# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
RIASEC Poster (Spanish Version) FINAL (1)

# data[].attributes.headline
Visiting a Museum-Exploring Careers and RIASEC Connections

# data[].attributes.subject
Visiting a Museum-Exploring Careers and RIASEC Connections

# data[].attributes.body
A lesson for students exploring careers before a field trip. Can be used as a template for experiences outside the classroom, or before career visitors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Visiting a Museum-Exploring Careers and RIASEC Connections

# data[].attributes.headline
Career Conversations! Exploring Careers with Family

# data[].attributes.subject
Career Conversations! Exploring Careers with Family

# data[].attributes.body
Includes RIASEC themes and Job Zones (Level of Education required) for each of the jobs in the MakerSpace labs

# data[].attributes.headline
A Path for Students to Explore and Evaluate Specific Careers

# data[].attributes.subject
A Path for Students to Explore and Evaluate Specific Careers

# data[].attributes.body
4 Steps to Explore RIASEC aligned Careers and Use Thinking Maps to Organize, Synthesize, and Evaluate Options

# data[].attributes.headline
Vocabulary Lessons for Career Development

# data[].attributes.subject
Vocabulary Lessons for Career Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Vocabulary Lesson Using RIASEC Themes for Primary Grades

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Creating a RIASEC Student Interest Bulletin Board

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Facilitating a "Student Circle" Using Career Conversation Prompts and RIASEC Language - Upper Elementary

# data[].attributes.headline
MakerSpace/Career Lab Ideas from Kim Thorsen at Laurel ES!

# data[].attributes.subject
MakerSpace/Career Lab Ideas from Kim Thorsen at Laurel ES!

# data[].attributes.headline
Good Questions Drive Career Conversations

# data[].attributes.subject
Good Questions Drive Career Conversations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Good Questions Drive Career Conversations

# data[].attributes.body
CAREER ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT ONGOING CAREER CONVERSATIONS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are Your Students Ready for Their Best Possible Future?

# data[].attributes.body
15 Content based resources for classroom connections

7 Instructional Strategies for integration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Make Classroom Connections with RIASEC

These examples of career connections across RIASEC themes help educators get started so they can further customize RIASEC-aligned examples for their content. RIASEC themes help students name and claim their interests and explore future options. Teachers who use the RIASEC framework and include real-world examples as part of regular instruction improve engagement, relevance, and purpose.

If you have requests or suggestions, let us know.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These examples of career connections across RIASEC themes help educators get started so they can further customize RIASEC-aligned examples for their content. RIASEC themes help students name and claim their interests and explore future options. Teachers who use the RIASEC framework and include real-world examples as part of regular instruction improve engagement, relevance, and purpose.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shelly Smith Student Shares. RIASEC Drawing 2.mp4

# data[].attributes.headline
Draft Compilation : Student and Teacher Panel Quakertown Community School District

# data[].attributes.subject
Draft Compilation : Student and Teacher Panel Quakertown Community School District

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
QT DRAFT Compilation Video April PD .mp4

# data[].attributes.headline
The Early Years: Career Development for Young Children

# data[].attributes.subject
The Early Years: Career Development for Young Children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Early Years: Career Development for Young Children – A Guide for Educators

# data[].attributes.headline
The World of Work in Elementary Schools 

# data[].attributes.subject
The World of Work in Elementary Schools 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Civil engineers design roads, airports, and railroads; they make cities and towns better. Civil engineers are investigators, planners, and creative problem solvers. Civil Engineers use computers and drawing tools.

Kendra Olson's first graders at Magnolia Elementary built a list of attributes of civil engineers. It was one of 54 career exploration experiences between kindergarten and eighth grade in the Cajon Valley Union School District (@cajonvalleyusd).

The district serves about 17,000 students in 10 elementary and middle schools 15 miles northeast of San Diego. Nearly three-quarters of the students live in or near poverty, and the region is home to many refugees.

With a mission of "Happy kids, healthy relationships, in a path to gainful employment," the World of Work is the integrating framework for schools in Cajon.

