THE GUIDANCE- ORIENTED APPROACH TO LEARNING

Presented by:

Cheryl Pratt

Marsha Gouett

June 2005

GOAL

Making Dreams Come True

Career Orientation in the Context of Reform

GOAL in the Classroom

CONSENSUS FROM ESTATES GENERAL IN 1996 AND THE QUEBEC YOUTH SUMMIT 2000

With regard to Career-Life Planning, students receive:

Too little support

Too late in students’ schooling

THE CONSEQUENCES

Absence of “career” plans for the future 59% of students lack career plans at the end of

their Secondary education Student ambivalence concerning studies Failure and lack of motivation drop-out Numerous program changes in postsecondary

years Career choices limited by misinformation and

stereotypes Insufficient graduates to fill labour shortages

Provocative Statistics

65.8% of Quebec’s youth under 20 years of age obtained a secondary school diploma in 2002-2003.

59% of Quebec secondary graduates move directly on to CEGEP. Only 38% of those actually complete a pre-university CEGEP DEC. Only 78.6% of that small percentage continue on to university.

60% of Quebec’s anticipated labour force needs will require graduates of our vocational and technical programs, while less than 10% of anticipated jobs will be filled by university graduates.

Source:

Why students drop out

Lack of a sense of school relevancy is the

most commonly cited reason for

“at risk” youth

Source: Statistics Canada

Meeting the Challenge

BASIC SCHOOL REGULATION

Educational Services:– Social integration– Personal & career goals

Complementary Services:– Success in learning– Academic & career

counselling and information

QUEBEC EDUCATION PROGRAM

Broad Areas of Learning:– Personal & Career Planning– Citizenship & Community

Life Cross-Curricular

Competencies:– To construct his/her identity

(Elementary)– To achieve his/her potential

(Secondary)– To use information

The school’s mission in the context of Reform

to provide instructionto socialize studentsto provide qualifications

(QEP, Elementary p.3; Secondary p. 5)

Oh no! More work!

“Rather than being an ‘add-on’ to the workload of teachers or counsellors, GOAL actually helps meet the objectives of school reform.”

Cooperative learning Strategic teaching Facilitation of classroom management Attainment of learning outcomes

Ref. The GOAL Post, Fall 2004, Vol. 1, No. 1

Why GOAL? What are the benefits?

Success for all. Students…

– understand relevance of school

– are more aware of their own identity

– are less disruptive in class

– choose a more appropriate academic path

– have career aspirations and supporting academic plans

– are more motivated and achieve more success.

GOAL’s influence on Graduation Success Rates

British Columbia’s Ministry data also shows that students who participate in a Career Program have significantly higher graduation rates than students who do not participate. – Provincial Grade 12 Graduation rate 76.22%

– Non Career Prep Graduation rate 69.80%

– Career Prep students rate 83.81%

Why? Students are actively engaged in their life/work building process and have contact with the community

2003 data

“privately happy and

publicly useful”

Dr. Michael R. Bloom of The Conference Board of Canada

What do we want for our children?

Career and Educational Planning Influences

Parents Career information programs Role models Teachers Friends Guidance Counsellors

Source: Alan King's Double Cohort Study Phase 3 Report Jan 2004

Career Pathways

…don’t ask me whatI want to be

until you show mewhat there is to be.

- Anonymous Student

GOAL is everywhere!

Classroom School-life activities Guidance programs and activities School Success Plan Supporting Montreal Schools School Board Mission Statement In the home In local businesses, organizations, and other community

agencies

Career infusion and collaboration

How do we achieve success?

• “decompartmentalization of professional practices”

and

• “collective, concerted action”

TEAMWORK!

Ref. Making Dreams Come True – Achieving Success Through the Guidance-Oriented Approach, 2002

Who’s on the team?

Students Parents Information and counselling professionals Teachers Support personnel School administration and Governing Board School board Commissioners Community

Show me how!

Assess needs of school community Build upon established success Invite keen stakeholders to join your team then

expand Ask for support from your administration, school

board, and community Use and share best practices Use resources that have been created to support

your GOAL initiatives Build GOAL into your School Success Plan

Practical Examples of GOAL in the Classroom

Have students write about a fantasy job …”If I were a….”, draw a picture of themselves in the job, and identify the tools they would use. Discuss in class. Have students participate in a career dress-up day in which they wear the uniform connected to their occupation. 

Have students construct a career pyramid that illustrates the different types of jobs in a career area at different levels of education and responsibility. For example, the variety of jobs found in a hospital (orderly, ambulance driver, doctor, janitors, etc.).

“These are the people of your neighbourhood” … students collect pictures illustrating various community workers (police officer, truck driver, salesperson, teacher, etc.). Have students give a job title for each, discuss the work activities involved, and the problems they solve.

More Classroom Examples Read Dr. Seuss’, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” (or invite someone

from the business community to read to students). Have students do a composition on the “Places they plan or would like to go…”.

Have students prepare an autobiography and address at least three ways in which their life is influenced by family, school, and friends.

Have students research some aspect of change – such as a means of transportation – compile pictures depicting changes and occupations affected, and arrange a bulletin board display related to the project.

Do oral reports on different occupations with the student pretending to be the worker in the report.

More Classroom Examples

Have students design a simple machine and build an assembly line to build it. The assembly line is set up and test in class, and everyone has a job to do. Students then market their product by writing advertisements.

Who builds the stuff in my neighbourhood? How many people does it take to build a house? Who grows my food and how does it get to the store? How many workers does it take to design and sew my jeans? What do I know about the country in which they are produced? Have students do a research project to answer many questions related to their surroundings.

Plan, cook, and serve a meal while studying nutrition.

More Classroom Examples

Design the layout of a home and decorate it while following a set budget.

Use The Real Game as a classroom tool to explore careers and real-life situations such as a monthly grocery budget.

Design and build a robot in science class.

Practical Examples of GOAL in School-life Activities

Career fair with employers from the community Have students interview workers concerning their career paths

– how did they decide upon the field, etc. Have students plan and carry out a Hobby Fair in which each

student is invited to bring in an example of his or her hobby and demonstrate or describe the hobby to the class.

Students form clubs: e.g., radio club, drama club, Junior Achievement, etc.

Job shadowing, job training (stages), and other career exploration activities

Students organize a Talent Show or other arts event as a fund raiser and to develop creativity, cooperation, and project skills.

Practical Examples of Career Orientation Tools

Career Cruising, http://www.careercruising.com Career Prospects Magazine,

http://www.canadacareerweek.com/ccw/ Smart Options, http://lifework.ca/home.htm The Real Game Series, http://lifework.ca/home.htm HRSDC’s Labour Market Information, Government of Quebec, Heading for Success, http://

www.toutpourreussir.com/en/ Career Resources: Planning For Success – A guide to

assist developers achieve success with their career resources, http://www.careerccc.org/ccc/products/smr/guide/guide_e.pdf

Resources

the GOAL Post, look for a copy in your school or download one from www.qesnrecit.qc.ca/goal

The GOAL Website, www.qesnrecit.qc.ca MEQ documentation: Making Dreams Come True,

http://www.meq.gouv.qc.ca/dassc/pageservices.html Career orientation materials from Human Resources and

Skills Development Canada, Conference Board of Canada Guidance Counsellors and other school personnel GOAL Networking Committee Local community and government agencies Businesses

GOAL builds TEAMS!

Together Everyone Achieves More Success!