11/18/2019 Topic: Transition Week Jaime Westerfield	We went to a career fair and in Dec we are having our office party
3/17/2020 Topic: COVID-19-Ways to Engage Interns Jaime Westerfield	I hope everyone is staying safe and warm during this wild ride. I am interested to see what curricular ideas come out of this social experiment (if you will). I run a hybrid student-adult program in Northern NJ and our state was hit hard by COVID-19. So we are working and communicating daily via email instead of google classroom. As adults, we may not use google classroom so I decided to make this experience a true "work from home" skill. Each day I email an assignment that includes research and communication. For example we have written letters to our mentors to thank them for Round 2. They had to submit them to me to be edited and approved and then in turn they received the mentor email. They then had to cc me on that email. Today they had to create a slideshow, infographic, or collage on social distancing and list 3 rules to stay safe during this time. Next they may be updating resumes, finding job opportunities online and linking or attaching them to an email and/or FaceTiming with the job developer on interview skills. I hope these ideas were helpful to you as we go through this transition together. I look forward to hearing what everyone around the country is doing as well. Stay gold, Ponyboy!!
3/17/2020 Topic: CoronaVirus Jaime Westerfield	I hope everyone is staying safe and warm during this wild ride. I am interested to see what curricular ideas come out of this social experiment (if you will). I run a hybrid student-adult program in Northern NJ and our state was hit hard by COVID-19. So we are working and communicating daily via email instead of google classroom. As adults, we may not use google classroom so I decided to make this experience a true "work from home" skill. Each day I email an assignment that includes research and communication. For example we have written letters to our mentors to thank them for Round 2. They had to submit them to me to be edited and approved and then in turn they received the mentor email. They then had to cc me on that email. Today they had to create a slideshow, infographic, or collage on social distancing and list 3 rules to stay safe during this time. Next they may be updating resumes, finding job opportunities online and linking or attaching them to an email and/or FaceTiming with the job developer on interview skills.
3/17/2020 Topic: COVID-19-Ways to Engage Interns Jaime Westerfield	Here is a really cool app/website for our interns!! It’s called Identifor. https://www.identifor.com My Superintendent and I had the pleasure of meeting Steve last week for a brief training and I have to say we are already impressed!! We had the interns log in and sign up immediately. I even had one sign up with me over the phone, it was that easy!! Identifor tracks their progress through interactive games on memory, executive function, and more and then uses that data to provide career path ideas. I have my interns logging on 15-30 mins a day while we are home and they actually love playing the games. Again it's free, easy, and fun. They can play on their phones or on the computer. Identifor https://www.identifor.com is the world’s first career assessment tool that uses app and computer games to assess transition-age youngsters with developmental disabilities in a bias-free way. Our strengths-based approach measures Multiple Intelligence, Executive Function and Job Interests through dozens of engaging app and computer games and matches them to relevant career options detailed by the US Department of Labor. A personalized dashboard also incorporates McCloskey Executive Function Survey and Autism Speaks’ Community-Based Skill Assessment, making the transition section of the IEP-and the discovery process for job seekers-specific and significantly more valuable. To help further support each user, our platform includes the Identifor Companion, an international award winning advanced artificial intelligence-based 24/7 life coach, that helps with a wide-range of life management needs and that empowers the user when parents, teachers or aides are not around. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/identifor-companion/id1169301810?mt=8 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.identifor.companion
9/24/2020 Topic: Elevator speech Jaime Westerfield	We're actually working on this today. We used youtube videos to demonstrate proper techniques and what to cover.
10/14/2020 Topic: Online learning resources Jaime Westerfield	I just noticed that KHAN ACADEMY has a Life Skills section on the bottom right. When you click on ALL LIFE SKILLS and then scroll to the bottom, they have a tab under Entrepreneurship that is called Interview with Entrepreneurs. When that opens there are several 30-60 min interview clips with various people that may be helpful for our virtual world. I just thought I would share!! https://www.khanacademy.org/college-careers-more/entrepreneurship2/interviews-entrepreneurs

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