Reflection
	Personal comments on the learning experience:

In the document co-produced by New York State Department of Labor and the New York State Education Department titled "New York’s Workforce Development System: A Report to Governor George Pataki," the point is made that everyone should develop some type of career plan. CDOS Standard 1 encourages learners to begin a career plan as an elementary step and refine it as one progresses. In order to begin to develop a plan, the learner must be aware of what is a goal and what constitutes viable and specific goals based on individual needs and wants.

Peers at the local level have reviewed this learning experience. Learners also have tested it. Teachers who have observed and used the lesson felt that it held learners’ interests, produced meaningful dialogue, and encouraged learner self-awareness. Learners' reactions to this lesson have always been enthusiastic. Many have commented that it teaches them things about themselves that they had not realized, makes them think, and is fun and interesting.

The essay component could be enhanced by adding a self-assessment checklist to be used as a guide in learner preparation of this work.  It would be helpful to compile a collection of books and videos, which illustrate successful real or fictional lives for use in motivating learners toward their goals.

The "My Life Story Project" has proven to be a valuable first step in job-related learning. After all, if you don’t know where you want to go, how will you know how to get there?

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