David Miyashiro joined Cajon as superintendent of the 27 school district six years ago. His first task was creating a culture of possibility. "We've just about got the culture right," said Miyashiro with a smile.

He sees high skill, high wage jobs going unfilled in San Diego and want to give youth from the low-income communities east of the city a shot at getting or creating living wage employment.

Miyashiro hired a Qualcomm exec, Ed Hidalgo (@edhidalgoSD) to lead the district's innovation agenda. Hidalgo knows first hand that if you can't fill high demand, high wage jobs, they move.

After researching job frameworks, Hidalgo landed on one first proposed by John Holland sixty years ago. Popularly know by the acronym RISEC (for realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional), a set of assessments help young people become aware of their unique strengths, interests, and values.

Cajon Valley learners move through four World of Work (#cvwow) experiences: exploration simulation, meet a pro, and practice.

Surveys and World of Work experiences allow students to "name and claim a theme" which, according to Hidalgo, builds a powerful sense of agency.

"Students can't aspire to jobs that they don't know exist," said Hidalgo.

Many of the "meet a pro" activities happen virtually through Nepris, a platform that connects industry professionals with classrooms.

After visiting a dam, Greenfield Intermediate students explored a playlist on Google Classroom, built a 3D model and recorded an explanation in SeeSaw. On Nepris, they engaged with engineers about water systems and wrote about the experience.

In kindergarten classrooms at Magnolia Elementary, students were studying social jobs like teaching. They used design software to illustrate potential classroom layouts. Second graders studied the work of chefs.

The World of Work curriculum tools were commercialized by a local partner, Eddywhere, a cooperative that shares work-based learning resources.

Miyashiro most wants to change the measures of success in education from basic skills to wellbeing. "What parents want from us is to love and care for their children and help them dream about the future," said Miyashiro.

"We partnered with Gallup last year both for employee and student engagement. Our goal is to make our district the best place to work for our employees and the best place to build hope and engagement for our students as well," said Miyashiro.

Gallup research suggests that a one-point increase in engagement resulted in a six and eight point rise in reading and math achievement, respectively. As a result, Miyashiro is positioning the engagement measure as the most important metric.

"Before World of Work we just had basic stuff," said Stewart, a fourth grader. "Now I have an idea of who I want to be. I want to be an entrepreneur and use my social skills to work with people."
Emily Liebtag provided research for this post.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The World Of Work -- In Elementary School

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how Cajon Valley Union School District's World of Work program helps students "take responsibility for their own learning."

# data[].attributes.headline
The Future Of Work Starts Early In This California School District

# data[].attributes.subject
The Future Of Work Starts Early In This California School District

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Editor's note: This story led off this week's Future of Learning newsletter, which is delivered free to subscribers' inboxes every other Wednesday with trends and top stories about education innovation. Subscribe today!
SAN DIEGO - Walk into a classroom in the Cajon Valley Union School District and you're likely to meet students, such as fifth grader Giovanni Maroki, who can already describe the careers they're most suited for. Giovanni - known as Gio - recounted a TEDx Talk he once gave, and told me what stocks are a good buy, based on what he and his classmates are learning through a set of curriculum tools that introduce them to the work world.

Fifth graders in California's Cajon Valley Union School District learn about many careers, including how the stock market works. Credit: Liz Willen/The Hechinger Report

"I want to be a lawyer because I like to speak, and I like getting my points across," said Gio, in what was clearly an understatement: Watch this video where he explains how technology he uses in class helps him plot future career goals.

Gio's focus on the future is part of "The World of Work," a curriculum that begins in kindergarten and continues through high school. It appears to be the most advanced career development framework of its kind. Other school districts are beginning to introduce career planning, but at nowhere near the level that I saw in San Diego during a recent visit. I watched kindergartners learn farming techniques and spent time with Gio and his classmates as they studied the stock market and made their own mock picks, part of a game and lesson teachers designed for their grade.

