Career Development: Syllabus and Informational Sheet Greenland Middle School Instructor: Mrs. Tiffany Abner Welcome to Career Development. I expect that you will leave this course thinking about your future career. You will be exposed to the different jobs that are available in America today. Listed below is the important information on the guidelines, expectations, and procedures for your success in this course. Please keep this in your binder for this course. Note: please cut and return the signature portion that is below. Introduction: Computer Technology based Career Development is a semester long class with 5 units of study. This is a foundational course that uses hands-on activities and research in order to provide an opportunity for exploring career clusters. Course Description: Computer Technology based Career Development is designed to combine Career Development and Computer Technology. This course will allow GMS to introduce students to hardware and application software of a computer with applications in career planning, preparation, exploration and development. Students will be knowledgeable about the world of work, career options, and the personal skills, aptitudes, and expectation to complete the education and training to enter into a future career. Units of Study: There are 5 units of study that we will examine in Computer Technology based Career Orientation. Unit 1 Self-Awareness: Students will begin to examine what their personal interests and abilities are and what work values they consider important. Also, in this unit, students will examine how their personality traits effect their selection of occupations and lifestyles. Unit 2 Career Exploration and Research: In this unit, students will look at many different occupations and necessary job skills in the 16 career clusters. We will look at the difference in education/training, salary, skill, and interests needed for each cluster. Unit 3-Career Decision Making Skills: In this unit, students will examine the steps to making good decisions and match those decisions with what is best for their future. Unit 4 - Develop a Career and High School Plan: Students will create an education and training plan related to personal and professional career goals. Unit 5-Employment Skills: Students will be able to identify employability skills needed to acquire a job. Students will utilize technology skills to design a creative and comprehensive project to showcase personal career aspirations. Guidelines for Success Be responsible. Always try. Do your best. Cooperate with others. Treat everyone with respect (including yourself) *Guidelines are not classroom rules. Rules pertain to specific and observable behaviors, and they generally have consequences associated with failing to follow them, whereas your Guidelines for Success are attitudes or values that will help you succeed in class and other aspects of life.
Classroom Rules 1. Come to class with all materials and assignments. 2. Follow directions the first time they are given. 3. Always act in an appropriate way and speak in an appropriate tone of voice. 4. Always respect your teacher s and classmates rights and personal space, and belongings. 5. Keep hands and feet to yourself. 6. No food, drink or candy in class unless permission is granted from the teacher 7. You break it.you buy it!!! Classroom Procedures 1. Make sure you have all materials before you enter the room. You must have a blue or black ink pen or pencil with you every day. 2. Please go to your seat when you enter the room and stay seated until you are dismissed at the end of class. 3. The bell does not dismiss you, the teacher does. 4. If you need to leave the room for any reason, you must ask permission and I have the right to deny your request 5. Make sure your pencil is sharpened and all other business is taken care of before you are seated. If it must be done during class, please wait until the teacher is finished speaking. 6. We will enter and exit the room in an orderly manner. 7. Your bell ringer will be on the board or on your desk. You must enter the class and then begin your bell ringer by the time the tardy bell rings. 8. Students are responsible for their own papers and making sure they are turned in properly. 9. Late work for each unit will be taken up until the day of the test for half credit. 10. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to make up missed work and get the notes from the previous day. If you are absent first check with your classmates then ask the teacher. 11. You will clean up after yourself 12. We will use good manners; please, may I, and thank you. 13. When we have a guest speaker, come in, be seated promptly, be very attentive, and be sure to thank them for their presentation when you leave. (It is always appropriate to introduce yourself with and extended hand before you are seated.) 14. At the end of the day please place your chairs under the table, and put away any additional supplies that was used during your particular class period. Expectations of Students Since you are enrolled in a business-oriented class, you will be expected to behave in a businesslike manner. This means you are to be on-time, have all necessary materials, and have completed trips to the bathroom before coming to class. Tardiness and unpreparedness are not tolerated in business, nor will they be tolerated in this class. We will have online projects that will play a major factor in the students grade. During the course of this semester, we will watch a few movies depending on the time available. The movies we could watch in my class are all rated PG-13 or less. The movies that might be shown to you are: Rudy, October Sky, Elf, Finding Nemo, Facing the Giants, The Ultimate Gift, and Soul Surfer. I also show videos downloaded from youtube to enhance learning. Several reality shows have great examples of careers and advice for students. Some of the reality shows that I use are, Shark Tank, The Profit, UnderCover Boss, and Mike Rowe s Dirty Jobs. If your parent does not want you to see any of the movie or videos that I have listed please just email
