Name of the project: "Unknown paths ..."

Subjects: Career’s counselling, psychology, ICT, Estonian

Supervising teacher: Ljudmilla Latt

School: Kohtla-Järve Tammiku Gymnasium

Short description of the project:

In terms of heavy competition young people think about their career prospects and future very early. During this project students mapped their prospects and learnt to plan their careers, realised their interests and skills, which helped them with their self-esteem and career choices. They learnt to find a job, got acquainted with choices after losing a job. Different businesses told students how to start their own business and handle money.

1. Aim of the project

1)      Get information on changes in the world of work and at the same time get to know different occupations

2)      Become aware of one’s interests, skills and talents and to build healthy self-esteem to help with career decisions

3)       Give students skills to enter the world of work, prepare them for life-long learning and decision-making.

1. Activities

Activity 1 (thinking about the stages of the project. Setting goals. Dividing tasks. Choosing topic for creative work)

Students’ activities: working on goals and stages of the project. Choosing discussion topics. Dividing tasks. Choosing topics for creative work and collecting information. See http://karjera.weebly.com

Teacher’s activities: setting goals. Explaining main idea of the project. Consulting students.

Results: positive motivation, topic and goals of the project have been set. Discussion topics have been chosen and responsibility is on students. Stages of the project have been set.

Activity 2 (collecting information)

Students’ activities: collect and choose material from the perspective of an editor. Research material and information.

Teacher’s activities: observing, guiding, supervising.

Results:  Drafts of work.

Activity 3 (Final touch to creative work)

Students’ activities: processing material, creating a web page and presentation.

Teacher’s activities: consulting and correcting

Results: Creative work is ready

Activity 4 (presenting creative work)

Students’ activities: presenting their work and answering questions. Participating in a discussion. Assessing work done by others.

Teacher’s activities: running the process, helping with assessment

Results: Creative work is ready, presented and assessed

Activity 5 (preparations for conference)

 Students’ activities: Round table  - deciding on partners for the conference, discusson.

Teacher’s activities: supervising, consulting

Results: list of partners for the conference

Activity 6  (Conference and summary of the project)

Students’ activities: organising the conference and participating in conversation

 Teacher’s activities: observing and helping when needed

Results: Successful conference.

3. Project’s curricular links

1. Subject: Career’s counselling

Implemented knowledge and skills:  students realise that career planning is life-long continuous process, they can independently decide and analyse everything that influences their decisions. Students have realised the need of career’s counsellors, they take responsibility for their careers. Students also realise the connection between education and work, they can find information about jobs available and further education. They analyse themselves as a future employee, can write a proper CV.

Methods: brainstorming, discussion, individual work, group work, presentations

2. Subjects: psychology

Implemented knowledge and skills:  students can contact and communicate with strangers

3. Subject: ICT

Implemented knowledge and skills:  students can use computers for work and study. They can find information online, use e-mail. Students can make presentations and use Microsoft Word Tools for text documents. They are also able to work with blogs and web-pages.

Methods: individual and pair work

4. Subject: Estonian

Implemented knowledge and skills:  Using the language. Formulating questions and ideas. Students can participate in a conversation, analyse texts in media.

4. Links to real life and the world of work

In co-operation with teachers students set goals, described activities and set stages. Everyone got a task and a suitable role.

Since the topic of the project is relevant to secondary school students, they took initiative. Teacher was more like an observer and counsellor. Students decided whom to invite to final conference.

Students participating in the project are all facing career choices and important decisions for future. These choices influence their future lives and are big responsibility.

To make sure students think about their choices they had to answer several questions:

1. 1.      Is it necessary to plan your career?
2. 2.      When should you start with planning your career?
3. 3.      How should you plan your career?

Students answers were:

Of course it is necessary to plan your career and the sooner you start the better results you get.

Project was directly linked to real life and the world of work because it was relevant to students. It was the question in everyone’s mind. Students are familiar with current situation and big number of well-educated unemployed people. During the project students found out that there are people who can help in such situations. You can get help from Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund.

Students got to know the term COACHING (developing learning). Setting up business and managing money were also learnt. Arvo Juhkov is the person students can contact about coaching later.

All partners were chosen by students. They decided which questions they wanted to be discussed and answered. Students used their knowledge from psychology classes to communicate with partners.

To find out whether or not the project was useful students were asked to fill a questionnaire. Students also made some propositions for the next time.

Partners also gave heir feedback and said it was necessary and good to talk  to young people.

All information concerning the project is available at http://karjera.weebly.com

5. Partners involved

1. Sergei Polujanenkov (Polvenauto, chairman)

2.  Arvo Juhkov (Digiinfo, GLJPARTNERS, member of the board

3. Liidia Marjuštšenko (Swedpank)

4. Svetlana Zaitseva (Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, consultant)

5. Erika Kruup (Kohtla-Järve City council, member)

6.Jelena Šmidt (Ida-Viru Hospital

7.Žanna Kubinets (psychologist)

8.Valentina Kutuzova (headmaster)

Participating in a discussion, sharing experience, answering questions, consulting students.