The role of discovery

1. The role of discovery Discovery provides, in a non-traditional, common-sense form, the information needed to determine the strengths, needs, and interests* of any person with complex life issues. This is accomplished by simply addressing the question, “Who is this person?” * From DOL/ODEP definition

2. Discovery • As a starting point, Discovery seeks to answer the question, “Who is this person?” before we test, evaluate or compare them with others. • Discovery is the intentional, structured activity designed to uncover the best an applicant has to offer and to understand the complexities of their lives.

3. Traditional Approaches to Assessment • Attempt to answer the question whether or not the person can work, • Or to determine the specific job or career path the person should pursue. • These approaches lead the job seeker into a competitive process and narrow the field of potential jobs.

4. Testing… • Most tests are standardized and compare the tester against a norm • Many are checklists or short answer • Yes/no answers • A reflection of one discrete time • Tends to predict success or failure

5. Traditional Approaches to Assessment • Attempt to answer the question whether or not the person can work, • Or to determine the specific job or career path the person should pursue. • These approaches lead the job seeker into a competitive process and narrow the field of potential jobs.

6. Discovery Weaving Discovery into the School Day

7. With the day after the end of school in mind, What will be on the agenda for that day’s activities? Who will be meeting their ongoing support needs? UM Rural Institute, Missoula, MT

8. Developing a Plan for Discovery • What is the intended outcome of Discovery? • Time-frame? • Who • Where • What Marc Gold & Associates 4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. Ste. 102, Gautier, MS 39553 (228) 497-6999

9. Conversation Interview Time together Observation Participation with the applicant in activities both familiar and novel Finally, Review of records Strategies for Facilitated Discovery Marc Gold & Associates 4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. Ste. 102, Gautier, MS 39553 (228) 497-6999

10. Things to avoid: • Don’t job develop while doing Discovery • Don’t assume you already know the information • Don’t ask a person “What do you want to do for work?”

11. Maximizing what we learn and teach through work experiences Opportunities for Discovery…. UM Rural Institute, Missoula, MT

12. Alex’s Skills and Tasks: • Follows a written list of tasks • Files by letter • Types data into computer • Folds, stuffs envelopes, labels • Follows rules • Attends to time • Learns routes and layouts • Measures out food • Stocks and organizes shelves

13. Alex: what did we learn about conditions and support needs? • Alex does best when he knows what is next, the schedule, and the length of each activity • He learned to manage his own ‘front loading’ of work information (called in to the food bank) • Following work rules- wearing gloves • Remembers routes and routines • Driven to complete the task • Being flexible

14. Alex’s support needs and goalswork experience & the IEP • Response when others don’t follow the rules • School library, waiting for the bus… • Response when people are in your way and make it difficult to do your job • Delivering papers through out the school • Understanding that your work is driven by a specific production amount or time • Expand his tasks and marketable skills

15. Alex’s Matched Experiencesinterests in kids, computer, books • CDC: filing, organizing, inventory forms, copy and file forms • Reading to children, support person for summer camp • Kalispell Public Library

16. Identify additional skills Alex’s matched work experiencesThe plan for high school: Expand task list Working with children in the summer program; reading, theater computers Cooking/ food preparation Editing/ proof reading Numbers/math

17. Observational notes • Tyler collated the 7 different Social Security Fact sheets and created 30 folders in 20 minutes. Upon completion of this task there were 3 of one of the fact sheets left over while the rest were all gone. Tyler flipped through each of the 30 packets looking for any packet that did not have 1 copy of each of the fact sheets. After checking all 30 he walked to his supervisor’s office and told her he was done and that he had a few extra fact sheets.