me at, tabner@greenlandsd.com. You will be sent to the library and will have to complete another assignment to make up for the assignment missed. STUDENT REQUIRED PROJECTS: 1. You will be required to create a website this semester using on online cloud based software. On this website you will have some things about who you are as a person and your personality. No identifying information will be posted on your website, specifically: last name, birthdate, address, or family members. You will be posing things such as your personality type, goals, interests, and ideas. This website will not be searchable through search engines and will only be accessible through Mrs. Abner s website. If you or your parent do not want to create a website, an alternative project will have to replace it. You will have to create a digital book using Microsoft Publisher. 2. You will be required to create a youtube video to be posted to the class youtube channel. You can choose to work individually or as a group approved by Mrs. Abner. The video will be a minimum of 4 minutes not including the credits. Students will be given a rubric that will detail all necessary parts of the video. No identifying information will be listed on the video, specifically: birthdate, address, age. Every student will be required to create a website, however, Mrs. Abner will need permission from your parent to post the video to youtube. See permission slip below. Homework: Most class time will be available for completion of the assignments, but some outside effort will also be necessary. You will have 1 day to make-up work for each day missed as outlined in the student handbook. The longer you wait to make-up work the more points will be deducted from the assignment. If you miss class on a test day, the next day of attendance you will be required to take the test missed. Tests are announced numerous days in advance. Student responsibilities after an absence: It is the responsibility of the student to ask for missed work. If an assignment was due the day a student was absent, that assignment will be due at the beginning of class when the student returns. You will have 1 day to make-up work for each day missed as outlined in the student handbook. All assignments will be posted to the class website under Daily Assignments button: www.gmscareers.weebly.com Grades: Grades will be given on a weekly basis for group participation and work turned into the instructor. Parents, as a reminder, you may check your child s grade online during any point in the semester. Grades will be compiled of the following: individual and team projects, worksheets, quizzes, and tests. The student s attitude will be an important part of individual grades. NO NAME on a paper that is turned in means a ZERO for that grade. Zeros in the grade book can be made up for partial credit (except if the student earned that grade). Supplies and Textbook: 1. Pen or Pencil (Only blue or black ink accepted for work any other color will be deducted points) 2. Loose leaf paper or notebook (college rule preferred) 3. Anything else will be provided. Communication: Please be sure and check out our school link at www.greenlandsd.com My course website is: http://gmscareers.weebly.com/. You may also directly email me at the following address: tabner@greenlandsd.com
Please feel free to also call the school at 479-521-2366 Ext 368 and leave a message and I will return your phone call as soon as possible. Closing Remarks: I am so excited to have your child in my Career Development class! I feel like this is going to be a great semester in C.D. This is a different type of classroom and I know that I will be passing along vital skills for your child s future in whatever field they choose their occupation in later in life. Parents and students please fill out the following information section and return it to Mrs. Abner by this deadline Aug 28, 2015. Thank you! Mrs. Tiffany Abner
Sign and return!! Career Development Syllabus Acknowledgement 5 bonus points will be rewarded if returned by Aug 28, 2015 Student name (printed neatly) Class Period Student signature Date Parent name Parent signature Date Phone number Parent email Please check which class project you prefer your student create this semester. This project is mandatory and a large part of the 9 weeks grades. More information about the project is listed in the letter above under Expectations of Students. Also, you may contact me at tabner@greenlandsd.com with questions and concerns. WEBSITE PROJECT PERMISSION Yes, my student may create a website to be posted on Mrs. Abner s class website. NO identifying information will be posted specifically: last name, birthdate, address and family members Yes my student may create a website, but do not post it on Mrs. Abner s class website. NO identifying information will be on the website, specifically: last name, birthdate, address and family members. No my student may NOT create a website. I prefer he/she make a digital book on Microsoft Publisher. (This project requires the student to have a flash drive) YOUTUBE PROJECT PERMISSION Yes, my student may create a youtube careers video to be posted on Mrs. Abner s youtube class channel. NO identifying information will be posted specifically: birthdate, address, age Yes my student may create a video, but do not post it on Mrs. Abner s class youtube channel. If you would be interested or know of someone who would be interested in speaking to the class about their chosen career please contact me by email @ tabner@greenlandsd.com. Your child will receive 20 bonus points. Occupation: Best way to contact you: