Summary
In this session, participants consider how hands-on learning about careers can benefit students' awareness and understanding of what careers are available. Participants engage in an activity to compare and contrast abstract and hands-on learning, review the research about hands-on career exploration, and develop ways they can support hands-on career exploration in their school.
Essential Question
What are the benefits of hands-on career exploration?
Learning Objectives
Compare and contrast abstract reasoning with hands-on learning.
Explain how hands-on career exploration can be supported.
Snapshot
Engage
Compare and contrast abstract reasoning with hands-on activities.
Explore
Participate in hands-on career exploration activities.
Explain
Determine important benefits of hands-on career exploration based on the research.
Extend
Brainstorm potential career professionals for students to learn from.
Evaluate
Commit to one way students will be exposed to careers through hands-on learning.
Materials List
Presentation Slides (attached)
City Planner Task Cards (attached; one set per station)
Marketing Task Cards (attached; one set per station)
Sensory Loss Simulation handout (attached; one per station)
Fingerprint Analysis handout (attached; one per station)
Instructional Strategy Note Sheet (attached; one per participant)
Airplane Hands-On handout (attached; one per participant)
Airplane Abstract handout (attached; one per participant)
Career Reflection handout (attached; one per participant)
Experiential Learning and Career Exploration handout (attached; one per participant)
Career Explorations Events (attached; one per participant)
Bucket or bowl with uncooked rice
Pens (one per participant)
Small items such as paper clips, marbles, and wooden blocks
Sticky notes (one per participant)
Thick rubber glove
20 index cards
4 ink pads
2 magnifying glasses
Preparation
Prior to the session, print and prepare the attached handouts for the station activity in the session. Consider printing multiple sets if there needs to be duplicate stations.
Sensory Loss Simulation handout
Marketing Task Cards
Fingerprint Analysis handout
City Planner Task Cards
Prepare stations around the room for participants to interact with hands-on career materials. At each station prepare the following:
Physical Therapy: Prepare a bowl or bucket filled with uncooked rice and small items such as paper clips, marbles, and wooden blocks. Have a thick rubber glove at the station. Place the attached Sensory Loss Simulation handout at the station.
Marketing: Place the prepared Marketing Task Cards at the station.
Forensic Careers: Place the attached Fingerprint Analysis handout at the station along with several index cards, ink pads, and a magnifying glass together.
City Planner: Place the prepared City Planner Tasks Cards at the station.
Depending on the number of participants at the session, consider duplicating the stations.
Engage
20 Minute(s)
Begin by giving each participant one copy of the attached Instructional Strategy Note Sheet handout and a writing utensil. Encourage participants to use this handout to take notes on the strategies and resources referred to throughout this session.
Use the attached Presentation Slides to facilitate this professional development session. Display slide 2 and briefly introduce yourself and the session to participants.
Once participants are settled, move to slide 3 and pass out the attached Airplane Hands-On handout to half of the room and the attached Airplane Abstract handout to the other half of the room. Do not let the participants know what each half is doing, try to keep it a surprise. Instruct participants to complete the handout without revealing what the tasks are. Participants might notice that half of the room is making a paper airplane while the other half is reading. After providing time for participants to do the first activity, pass out the handouts so that the tasks are now reversed.
After they have had time to do each task, move to slide 4 and provide time for participants to discuss with an Elbow Partner what they learned from doing both activities. Emphasize that, by participating in both activities, they had the opportunity to learn about a concept in an abstract and in a hands-on way.
Move through slides 5–6 to review the essential question and learning objectives. Inform participants that the purpose of this session is to understand how hands-on career exploration activities help students identify what careers they might be interested in pursuing.
Explore
Move to slide 7 and introduce the four stations to participants. Split up participants evenly across the four stations. Provide time for participants to experience each station.
Display slide 8 and pass out the attached Career Reflection handout to each participant. Ask participants to choose a career, which is related to the hands-on activity they engaged in, to learn more about. Set a timer for 10 minutes and have participants use the Career Reflection handout to research a career during this time. Using a modified version of the 30-Second Expert instructional strategy, have participants partner up and discuss what they have learned about their chosen career. Tell participants that this resource is available to use with students when learning about specific careers.
Explain
Display slide 9 and pass out the attached Experiential Learning and Career Exploration handout. Have participants read the handout, which details the research behind hands-on learning about careers. Ask participants to highlight their Point of Most Significance, the part of the research that seems the most important, from the reading. After providing time for participants to find their point of most significance, have them share what they highlighted at their tables. Have a few volunteers share their thoughts.
Extend
Move to slide 10 and ask participants to talk to one another about any potential local businesses or professionals that could speak to students about careers. Provide time for participants to generate a list.
Pass out the attached Career Exploration Events handout to each participant. This flyer details services that are available to schools. Display slide 11 and review the types of events that expose students to careers and career professionals.
Evaluate
Move to slide 12 and pass out a sticky note to each participant. Ask participants to think of one way they can support hands-on career learning in their classroom. Have participants place their sticky notes in a common place and ask for volunteers to share their ideas.
Research Rationale
Research rationale for this professional development is provided in the literature review, “Future MEDIC - Medical Student-Led Healthcare Career Exploration Program for Underserved Middle School Students.”
Resources
K20 Center. (n.d.). 30-second expert. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1048
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). Future MEDIC - Medical student–led healthcare career exploration program for underserved middle school students. Literature Review. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/literature-review/4957
K20 Center. (n.d.). Point of most significance. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/101