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Foreword
Acknowledgements
eYearbook Committee
Introduction to Exemplary Teachers, Programs and Practices
A Call to
Action: Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Program Evaluation
Careers Class
Dynamic Leadership
It's All About Kids
Lights! Camera! Action!
Patchwork of Kindness
Child Development
Culinary Arts/Human Behavior
Foods/Biology
Health Science Occupations
Teens As Parents
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Pamela
J. Wright
Norfolk Junior High
510 Pasewalk Ave, Box 139
Norfolk, NE 68702-0139
Phone: 402-644-2516
email: pwright@npsne.org
Program
Featured: 8th and 9th Grade Careers Class
Number of Years Teaching:
25
Degrees:
BS, Vocational Home Economics Education, University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1976
MS, Home Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1982
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Nominator's
Comments
Pamela Wright is an extremely dedicated family and
consumer sciences professional. She has served as president
of the Nebraska Association of Family and Consumer Science
(NAFCS) and is presently by-laws chair. She is also active
in the Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers of Nebraska
(FCSTN) and has served in many capacities, including president.
She represented Nebraska in the development of national
FCS standards and served as project director for the development
of the Nebraska FCS Curriculum Framework—the basis
of our state standards in FCS. During the past five years,
she initiated, and continues to teach, a career development
course that is now required of all students at Norfolk
Junior High. Her influence extends beyond the FCS profession
to the entire educational system.
--Shirley Baum, Director, Family and Consumer Sciences,
Nebraska State Department of Education
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| History
of Program |
Teaching
Careers Class has been a true pleasure since I joined
the faculty at Norfolk Junior High. I believe I was
hired for my current position for two reasons: 1.) I
had developed a strong career component in my previous
school, believing that future goals led to better decision-making
in all areas of life, and, 2.) I had just completed
curriculum work on the Nebraska Frameworks. I welcomed
the opportunity to re-enter the classroom, especially
in the area of career development.
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| How
the Program Fits into Norfolk Public School Curriculum |
| Career
Development could be taught by any number of educators,
but in Norfolk Public Schools, the designers of our program
were led by a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher. The
program grew gradually out of the Tech Prep movement of
the early nineties, beginning with just career testing
for students, to developing a 9-week class for 8th graders.
By 1995, the quarter class was in place and by 2000, almost
all students that entered Norfolk Junior High (8th or
9th) were taking this introductory course. The
elementary schools have begun to integrate employment
issues and character education into their curriculum.
Junior High offers Careers Class for 8th graders and
new 9th graders, and a Workplace Readiness class for
9th graders. Career education is integrated into Career
and Technical Education programs at the Senior High,
but the Senior High does not offer a stand-alone careers
class. Tech Prep Consortium activities are sponsored
through Senior High Guidance to provide job shadow experiences.
The one transition piece
that Norfolk Public Schools utilizes is the Career Portfolio.
The Career Portfolio is started in 8th grade with documents
such as career test results, 9-12
course plan, occupational choices, and resume. In
9th grade, the portfolios are distributed to home rooms.
Students up-date information throughout the year, and
receive guidance from home room teachers, guidance counselors,
or myself, concerning their 9-12 plans. The Career Portfolios
follow the students through high school via their guidance
counselors.
While no definitive studies
have been conducted to measure the effectiveness of
these career development strategies, Norfolk High graduates
were recently cited among the most successful students
transitioning into the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
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| Motivation
for Starting Careers Class |
| One
of the strongest motivating factors in designing the Careers
Class was to help students build the connection between
what they were studying in all of their classes and future
employment. The apathy and “just get by with the
least effort” attitude needed to be addressed. The
belief that setting a future goal and outlining the steps
for achieving that goal would influence better choices
in course selection and better learning overall.
During Careers class, students
are provided a series of activities to help them think
about and discover their strongest characteristics and
talents. The students then begin to make the connections
between who they are, what they are good at, interested
in, and value, and the occupations that would then be
most satisfying for them. According to career development
literature, students of this age should be working in
generalities, rather than identifying any one occupation.
Therefore, the use of career clusters and the various
jobs in each career cluster, point them in a positive
direction, but place no limitations on them.
Job entry skills such as
job applications and resumes help introduce students
to the world of work and employer expectations. A budgeting
unit helps students understand where a family’s
money goes and how much money is needed to support a
family.
