examples of strategies to incorporate andragogy into career navigation sessions.

·      Describe each learning style outlined in the VARK model.

·      Define multi-modal instruction.

·      Provide examples of integrating multi-modal instruction (coaching) into career navigation sessions.

·      Compare and contrast intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

·      Discuss the framework and factors that contribute to developing motivation.

·      Identify activities that support student motivation.

·      Define employability skills.

·      Describe essential job readiness skills.

·      Discuss best practices to formally and informally build essential job readiness and employability skills.

·      Describe strategies to increase effectiveness of career navigation sessions using formal and informal teaching best practices.

·      Demonstrate multi-modal methods to communicate information.

·      Discuss ways to create and sustain a motivational learning environment.

Duration:

3 hours (asynchronous instruction)

After meeting the requirements of this course, participants may be eligible to receive 3 hours of Continuing Education (SCECH) Credits that will fulfill the state licensure requirement for either teachers or counselors.

NOTE: After enrolling in this course, click here for easy access to the Keywe login screen, where you can login and access this course.