Critical Thinking in the Workplace

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Name (as applicable): Business Management and Administration

  Course Title: Administrative Office Specialist I

  Course Number: 8306310

  Career Cluster: Business Management and Administration

  CIP Number: 0552040102

  Course Type: High School Career Prep

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Creative Staffing Solutions.” See CPALMS resource ID# 221972.

• Career Connection

  
  

  This lesson practices the durable skills of critical thinking, evaluation, and collaboration. In the domain of critical thinking, students are asked to resolve staffing issues that could have several resolutions.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Use critical thinking skills independently and in teams to solve a problem.
  • Create innovative solutions by interpreting information from the case study.
  • Communicate orally and through writing.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • Students should be able to work affectively in a team or group environment.
  • Students should be able to have thoughtful discussions with their peers.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • How should management view staffing issues?
  • Is it appropriate for employees to have a voice in staffing/scheduling decisions?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. As a lesson warm-up, students will be given the “Brain Dump” worksheet that lists related vocabulary.
     • The teacher gives students 5 minutes (or so) to write everything they know about the terms on the list.
     • The teacher will lead a discussion asking students to share what they wrote about each vocabulary term and provide support/clarification as needed.
  2. To introduce the Case Study, the teacher will lead a whole-class discussion using the following questions.
     
     • • How would you feel about working 11pm-7am?
       • If you could pick your schedule, what hours would you want to work?
  3. Students will be separated into small groups.
     • Each student is given a copy (or digital access) to the case study, “Creative Staffing Solutions,” resource ID# 221972 for them to read individually and then take turns discussing the important information related to Why do you think the nursing staff are unhappy?
       • Students can jot down staff solution ideas in the space provided, but one copy in the group should be set aside for the final draft.
     • As a group, the students discuss and finalize two different staffing solutions and uses one copy to record these final decisions.
  4. Groups swap the finalized papers and review using the attached Peer Review Rubric (see the Attachment section).
     • Groups are given a few minuites to make adjustments to their work based on the peer feedback before submission to the teacher.
  5. The teacher collects the "Rubric" and the “Brain Dump Worksheet” from each group.
  6. To close the lesson, the teacher leads a discussion of the following questions:
     • How could this activity assist you in the future as an employee?
     • How could you use the information you have learned from this lesson in your own employment?

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Another activity to use with this case study is to have students create their own schedules using the information given in the case study “Creative Staffing Solutions” CPALMS resource ID# 221972. You can have students create a schedule or find a template online.