Career Exploration WebQuest
An Internet WebQuest on Career Exploration Webquest

created by Mrs. G. Darmody
Portsmouth Rhode Island School District

Introduction | The Task | The Process | Conclusion |


Introduction
OVERVIEW:

This learning activity is all about helping individuals discover which career(s) are the best match for them and how they can get there. Students will accomplish this by determining their area(s) of interest and personality type. They will discover which careers match their interests and personality type. Students will then explore these careers to determine which one(s) are the best for them, as well as the education and training that it will take to achieve their dream.

The over-arching goal for this webquest is to help students begin their career development journey. Through this journey, they will discover who they are, what career(s) interest them, begin to decide where they are going and finally, begin to decide how they will get there through a plan developed in conjunction with guidance counselors/advisors/teachers/parents.

This learning activity is designed as an interdisciplinary activity with collaboration among several different groups, including but not limited to, guidance counselors/advisors and classroom teachers. National standards in several different areas are addressed through these activities: National Guidance Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, National Business Education Standards. Other standards supported are: Informational Literacy and Literacy standards.

This learning exploration activity aligns with all RI Regents requirements, including the new requirements for ILPs (Individual Learning Plans)for all students in grades 6 and up, located at:
http://www.ride.ri.gov/highschoolreform/docs/pdfs/high%20school%20reform/secondary_regs_guidance_102408.pdf
It is also designed to prepare students for successful completion of their R.I. Senior Projects, as part of the R.I. Proficiency-Based Graduation Requirements (PBGRs) and Applied Learning Standards located at:
http://www.ride.ri.gov/HighSchoolReform/DOCS/PDFs/HIGH%20school%20reform/HSDiploma_v071405.pdf,
http://www.ed.uri.edu/ritti2007/hamlin/resources/RIAL_Stds.pdf,
http://www.ewg.k12.ri.us/searle/ComputerApplications/HSAL.htm

The National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) The Next Generation that will be assessed through this learning activity are
(http://cnets.iste.org/students/NETS_S_standards-1-6.pdf):

2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
Students:
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
Students:
a. plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources
and media.
c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
d. process data and report results.

National Business Education Association (NBEA) standards and strands that will be assessed through completion of this WebQuest are
(http://nbea.org/curfbes.html):

Career Development:

I. Self-Awareness - Achievement Standard: Assess personal skills, abilities, and aptititudes and personal strengths and weaknesses as they relate to career exploration and development.

II. Career Research - Achievement Standard: Utilize career resources to develop a career information database that includes international career opportunities.

Communication:

I. Foundations of Communication - Achievement Standard: Communicate in a clear, courteous, concise, and correct manner on personal and professional levels.

II. Social Communication - Achievement Standard: Apply basic social communication skills in personal and professional situations.

III. Technological Communication - Achievement Standard: Use technology to enhance the effectiveness of communication.

Information Technology:

VI. Input Technologies - Achievement Standard: Use input technologies appropriately to enter and manipulate text and data.

VII. Information Retrieval - Achievement Standard: Gather, evaluate, use, and cite information from information technology sources.

The R.I. Grade Span Expectations that will be assessed in this learning activity are
(http://www.ride.ri.gov/Instruction/gle.aspx):

OC-12-2 Make Oral Presentations
OC-12-2.1 In oral communication, students make oral presentations by ... Exhibiting logical organization and language use, appropriate to audience, context, and purpose (Local)

OC-12-2.2 In oral communication, students make oral presentations by ... Maintaining a consistent focus (Local)

OC-12-2.3 In oral communication, students make oral presentations by ... Including smooth transitions, supporting thesis with well-chosen details, and providing a coherent conclusion (Local)
EXAMPLES (of support and elaboration): Using anecdotes, analogies, illustrations, visuals, detailed descriptions, restatements, paraphrases, examples, comparisons, artifacts

OC-12-2.4 In oral communication, students make oral presentations by ... Effectively responding to audience questions and feedback (Local)

