Schoolinks Career Quest Teacher Script

1. Introduction & Objectives (5 minutes)

Teacher (smiling, enthusiastic):
“Good morning, everyone! Today we’re going on a Schoolinks Career Quest. Over the next 30 minutes, you’ll learn how to log in to Schoolinks, explore different career clusters, research two individual careers, and record your next steps for further planning.

First, let’s look at our objectives on the screen.

1. Log in to Schoolinks
2. Explore career clusters
3. Research two careers
4. Record your next steps

Next, here’s our agenda:
• Introduction (5 minutes)
• Demo (8 minutes)
• Guided exploration (10 minutes)
• Share & reflect (5 minutes)
• Next steps & closure (2 minutes)

Now, think–why might researching careers now help you later? Take a moment to think, then share your ideas.”

Pause for student responses. Call on 2–3 volunteers. Provide printed objectives in larger text for any students who need them.
 
 

2. Demonstration of Schoolinks (8 minutes)

Teacher (sharing screen):
“Okay, let me show you how it works.

1. Go to schoolinks.com and click Sign In at the top right.
2. Enter your student username and password, then click Log In.
3. On your dashboard, find and click Career Clusters in the menu on the left.

We’re now viewing a list of clusters, like Health Science, Business, and Arts & Communication. I’ll click Health Science to show you how to dive deeper.

Within this cluster, you can see career names, short descriptions, and key details. Notice the filters at the top: you can narrow by location, minimum education, or salary range. Try selecting “Bachelor’s degree” to see careers that require that level of education.

When you find a career you like, click Bookmark so you can revisit it later. This built-in feature helps you save careers for your personal plan.

Raise your hand if you have any questions about logging in or using filters.”

Pause to answer quick questions. Offer to help anyone whose screen isn’t matching yours.
 
 

3. Guided Student Exploration (10 minutes)

Teacher (walking around, distributing worksheets):
“I’m going to pass out the Career Research Worksheet now. Take one and have your device ready.

Your task:

1. Choose one career cluster that interests you.
2. Research two careers within that cluster. For each career, write:
   • Job title and brief description
   • Required education or training
   • Average salary range

I’ll be circulating to help anyone who needs assistance with navigation or the reading. If you need text-to-speech support or would like to pair up, just let me know. Start exploring now!”

Circulate and support students. Prompt quietly: “Which filter will help you find the education level you need?” or “Tell me one thing you’ve learned about that career.”
 
 

4. Share & Reflect (5 minutes)

Teacher (calling class back together):
“Time’s up! Let’s share. Who would like to tell us one interesting fact they discovered about a career? Remember to speak clearly and tell us the career name.

[Select 3–4 volunteers]

Great shares! For each fact, I have two quick questions:

• What surprised you about that career?
• How will this information help you set your next career exploration goal?

Finally, on your worksheet, write down one next step—for example, “Talk to my counselor about health science programs.”

5. Next Steps & Closure (2 minutes)

Teacher (wrapping up):
“Fantastic work today. You learned key digital navigation skills, practiced research strategies, and set at least one next step toward your future. For homework, please explore one more career in a different cluster on Schoolinks before our next class. Don’t forget to update your career exploration goals in Schoolinks under My Plan.

Thank you for your participation—I look forward to hearing about your discoveries next time!”

Career Research Worksheet

Name: ______________________ Date: ______________________

1. Career Cluster Researched

Which career cluster did you explore?
______________________________

2. Career #1

Job Title:
______________________________


Brief Description:

______________________________






Required Education/Training:

______________________________



Average Salary Range:
______________________________

3. Career #2

Job Title:
______________________________


Brief Description:

______________________________






Required Education/Training:

______________________________



Average Salary Range:
______________________________

4. Next Steps

What is one actionable next step you will take toward exploring or pursuing these careers?
(Example: Talk to a counselor, research degree programs, schedule a job shadow, etc.)

______________________________

Career Research Worksheet Answer Key

This answer key provides guidance and a rubric for evaluating students’ responses on the Career Research Worksheet. Because career exploration is open-ended, there is no single correct answer. Instead, use the criteria below to assess completeness, accuracy, clarity, and thoughtfulness.

1. Career Cluster Researched

Evaluation Criteria:
• Clarity & Relevance – Student names a valid career cluster in Schoolinks (e.g., Health Science, Business, Arts & Communication, STEM).
• Justification (Optional) – If student offers a brief reason for choosing this cluster, award bonus points for reflection.

Scoring:
• 2 points – Valid cluster named, with clear spelling.
• 1 point – Cluster named but with minor spelling error or unclear (teacher can verify intended cluster).
• 0 points – No cluster named or invalid cluster.

2. Career #1 and Career #2

Students research two distinct careers within their chosen cluster. Evaluate each career separately.

Evaluation Criteria for Each Career:

1. Job Title (1 point)
   • Clearly named and spelled correctly.
2. Brief Description (2 points)
   • Captures key responsibilities or day-to-day tasks.
   • Uses 2–4 short sentences or bullet points.
3. Required Education/Training (1 point)
   • Matches information in Schoolinks (e.g., “Associate’s degree,” “Bachelor’s degree,” “On-the-job training,” “Certificate program”).
4. Average Salary Range (1 point)
   • Includes a realistic range (e.g., “$50,000–$75,000”).
   • Indicates annual or hourly as found in the platform.

Scoring per Career (Total 5 points each):
• 5 points – All four elements present, accurate, and clearly articulated.
• 3–4 points – Minor omissions or small inaccuracies (e.g., missing bullet in description or approximate salary).
• 1–2 points – Major information missing or inaccurate (e.g., salary omitted, description too vague).
• 0 points – No response or entirely off-topic.

Sample of a Strong Career Entry:

Career #1 – Registered Nurse
• Brief Description: Provide patient care, administer medications, monitor vital signs, and educate patients on health management.
• Education/Training: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and state licensure (NCLEX-RN).
• Average Salary Range: $60,000–$80,000 per year.

4. Next Steps

Evaluation Criteria:
• Actionability (2 points) – Student lists a concrete next step (e.g., “Research accredited nursing programs online,” “Meet with a school counselor about prerequisites,” “Schedule a job shadow at a local clinic”).
• Relevance (1 point) – Next step logically follows from career findings.

Scoring:
• 3 points – Clear, specific, and relevant plan for continuing exploration or preparation.
• 2 points – Specific action but lacks some clarity (e.g., “Talk to someone about this career” without specifying who).
• 1 point – Vague intent (e.g., “Learn more” without details).
• 0 points – No next step provided.

Total Score Calculation (Out of 16 Points)

• Career Cluster: 2 points
• Career #1: 5 points
• Career #2: 5 points
• Next Steps: 3 points

Grading Ranges:
• Excellent (14–16): Thorough research, accurate details, clear next steps.
• Proficient (10–13): Minor omissions or small inaccuracies, but overall solid work.
• Developing (6–9): Several elements missing or vague; needs more detail.
• Beginning (0–5): Little to no accurate or relevant information.

Teacher Notes:

• Encourage students to use the bookmark and filter features in Schoolinks as evidence of their digital navigation skills.
• For students on IEPs/504s, allow oral responses or screen‐recorded tours of their exploration as alternate evidence of research.
• Award partial credit where appropriate and provide feedback to guide deeper inquiry in future sessions.