"I bought Apple and Etsy, but Apple is veryexpensive," Gio told me. "I lost $500 at the end of the day."

I first heard about Cajon Valley's unusual approach while moderating a panel on middle school career exploration with David Miyashiro, the district's superintendent. I seized a chance to see it for myself earlier this month.
Related: What does 'career readiness' look like in middle school?
Across the U.S., more school districts are expressing interest in pushing preparation for education and careers into the younger grades, but Cajon Valley schools are taking it even further, combining technology platforms with real-world experiences as soon as they start school. While they are still learning to read, students hear what it's like to work as a baker, a doctor, policeman or even a milkman - a dairy farmer drops by from time to time with a cow.

Students are urged to think early about who they are and what they want to be. Using a research-based career framework known as the Holland Code, or RIASEC, kids can choose from the six different RIASEC personality traits (realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional), designed to help themdevelop basic occupational interests. Illustrations representing the different traits cover classroom walls throughout the district.

Many of the kids I met began our conversations by describing themselves using the code's traits. "I'm artistic, I'm enterprising, I'm realistic," students told me, unprompted. Many also told me they were conventional, although they couldn't quite explain what that meant. Truthfully, I found it a bit jarring to hear students labeling themselves.

Tamara Otero, the district's governing board president, told me that the idea of assigning codes to students has more to do with self-exploration than finding a career at a young age.

" By the time students graduate high school, they've taken 64 deep dives into different careers and have researched and tinkered with codes that align to them," Otero said. Her four children attended school in Cajon Valley; she's watched it evolve from classrooms "filled with rows and teachers in front," where kids had nothing to do when they finished their schoolwork, into a hands-on, engaging experience that makes school fun.

Changes began in 2013, when Miyashiro, the superintendent, joined the district and decided to invest in Chromebooks for all students - a decision that gave the district a huge leg up seven years later during the pandemic. He also prioritized building relationships with local business leaders, including tradesmen and military people.

Classrooms in Cajon Valley schools in California often display messages about lifelong learning. Credit: Liz Willen/The Hechinger Report

Many told Miyashiro that certain trade jobs and professions that might not include a college degree were stigmatized by educators, so the superintendent began thinking about how to get more of those professionals into the classroom to speak with students about vocational training and other aspects of their work. The approach rocketed ahead in 2017 when Ed Hidalgo, a former Qualcomm executive who helped develop the World of Work program, joined the district as its chief innovation and engagement officer.
Related: Helping middle schoolers think about a future beyond the pandemic
Hidalgo is a huge champion of innovation, but also recognizes that change does not come easily to most school districts, especially those as large, sprawling and diverse as Cajon Valley, which serves some 17,000 students in 28 elementary and middle schools, along with one high school. The district includes many refugees; students speak as many as 50 languages and up to 69 percent are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The transition hasn't been without obstacles and some teachers push back, Hidalgo told me.

"It doesn't take a lot of money to do this, but it takes time and commitment," Hidalgo said. "It doesn't happen overnight."

A supportive school board helps fund the initiative; the district has also received grants from the nonprofit American Student Assistance. (ASA is among the various funders of The Hechinger Report.) The San Diego Workforce Partnership is helping the district transform school libraries into career spaces, known as "launch pads" that host visiting partners and educators, The district is also partnering with Beable, a literacy program that integrates career development as part of the World of Work.

That program starts in second grade, incorporating the RIASEC framework and giving students reading based on their interests; it also allows educators to track student progress. Unsurprisingly, a steady stream of visitors and educators have been showing up to tour Cajon Valley's schools, wanting to know what the World of Work is all about and what research is underway about student progress.

Hidalgo loves giving tours of schools, pointing to case studies and giving answers about how other school districts might replicate what is happening in San Diego.

"This is about giving every child hope to know that there is a place in the world for them, and that's something we really leave out of the education process," Hidalgo said. "From the beginning of time, students have said, 'Why do I have to learn this?' Helping them see there is a place in the world for them, that really gives kids hope. It makes them want to come to school."