OC-12-2.5 In oral communication, students make oral presentations by ... Using a variety of strategies of address (e.g., eye contact, speaking rate, volume, articulation, enunciation, pronunciation, inflection, voice modulation, intonation, rhythm, and gesture) to communicate ideas effectively (Local)

OC-12-2.6 In oral communication, students make oral presentations by ... Using tools of technology to enhance message (Local)

INTRODUCTION:

Do you have any idea what you would like to be when you are ready to enter the workforce? Many of you probably do not. This career exploration quest will enable you to determine your personality type and allow you to measure your interests. Once you have done this, you will have the opportunity to explore different careers in cooperative groups that match your personality type and see what it will take to achieve your career dreams. This project can be completed individually or as a group activity, with 1 group for each personality type (6 in all). Now is your chance to begin dreaming, evaluating and considering the many possible career choices that are best for you!


Task
Working individually or in “personality” teams, you are going to identify your personal career interests, research at least 6 to 8 careers related to your personality/interest type (at least 3 or 4 if working individually), and as a group decide which 1 or 2 career(s) are the best for your group. Each group will then present their results to the class, clearly supporting your choices with your research from the Internet.

Your task will be assessed using the following rubric located at the following url:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=ShowRubric&rubric_id=1432327&

This rubric was developed using various resources, such as the R.I. Graduation by Proficiency Exhibition Oral Presentation Rubric, located at:
http://www.ride.ri.gov/highschoolreform/dslat/doc/exh_070201.doc


Process
In this WebQuest you will be working individually or together with a group of students in class. Each individual or group will complete the Task and answer the Quest(ion). As an individual or member of the group you will explore web pages that will help you determine your personality type and interests, choose careers that match your personality type, and explore the details of actual careers. Because these are real web pages we’re exploring, not things made just for schools, the terminoloty used and/or the reading level might challenge you. Feel free to use the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, one in your classroom, or ask your teacher/guidance counselor/advisor for assistance.

1. The class will begin with everyone taking the on-line personality/interest tests individually. If the class will be working in groups, once everyone has completed their assessments, the class will divide up into 6 cooperative groups, based on the 6 different personality types (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional). For any students whose assessments indicate more than 1 group, they may choose which group to partipate in.

2. Each group will then research at least 6 to 8 different careers (at least 2 careers per student in each group) that match with the group’s “personality/interest type”. (If students are working individually, they will explore at least 3 to 4 careers)

3. Each individual will answer the questions that are assigned to him or her for each career. Students who are working individually will answer all questions for each career.

4. Once this is complete, the group will discuss their findings to decide on 1 or 2 careers that they think are the best to present to the class.

5. The group will organize all of their research into a paper and presentation for the class. Presentations must incorporate technology, but be creative! Some examples of technology that may be appropriate for presentations are: interactive PowerPoint presentations or web site, creating a video/movie to present your work, slideshows, etc. Each group or individual will only present the final 1 or 2 careers that they decided on including answering all of the questions within this quest. The presentation will be assessed based on the process that is followed, as well as how thorough and well supported the individual's reasoning behind the choice(s) is explained and supported during the presentation.

6. Additional benchmark assignments that may be required:
6a. Spreadsheets/graphs of key career data gathered to compare/contrast and analyze to guide career decision making.
6b. After student presentations, students will create a collaborative career database using data they have gathered in their research. Data will 1st be input into a spreadsheet (such as Excel) & then imported into database software (such as Access) to create the collaborative database.

Phase 1 - Background Information
Use the Internet information links below to do the following: 1. Look up any terminology you are unfamiliar with 2. Take on-line questionnaires to determine your area(s) of interest & personality type 3. Answer the basic questions under the “roles” section of the webquest regarding each career you have chosen to explore.


Phase 2 - Roles
1. Individuals (or pairs if you have a large group) from your WebQuest “personality” team will explore one of the roles below. Each group member (or Pair) must choose a role. All group members must agree on who will have each role. The group must decide on a MINIMUM OF 6 or 8 careers to explore, based on the group’s personality/interest type.

2. Read through the information in the website links to help you answer the assigned questions in your role for the careers that your group has chosen. If you print out the information, highlight or underline the passages that you feel are the most important. If you look at the pages on the computer, copy sections you feel are important by “copying and pasting” the information into your word processing document, along with the website address as your reference to begin your research.

