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About LAPs MarkED’s LAP Modules
–Leadership, Attitude, Performance–
Tips for using LAPs
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A LAP is a comprehensive lesson plan, with corresponding student materials, intended to support quality instruction within the context of work and careers. Each LAP provides instruction for one competency or performance indicator and focuses on developing leadership skills, positive career-oriented attitude, and both technical and academic performance. (Leadership, Attitude, Performance!)
LAPs are designed with two specific purposes in mind: 1) to make quality instruction easier to accomplish, and 2) to provide easy and direct access to the content reflected in the national standards for marketing, management, entrepreneurship, and business administration. LAPs provide significantly more depth and are more application-oriented than is the typical textbook.
Quality LAPs Lead to Quality Instruction. Strict quality-control standards are used in developing LAPs. The materials are developed through the collaboration of instructors and businesspeople to ensure that the content presented is accurate and up to date. Each LAP has been field tested in actual classroom situations or field-reviewed by practicing teachers, to assure clarity of the content, exercises, and tests. LAP content is based on industry standards and is reviewed by business practitioners throughout the nation.
LAPs and textbooks both bring certain strengths to your classroom. Many instructors believe that textbooks are easier to use. (What’s easier than “Read chapter 23”?) We believe that a good, up-to-date, rigorous, and relevant textbook provides a great resource for every classroom. Conversely, we believe that LAPs bring a different kind of value to the classroom, value based on these considerations:
Each LAP
is divided into five distinct parts with specific sections designed for both
the student and for the instructor:
The student booklet is similar in some ways to a chapter in many textbooks. It differs from a typical text, however, in that it is highly focused on a specific, carefully defined concept or skill and it provides significantly more depth than most books. LAPs are designed to help students learn to do something; most textbooks simply provide an overview of the topic. The eight-page student booklet of each LAP contains:
The booklet is designed for individual use—a student should be able to follow the instructions and read the content on his/her own.
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The
instructor
booklet is a comprehensive, ready-to-use lesson plan. It
is designed to support group instruction and contains all of the
information needed for a large- (or small-) group discussion, as well as
specific activities and tests. Like the student booklet, the
information is tightly focused to provide an appropriate level of depth
addressing a specific concept or skill. The instructor booklets vary
slightly from LAP to LAP; all include everything needed for a complete
lesson:
This comprehensive lesson plan is tied directly to a research-based competency and provides an in-depth treatment of each. The lesson is organized in a manner to make lesson preparation fast, easy, and effective.
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WWW Links are provided as appropriate. Since web sites change so rapidly, links are posted on MarkED’s own web site and changed as needed to ensure students and instructors can access viable sources of information. Access to these links is free. Presentation Software using PowerPoint and other graphics programs is available at nominal cost for most LAP modules. These upscale presentations are intended to replace the traditional transparency master. They are recommended for all group instruction. Content for each presentation is based directly on the discussion guide of the corresponding LAP module. No additional notes are required for use of the presentation software. You do not need to own PowerPoint to use this software. You will need a CD-equipped computer (PC) and either a large monitor or LCD projector for your computer.
Click here for pricing information.
Click here for pricing information.
Using LAP Modules is simple and straightforward—there are no special directions, no must-do procedures; LAPs are designed to make teaching easier. Some of the most frequently asked questions about the use of learning activity packages (LAPs) are answered in the following information.
Selecting the LAP to Use. Think of your LAPs as a library of lessons. With some 200 titles to choose from, you have more options than time. What to do? If you already have a curriculum, simply match the LAPs with your content and move on. However, if you are using LAPs to significantly upgrade your curriculum or to build a new course, help is available.
LAPs are written for many different instructional areas (e.g., business administration, financing, selling, or management). Within each instructional area, there is a recommended sequence of instruction. The sequence is not related to LAP or competency number. You may have received a recommended sequence with your order. If not, you may access it free on our web site–curriculum/stds button. We believe you will get best results if, within each instructional area, you follow our recommended sequence. However, because of local considerations, you should always consider yourself the final “expert” when it comes to all curriculum decisions.
For additional help with LAP sequence and curriculum development, please review the national curriculum standards and supporting performance indicators (free on our web site). For a detailed model curriculum, you may purchase one of several course guides available at a nominal fee. Each provides a detailed sequence of instruction, learning objectives, and additional information that can be used as-is or modified to meet your specific local needs. New model course guides are being added regularly.
