Career Studies Grade 10, Academic (GLC2O)

Course Title : Career Studies, Grade 10, Open (GLC2O)
Course Name : Career Studies
Course Code : GLC2O
Grade : 10
Course Type : Open
Credit Value : 0.5
Prerequisite : None
Curriculum Policy Document: Guidance and Career Education, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 12, 2006 (Revised)

Course Developer:

USCA Academy
Department: Guidance and Career Education

Development Date: 

June 2019

Most Recent Revision Date:

April 2020

Course Description

Career Studies: This course teaches students how to develop and achieve personal goals for future learning, work and community involvement. Students will assess their interests, skills and characteristics and investigate current economic and workplace trends, work opportunities, and ways to search for work. The course explores post-secondary learning and career options, prepares students for managing work and life transitions, and helps students focus on their goals through the development of a career plan.

Overall Curriculum Expectations

Career Studies

A1          use a self-assessment process to develop a personal profile for use in career development planning;

A2          evaluate and apply the personal-management skills and characteristics needed for school success, document them in their portfolio, and demonstrate their use in a variety of settings;

A3          demonstrate effective use of interpersonal skills within a variety of settings.

Career Studies

B1          use a research process to locate and select relevant career information from a variety of sources for inclusion in a portfolio;

B2          identify current trends in society and the economy and describe their effect on work opportunities and work environments;

B3          identify a broad range of options for present and future learning, work, and community involvement.

Career Studies

C1          use appropriate decision-making and planning processes to set goals and develop a career plan;

C2          analyse changes taking place in their personal lives, their community, and the economy, and identify strategies to facilitate smooth transitions during change;

C3          demonstrate an understanding of, and the ability to prepare for, the job-search process.

Outline of Course Content

Unit Titles and Descriptions Time and Sequence
Unit 1:

What in the world.

In this unit, students will explore current economic and societal trends and opportunities in order to assist them in making more informed career/life choices. By examining concepts of success, students will develop an understanding and examine it in the context of their own lives. Students will begin to articulate how their special interests direct their career/life decisions. The unit sets the stage for students to navigate a changing world and to recognize that a career is not just an occupational destination but a lifelong journey. Students will demonstrate effective research, communication and teamwork skills.

10 hours
Unit 2:

What about me

Students will develop an awareness of the positive impact that young people have on their own development, their school, their community and the world. Through a variety of experiences, they will profile their learning styles, strategies, interests, abilities, characteristics and competencies. This process will empower them to construct their present and future career paths as they explore their world. They will gain an understanding of the variety of volunteer, part-time work, summer, educational and leadership opportunities and exchanges which will further develop and clarify their transferable skills. Students will demonstrate self-promotion strategies for their current goal and will recognize the value of the strategies in career planning in a changing world

18 hours
Unit 3:

What about future

Students will relate what they have learned about themselves, the world of work, and community involvement to options for present and future opportunities. They will hypothesize how societal and economic trends may affect them and influence their choices. They will begin to construct a road map – goal setting for their own personal “success” destination. Through the application of the decision-making model they will develop action plans. Students will synthesize their learning of the career/life journey and articulate the key questions they will use as tools for future planning, transition and change. This includes the final evaluation tasks.

18 hours
Unit 4:

Portfolio development

The portfolio can be as simple as contents in a file folder. The portfolio process causes students to focus on what they have learned, “prove it” with evidence, and determine where and how they might use this learning again. The process therefore, rather than the container, is the critical piece in a Career Studies course and the key to the synthesis of the students’ own Personal Profile. The portfolio process will assist students in developing the skills, habits, and characteristics which contribute to effective decision making and action in all aspects of their lives.

7 hours
 

Final Evaluation

Complete a culminating activity -15%The final assessment task is a two hour exam worth 15% of the student’s final mark.

2 hours
  Total 55 hours

Assessment Plan
GLC2O

POC O/F/A
P = Product O = Assessment OF Learning
O = Observation F = Assessment FOR Learning
C = Conversation A = Assessment AS Learning

Unit number

Assessment

O/F/A

Expectations

POC

K

25%

T

25%

C

25%

A

25%

Term Work 70%

1.

Goals Assignment

O/F

A1.1, A1.2, A2.1

P/C

25

25

25

25

 

Test 1

O

A1.1, B1.1, B2.1, B3.2

P

25

25

25

25

 

Total

   

50

50

50

50

         

2.

Career Path Assignment

O/F

A1.2, B1.2, B1.3

P/C

25

25

25

25

 

Test 2

O

A1.1, A2.1, B2.1, C1.2

P

25

25

25

25

10

 

Total

   

50

50

50

50

         

3.

 Road Map Assignment

O/F

C1.1, C2.1, C2.2

P

25

25

25

25

 

Test 3

O

A2.2, B2.2, B3.2, C1.2, C2.1

P

25

25

25

25

 

Total

   

50

50

50

50

4.

