I had thought we would have gotten to this point long before this! There is just so much information and so many topics to cover. I am trying to keep these subjects in some kind of grade order but I will break the sequence as topics I think important come to mind. Also, there is a great deal of crossover, as subjects apply to many grade levels. For example, career exploration may be addressed as early as kindergarten. I used to read P.K. Hallinan's When I Grow Up to the children in grades K-2 and then ask each student to draw a picture about the job they would like to do. I would laminate and collate the pictures into a book for each classroom's library..but I digress. (as usual!)
One of the things that may make going to high school less frightening would be eagerness to take the couses in which you have an interest and, finally, a choice. While freshmen do have to take a core set of classes, they are usually able to select a foreign language and applied/performing arts electives. Having a career focus can help with these choices. Those interested in architecture may want to take drafting while those interested in fashion may want sewing or art. Choose wisely, grasshopper. In making these selections you need to be aware that certain classes may be of interest and fulfill a graduation requirement but they may not "count" toward college admission requirements. For example, Vocal Music is a great choice and counts in New Jersey as an arts requirement for graduation but it is not considered an academic elective for college entrance. A course in Music Appreciation would satisfy both requirements. Sing if you want to. American Idol needs contestants! Just know how your curriculum choices fit your needs.
You can find high school graduation requirements on your state's Department of Education website. Check the pre-requisite classes for admission to a college(s) in which you might be interested. If you don't have one, you can play it safe by checking the requirements for a major state college/university where you live. For example, in NJ, state colleges have the following MINIMUM requirements:
-4 units of English
-3 units of math (Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II)
-2 units of the same foreign language
-2 units of laboratory sciences
-2 units of social sciences
-3 units of ACADEMIC electives
Many private schools and special programs have additional requirements. The sooner you have specific programs/colleges in mind, the easier it will be to make sure you've covered all the bases.
JUNIORS: PSAT - Wednesday, October 13
Saturday, October 16
SEE YOUR COUNSELOR!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Blog Management
I've just added a new feature to my blog through which I can link to Amazon.com so that you may learn more about the books I mention. I'm checking to see if a book mentioned previously, The Occupational Outlook Handbook and the book mentioned in today's blog, Peterson's Summer Programs for Kids and Teenagers will appear and how they will look. This is a learning process for me as well. Thank you for your patience.
Part VI - Enrichment and Exploration
Once someone has a career interest in mind, one of the best ways to explore/develop that interest is enrollment in a pre-college program. When you Google "pre-college programs", you get over NINE MILLION results. "Pre-college programs in health careers" results in over eight million and even narrowing the search to "free pre-college programs" yields over six million. (I found quite a few that were not "free".) This can seem daunting and students should seek help from their guidance counselors. You can also check your state's Department of Education website. If you are interested in a specific college, you can look for pre-college programs at that school. I would recommend perusing Peterson's Summer Programs for Kids and Teenagers. Once you find a program that interests you, check out the website for information and application updates.
I helped many of my middle and high school students find summer and school year programs which they found very helpful and motivational. Here are just a few about which I have first hand knowledge. I will blog about others that are available when we get to the high school segments.
CLARIFICATION : I realize that some information I gave on accessing the BLS "What Do You Like?' site may be confusing. It's such a good site, especially for younger students, I want to be sure you can find it!!! Either go to http://www.college.gov/, click "Why Go?" on the home page and then click "Find Your Passion" and go to "What Do You Like?" on the next page OR go to http://www.bls.gov/, scroll down on the home page and click "Career Information for Kids".
NOTE TO HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS: The PSAT/NMSQT will be administered on Wednesday, October 13 and Saturday, October 16. You cannot register online. You must see your counselor to take this test which is a must if you're even thinking about college! If you take it, you will also have free access to the College Board's My Road program which is a good planning tool I previously blogged about.
