[LM_NET] HIT: MID: Career instruction ideas

["Erin L. Glover" <erin.glover@TUS.K12.PA.US>]

Thanks for everyone who replied to my request for middle school career information 
- I had one request for a hit, so here it is!  I think this will give the guidance 
counselor and I some great direction as we work on a career instruction program at 
my middle school.

 

 

Our former guidance counselor did a unit with middle school.  She used websites and 
had a thin workbook for students.  I think it was four pages.

 

 

One of the best print resources for careers is the Ferguson Career Encyclcopedia.

 

I have a webpage with some things that might help:

www.quia.com/pages/crestoncareers.html

 

There are some webquests on the page.

 

Whatever thing you do, try to make it more interesting than the typical report, and 
make sure the kids have some latitude for something they are really interested in.  
Of course, around here the problem is that not all students will actually end up as 
pro football or basketball players.

 

Our entire 8th grade class participated in a financial unit that culminated with a 
field trip to a local Junior Achievement simulation. 

It was wonderful.  The teachers were very impressed with the curricula. 

  It really dealt more with financial issues, but it did get the kids thinking 
about the kinds of jobs they would need to support their "wants".

 

 

Here's what I do with my 6th graders every year:

http://www.homercenter.org/hcelem/Career6.htm

Here are the web sites:

http://www.homercenter.org/hcelem/libcareer.htm

 

We started a career exploratory last school year and expanded it from 8th grade to 
7th grade.  We use Choices Explorer program http://www.bridges.com/  We also use 
Dream Catchers, Your Promising Future, and Character: A Guide for Middle School 
Students from JIST http://www.jist.com/middle_school_module.shtm and Intermediate 
Individual Career Planning Portfolio from COIN 
www.coin3.com/middle/intericp_price.asp.

You will find a lot of information on setting up your program at 
http://www.khake.com/page93.html. I used the Saskatoon site (Career Guidance 
Curriculum - Middle Grades) for the basic outline of our program in combination 
with our state standards.  I don't know if PA has state standards for career 
education, but I would seek them out to be sure.  Otherwise, take a look at AZ's 
http://www.ade.state.az.us/standards/workplace/default.asp and AZ's career pathways 
http://www.ade.state.az.us/cte/careerpathways/ or NH's (K-12 Career Development 
Curriculum Framework).  This is a good article as to why you should have career 
education and what the elements of it should look like: 
http://www.cete.org/acve/docgen.asp?tbl=pab&ID=99. It's from 2000 but still viable 
today. This is an overview of middle school career planning resources from the 
state of ID 
http://www.pte.state.id.us/midlevel/MLResrcs.htm#²%20Your%20Career%20Search.

 

 

Erin L. Glover, Librarian

James Buchanan Middle School

Mercersburg, PA

erin.glover@tus.k12.pa.us

 


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