Explore the real world of work through research and experts.
Learners in Career Development: Life/Work Exploration explored their interests, passions, strengths, and gifts so they could begin considering plans after high school. The class also explored different careers and each learner was asked to choose a few careers of interest to explore more deeply. Then, they developed personal criteria for their “perfect job/career” so they could evaluate what they learned about different careers based on these personal criteria.
As a class, learners identified 15 different careers they were interested in hearing more about. They completed preliminary research about the careers, brainstormed how to connect with different individuals connected to the field, and found contacts for many of them (some family and community members, some unknown to them).
Each learner determined what they wanted to learn from the experts and developed thoughtful questions about each career of interest. Along with their teacher, they invited these community members to visit the school to be part of a “living library” of careers where the experts shared the story of their career path, and any advice they had for learners who might be interested in the field. Each expert sat at a table, and the learners chose the experts from whom they wished to learn more. After each speaker told their story, the learners asked questions they had prepared and then rotated to another speaker.
After the living library conversations, each learner reflected on the personally most impactful thing they learned in a sharing circle. Finally, the learners set one goal for the next steps in their personal plans relating to what they had learned that they could accomplish within the course. Their next steps ranged from looking into entirely different career paths to determining requirements for post-secondary planning, to meeting with people in the industry or career about concrete next steps. Learners explained how the careers they investigated matched their criteria for the perfect job or career. They posted their explanations in the modality of their choosing (vlog, blog, infographic, etc.) to their portfolio in My Blueprint, and on a class website that was shared with families.