SENIORS! LATE REGISTRATION FOR THE OCTOBER 9 SAT IS SEPTEMBER 24
You can register online at http://sat.collegeboard.com/
I helped many of my middle and high school students find summer and school year programs which they found very helpful and motivational. Here are just a few about which I have first hand knowledge. I will blog about others that are available when we get to the high school segments.
- New Jersey Institute of Technology - Newark, NJ The Center for Pre-College Programs offers a wide range of summer programs in science, math, engineering and technology. The courses are designed for students who are entering fifth grade to those entering twelfth. Program fees range from $350 to $700. The district for which I worked provided scholarships for a number of qualified students. My students, and also my nephew, got a lot out of these programs. (Having an aunt who's a guidance counselor can really ruin your summer plans!) More information can be found at: www.njit.edu/precollege/
- Fashion Institute of Technology - New York, NY The School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers classes for middle and high school students. This Fall they're offering courses in marketing, design, sewing and many other areas. My daughter and my niece attended different Saturday Live classes and really enjoyed them. I enjoyed bringing them into the city, chatting over bagels and then wandering around on my own while they were in class. (FIT has a very interesting museum and the flower district in spring and Macy's flower show are cool as well!) Neither girl went into fashion, nor did they decide to go to college in Manhattan, but process of elimination is also a learning technique. FIT also has a Sunday Live program. One course currently costs $391 for out of state residents and meets for 11 weeks. The workshop classes are less expensive. http://www.fitnyc.edu/
- New Jersey Performing Arts Center - Newark, NJ NJPAC offers programs for students ages 11-18 who are interested in music, dance and theater. Information can be found at http://www.njpac.org/ At the home page go to "Education" and then "Arts Training". Programs for the 2010-2011 school year are full but auditions will be held in Spring 2011 for the following year.
- Douglass Residential College - New Brunswick, NJ This is the women's college of the Rutgers University system. The Douglass Science Institute is a four year summer residential program to which young women who are entering ninth grade and are interested in math, science and engineering may apply. www.rci.rutgers.edu/~dougproj/DPPreCollege.html
CLARIFICATION : I realize that some information I gave on accessing the BLS "What Do You Like?' site may be confusing. It's such a good site, especially for younger students, I want to be sure you can find it!!! Either go to http://www.college.gov/, click "Why Go?" on the home page and then click "Find Your Passion" and go to "What Do You Like?" on the next page OR go to http://www.bls.gov/, scroll down on the home page and click "Career Information for Kids".
NOTE TO HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS: The PSAT/NMSQT will be administered on Wednesday, October 13 and Saturday, October 16. You cannot register online. You must see your counselor to take this test which is a must if you're even thinking about college! If you take it, you will also have free access to the College Board's My Road program which is a good planning tool I previously blogged about.
SENIORS! LATE REGISTRATION FOR THE OCTOBER 9 SAT IS SEPTEMBER 24
You can register online at http://sat.collegeboard.com/
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Part V - Good Government
In many ways, I consider myself a libertarian. So when I find FOUR online sites that I really like that are run by government bureaucracies, that's really saying something! They're informative. They're current and they're free!!! ( Doesn't sound like government at all!)
For years I lugged around a dozen copies of the Occupational Outlook Handbook so I could show my freshman classes how to use this invaluable tool. Now the Bureau of Labor Statistics has put this publication and much more online. The BLS site is http://www.bls.gov/ . At the home page, scroll down the Publications tab to Career Guides and then click onto Occupational Outlook Handbook. By this point you can see that the site has a wealth of useful information you might find interesting. You can go to the A-Z index and see an alphabetical list of the careers that are covered by name or related occupations. Each career article covers: Nature of the Work; Training, Other Qualifications and Advancement; Employment; Job Outlook; Projections; Earnings; Wages; Related Occupations and Sources of Additional Information. This last item can be especially helpful. For example, if you look at this sub-heading under the Radiologic Technologists and Technicians entry, you'll find links to their national society and be able to find specific certification requirements and programs.
