WEBQUEST ASSIGNMENT  

1. Job shadowing from start to finish is geared for the elementary aged student.  The students are first required to do a job search to find out what they may be interested in.  Once they have chosen a career, they must write a letter to the prospective employer to inquire about the possibilities and state their reason of interest.  Once they shadow usually for a half of a work day, they are asked to write a summary and share with the class.  Lastly, they are asked to write a thank you letter to the mentor.

 

2.  Shadowing at the middle school level  continues with job searching, but also lists other ways students can begin thinking about other things they need to do to prepare for a career after high school.  They discuss the importance of selecting high school courses that will help the student later on.  The students are required to conduct more research with appropriate links for jobs, colleges, and tech schools.  The teacher also lists additional resources that can be found within the classroom if needed.  The students are then required to type a 3-5 page report with their findings.  The conclusion must include whether they are still interested in a career after the research/shadowing is completed. 

 

3. Students entering high school are especially at a critical point for needing to begin planning for life after high school.  This webquest guides students through a process similiar to those found in many portfolios which high schools sometimes make as a graduation requirement.  They include interest assessments, researching jobs, writing resumes, applications, how to ask for letter of recommendations, job applications, and much more. 

 

4. Students with special needs  can also participate in career guided activities through this webquest.  Students are also asked to research different careers and take assessments to assist them in choosing some which are close to their interests.  Students conclude the process by completing a job shadowing experience which gives the student a more realistic picture of how their everyday life would be.

 

5. Professionals are an integral part of students gaining experience of future jobs.  Click here for information on job shadowing evaluations which allow the community businesses to evaluate the program, and provide future feedback for job shadowing experiences.

 

 

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Guidance Page 

 

 

PODCASTS

 

1. Advice for students on recommendations, available on itunes at Cappcast.  This is an audio podcast which is 6:37 minutes in length and is commentated by Nancy Davidson who is vice president of enrollment at Augustine College.  She gives valuable advice for high school students when it comes time to apply to colleges, and letters of recommendation are a requirement for admission.  Discusses the importance of teacher recommendations which colleges are most interested in more so than from outside/community members.  She discusses timeframes for asking teachers of when deadlines may be due, and including a list of activities for the teacher to include.  This would be valuable information for my seniors to hear when it comes to college application recommendations.

 

2. How to spend your summer vacation, available on itunes on the Counselors Podcast.  This is an audio podcast 7:44 minutes in length, commentated by Joe Sheppard of Lawrence Academy.  He gives a much needed discussion on the myths of what teenagers believe they need to be doing in prepartion for postsecondary study.  He discusses that many students are worried about the quantity of what they do rather than focusing on the quality of what they get out of the experience.  Whether it be employment, community service, or other activities, students should participate in things that will be useful for them later on, and also are things they have a passion for.  He also includes preparation work for juniors prior to their senior year in practicing and becoming familiar with what is required on college applications, and practicing writing of the essays before the student is required to submit them in the fall.

 

3. The personal essay: Making a connection, available on itunes on the Counselors Podcast.  This is an audio podcast which is 9:02 minutes in length, and is commentated by Assistant Dean of the University of Pennsylvania, Jonathon Kathenbach.  He informs students of the admissions office perspective on the personal statement, which is a normal requirement for admission for many postsecondary schools.  He discusses the hierarchy of items in which the admission office bases their decision for prospective students, one of which is the essay or personal statement.  His most important piece of advice to students is to "be genuine" in their writing.  He discusses the importance of making each essay you write specific to the college and what you believe it has to offer you, rather than writing one blanket essay and sending it to several colleges. 

 

I felt all of these were useful podcasts for my seniors to hear a different perspective from colleges when it comes to getting prepared for the next step in their education.