Portfolio

O/F

All strands

 

25

25

25

25

5.

Culminating Activity (15%)

O

All strands

P

25

25

25

25

 

Final Exam (15%)

O

O

 

25

25

25

25

 

Observation/Conversation

O

 

P/O/C

5

5

5

5

 

Total

   

55

55

55

55

         

Total Marks (Assessment of Learning only)

205

205

205

205

    

Category Weighting

25%

25%

25%

25%

Career Studies: Helping students become self-directed, lifelong learners is a fundamental aim of the guidance and career education curriculum. When students are engaged in active and experiential learning strategies, they tend to retain knowledge for longer periods and develop meaningful skills. Active and experiential learning strategies also enable students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life issues and situations.

Some of the teaching and learning strategies that are suitable to material taught in guidance and career education include cooperative small-group learning, one-on-one teaching, guided learning, personal reflection, role playing, simulations, case-study analysis, presentations, and tasks involving real workplace materials, experiential learning, and independent study. Teachers must provide a wide range of activities and assignments that promote mastery of basic concepts and development of inquiry/research skills.

Career Studies: Assessment and evaluation will follow the Ministry of Education’s Growing Success document. Assessment is a systematic process of collecting information or evidence about a student’s progress towards meeting the learning expectations. Assessment is embedded in the instructional activities throughout a unit. The expectations for the assessment tasks are clearly articulated and the learning activity is planned to make that demonstration possible. This process of beginning with the end in mind helps to keep focus on the expectations of the course. The purpose of assessment is to gather the data or evidence and to provide meaningful feedback to the student about how to improve or sustain the performance in the course. Scaled criteria designed as rubrics are often used to help the student to recognize their level of achievement and to provide guidance on how to achieve the next level. Although assessment information can be gathered from a number of sources (the student himself, the student’s course mates, the teacher), evaluation is the responsibility of only the teacher. For evaluation is the process of making a judgment about the assessment information and determining the percentage grade or level.

The assessment will be based on the following processes that take place in the classroom:

Assessment FOR Learning Assessment AS Learning Assessment OF Learning

During this process the teacher seeks information from the students in order to decide where the learners are and where they need to go.

During this process the teacher fosters the capacity of the students and establishes individual goals for success with each one of them.

During this process the teacher reports student’s results in accordance to established criteria to inform how well students are learning.

Conversation Conversation Conversation

Classroom discussion Self-evaluation Peer assessment

Classroom discussion Small group discussion Post-lab conferences Presentations of research Debates
Observation Observation Observation
Drama workshops (taking direction) Steps in problem solving Group discussions Presentations Group Presentations
Student Products Student Products Student Products
Reflection journals (to be kept throughout the duration of the course)
Check Lists
Success Criteria
Practice sheets
Socrative quizzes
Projects
Poster presentations Tests
In Class Presentations

Career Studies: The evaluation of this course is based on the four Ministry of Education achievement categories of knowledge and understanding (25%), thinking (25%), communication (25%), and application (25%). . The evaluation for this course is based on the student’s achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning.

The percentage grade represents the quality of the student’s overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline.

A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student’s grade is 50% or higher. The final grade for this course will be determined as follows:

    • 70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of

    • 30% of the grade will be based on a final exam administered at the end of the The exam will contain a summary of information from the course and will consist of well-formulated multiple choice questions. These will be evaluated using a checklist.

Textbook

various, plus media resources.

Potential Resources

    • Teacher Supplied Resources: Various Internet sites, source readings and DVD

For the teachers who are planning a program in Career Studies must take into account several important areas. The areas of concern to all teachers that are outlined in the policy document of Ontario Ministry of Education, include the following:

    • teaching approaches

    • types of secondary school courses

    • education for exceptional students

    • the role of technology in the curriculum

    • English as a second language (ESL) and English literacy development (ELD)

    • career education

    • cooperative education and other workplace experiences

    • health and safety in mathematics

It is important to ensure that all students, especially those with special education needs, are provided with the learning opportunities and supports they require to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to succeed in a rapidly changing society. The context of special education and the provision of special education programs and services for exceptional students in Ontario are constantly evolving. Provisions included in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Human Rights Code have driven some of these changes. Others have resulted from the evolution and sharing of best practices related to the teaching and assessment of students with special educational needs. Accommodations (instructional, environmental or assessment) allow the student with special education needs access to the curriculum without changes to the course curriculum expectations.

Career Studies: Environmental education teaches students about how the planet’s physical and biological systems work, and how we can create a more sustainable future. Good curriculum design following the resource document. This ensures that the student will have opportunities to acquire the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices needed to become an environmentally literate citizen. The online course should provide opportunities for each student to address environmental issues in their home, in their local community, or even at the global level.

