Future Quest Island - Future Careers Random or Predictable?
Basics
- Project TitleFuture Quest Island - Future Careers: Random or Predictable?
- ThemeFuture Quest Island; The roles of planning, chance and randomness in career paths
- Submitted ByLori Cooney, Nancy Hurley, Jennifer Leonard
- OrganizationFuture Quest Island / UMass Institute for Community Inclusion
- Brief DescriptionStudents use the "Future Forecaster" game in Future Quest Island to forecast a future career. As a follow-up discussion, they look at the concept of randomness and predictability in career paths. Four career profiles provide a launch for discussion.
- Materials / ResourcesFuture Quest Island - "Future Forecasting" game Set of career mini-videos Graphic Organizer
Web Link: Video - George
Web Link: Video - Mark
Web Link: Video - Janelle
Web Link: Video - Marie - Team membersNancy Hurley Lori Cooney Jennifer Leonard
Key Questions
- Key QuestionsHow are successful careers created? Is it typical to plan every step of your future career? How can you plan for the future and also be flexible about your future?
- Connections: How or why was this topic identified? Why is it meaningful?This topic follows naturally from the "Future Forecaster" exercise in the Future Quest Island program. Many career development resources teach youth about planning, but relatively few prepare youth for the importance of flexibility, change and chance in building a career. The Future Forecasting activity is insightful in the way it brings together the ideas of randomness and choice in a clear and entertaining activity.
- Background Research: What resources were used to find background information for this project?Project contributor Jennifer Leonard has done research on labor markets and careers over the past decades. In particular, the Skills Librarys "career outlook" profile interviews ask professionals the question "When you were in high school, did you know you would be in this career." Most say no - with many interesting stories about the path they have followed.
Units / Activities
- Pre-Unit Activity: Future ForecasterIn a previous unit, students completed the Future Forecaster activity in the Future Quest Island program.
- Step 1: Graphic (15 minutes) Use the "Random vs. Predictable" chart (attached) to start the discussion about the idea of randomness and predictability in life."Random or Predictable" graphic organizer attached (Word Doc and image)
- Step 1B: Mini-videosContinue the discussion by showing the set of mini-videos and ask students to rate each according to the degree of randomness vs. predictability in each person`s career path.
Web Link: Video - George
Web Link: Video - Mark
Web Link: Video - Janelle
Web Link: Video - Marie - Step 2: Discussion (15 minutes)Discussion questions:
Suppose your Future Quest forecast came true? Would you be surprised? Do you think real life is like Future Quest Island? That is - do people
Assessment Techniques
- Assessment of vocabulary / concepts Follow up with an activity assessing students` understanding of the following terms: - Forecast - Random - Predictable - Surprise - Planning - Expectations - Career Path
Activity Sheets
- Random or Predictable - Activity Sheet
Life is predictable In between Life is random Question 1
Your Future Forecast on FQI.
Before you did the "Future Forecaster" game, did you know what future it would forecast for you?
[ ]
YES - I knew exactly what forecast I would get
[ ]
MAYBE - I kind of could have guessed it
[ ]
NO - I had no idea what forecast I would get.
Question 2: Cooking.
You put a chicken, potatoes and carrots in the oven, turn it on and set the timer. When the timer rings, you open the oven door. Here is an easy question: Do you think you fill find a chicken dinner in the oven or something totally different?
[ ]
Chicken Dinner
[ ]
Maybe a chicken dinner; maybe not
[ ]
Something totally different
Question 3: Restaurant
You go into a restaurant and order a sandwich and fries. Another easy question: what do you expect to receive?
[ ]
Sandwich and fries
[ ]
Maybe a sandwich and fries; maybe not
[ ]
Something completely different from what I ordered
Question 4: Real-Life Careers. In your opinion, in real life, are careers pretty random like in the "Future Forecaster" game or predictable like a restaurant order or home-cooked dinner? [ ]
Careers are predictable. People plan ahead and know exactly what they'll do
[ ]
In between (partly predictable and partly random)
[ ]
Careers are random. People have no idea what the future holds.
Watch the mini videos. In your opinion, for each of these people, was the career exactly what the person planned and expected or was the career a surprise? Life is predictable In between Life is random Powtoon Video - Mark [ ]
Exactly what they planned all along
[ ]
Not a total surprise, but not totally predictable
[ ]
A surprise
Powtoon Video - Marie [ ]
Exactly what they planned all along
[ ]
Not a total surprise, but not totally predictable
[ ]
A surprise
Powtoon Video - Janelle [ ]
Exactly what they planned all along
[ ]
Not a total surprise, but not totally predictable
[ ]
A surprise
Powtoon Video - George [ ]
Exactly what they planned all along
[ ]
Not a total surprise, but not totally predictable
[ ]
A surprise
After more discussion:
In your opinion, in real life, are careers pretty random or predictable or a little of both?
[ ]
Careers are predictable. People plan ahead and know exactly what they'll do
[ ]
In between (partly predictable and partly random)
[ ]
Careers are random. People have no idea what the future holds.
Frameworks / Skills
- CDE Benchmarks
W1-1Skills in the planning process (focusing on the importance of preparation and future orientation)
(CDE Benchmarks) - CDE Benchmarks
W1-2Knowledge of decision-making as a complex process
(CDE Benchmarks) - CDE Benchmarks
W1-4Skills in evaluating career plans and decisions in relation to aptitudes, values, and interests
(CDE Benchmarks) - CDE Benchmarks
W1-6Skills to plan and navigate career transitions
(CDE Benchmarks) - CDE Benchmarks
PS1-3Attitudes and skills for personal responsibility and self-determination
(CDE Benchmarks) - CDE Benchmarks
PS2-4Knowledge of how positive behaviors and attitudes contribute to educational achievement and workplace success
(CDE Benchmarks) - Mathematics
Mathematics.6.SP.1.01Recognize a statistical question as one that anticipates variability in the data related to the question and accounts for it in the answers. For example, "How old am I?" is not a statistical question, but "How old are the students in my school?" is a stat
(Mathematics) - Mathematics
Mathematics.7.SP.1.01Understand that statistics can be used to gain information about a population by examining a sample of the population; generalizations about a population from a sample are valid only if the sample is representative of that population. Understand that rand
(Mathematics)