This story about The World of Work was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger's newsletter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The future of work starts early in this California school district - just ask a fifth grader

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Using "The World of Work" curriculum, Cajon Valley Union School District introduces students to careers beginning in kindergarten.

# data[].attributes.headline
Every Child Should Know There's A Place In The World For Them

# data[].attributes.subject
Every Child Should Know There's A Place In The World For Them

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ed Hidalgo: ‘Every child should know there’s a place in the world for them’ - CareerWise

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Reading Time: 7 minutes The World of Work model was created by the Cajon Valley Union School District with guidance and support from teachers, business, education consultants and counselling professors and researchers. As Hartung et al. highlighted in their 2005 paper, “a sizable proportion of grade-school children are capable of employing their emerging understanding of interests and abilities to engage in […]

# data[].attributes.headline
Advantages of Career Learning in the Early Grades

# data[].attributes.subject
Advantages of Career Learning in the Early Grades

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ed Hidalgo brought his World of Work K-12 curriculum to California's Cajon Valley Union School District, which starts career exploration in kindergarten.
PHI DELTA KAPPAN: What does career awareness in the early grades look like?

HIDALGO: When we talk about career-related learning, what's interesting is that much of the CASEL [Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning] framework of social-emotional learning aligns beautifully with the work that we're doing. When we talk about career, it's really about the individual understanding who they are and where they might fit in the world. In a broader sense, we're helping to build identity for young people: a personal identity of strengths, interests, and values, so they know there's a place for them in the world. It can start in the early grades, and kids love it. They love knowing that there's a connection between who they are and a place in the world for them. It's not about tracking or locking them into a pathway. It's about a process of exploring themselves and understanding the world around them. It works because kids like talking about themselves and learning about the world.

In the early grades, we rely on self-reporting; teaching the language of interests; and building out the idea of strengths, interests, and values. We celebrate interest change daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. We know kids are going to change. Their interests are going to change as they have experiences. But in this process of exploration, students get to build a better understanding of themselves and the world. They also identify those highlights where they see themselves fitting best. That doesn't happen through assessment; it happens through experience. Our teachers are giving students the experience of exploration of self, within content areas, with special speakers, field trips, and internships. They're doing the work to understand themselves. The common language helps them land the plane and be able to articulate "who I am and who I think I want to become." It all works together. And that's why it's a human process.

KAPPAN: Can you talk about the World of Work curriculum?

HIDALGO: The World of Work is a truly a massive tool set that we created. The essence of the work is John Holland's framework. It is the common language of career that all teachers learn. They learn how to integrate it into their classrooms and their content areas and apply to the things that they're already doing. Classroom jobs are connected to the RIASEC. Students may apply for classroom jobs based on their alignment with the interest themes that they claim. Teachers will say they never thought of integrating that before, and it all starts with the common language. And then from there comes the other elements of WoW.

Students attend career fairs based on RIASEC. If a student leads with social, what environment would make them feel socially useful? How about a hospital? They can start their journey during the job fair with the recruiters from the hospital and see how their interests align to that experience and that work environment. After that, we can reflect: Did it feel right to you? Did it get your core interested? Those types of reflections and that type of processing are important for students because career development is a human process, and it's best processed between adult and student, and adult and adult. It's a conversation and a collaboration. Through that common language, those types of experiences are being realized. And quite frankly, it works. Research tells us these are the best ways to be doing career development. We've just operationalized it.

What's fun is that students are so comfortable and confident with the language. It doesn't take long for an elementary school teacher to understand the themes of their students. And the teacher doesn't have to remind the students of their interest themes. The students own it, and when they own it, it becomes real. The Beable platform helps to accelerate this process because not only does it improve students' time on task in relation to building literacy skills, but you have career-related learning interwoven into the process.

KAPPAN: What concepts are introduced to younger students about careers?