18. Written information about a student is powerful Think about captured discovery information as ‘positive paper’. UM Rural Institute, Missoula, MT

19. Descriptive Writing Scenario To help understand the distinction between descriptive writing and evaluative writing, consider the following traditional evaluative scenario of a young person who is cooking brownies in his kitchen: Damian can cook simple items with assistance. He cannot set the oven temperature independently and care should be taken to assure that he does not burn himself. He cannot read the directions on the box. Damian required one-to-supervision to mix and prepare the brownies and to put them into the oven. He cannot be trusted to cut the brownies with a knife. Marc Gold & Associates 4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. Ste. 102 Gautier, MS (228) 497-6999

20. Descriptive Writing Scenario When writing descriptively, we focus solely on the performance of the individual, using action verbs in the active tense. Here is an example of the same scenario written descriptively: Damian selects the brownie mix from the pantry, finds a mixing bowl from the cabinet and removes a mixing spoon from the utensil drawer, after being reminded by a staff person. As the staff person reads the directions he opens the box, pours the mix into the bowl and continues to blend in ingredients. When he completes the mixing he pours the mixture in a glass pan following a gesture by the staff person. The staff person says, “What’s next?” and Damian points to the oven thermostat. The staff person says, “Which button is for bake?” and Damian pushes the Bake button. Marc Gold & Associates 4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. Ste. 102 Gautier, MS (228) 497-6999

21. Descriptive Writing Scenario Descriptive writing scenario, continued: Damian then begins to turn the thermostat and the staff person says, “Stop at 375.” As Damian nears 375, the staff person says, “That’s it.” and he stops at a nearby indicator. The staff person says, “One more click.” and Damian completes the setting. The staff person asks, “How long do we cook them?” and Damian says 30 minutes. Damian sets the timer similar to the oven. When the timer goes off, Damian puts an oven mitt on his right hand and opens the oven with his left. As he reaches in the staff person says, “Careful, everything is hot.” Damian grasps the pan and slides is out of the oven, keeping the container level. When the brownies had cooled, Damian removes a serving knife from the utility drawer and cuts the brownies into small squares with hand-over-hand assistance from the staff person. Marc Gold & Associates 4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. Ste. 102 Gautier, MS (228) 497-6999

22. Features of task observation: • Motivation indicated • Supports offered/used • General Performance: Pace, correctness, consistency, stamina • Specific Tasks: what is it, does general performance vary with tasks • Connections • Concerns Marc Gold & Associates 4101 Gautier-Vancleave Rd. Ste. 102, Gautier, MS 39553 (228) 497-6999

23. Conduct and Capture Discovery Intentionally conduct and capture Discovery (observation notes, photos, video clips) • Family outings and vacations • Field trips • Volunteering or working • Chores at home • Extra curricular activities UM Rural Institute, Missoula, MT

24. Recording your information: • Decide in advance how you will record the information you learn during Discovery activities • Notes after work experience class, • Students work on portfolios in class, • Work Assessment Summaries at the end of an experience, • Use discovery as your age appropriate transition assessment.

25. Let’s reframe what we perceive as barriers to employment and community membership into “ideal conditions for success and support needs”Focus on how someone can participate not why they can’t

26. Representational Portfolio • Can be digital or a hard copy in a stand up binder, • Combination of action pictures and narrative information, • Represents who the student is at their best • A way to share information with new teachers/school, • To introduce a person to new environment and recruit supports, • To represent a job seeker to an employer.

27. Introducing Tyler to High School Staff • Tyler brought his Representational Portfolio to school to share with his new HS teachers. • It contained pictures and narrative information about his performance, skills, and effective support strategies from all of his work experiences. • It also contained his Work Assessment Summaries. • It was positive and optimistic.

28. Skills and abilities • Remembers tasks, dates, names, information • Has good reading and math skills • Initiates tasks that need to be done • Highly motivated and willing to work • Social and likes to interact with familiar people • Thorough • Strong work ethic • Works quickly • Follows instructions • Motivated by a paycheck • Likes to be helpful

29. Pictures in the Portfolio • Showed him performing various tasks in non-profits through out the town, • Several of the photos showed him interacting with people who employers then recognized. UM Rural Institute, Missoula, MT

30. Tyler can perform these tasks… • Collating, stapling, making packets; • Photo copying, • Quality control • Filing • Data entry • Scanning, faxing information • Delivering items • Sorting and organizing • Folding 3-fold brochures

31. Introducing Alex Alex used his portfolio to introduce himself to the High School staff.

32. Representational Portfolios Are also used by job developers when representing a job seeker to an employer and negotiating a customized position. UM Rural Institute, Missoula, MT