Page 106 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Cooperative Education

Appendix B:
Other Forms of Experiential Learning
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Cooperative Education
APPENDIX B: OTHER FORMS OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Planned learning experiences that take place in the community, including those listed below, provide students who are enrolled in courses of all types and in all disciplines with the opportunity to enhance their school programs. These experiences also support students by helping them make successful transitions to an initial postsecondary destination. All forms of experiential learning are a valuable complement to students’ academic experience and preparation for the future.
Experiential learning can make significant contributions to students’ achievement and well-being. It can lead to transformational changes by helping students develop a sense of identity, purpose, and belonging and by raising their awareness of a wide range of postsecondary pathways.
There can also be significant benefits to communities in providing experiential learning opportunities for students. Community partners can take pride in contributing to the education of children and youth and in helping to develop Ontario’s future workforce. Involvement in experiential learning also enables community partners to develop new networks and skills, and offers them opportunities both to mentor and to learn from students.
The preparation of students for all forms of experiential learning requires instruction related to health, safety, and well-being and to the expectations of the community partner. The teacher who is coordinating the experience is responsible, in collaboration with the placement employer, for ensuring that the community placements are educationally appropriate, culturally responsive, and safe environments (see “Ensuring Health, Safety, and Well-Being”, pages 21–22).
When planning and implementing all forms of experiential learning opportunities boards must adhere to all relevant legislation and ministry and school board policies.
Job Shadowing and Job Twinning
Job shadowing allows students to observe a worker in a specific occupation (e.g., Take Our Kids
to Work). Job twinning allows students to observe a cooperative education student at the student’s placement.
Job shadowing and job twinning are observational experiences lasting up to two consecutive days. They are available to students from Grade 7 to Grade 12 as part of a subject or course or of a school-wide education and career/life planning program. Students may participate in more than one job-shadowing or job-twinning experience, thereby obtaining a broader range of skills and knowledge to support them in their education and career/life planning.
Job-shadowing or job-twinning experiences should be treated as field trips; that is, all the necessary procedures that apply to field trips or excursions that occur off school premises must be followed. (Refer to board policies and procedures that apply to such activities.)
Work Experience
Work experience is offered as part of a secondary school course that provides students with hands-on learning opportunities connected to the community for a period of up to four weeks. In contrast to job shadowing and job twinning, which are observational, experiences that involve hands-on learning have additional requirements to ensure that students are provided with a safe and rich educational experience. Prior to the work experience, students must receive instruction on and demonstrate understanding of content related to the expectations in strand A of the cooperative education course
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