HIDALGO: When students, littles as I'll call them, leave the home in the morning, they tend to see some community helpers. It may be a police officer or firefighter. They could be visiting the dentist or a doctor, or maybe seeing a nurse. It's very common for them to be interacting with the world of work. So why wouldn't we talk to young people about our community helpers? Why wouldn't we talk about stereotypes associated with workers and workplaces and who do you see here and who don't you see here? And do you think this could be for you? Why or why not? What do you think of the talents and the giftings of the people in these roles? Would you have an interest doing this type of work?

These conversations really build up a child, build up their spirit, helping them recognize that they have giftings that are needed in the world. When you build that foundation, you can start to think about some of these more complex roles like a cybersecurity engineer, electrician, or genetic counselor. Starting in those early grades with those community helpers is really powerful, and it supports why this work is important. It's not about tracking a child to a specific job. It's about opening their eyes to those community helpers and the world of work, something that they're going to be a part of in the not-too-distant future.

With the younger students, there's quite a bit of self-reporting that takes place. Teachers invite students to identify their top themes as they learn the language. Teachers will employ rotation stations, where students will rotate and participate in activities aligned to the theme areas. And at one of those stations, the teacher is talking about one of the themes and building the language with the student. Once you build that common language, you can start talking about characters you are reading about. What are their themes? What do we think about Charlotte's Web? Do we think Wilbur is enterprising or social? There's no right or wrong. It's students being invited to voice their opinions. Those are things that teachers are already doing in the classroom. We're just tying it back to that common language, that connection back to career, and that's when it becomes a consistent language that you can see and hear daily.

Career learning can start in the early grades, and kids love it. They love knowing that there's a connection between who they are and a place in the world for them. It's not about tracking or locking them into a pathway. It's about a process of exploring themselves and understanding the world around them.

The outcome of those foundational experiences and skills is that they begin to identify their own interest themes, and they identify and understand the unique themes of their classmates. Through that process, students then begin to form collaborative teams for projects. Instead of homogenous theme groupings, now they realize, "my team is better when I have different themes on my project team because I'm the enterpriser, but you're the great artist. I want you to come in and bring the art theme." And it's amazing to watch it roll out. Kids are building their own well-rounded teams. Kids learn how to do that on their own - what an essential skill that is. You can't do everything on your own. You need to have complementary gifts on teams. And together, we'll get across the line and be successful.

KAPPAN: What training and support did teachers receive to do this work?

HIDALGO: Teachers are the heroes of this integration success. The mastery that many possess has made all the difference in helping students access this new form of learning. I have been so impressed with the craftsmanship and artistry, especially in the early grades, that has been demonstrated by the Cajon Valley teachers.

When we first started out, I visited with more than 900 teachers at all the school sites, and I introduced them to this process that would allow them to experience their strengths, interests, and workplace values. For many of them, it's something they've never contemplated. As we're thinking about the benefit to young people with this program, there's also a benefit to the adults because they're in their careers. They should be considering and thinking about their strengths, interests, and values. How is it that I do my best work through my strengths? What are my interests, my true interests? Am I in the right role? Is this where I'm supposed to be? Why is it that I come here every day? Why does this work matter to me? Do I feel fairly compensated for the work that I'm doing? Is this where I'm supposed to be at this stage in my career? We had those heavy conversations.

Some people were really interested and lit up by the work, and some people wanted no part of what I was talking about. It's been six years, and I've seen the early adopters. I've seen those who arrived a little bit later in the journey, some who were recruited by those early adopters. For others, it just took a little bit longer to hear the messaging and understand why we were doing this. It's not about having young people select the jobs they're going to do. It is about building an identity, a career identity. It's about building hope and possible selves for every child and helping every child discover their strengths, interests, and values, and seeing themselves in the world. We've gotten a lot of folks on board along the way. And it's been good.

KAPPAN: How did the Cajon Valley parents react?

HIDALGO: In Cajon Valley, families speak Arabic, Pashto, Farsi, Swahili, and Spanish, among others. The district has a significant population of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. It's a resettlement destination for many people living and dealing with crises in other parts of the world, especially Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. What do these families want? They want their kids to be happy. When they come to this country, they only articulate doctor, lawyer, and engineer as the job they want for their kids. As they process this idea of well-being, happiness, strengths, interests, and values, the parents completely switch their thinking. They say, "I want my child to do the work that they were meant to do, to be in a place where they can do their best work and make a difference in the world or solve that problem they're most interested in."