Students are then given
the opportunity to research occupations of their choice.
Besides the obvious job duties, working conditions and
earnings, emphasis is placed upon learning about the
educational path needed to enter the chosen field, and
the personal characteristics that best support the occupation.
In addition, lifestyle considerations are discussed
to discover job demands in relationship to personal
and family time.
At the conclusion of the
personal reflection and occupational research units,
students design their 9-12 courses plan and activities.
The first priority is to graduate from high school;
the second priority is to plan for education or training
beyond high school; and the third priority is to plan
for electives and activities that support their strongest
career clusters and interests. It is necessary during
this time to meet individually with each student to
discuss their 9-12 plan.
A project was developed
for students to prepare a PowerPoint presentation and
speech to share their findings with the class. While
the students are working on their PowerPoint’s,
I am able to conference with each student. Because all
8th graders are preparing speeches in Careers Class,
I now assess the State Language Arts speaking standard
and multimedia standard.
In terms of assessment,
this course is primarily experiential and very personal.
However, performance standards are applied to the job
application (94% or higher), resume (100%), PowerPoint
presentation (rubric) and speech (rubric).
Do all students leave Careers
Class with a single chosen occupation? Of course not!
But students do leave Careers Class with a vision for
the future, tools for decision-making, and a purpose
for their educational efforts.
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|
Careers
Curriculum with Strategies |
| Course
Outline
| Week
1 |
Introduction
to Careers |
Holland
Party Game |
Film: What
Would You Be Good At? |
Film: Get
a Winning Attitude |
Film: Your
Career Search: Taking the First Step |
| Week
2 |
Understanding Personality
Types |
Workplace Skills |
Job Applications |
Resumes |
Speaker: Maureen Baker,
NECC |
| Week
3 |
Resumes - Computer
Lab |
Kuder Interest Inventory
- Computer Lab |
Kuder Skills Assessment
- Computer Lab |
Kuder Work Values Inventory
- Computer Lab |
Work day: Job application
and resume |
| Week
4 |
"The Dream"
& "What's My Line?" |
"What's My Line?"
poster |
"Reality Check" |
"Reality Check" |
Speaker: Donovan Roy
- NNAHEC |
| Week
5 |
Research |
Speaker: LCDR John
Kendrick, USN |
Research |
Research |
Research |
| Week
6 |
Research |
Research |
Speech Lesson |
Research for Speech |
Outline Speech, write
introduction and conclusion |
| Week
7 |
PowerPoint Lesson -
computer lab |
Finish PP; develop
storyboard |
Graduation and college
requirements |
Plan classes and activities
for grades 9-12 |
Speech work day; teacher
conference |
| Week
8 |
Speech work day; teacher
conference |
Speech work day; teacher
conference |
Speech work day; teacher
conference |
Speech work day; teacher
conference |
SPEECHES |
| Week
9 |
SPEECHES |
SPEECHES |
SPEECHES |
Career summary - computer
lab |
Last day of class -
career portfolios, clean folders |
Careers
PowerPoint
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| Lesson
Ideas |
Backward
Planning Worksheet
Do What You Are
– Reflection paper
Career Research
Sample Resume
Creating
Presentations
Careers
Power Point presentation storyboard and rubric
Speech Rubric
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| Resources |
| Kuder
Career Planning System
http://www.kuder.com
Please record and remember your user name and password.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Updated every two years. Government publication.
O*Net
http://online.onetcenter.org
Replaced the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Interesting
Skills Section. Can navigate to salaries in Nebraska
or any other state.
KiwiCareers
http://www.careers.co.nz/index.htm
Great Website from New Zealand. Designed for kids.
New York CareerZone
http://nycareerzone.org
Site designed for kids. Mini Holland test. Info based
on O*Net.
Nebraska Workforce Development
http://www.dol.state.ne.us/
Lots of info. More difficult to navigate.
Military Careers
http://militarycareers.com/
New Occupations
http://www.careervoyages.gov/
16 National Career Clusters
http://www.careerclusters.org/16clusters.htm
59 Career Links for Students
http://www.acteonline.org/career/skills/career.cfm
Get Career Skills
http://www.acteonline.org/career/skills/
Ask Jeeves
http://www.ask.com/
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