USCA helps students to become environmentally responsible. The first goal is to promote learning about environmental issues and solutions. The second goal is to engage students in practicing and promoting environmental stewardship in their community. The third goal stresses the importance of the education system providing leadership by implementing and promoting responsible environmental practices so that all stakeholders become dedicated to living more sustainably. Environmental education teaches students about how the planet’s physical and biological systems work, and how we can create a more sustainable future.

USCA provides a number of strategies to address the needs of ESL/ELD students to accommodate the needs of students who require instruction in English as a second language or English literacy development. Our teacher considers it to be his or her responsibility to help students develop their ability to use the English language properly. Appropriate accommodations affecting the teaching, learning, and evaluation strategies in this course may be made in order to help students gain proficiency in English, since students taking English as a second language at the secondary level have limited time in which to develop this proficiency. School determines the student’s level of proficiency in the English Language upon registration. This information is communicated to the teacher of the course following the registration and the teacher then invokes a number of strategies and resources to support the student in the course.

Throughout their secondary school education, students will learn about the educational and career opportunities that are available to them; explore and evaluate a variety of those opportunities; relate what they learn in their courses to potential careers in a variety of fields; and learn to make appropriate educational and career choices. The skills, knowledge and creativity that students acquire through this course are essential for a wide range of careers. Being able to express oneself in a clear concise manner without ambiguity in a second language, would be an overall intention of this course, as it helps students prepare for success in their working lives.

By applying the skills they have developed, students will readily connect their classroom learning to real-life activities in the world in which they live. Cooperative education and other workplace experiences will broaden their knowledge of employment opportunities in a wide range of fields. In addition, students will increase their understanding of workplace practices and the nature of the employer-employee relationship. Teachers should maintain links with community-based businesses to ensure that students have access to hands-on experiences that will reinforce the knowledge they have gained in school.

Every student is entitled to learn in a safe, caring environment, free from violence and harassment. Students learn and achieve better in such environments. The safe and supportive social environment at USCA is founded on healthy relationships between all people. Healthy relationships are based on respect, caring, empathy, trust, and dignity, and thrive in an environment in which diversity is honoured and accepted. Healthy relationships do not tolerate abusive, controlling, violent, bullying/harassing, or other inappropriate behaviours. To experience themselves as valued and connected members of an inclusive social environment, students need to be involved in healthy relationships with their peers, teachers, and other members.

Critical thinking is the process of thinking about ideas or situations in order to understand them fully, identify their implications, make a judgement, and/or guide decision making. Critical thinking includes skills such as questioning, predicting, analysing, synthesizing, examining opinions, identifying values and issues, detecting bias, and distinguishing between alternatives. Students who are taught these skills become critical thinkers who can move beyond superficial conclusions to a deeper understanding of the issues they are examining. They are able to engage in an inquiry process in which they explore complex and multifaceted issues, and questions for which there may be no clear-cut answers.

The school library program in USCA can help build and transform students’ knowledge in order to support lifelong learning in our information- and knowledge-based society. The school library program of these schools supports student success across the curriculum by encouraging students to read widely, teaching them to examine and read many forms of text for understanding and enjoyment, and helping them improve their research skills and effectively use information gathered through research. USCA teachers assist students in accessing a variety of online resources and collections (e.g., professional articles, image galleries, videos, databases). Teachers at USCA will also guide students through the concept of ownership of work and the importance of copyright in all forms of media.

Information literacy is the ability to access, select, gather, critically evaluate, and create information. Communication literacy refers to the ability to communicate information and to use the information obtained to solve problems and make decisions. Information and communications technologies are utilized by all Virtual High School students when the situation is appropriate within their online course. As a result, students will develop transferable skills through their experience with word processing, internet research, presentation software, and telecommunication tools, as would be expected in any other course or any business environment. Although the Internet is a powerful learning tool, there are potential risks attached to its use. All students must be made aware of issues related to Internet privacy, safety, and responsible use, as well as of the potential for abuse of this technology, particularly when it is used to promote hatred.

USCA provides varied opportunities for students to learn about ethical issues and to explore the role of ethics in both public and personal decision making. During the inquiry process, students may need to make ethical judgements when evaluating evidence and positions on various issues, and when drawing their own conclusions about issues, developments, and events. Teachers may need to help students in determining appropriate factors to consider when making such judgements. In addition, it is crucial that USCA teachers provide support and supervision to students throughout the inquiry process, ensuring that students engaged in an inquiry are aware of potential ethical concerns and address them in acceptable ways. Teachers will ensure that they thoroughly address the issue of plagiarism with students. In a digital world in which there is easy access to abundant information, it is very easy to copy the words of others and present them as one’s own. Students need to be reminded, even at the secondary level, of the ethical issues surrounding plagiarism, and the consequences of plagiarism should be clearly discussed before students engage in an inquiry. It is important to discuss not only dishonest plagiarism but also more negligent plagiarism instances.