So, we have a wonderfully diverse population of students and families. Some are very low socioeconomic status (SES). Some are very high SES. Both sets of parents tell us the same thing: "I wish I would have had this when I was my child's age." I've not had one parent who said, "I don't want this for my child." Parents will come up to me and say, "Mr. Hidalgo, is my child going to get this next year too? I want them to keep getting this thing." I love working with the parents. It's a new language for them as well. But once they understand it, they see their kids through a different lens. And that's powerful.

KAPPAN: Why is it important to include the youngest students in these discussions?

HIDALGO: You always hear teachers asking, "How do I create more relevance in my content area?" This is the ultimate relevance connection. For example, take Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Could you ask for a better example to bring relevance into the classroom? What do we think were Martin Luther King's top themes? Do you think he led with social? Was he a social helper? Was he an enterprising persuader? Let's look at one of his most important speeches. You watch the speech and then you ask the students, "How many of you could see yourselves doing the same thing? Or how many of you have interest themes that might align with King, and which themes are those? Can you see yourself one day giving a speech in front of a lot of people? What are the themes that you claim?"

Our teachers are giving students the experience of exploration of self, within content areas, with special speakers, field trips, and internships. They're doing the work to understand themselves.

We talk so much about personalized learning. Is what we do in school really personalized? Is it really personal? Do we really understand the child? Do we really involve them in an agentic process of understanding themselves? The beauty of Holland's work is the simplicity. Even the youngest students can have these conversations. Once they learn the language, the payoff for a teacher is engaged students who understand themselves and understand each other. Longer term, it helps to build a language that will be useful in middle school and high school for students, perhaps connecting to CTE pathways, dual enrollment pathways, classes, activities, after-school functions. You're setting the stage in the earliest grades for a child's future possible self, and that's why we should be doing it in the early grades.

Adults don't spend a lot of time in that reflection process. We don't think about our strengths, interests, and values. We're the ones who navigate around careers. Are we on a conveyor belt of career? Or are we taking an active role in experiencing the opportunities that might be in front of us? When we stop to understand who we are, and maybe consider what we're doing and what we want to be doing, we might have richer lives for ourselves as adults. And if we can do that for the adult humans, there's a greater chance that when they go into their classrooms, they're more willing to give that to our little humans or adolescent humans. Everyone can win together.

This article appears in the March 2023 issue of Kappan, Vol. 104, No. 6, pp. 29-33.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Advantages of career learning in the early grades: A conversation with Ed Hidalgo - Kappan Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ed Hidalgo brought his World of Work K-12 curriculum to California's Cajon Valley Union School District, which starts career exploration in kindergarten. PHI DELTA KAPPAN: What does career awareness in the early grades look like? HIDALGO: When we talk about career-related learning, what's interesting is that much of the CASEL [Collaborative for Academic, Social, and [...]

# data[].attributes.headline
Kids Start Talking Careers In Kindergarten

# data[].attributes.subject
Kids Start Talking Careers In Kindergarten

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Christa Held was a little skeptical when she was asked to start teaching her fourth graders new vocabulary that would help them identify possible career options.

"We're already talking about careers, and there's so much we need to learn right now," Held, who teaches math, science, and social studies at Quakertown Elementary School, recalled thinking.

She quickly changed her mind. As Held introduced her students to RIASEC, an acronym for six personality types aligned to different careers, hands shot up in the air - and not just from kids already inclined to speak up. Students whom Held sometimes suspected of being asleep were eager to volunteer which of the letters - which stand for realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional - represented them.

"I don't think I've ever had, in 20 years of teaching, such a wow across the board," Held said. "It made me see them in a whole new light."