On the BLS home page, if you scroll down to "Career Information for Kids", you'll be linked to a page that asks, "What Do You Like?". I clicked the Sports balloon and the following choices came up: Dancer; Professional Athlete; Coach; Recreation and Fitness Worker and Recreational Therapist. I clicked Recreational Therapist and was taken to a very easy to read short article that covers the same areas as the OOH in a shorter, simpler manner while linking to the Handbook for more in depth information.
The Department of Labor runs the O*NET data base at http://www.onetcenter.org/. This is a successor to the DOT - Dictionary of Occupational Titles. It also gives information about knowledge, skills, interests and general work activities specific careers demand. You can download assessments or order them from the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).
The Department of Labor also runs http://www.careeronestop.org/. When I began this blog only a month ago, if you clicked on CareerOneStop on the Federal Department of Education's http://www.college.gov/ site, you were taken to the BLS site mentioned earlier. Now that link takes you to the Department of Labor site. ( That's the government bureaucracy I know!) The CareerOneStop is also a really good resource, especially for older students or work force re-entries/unemployed. They actually have centers run by the Department of Labor to help employment seekers. There are more than a dozen centers within 25 miles of my home! Who knew? Well, that's one of my reasons for doing this. The amount of information and resources out there is almost overwhelming. I hope that by writing this blog, I've opened them up to you as well.
For years I lugged around a dozen copies of the Occupational Outlook Handbook so I could show my freshman classes how to use this invaluable tool. Now the Bureau of Labor Statistics has put this publication and much more online. The BLS site is http://www.bls.gov/ . At the home page, scroll down the Publications tab to Career Guides and then click onto Occupational Outlook Handbook. By this point you can see that the site has a wealth of useful information you might find interesting. You can go to the A-Z index and see an alphabetical list of the careers that are covered by name or related occupations. Each career article covers: Nature of the Work; Training, Other Qualifications and Advancement; Employment; Job Outlook; Projections; Earnings; Wages; Related Occupations and Sources of Additional Information. This last item can be especially helpful. For example, if you look at this sub-heading under the Radiologic Technologists and Technicians entry, you'll find links to their national society and be able to find specific certification requirements and programs.
On the BLS home page, if you scroll down to "Career Information for Kids", you'll be linked to a page that asks, "What Do You Like?". I clicked the Sports balloon and the following choices came up: Dancer; Professional Athlete; Coach; Recreation and Fitness Worker and Recreational Therapist. I clicked Recreational Therapist and was taken to a very easy to read short article that covers the same areas as the OOH in a shorter, simpler manner while linking to the Handbook for more in depth information.
The Department of Labor runs the O*NET data base at http://www.onetcenter.org/. This is a successor to the DOT - Dictionary of Occupational Titles. It also gives information about knowledge, skills, interests and general work activities specific careers demand. You can download assessments or order them from the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).
The Department of Labor also runs http://www.careeronestop.org/. When I began this blog only a month ago, if you clicked on CareerOneStop on the Federal Department of Education's http://www.college.gov/ site, you were taken to the BLS site mentioned earlier. Now that link takes you to the Department of Labor site. ( That's the government bureaucracy I know!) The CareerOneStop is also a really good resource, especially for older students or work force re-entries/unemployed. They actually have centers run by the Department of Labor to help employment seekers. There are more than a dozen centers within 25 miles of my home! Who knew? Well, that's one of my reasons for doing this. The amount of information and resources out there is almost overwhelming. I hope that by writing this blog, I've opened them up to you as well.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Part IV - The Scarecrow Syndrome
There are two or three more topics I'd like to discuss as middle/pre high school segments. I had inititally planned to move on to use of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and CareerOneStop this week. However, I think it would be beneficial to discuss/explain a statement I made in Part III that not everyone need or should go to college.
Now that, hopefully, you/your child have used some of the tools discussed to discover general interests, I'd like to caution you not to fall into the trap of believing someone can't be happy in a job unless it requires a college degree. While more and more employers might favor applicants with post-secondary education, that's largely due to the current unemployment rate and economy. There are just that many more job applicants.
