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Back to Table of Contents for On Course Across the Curriculum 1. Strategy: Wise Choice Process Application: Academic Advising Educator:
Robin Middleton, Coordinator of Advisement, Jamestown Community College, NY
Implementation: As a faculty advisor, I work with undecided students. I find many students unwilling to commit to the process of career exploration and planning often because they see the process as vague and overwhelming, and, therefore, they don't know where to begin. I use the Wise Choice Process to help them identify where they are in the process, and where they would like to be by the end of the semester. For most students it's as simple as STEP I: "I don't have any idea of what I want to do with my life" and STEP 2: "By the end of the semester, I would like to have at least three possible career interests." Just voicing their status becomes the first step in taking an action and moving beyond non-committal thinking. By using the WCP, students brainstorm all the possible choices they have to help them identify career interests. I provide a handout listing all the career services we offer, but I do not directly offer advice or information. At the end of the session, the student commits to taking one step towards career exploration, and we set up a follow up appointment to evaluate their success. This simple action unlocks them from their frozen state and gets them taking action towards finding a career that appeals to them. 2. Strategy: V x E = M Application: Academic Advising Educator:
Robin Middleton, Coordinator of Advisement, Jamestown Community College, NY
Implementation: Students who are in the career exploration mode are often unaware of all the career possibilities that surround them every day. To raise their level of consciousness about how extensive the world of work is, I ask students to make a 32-Day commitment to list at least three careers they came in contact with, or read about, each day. Students them put a (+) by careers that interest them and a (-) by careers that don't interest them. In doing so, students become more aware about the multitude of careers that exist, as well as recognize their own reaction to different career possibilities. This activity can be done as an individual career appointment or in the classroom. It is a short, simple exercise with a minimum investment of time that has a great pay off in terms of student motivation. 3. Strategy: The Puzzle Application: Career/Life Planning Course Educator: Margie Lee, Counselor, MiraCosta College, CA Implementation: Use this activity in the "self-awareness" component of a Career/Life Course. Begin with a mini-lecture on the advantages of self-awareness, emphasizing three benefits: 1) helps you realizing when you are off course. 2) helps you understand how you got off course, and 3) helps you see how to get back on course. After having student groups assemble puzzles, ask them to write and then discuss with a partner, "What if how I do the puzzle is how I do career planning?" After a paired conversation, open the discussion to the whole class, ending with a discussion of "What would you like to change?" and "What is one step you could take now to change?" 4. Strategy: Silent Socratic Dialogue Application: Career/Life Planning Course Educator: Jackie Elliott, Counselor, Portland Community College, OR Implementation: The purpose of this activity is to help students see and understand how their social environment influences their career choice. First, give them a list of factors that might influence their career choice: parents, family, friends, community, geographical location, politics, economy, religious affiliation (or lack of), other. Have students choose one factor and write for 5 minutes about how it is influencing what they are thinking about doing for a career. Using this writing as the first reading, have students engage in the Silent Socratic Dialogue. Afterwards, hold a whole-class discussion, focusing on the questions, "What did you learn about the factors that are influencing your career choice?" and "Does this new understanding in any way change your approach to career planning?"
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