The conversations in Held's classroom will be expanding across the Quakertown Community School District this fall - part of a rethinking of how schools should prepare kids for life after graduation. But teachers say it's changing the environment inside their classrooms, too.

Unlike other forms of career education - which might involve a specific class, technical education, or periodic visits from a counselor - the approach in Quakertown aims to form connections between children and possible careers starting as young as kindergarten, in every aspect of their education.

The goal isn't to label or pigeonhole kids, but to let them voice their own interests and realize how their strengths may connect to different career paths, said Ed Hidalgo, a consultant working with the district.

"We expect to see fluidity, change, exploration," said Hidalgo, who previously implemented a similar "World of Work" program in a school district outside San Diego. "It's not a one and done. This is an ongoing conversation."

A former career coach, Hidalgo said he realized from working with students and teachers that the RIASEC codes - which stem from a theory developed by psychologist John Holland in the 1950s and have been adopted by the U.S. Department of Labor - provided a "common language" that everyone could understand.

Under the theory, the different personality types are coded to specific college majors and career options - allowing children who identify as "realistic" and "investigative," for instance, to see a list of compatible occupations, from dental laboratory technicians to landscape architects and conservation scientists.

"We're developing career curiosity for students," said Hidalgo. He distinguished his approach from schools administering career aptitude tests, saying his method relies on students' self-reporting and making the language "part of the instructional core."

His work drew interest from other districts. Hidalgo left the Cajon Valley district in 2022 and joined a consulting group, Educators Cooperative. He now works with other schools in California, as well as in Indiana, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, and has hired a researcher. "It's a long process to measure the ultimate outcomes," he said.

Quakertown Superintendent Matthew Friedman, who learned of Hidalgo's work in Cajon Valley through a national superintendents' association, was intrigued by the approach.

By helping students identify their strengths and interests and connect them to possible career paths, "they're maximizing their school experience," Friedman said - noting that the initiative also doesn't require teachers to adopt a new curriculum but to "sprinkle" the RIASEC language throughout existing lessons. "That's teaching and learning and school to me in its purest form."

Friedman brought Hidalgo into Quakertown last fall, and a group of teachers began introducing RIASEC to students as part of a pilot program. The district paid about $25,000 so far for the consulting, and will continue to work with Hidalgo next year, Friedman said.

The results, Friedman said, have been "pretty amazing."

During a panel discussion last month featuring students and teachers participating in the pilot program, one high school student, Cru McCartney, said that he was surprised to discover that he was "realistic," but thought that the category fit when he read about some common characteristics - such as enjoying working outside and being physically active.

The designation led McCartney to engineering. Now, headed into his senior year, he said he regrets that he didn't make the connection sooner, so that "I would have had more time to try all" the engineering classes.

Another high school student said that he probably wouldn't have talked at all to certain kids in his class, but after discussing the RIASEC letters, found a shared experience and connected with them.

Teachers say they've made stronger connections with their students as a result.

Melissa Riedi prides herself on having a strong classroom community, but "this has heightened that even more to a new level I didn't know was possible," she said.

The third-grade Quakertown Elementary teacher said kids quickly embraced the language when she began using it in February. "They were giving themselves these random percentages, like 'I'm 7% investigative,'" Riedi said. But students have also been identifying who they aren't, she said - a valuable lesson.

One girl, whom Riedi would have thought would be investigative - someone curious, rational, possibly drawn to mathematics - told the teacher that she was "good at that, but I don't like it."

Kids in Riedi's class now identify specific traits they might need help with - "You'll hear them say, 'We're doing a project, I need somebody that's a conventional organizer able to help me'" - and have also made a habit of assigning RIASEC characteristics to people in history they're studying.

That lets kids see themselves in the lessons, she said: "I don't think in the past I've ever had anybody identify with Galileo."

Held, the fourth-grade teacher, says she sees her students in a new light. "Every day, you're trying to figure out how the children in front of you tick," she said. Now, she knows more about their interests - such as that one boy, who is only in her classroom for part of the day, who loves to cook.