Another factor is that parents feel there's a sense of prestige in saying their kid is going to such and such college, the pricier, often times, the better. Ivy League names seem to garner the most respect. ( A lot of people responsible for this economy went to these schools. Enough said!) I call this the Scarecrow Syndrome. In the Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow mistakenly thinks the showy diploma that declared him a Doctor of Thinkology made him smart. It should be so easy! It's a lesson as to how so much of what we hold true can be a matter of perception.
People seem to deliberate more about the cost of a car and what they get for it than they do the cost and worth of a specific college, or even college in general. A colleague of mine and I were discussing what our children were planning to do after high school. Naturally, the discussion turned to college. I said that I really wished my kid wanted to be a plumber. The other teacher couldn't believe I was serious. Another colleague chimed in, "My plumber is a millionaire and only takes the jobs that he wants". Who's the "thinkologist" here?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a great site which we will get to next week. Their studies show:
While the general trend is that more education leads to higher wages,
the level of education is not the only determinant of wage. For example, elevator installers and repairers, who are classified in the long-term-on-the-job category, had a median annual wage of $69,380 in May 2008, which is higher than the median annual wages for occupations in the bachelor's degree category, which was $57,770.
They say, in summation, that "occupations categorized in postsecondary categories are projected to have the fastest growth from 2008-18." However, "on-the-job training and work experience categories still are projected to comprise the majority share of 2018 employment".
The point of this post is that in helping someone decide what career path they should take, options should be considered that include training in addition to or in lieu of formal postsecondary education.
Now that, hopefully, you/your child have used some of the tools discussed to discover general interests, I'd like to caution you not to fall into the trap of believing someone can't be happy in a job unless it requires a college degree. While more and more employers might favor applicants with post-secondary education, that's largely due to the current unemployment rate and economy. There are just that many more job applicants.
Another factor is that parents feel there's a sense of prestige in saying their kid is going to such and such college, the pricier, often times, the better. Ivy League names seem to garner the most respect. ( A lot of people responsible for this economy went to these schools. Enough said!) I call this the Scarecrow Syndrome. In the Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow mistakenly thinks the showy diploma that declared him a Doctor of Thinkology made him smart. It should be so easy! It's a lesson as to how so much of what we hold true can be a matter of perception.
People seem to deliberate more about the cost of a car and what they get for it than they do the cost and worth of a specific college, or even college in general. A colleague of mine and I were discussing what our children were planning to do after high school. Naturally, the discussion turned to college. I said that I really wished my kid wanted to be a plumber. The other teacher couldn't believe I was serious. Another colleague chimed in, "My plumber is a millionaire and only takes the jobs that he wants". Who's the "thinkologist" here?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a great site which we will get to next week. Their studies show:
While the general trend is that more education leads to higher wages,
the level of education is not the only determinant of wage. For example, elevator installers and repairers, who are classified in the long-term-on-the-job category, had a median annual wage of $69,380 in May 2008, which is higher than the median annual wages for occupations in the bachelor's degree category, which was $57,770.
They say, in summation, that "occupations categorized in postsecondary categories are projected to have the fastest growth from 2008-18." However, "on-the-job training and work experience categories still are projected to comprise the majority share of 2018 employment".
The point of this post is that in helping someone decide what career path they should take, options should be considered that include training in addition to or in lieu of formal postsecondary education.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Part III - Interest Inventories
When I began my career as a counselor, a phone and good communication skills were two of the biggest assets I had. Later, it boggled my mind how any school counselor with a computer (which means just about every one of them!) could be ineffective in helping students with career planning. When you search "student career inventories", you get over 200 thousand results! The trick is picking out a good one and here's where the counselor should come in. I'll review three possibilities of good places to start to help assess a middle/high school student's career interests. Remember to check with your/your child's counselor to see what they suggest and if the school district offers this service to their students.
Strong Career Tests/Interest Inventories are available at http://www.discoveryourpersonality.com/.
