Middle School/Junior High ECOS Orientation
Kerrie Troseth Kristen Cooper
Professional School Counselor MSUM Intern 2001-2002
Shakopee High School Shakopee High School
Shakopee, MN Shakopee, MN
Students will be introduced to the ECOS career and academic planning web-based program at the 8th or 9th grade level in the junior high. This program is valuable because it can be accessed anywhere students have access to the Internet and because each student has his/her own private account. It was originally incorporated into the Shakopee high school guidance curriculum because parents wanted a web-based tool for career planning. Implementation by the 9th grade level will allow students to be ready to use ECOS once they enter the senior high in 10th grade (Shakopee Senior High is a 10-12 school.) In this two-day session students will be introduced to ECOS and its capabilities. They will then have the opportunity to investigate careers of interest to them.
Session 1 will focus on acquainting students with the components of ECOS. As a group they will be led through the login procedure and will set up their own personalized accounts. This involves choosing a login and password and completing a personal profile. They will then be given a worksheet that guides them through an exploration of the web site. The worksheet will direct them to certain information and ask them to record that information in the appropriate blanks on the web site, sort of like a Òcyber-scavenger hunt.Ó By the end of this session, students will have a personalized ECOS account and will be familiar with the types of information available on ECOS.
Session 2 will guide the students through a more directed search of the ECOS career database. They will be asked to look up two careers that are of interest to them. Again, a worksheet will be used to guide them through this process and to give them space to record requested information. By the end of this session students will have a greater understanding of the types of career information available on this web site and will be able to find important information about careers of interest. They will also learn facts about their careers of interest such as training required, typical tasks, and average salaries.
The ECOS sessions directly relate to Minnesota Graduation Standard Number 5, Inquiry and Research. Specifically, students learn to use a web-based tool for career research. All of the lessons for the Job Skills Group are reflective of the Career developmental domain of the Minnesota School CounselorsÕ Model of Developmental Guidance and Counseling. The lessons help equip students with tools necessary for career exploration and planning.
Additionally, these lessons correspond to the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee Standards for middle school/junior high school students. Specifically, in the area of educational and occupational exploration, students gain skills in locating, understanding, and using career information. They also gain knowledge of skills necessary to seek and obtain jobs. In the area of career planning, students learn skills useful for career decision-making, gain understanding of the career planning process, and gain knowledge of occupations and changing male and female roles.
ECOS career information systems. [On-line]. Available: ecos.embark.com