Adult education programs recognize the importance of incorporating career awareness into their intermediate and advanced classes, but it can feel overwhelming for teachers to add this to their already full schedules. However, career content can be incorporated into existing curricula without additional time. Two birds in one class session!
In this interactive online series, participants will explore and try out activities for intermediate to advanced learners that develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills while introducing students to careers, industry sectors, labor market, and career pathway opportunities. Session one will explore activities that provide opportunities for students to discuss and consider their work history, skills and interests (paid and unpaid) and to learn about a variety of industry sectors. Session two will focus on activities and assessments that increase career awareness and self-knowledge through the use of interest assessments, career databases, and occupation descriptions. All activities develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while providing content about careers. This workshop includes synchronous and asynchronous activities that combine presentation, resource sharing, activity exploration, and small group activity.
Career exploration and planning is often considered to be the work of advisors, but teachers play a critical role in helping students learn about careers, their own interests, and job requirements. Teachers are, in fact, uniquely positioned to help students connect academic work with career options.
Participants will access a variety of activities that can be used with intermediate and advanced level students to explore career interests, labor market information, and career pathway opportunities, all while making literacy and numeracy gains. The activities shared can be used independently or as a career research project module. Evidence shows that project-based learning is an effective way to engage students and deepen their knowledge of a topic.
Session 1: February 9th from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
In the first session, participants will discuss how to structure a research project about careers, learn career-oriented ice breakers, and practice using reading activities that introduce students to industry sectors, while developing their vocabulary and reading skills. Participants will access speaking and listening activities in which students learn about careers from one another’s lived work experience, as well as reading activities in which they learn about popular and growing industry sectors.
Session 2: February 16th from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
In the second session, participants will practice using career interest assessments and career profile descriptions to increase self- and career awareness while building vocabulary and reading skills. Participants will discuss a number of ways students can conduct informational interviews to practice their question formulation and professional communication skills. Participants will plan how best to structure career awareness activities, from standalone asynchronous, synchronous, or in-person assignments to semester-long career research projects culminating in presentations on a career they research, and everything in between.
Both sessions will take into account language acquisition goals currently in place and devise ways of using career content to meet those goals.
Schedule:
The total time for this PD activity is approximately 4.5 hours. This PD event involves three activities and all are required to complete the PD.
- Session 1: February 9th from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (1.5 hours)
- Session 2: February 16th from 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (1.5 hours)
- Prerequisite independent work (1.5 hours)
Note: You will receive a separate email from ruzica_banovic@worlded.org with information and the link for joining online a few days prior to the webinar.
- Lead activities that provide opportunities for students to make career and academic gains simultaneously
- Develop and implement a career exploration research project that incorporates speaking, listening, reading, writing, critical thinking, research, and presentation skills
- Infuse existing literacy, numeracy, and language-development activities with career content
Upon completion of this professional development activity/course, you will be able to:
Prior to the first session, you will complete an online career interest assessment and consider how you might use it (or an adapted version) with your students.
- Take the O*Net Interest Profiler. Consider whether this is appropriate for the level you teach. If not, consider one of the assessments below, and consider how you would use it:
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