Special Education Listserv
Subject: Post-Secondary Transition: New Videos on Career Options
Source: Barb Gilpin, Assistant Director, Effective Practices
Intended Audience: Directors of Special Education, Counselors, Work Experience Coordinators, Career Educators, Special Educators, Principals, Parents, Students
Date: November 24, 2008
NEW RESOURCE - Upbeat music, bold colors, and amusing teenage hosts invite Missouri students to explore the world of careers in a new video being distributed this month to schools and libraries statewide. "What's Your Plan?" is a production of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The video organizes students' career options with the national career clusters framework. This framework encompasses virtually all occupations from entry through professional levels and divides careers into 16 distinct categories or career clusters. Each cluster represents a range of careers that require similar knowledge and skills.
The video can be watched in its entirety or in self-selected segments, which are about three minutes each. Teenage hosts guide students through the clusters and provide an overview of the range of occupations included in each one. Each cluster presentation also features a professional who offers his or her reasons for choosing the given career area, as well as a discussion of the rewards it offers and the basic skills needed.
DESE is making the DVD-format video accessible to students through public and school libraries, middle school and high school counselor offices, and educators involved with career and technical education. Students and parents also may access the videos in a web-streamed format at the Missouri Connections site, http://www.missouriconnections.org/, by clicking on the video room. Schools are receiving the new video this week and public libraries will have it on their shelves in December.
For additional information regarding Career Connections, please visit their website at http://dese.mo.gov/divcareered/missouriconnections.htm.