THE PROBLEM:The student is nearing completion of studies and requires work counseling as a graduate. It is NOT provided by the school.

An idea chosen from the three, selected ideas I picked from my original list:

1. The student should make an effort to seek out her own job counseling, either though the school, her peers, or the community.

TWO PROTOTYPES FOR #1 idea, above.

Prototype I:a. Prototype: role playing with a group of peers carefully and thoughtfully recruited for this project from a body of students that are graduating and planning to seek work immediately because of financial need, or other outside influences. Two teams: The Reds and The Blues should be formed if possible. Teams will work in unison to provide feedback to each other and to offer any leads they may know of for relevant jobs.

Prototype II:b. Ideally, the role playing sessions are videotaped and critiqued by the group, then another team is asked to critique the video and make up a list of questions, concerns, suggestions, etc., to improve the process.

The process of role playing is done, covering several, prime topics, including: interviewing, The First Day of Work, Resources for employment, dress, makeup, resume preparation, introductions, logging interviews, cover letters (as required), etc., etc.

2. Each session is discussed and/or video taped. Improvements and refinements are integrated into the process and the findings are shared with the other group and any subsequent groups formed on an ad hoc basis. There may be sub groups formed at any time to satisfy special requirements of disabled students, older (>60) students, etc.

I imagine this process being perpetuated by the school and it becomes a permanent part of the work counseling service sponsored by the school and offered as an ongoing service through the school.

There is NO money or special equipment involved in this prototyping, as video cameras are so plentiful and easily borrowed from a friend

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or colleague. Therefore no pretotyping would be involved. ;-)

3. The school should provide job counseling and work preparation from the start, integrating it into the curriculum.4. Job training and preparation should begin early in a student’s education. As early as elementary school, if possible. To lighten the

load on the teachers, businesses, unions, volunteers, churches, etc., could take up some of the load. All the materials are already there, including guides, handouts, videos, etc. No need to design or make new material, but allowances should be left for improvement by putting materials in three ring binders. (This is a metaphor.)

5. Step 3 - Reflection.

What I learned may be found in the completed template, below: Entitled PROTOFEEDBACKGRID.

If I were to continue working on this project, I would write up a scenario that included all or most of the ideas I put forward regarding the procedures and actions that I included in my suggested prototypes.

I would also use all the material and ideas I generated to interview another student that felt the same way my original student did. I would seek out a graduate and ask the same questions about my plan for dealing with the problem. I would relate my prototype to them, or give them a written scenario, then interview them and probe them to elicit reactions, comments, etc. I would integrate new ideas into the ongoing prototypes.

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