3. Note: Remember copy/paste the URL of the webpage you take the passage from or create a hyperlink in your presentation so that you can quickly go back to it if you need to prove your point. Be sure to include all appropriate reference details in your final Works Cited list at the end of your presentation/report in proper MLA format.

4. Be prepared to discuss what you’ve learned and how you and/or your team reached consensus and made decisions for this presentation, in addition to summarizing the information. Of particular importance is explaining how your team developed 1 main opinion that answers the Big Quest(ion) based on what you have learned from the Internet resources.

Human Resources Manager (HRM):

Your role is to motivate the group & organize research.

You must answer the following questions for each occupation you or your group chooses using the Internet resources. As the HRM, you must also motivate the group and ensure all research is complete and well organized.

HR1. What is the definition of each occupation that your group has chosen and the nature of the work?

HR2. What are some of the related occupational fields?

HR3. Which personality type(s) is best suited to the occupations/jobs you have researched?

HR4. What kind of education, training and qualifications are required?

HR5. What technology skills are needed to be successful in the career/occupational fields you have explored?

Recruiting Consultant (RC):

Your role is to summarize all research for yourself or the group.

You must answer the following questions for each occupation you or your group chooses to research using the Internet resources. As the RC, you must also summarize your group’s research.

RC1. What does each occupation pay, or what are the average earnings nationally and in this area of the country?

RC2. What is the projected growth for this career field over the next 10 years? (i.e. will there be more or less jobs like this in the future?)

RC3. Please identify local or national organizations that would hire someone in each career field you have explored.

Interview Services Consultant (ISC):

Your role is to suggest the best career(s) for yourself or the group.

You must answer the following questions for each occupation your group chooses to research using the Internet resources. As the ISC, you must paraphrase the RC’s information and SUGGEST the best career(s) for the group.

ISC1. What are the working conditions or work environment for each job you or your group decided to research (such as work schedule, hours, exempt/salaried or non-exempt/hourly, etc.)?

ISC2. Are positions in this career field typically part of collective bargaining units (unions)?

ISC3. What kind of opportunities for advancement are there for each career? (i.e. Is there a chance to get promoted, etc.?)

Speaking to People in Your Field of Interest:

Use the Internet information links above to learn more about your chosen career field(s). In addition, these links can help you prepare for an interview with someone in your field(s) of interest to gain more information about your chosen career field(s). Conducting an informational interview with someone in your chosen career field and documenting the interview will help you earn extra credit:


Phase 3 - Reaching Consensus
You have all learned about a different part of Career Exploration. Now group members must come back to their teams with expertise gained by searching from one perspective or role. You must all now answer the Quest(ion) individually or as a group. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the answer. Some of you will agree and others disagree. Use the information you have gained from your exploration of the websites to convince your classmates that a particular career you explored is the best one for you. You (or your team if working in groups) will type out the information for the careers that your group researched, adding more detail for the career(s) that you have chosen as the “best” for your group. Then prepare your word-processed report, with appropriate references in MLA format, to submit to the teacher. Each individual or group must also prepare and present a interactive presentation of their findings to the class using appropriate multimedia technology to enhance the presentation. Be sure to provide compelling reasons for your choices.

Conclusion
Do you know what career is the best one for you? How do you know until you have researched the details of different careers? With the information you have gathered and presented to the class, you should have a better understanding of your personality type and interests, as well as career(s) that fit into these areas and the education, training and technology skills you will need to obtain work in these career fields. Now you all know much more about the broad area of career exploration. Nice work! You should be proud of yourselves!

Here are some questions each student should answer individually and submit to your teacher: Have your career interests changed or stayed the same? Were the resources helpful? If so, how were they helpful? If not, why not? What other parts of Career Exploration could still be explored? Remember, learning never stops!




created by Filamentality Content by Mrs. G. Darmody, darmodyg@portsmouthschoolsri.org
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/webcareeremr.html
Last revised Sat Feb 6 10:45:08 US/Pacific 2010