At the end of the day, selecting which LAPs to buy or use is a very personal decision. If you are unable to purchase the entire library of LAP modules, we strongly urge you to begin with those that address competencies with which you are the least comfortable. Let our research and team of professional writers guide you through those topics with which you’ve had the least experience.
Getting Ready. The first time you use a new LAP title, allow 30 - 45 minutes to review the content. You may wish to add some of your own examples, anecdotes, etc., to make the lesson more personal. No additional resources will be needed in order to deliver the instruction.
Depending on your personal preferences, you may wish to make transparencies (masters included), duplicate some of the materials (handouts, assignment sheets, tests, etc.), or make arrangements to expand some of the activities as appropriate for your community. Each instructor has his or her own idea of how to utilize the various components of a LAP. There is no single right or wrong way to use LAPs, assuming of course that however they are used, students are held accountable for the specific objectives provided in each.
Using Student Booklets. You may duplicate any or all pages from the student booklet
(See CopyIT!), or you may purchase
ClassPacks for multiple copies. Many instructors choose not
to provide a copy of the student booklet to each individual. (Also,
AlwaysNEW subscribers have the option of printing abbreviated versions
of the student LAP for use as handout summaries and for student notebooks,
etc.) Many instructors use the student portion of a LAP in one of the
following ways:
How Many to Buy? For maximum versatility, we suggest that you purchase at least three to five copies of the student booklet for each competency. This number should be sufficient for remediation, advanced study, and specialized competencies. Remember, if you get caught short for a given lesson, you can make additional copies on your own. Our CopyIT! license allows you to make extra copies on the spot--legally, as long as they're for your own students in the school for which they were purchased. (Depending on personal preferences, AlwaysNEW subscribers may need fewer copies of the entire student booklet.)
Using Instructor Booklets. The instructor portion of a LAP includes a wealth of resources and may be used in many different ways. Each instructor booklet begins with comprehensive discussion notes referenced to transparencies and to PowerPoint presentations typically used for large-group presentation and discussion.
In addition to the basic discussion notes, the instructor booklet contains a variety of activities appropriate for both large-and small-group use. Each activity includes complete instructions, handouts as needed, and suggestions for evaluating the activity. Each activity is focused on the specific learning objectives of that particular LAP.
The most common use of the instructor booklet is to begin with the large-group discussion notes. However, because the lesson is so complete and so easy to use, it’s easy to get trapped in a routine that becomes boring—to you and your students. Therefore, it’s very important to take the time to review the wide range of alternate activities included with the instructor portion of each LAP.
LAPs Add Versatility! You'll find that the modular format of LAPs supports many of the current educational initiatives: high-performance programs, competency-based education, articulation, and integration of academics. Each module supports a single competency that has been identified and validated by industry representatives. The leveling of the competencies lends itself effectively to articulation between secondary and postsecondary institutions. The competencies addressed by many LAPs are appropriate outcomes for such courses as applied mathematics and applied communications since the content of LAPs helps students to apply those skills and knowledge in work settings.
Practice Makes Perfect. Application of content should be an important component of each lesson. As with piano lessons, sports, or many other activities, practice makes perfect—or at least it makes us much better able to deliver on a given competency. Practice is just as important and pertinent in the classroom. Students should be given an opportunity to practice or to reinforce the content learned in lessons.
Each LAP provides application exercises to help students reinforce or practice the content presented in the LAP. Concept LAPs, those which help to develop an understanding or knowledge of a concept, contain application exercises designed to reinforce the key concepts of the LAP. Skill LAPs, those which go beyond understanding of key concepts and to develop a skill, provide both reinforcement and practice.
The first individual and group activities are lower level exercises. They might consist of such easy-to-complete activities as crossword puzzles, matching exercises, sentence completions, and simplistic case studies. In the workplace, however, it is critical for students to get beyond these simple rote activities. Therefore, as appropriate, LAPs include activities intended to raise the bar.
Higher Order Here. The second individual and group activities are higher level and require a better understanding of the content presented in the LAP. These activities provide students opportunities to apply their higher order thinking skills. Typical higher level activities include case studies, games, simulations, and performance/practice exercises.
