When it comes to measuring the success of EdTech programs, it helps to go straight to the people who have the most to gain from it: Students.<\/span>
\nThat’s exactly what Lori Hartman did. As the sole middle school counselor at Whitehall Middle School in Whitehall, Mich., she was curious about how Xello was working out for students after they\u2019d been using it for a couple of months. She asked 84 8<\/span>th<\/span> grade students to rate their agreement with a few survey questions on a scale of 1-5 (lowest to highest). The results were encouraging.\u00a0<\/span>
\nIn response to the statement, \u201cXello helped me decide which three careers to save,\u201d 37% chose four; 34.5% chose five.<\/span>
\nFor \u201cXello helped me see how my interests match my career choices,\u201d 46% picked four; 36% went with five.<\/span>
\nIn response to the statement, \u201cXello helped me to see how skills are related to my career choice(s),\u201d 36% opted for four; 38% five.<\/span>
\nFinally, for \u201cXello gave me ideas about how to transition to high school,\u201d 20% of students chose three, 31% chose four and 19% chose five.<\/span>
\n\u201cBy and large I found [the survey results] very positive. It seemed like the kids were pretty positive about how it helped them. In my one-on-one conversations with them, many of them shared that Xello was a good resource for them,\u201d said Hartman.\u00a0<\/span>
\nThis is a relief for the busy middle school counselor who is responsible for 480 students from 6<\/span>th<\/span> to 8<\/span>th<\/span> grade. After 27 years in the role, she says she\u2019s become adept at setting priorities to provide college and career readiness to the group in a comprehensive way. It helps that student needs vary by grade. She typically begins exploration with 7<\/span>th<\/span> graders, \u201cWe talk about what\u2019s out there, what are their interests and how do these things match up,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cFor the 8<\/span>th<\/span> grade, we\u2019re a little bit more purposeful in our approach. We go through the Xello program and use Matchmaker and interests, talk about their skills and the students look into those careers a little longer and spend more time on it. I find 8<\/span>th<\/span> graders are really responsive to discussing careers and are interested in learning about what they need at the high school level to set them up for success.\u201d<\/span>
\nWhitehall Middle School has been using Xello since September 2019. Before that, they were happy with Career Cruising. \u201cWe had probably been using that program for about 15 years. There were times when not every school in the county used it because the State of Michigan was using different programs for careers. But we chose in our district to stay with it because it was worth the money,\u201d said Hartman.<\/span>
\nWhen the decision was made to switch to Xello, she admits she wasn\u2019t excited about learning a new technology. \u201cAdults are typically a little slower to change than kids are. I kind of wished we could stick with the same old thing as we did before.\u201d<\/span>
\nBut watching the students\u2019 reaction to Xello\u2019s more vibrant, intuitive and interactive interface, she knew any transitional hiccups were worth it. \u201cThey were immediately like, \u2018Oh wow, this is new!\u2019”<\/span>
\n“And they took to it right away. I certainly think the way it looks is much more in line with what they\u2019re using on a daily basis.”
\nHartman uses Xello much the same way she incorporated Career Cruising, including taking a guest spot in a regular class to talk about future planning. The teacher is often engaged in the discussion as well, offering students an additional perspective. They\u2019re then usually given time to do lessons and activities in Xello on their own.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cAs they\u2019re doing one of the independent lessons, I meet one-on-one with them outside the classroom and we have a career conversation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>
\nShe encourages students to talk about accomplishments they\u2019re proud of as well as things they struggle with and the steps they take to resolve challenges. This is a natural transition to discussing careers and the kind of training and education they might need to pursue. The meeting wraps up with questions about which resources the student might use to learn more about the careers they\u2019re interested in. Xello is one of the most popular, and it helps that the personalized profile allows them to explore new possibilities that arise as they grow.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cThe conversation and time on Xello can\u2019t be a one and done because kids evolve, and interests evolve, and what they know about the world evolves. They need to have a resource that grows with them,\u201d said Hartman.<\/span>
\nWith 24\/7 access to Xello, students can log in from anywhere, including at home. This gives students space to reshape their interests, look deeper into other careers, update pathways and even plan school courses. It also helps them review their interests and plans with their families.\u00a0<\/span>
\n“The more that they own this process the better it is for everyone. They can take charge of [their profile] and look at it when they want. It\u2019s an independent thing, not something tied to a project or grade.”<\/p>\nTransitioning to Xello from Career Cruising<\/b><\/h3>\n