The site gives a complete list of career tests they offer and a video gives advice as to which test might be right for you/your child. The Strong Interest Inventory Profile with High School Profile is very comprehensive and includes suggestions as to which high school courses correspond to the individual's areas of interest. A sample of a profile may be viewed online. This option is pretty pricey at $110 for each inventory but the reports are very detailed and easy to understand. The price includes an optional phone consultation to answer any questions you may have.
A much more affordable option is available for $18 plus tax at http://psychcorp.pearsonassessments.com/. The Campbell Interest and Skill Survey focuses on careers that require some post secondary education. It is geared to students 15 and older with a 6th grade reading level. It includes interest and self-rated skill items. It takes between 25-40 minutes and doesn't need to be completed in one computer session. Having people self-rate their skills may skew the results, but I like the fact that the ability component is at least taken into account. The students can access a twenty page printable report with results of their interests and abilities in various occupations/occupational areas. An eighteen page Career Planner is also part of the package.
An even more affordable option (You can't beat FREE!!!) is to use http://www.college.gov/, a website run by the Federal Department of Education. While I don't like the implied emphasis on college, as not everyone should or need go, a student can use this site as a portal to CareerOneStop. This site is run by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The student is taken to a page that asks them if they are interested in: Math; Reading: Science; Social Studies; Music and Arts; Building and Fixing Things; Helping People; Computers; Law; Managing Money; Sports or Nature. This site can be used in conjunction with the results of an interest invenory or alone. It taps into what a student might already find interesting or things she feels she does well. It's so easily navigable and readable that students might explore pages and careers that they formerly hadn't thought of.
In honor of Labor Day, I'm taking next Wednesday off - how oxymoronic! (If you think teaching is easy, notice how many parents are smiling more broadly as September 1 approaches!) On September 8, I'll discuss this Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) site in more depth and how to use the information it provides.
Strong Career Tests/Interest Inventories are available at http://www.discoveryourpersonality.com/.
The site gives a complete list of career tests they offer and a video gives advice as to which test might be right for you/your child. The Strong Interest Inventory Profile with High School Profile is very comprehensive and includes suggestions as to which high school courses correspond to the individual's areas of interest. A sample of a profile may be viewed online. This option is pretty pricey at $110 for each inventory but the reports are very detailed and easy to understand. The price includes an optional phone consultation to answer any questions you may have.
A much more affordable option is available for $18 plus tax at http://psychcorp.pearsonassessments.com/. The Campbell Interest and Skill Survey focuses on careers that require some post secondary education. It is geared to students 15 and older with a 6th grade reading level. It includes interest and self-rated skill items. It takes between 25-40 minutes and doesn't need to be completed in one computer session. Having people self-rate their skills may skew the results, but I like the fact that the ability component is at least taken into account. The students can access a twenty page printable report with results of their interests and abilities in various occupations/occupational areas. An eighteen page Career Planner is also part of the package.
An even more affordable option (You can't beat FREE!!!) is to use http://www.college.gov/, a website run by the Federal Department of Education. While I don't like the implied emphasis on college, as not everyone should or need go, a student can use this site as a portal to CareerOneStop. This site is run by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The student is taken to a page that asks them if they are interested in: Math; Reading: Science; Social Studies; Music and Arts; Building and Fixing Things; Helping People; Computers; Law; Managing Money; Sports or Nature. This site can be used in conjunction with the results of an interest invenory or alone. It taps into what a student might already find interesting or things she feels she does well. It's so easily navigable and readable that students might explore pages and careers that they formerly hadn't thought of.
In honor of Labor Day, I'm taking next Wednesday off - how oxymoronic! (If you think teaching is easy, notice how many parents are smiling more broadly as September 1 approaches!) On September 8, I'll discuss this Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) site in more depth and how to use the information it provides.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Eighth Grade - The End of Middle School Madness Part II
I began my career by teaching middle school students. The fact that I stayed in education for more than three decades after that first year is still a source of pride - like having made it as a Navy Seal!