Directions for the instructor introduce the application exercises. Be sure to read them in advance, as some activities require advance preparation.
The activities in LAPs give students opportunities to apply their understanding and/or skill in mastering a competency. Be sure that you build in an application component for all lessons. Practice makes perfect!
This Is a Test. LAPs give you a head start on developing your tests. They provide test questions tied directly to the competencies. Use them.
One of the most time-consuming, but critical, aspects of instruction is evaluation. Evaluation is time-consuming in that it takes a great deal of your time to prepare a good test, administer it to students, and grade the results. Evaluation is critical in that its results provide a variety of information. For example, through evaluation, you can ascertain how well students understood the content of your instruction. You can analyze the test results to determine whether there were certain topics that presented problems to students. In this way, evaluation can serve as a guide to future instructional planning.
To aid in overcoming the problems encountered in developing good evaluations, all LAPs contain two evaluative devices; a practice test and a posttest. The practice test should be used for formative evaluation, while the posttest should be reserved for summative evaluation. The purpose of formative evaluation is diagnosis: to identify areas in which the student needs to improve. Formative evaluation is not intended to be used for grading purposes. Upon reviewing the results of a formative evaluation, you might find that students are ready to prove that they have mastered the competency. On the other hand, you may find that additional presentation and application are needed to enable students to master the competency. Summative evaluation is used for grading purposes. Let's see how the practice test and posttest can be used.
Practicing for Tests. A short-answer “practice test” is found in the instructor's section of each LAP. It includes an answer guide of model responses. If the LAP is skill-oriented, a model answer and/or rating scale are provided for the performance test. The practice test can be used for a variety of purposes. It can be used after the presentation of content and application to determine if students are ready for the posttest, or before the content has been presented to determine how much students already know about the competency. Some instructors use the practice test as a pretest—if the students meet a certain level of performance, then the instructor feels that there is no need to spend additional time on the competency. On the other hand, if the students do not meet that level of performance, the instructor will deliver the content related to the competency. The practice test can also be used to generate a discussion of the competency before the content is actually delivered. In this way, the instructor can use the practice test to increase interest in the topic and to "get a feel" for how knowledgeable students are of the topic.
Based on your testing philosophy and needs, use the practice test in whatever way works best for you.
Practice tests use a short-answer format to evaluate the concepts presented in the LAP. If the LAP is skill-oriented, a performance test that the student can complete on his/her own is also provided. The test is divided by objective letter so that you and the student can pinpoint specific areas of weakness. This will enable students to focus their efforts on learning more about the content related to a specific objective, rather than having to review all content. Practice tests are based on 100 points to make it easier for you to keep track of grades. The Real Test. The posttest and its key are in the instructor's section. Regardless of whether the instructor's section or the student's section has been used for content delivery, all students who are mastering a competency should be able to take the same posttest, the summative evaluation, for a grade. The posttest utilizes a multiple-choice format to evaluate the concepts presented in the LAP. If the LAP is skill-oriented, a performance test is provided in order to evaluate the skill. The posttest key is a descriptive answer guide. The key identifies the letter of the correct response and the rationale for the answer; in addition an explanation of why the other responses were not acceptable is provided. In this way, the key can be used by your students as a learning tool. If the LAP is skill-oriented, a model answer and/or rating scale are provided for the performance test.
Like the practice test, the posttest is based on 100 points, and its content is divided by objective letter. Deciding what constitutes a passing grade is your decision. However, both test devices provide a suggested criterion level. This is a suggested, acceptable level of performance. If a student scores at that level or better, s/he should be considered competent in that concept or skill. The level is based on the criticality of the competency. If the competency is considered vital to successful job performance, the suggested level is higher than if the competency is considered important, but not critical, to job performance.
Since performance tests are very time consuming, it’s tempting to use only the multiple-choice exam. Although how you ultimately evaluate student performance is your decision, we encourage you to go the extra mile and make use of the performance activities whenever they are provided. Otherwise, your students may "know" a great deal, but they may not be able to "do" what’s necessary for real success on the job. Make sure by evaluating their skills.
NOTE: There are two other sources of LAP-specific tests. The AlwaysNEW online service provides a QuickQuiz designed, as the name implies, for those times when you want a quick check of progress without taking the time for the in-depth posttest provided in the print LAP. Many instructors like to select their own questions for testing. To facilitate this process, we have created a software program called CompuTest that supports custom test creation with only a few clicks of the mouse.
