ACCOMMODATION IDEAS

The 2016-17 group consists of 8 interns with a wide range of abilities in:

  • reading
  • writing
  • math (time/money management…)
  • speaking/signing
  • physical dexterity
  • planning/organization
  • computer skills

Despite their varying abilities in these skills,  I have found this is to be a course that can be accommodated for everyone.   It is a course that also allows learning and application of  the above-listed functional life skills.

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ACCOMMODATIONS USED AND OTHER IDEAS FOR PROVIDING
EQUAL ACCESS TO THIS COURSE:

TASK:  THINKING OF A BUSINESS IDEA

TASK:  THINKING OF A BUSINESS NAME

  • discuss, brainstorm together, have interns ask friends/family for ideas, give choices

TASK:  MAKING LOGOS

 

TASK:  STAYING ON-TASK, MOTIVATED

  • most interns in the 2016-17 group were motivated by the idea of having their own business, producing items, and making some money (cash collected will be transferred to the interns in the form of a gift card)

 

  • out of the 8 interns in the 2016-17 group, there was one student who lost his motivation after about the 5th week, started putting his head down on the desk instead of working on his entrepreneurial production.  I think the reinforcement of getting money (gift card) at the end of the semester was too long of a wait for him.  To provide him with more immediate reinforcement, I set up a reward chart.  His business was making decorated magnets.  After completing 4 magnets, he earned a comic book (from the $1 bin at the local comic book store).  This worked!

 

TASK:  ELEVATOR SPEECHES

  • for some interns, creating and practicing their elevator speeches in the form of a concept map from this youtube video was relatively easy.  Three of the interns were able to have their elevator speeches videotaped in one take.  Two memorized their elevator speeches, one wrote his notes on a poster which was posted so it was visible to him as he was facing the camera.
  •  other interns referred directly to their concept map as they presented their elevator speech
  • for interns who were not able to read/had difficulty reading/ were not able to refer to notes to help them make their elevator speeches, a Q&A format was used, and videotaped in short segments.  In addition, I found that highlighting words in different colors helped some students read and practice their cue cards prior to making their elevator speech presentations.

TASK:  HANDLING ORDERS/KEEPING TRACK OF INVENTORY

  • have a more able intern or student TA/assistant work alongside the intern

TASK:  CONDUCTING A SALE

  • have a more able intern or student TA/assistant work alongside the intern

TASK:  CASH TRANSACTIONS, HANDLING MONEY

  • use individual money boxes ( $2.99 plastic boxes from Joann’s worked well) with each entrepreneur’s logo on  the box.  Keep all of the entrepreneurs’ money together between sales, and keep track of each entrepreneur’s total by this CTC ENTREPRENEUR SALES LOG.