Middle schoolers are the most odious of creatures. Seventh and eighth graders are in a larval state and, having no certainty of self-worth, they can be just plain MEAN! I think it's because they are really afraid and they feel they're too old/cool to ask just to be held and read a comforting story. They are the oldest kids in the building. They know its ins and outs, the personailities of its personnel and on which days it's better to buy lunch. They also have a nascent knowledge that it's all about to end and they'll soon be thrust into the high school like released hatchery fish on stocking day.
I find it's very helpful for them to have an idea as to why they need to subject themselves to making the passage. They need a goal. They need to see going to high school as a means to an end - a way of getting to that state of independence they both fear and crave. Did you ever notice how kids at that age seem to stop telling you what they want to be when they grow up? It's as if they know that sitting on the bench for much of their Pop Warner days rules out the NFL. There's not so much verbaliztion of dreams anymore. The realization has hit that talent and training must come into play at some point. This seems to occur at the very same time that their estimation of their talents, abilities and even beauty is at its nadir.
For these reasons I felt it a good idea to expose my eighth grade students to career interest inventories. I would start by asking them to visualize where they wanted to be at that very moment in ten years time. Were they teaching a class, preparing lunch for the family, manning a fire truck, etc.? I would hand out paper and ask them to design their business card. What would their title be? Where would they be located? What type of business was it? These would be preliminary activities before taking the actual inventory.
An inventory I used and found very effective was available for free through the My Road program operated by the College Board. I found http://www.college.board.com/ to be an invaluable website for students, professionals and parents. Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) are given free access to the My Road program (http://www.myroad.com/) which includes the ORA Personality Profiler inventory. Most students take the PSAT/NMSQT as high school sophomores but a one year individual subsription to My Road is available for $19.95. Many schools subscribe to College Board services or provide free career inventories to their students as part of the school guidance curriculum, so check with your child's/your counselor.
I prefer inventories that not only assess a student's interests but take their abilities into account. Next week I'll discuss one I particularly liked.
Middle schoolers are the most odious of creatures. Seventh and eighth graders are in a larval state and, having no certainty of self-worth, they can be just plain MEAN! I think it's because they are really afraid and they feel they're too old/cool to ask just to be held and read a comforting story. They are the oldest kids in the building. They know its ins and outs, the personailities of its personnel and on which days it's better to buy lunch. They also have a nascent knowledge that it's all about to end and they'll soon be thrust into the high school like released hatchery fish on stocking day.
I find it's very helpful for them to have an idea as to why they need to subject themselves to making the passage. They need a goal. They need to see going to high school as a means to an end - a way of getting to that state of independence they both fear and crave. Did you ever notice how kids at that age seem to stop telling you what they want to be when they grow up? It's as if they know that sitting on the bench for much of their Pop Warner days rules out the NFL. There's not so much verbaliztion of dreams anymore. The realization has hit that talent and training must come into play at some point. This seems to occur at the very same time that their estimation of their talents, abilities and even beauty is at its nadir.
For these reasons I felt it a good idea to expose my eighth grade students to career interest inventories. I would start by asking them to visualize where they wanted to be at that very moment in ten years time. Were they teaching a class, preparing lunch for the family, manning a fire truck, etc.? I would hand out paper and ask them to design their business card. What would their title be? Where would they be located? What type of business was it? These would be preliminary activities before taking the actual inventory.
An inventory I used and found very effective was available for free through the My Road program operated by the College Board. I found http://www.college.board.com/ to be an invaluable website for students, professionals and parents. Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) are given free access to the My Road program (http://www.myroad.com/) which includes the ORA Personality Profiler inventory. Most students take the PSAT/NMSQT as high school sophomores but a one year individual subsription to My Road is available for $19.95. Many schools subscribe to College Board services or provide free career inventories to their students as part of the school guidance curriculum, so check with your child's/your counselor.
I prefer inventories that not only assess a student's interests but take their abilities into account. Next week I'll discuss one I particularly liked.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)