Seven Step Summary. Using LAPs is easy. The steps that you follow are basically the same as those that you would use for any resource or instructional material:
Bottom Line. LAPs are a key resource for many teachers. They help ensure that your instruction is properly aligned with your curriculum. They help instructors get maximum performance from their students. They provide significant support for work-based activities, DECA, FBLA, BPA, and other student organizations. They also provide excellent preparation for students seeking A*S*K certification.
There is no single “right” way to use a LAP. Do what works best for you. But remember, the content of each LAP is written specifically to develop the knowledges and skills that business people tell us are critical. Be sure you provide the depth of instruction offered by each of the LAP modules.
LAPs are not required for students to prepare for competitive events. However, they do provide a particularly strong tool for preparation because of their performance orientation, strong assessment tools, and in-depth treatment of content. In many cases, specific LAP modules can be directly aligned with competitive event evaluation criteria. Click here for a cross-reference of LAP modules and competitive event guidelines.
Certification (A*S*K Institute)
A*S*K Institute certification is based on the same industry validation research as are the LAP modules. Certification is based on an examinee’s knowledge of specific content tied to validated performance indicators regardless of the source of learning. (The complete list of A*S*K certification criteria is available free of charge at the A*S*K Institute web site.) However, as with competitive events, LAPs do provide a particularly strong tool for preparation because of their performance orientation, strong assessment tools, and in-depth treatment of content. In many cases, specific LAP modules can be directly aligned with A*S*K certification criteria.
Think of
LAP modules as you would a library of resources. You can purchase the
entire library (one each of every title) or you may prefer to pick and choose
those that you believe will be most relevant to your classes. And, in
addition to the basic module, you may add some options (e.g., PowerPoint or
AlwaysNEW). Here are some options and considerations:
If you would like a free sample LAP, you make request one online. Sample LAPs are prepackaged; we regret that we are not able to honor requests for specific titles. To preview a specific title for purchase, please see our standard preview policy.
“LAPs are easy to use. I like that they offer both student and instructor information and that they are based on current industry standards.” Mark Westad Minnesota
“I use LAPs because they are a great supplement for the classroom. They have up-to-date topics and projects for good small-group participation.” Ken Kaser Texas
“I liked the added value LAPs gave my curriculum. The new ones are especially upbeat, current, and easy to read.” Susan Land Indiana
“I use LAPs to meet the specific tasks listed in our course syllabus and to reinforce important concepts. They’re well developed and easy for students to follow.” Vicki Rollins Kentucky
“They (LAPs) are full of good ideas and updated information. The pictures in the new LAPs are great.” Blair Sawyers Michigan
“LAPs provide much more specific information than in a general textbook. They include great exam questions not found in textbook packages. The variety in writing style from one to the next helps keep them from getting boring to the kids.” David Nickoley Illinois
“The PowerPoint presentations that match the LAP modules make the whole package easy for me and more interesting for my students.” David Nickoley Illinois
“I like the additional graphics and better overall look of the newer LAP modules. With their updated and current information, they make a really good supplement for my main text—especially for my students who want to learn more about a topic or who are preparing for competitive events.” Lynne King Kansas
“I like the amount of resources included in the LAPs (handouts, presentations, etc.) and the ability to copy student handouts (No textbooks!).” Cheryl Tays Georgia
“Your web site is a good one. I like it for the many ideas available.” KimBerly Clark North Dakota
“I really like the “chunks” of information and things like the Gray Zone in the new LAPs.” KimBerly Clark North Dakota
“I use LAPs because they focus on the important competencies for my students. And, I like the activities and tests included with each module. They’re especially good for remediation.” Judy Commers Indiana
“LAPs are very accurate and contain good information. I like that they require very little preparation to use.” Laura Sharp California
“Your new LAP modules have great graphics and color. I especially like the Gray Zone and the very specific examples.” Laura Sharp California
“LAP modules are concise and easily understood by my students. I like that they have material for both my students and for me.” David Silver Kentucky
“My students get tired of LAPs when I use them all the time, but they sure appreciate them when we get back to them after using a different form of curriculum.” Amy Sanchez New Mexico
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