The focus on personality traits and pathways has motivated some students to think more strategically - one girl, who wants to be a veterinarian, told Held that "looking at these skills, I've got to work on my patience," the teacher recalled. But it's also boosted the confidence of kids who are struggling, she said.

"You have kids who truly don't feel that great in anything," Held said. Talking about RIASEC helps them see that "my interests matter, other people like what I like, and we are all good at things."

"It's opened up so much for them, and for me," Held said. "They're all teachable moments."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kids start talking careers in kindergarten in this Bucks district. It's part of a new approach with an eye toward life after school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The program will be expanding across the Quakertown Community School District this fall - part of a rethinking of how schools should prepare kids for life after graduation.

# data[].attributes.headline
Exploring the career aspirations of primary school children from around the world

# data[].attributes.subject
Exploring the career aspirations of primary school children from around the world

# data[].attributes.headline
What Works? Career-related learning in primary schools

# data[].attributes.subject
What Works? Career-related learning in primary schools

# data[].attributes.headline
Chapter 4: Using RIASEC with Elementary Students

# data[].attributes.subject
Chapter 4: Using RIASEC with Elementary Students

# data[].attributes.body
Click here to access

# data[].attributes.body
Career conversations: why it is important

for students to talk about their futures in

work with teachers, family and friends

# data[].attributes.body
Click This Link for Dialogic Card Eng/Span

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Get Started with RIASEC in the classroom.pdf

# data[].attributes.body
VIDEO

# data[].attributes.body
RIASEC Booklet: I like it because

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
RIASEC Student Booklet - I like it Because

# data[].attributes.body
Click this LINK for RIASEC Cards

# data[].attributes.body
Click Here for RIASEC Circles in English and Spanish

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Conversation for Teams who plan together

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is dialogic teaching?

Dialogic teaching, a transformative approach to education, can be likened to the dynamic ebb and flow of a lively river, where the exchange of ideas and perspectives is fluid, continuous, and rich with possibilities.

In essence, dialogic teaching emphasizes the importance of dialogue and conversation as vital components of the learning process. By fostering meaningful interactions between teachers and students, as well as among students themselves, this method enriches classroom practice and enhances learning outcomes in primary schools.

The work of Neil Mercer and Robin Alexander sheds light on the quality of classroom talk, providing valuable insights into the different kinds of classroom talk and their impact on students' learning.

Research conducted by the Education Endowment Foundation reveals that children in control schools, where dialogic teaching is implemented, demonstrate significant gains in both their understanding and instrumental learning when compared to their peers in traditional classrooms.

Embracing dialogic teaching requires a shift in classroom dynamics, where the teacher assumes the role of a facilitator, creating an environment that fosters effective classroom dialogue and offers abundant learning opportunities.

By incorporating this approach into their practice, educators can empower students to become active participants in their learning journey, cultivating critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that are essential for success in the 21st century.

‍

‍

‍

‍

What are the origins of dialogic teaching?

The term was first developed by Robin Alexander throughout the early 2000s, however the concept of dialogic talk can be traced back to Socrates. Socrates suggested that education practice should be centered on notions of dialogue and that question should elicit new thinking and not probe for set answers. A teacher and student participated in a question that neither of them knew the answer to, suggesting that the process is more important than the outcome.

Before Alexander began his research, Vygotsky was driven by a concern for language. He suggests that development has a social process because children learn through social interaction by communicating and interacting with more knowledgeable and more able people. They gain a better understanding of prior knowledge. This is better known as cognitive scaffolding. Vygotsky linked better language with better thinking or a stronger ability to express what they mean. Children need rich learning environments. In these settings, there needs to be opportunities for children to engage in meaningful conversations about topics which interest them.

‍

‍

The Power of Conversation: Fostering Critical Thinking through Dialogic Teaching

Dialogic teaching, much like a vibrant tapestry, weaves together a rich array of ideas, perspectives, and questions, creating a stimulating environment that nurtures critical thinking and intellectual growth. Inspired by Robin Alexander's research on the subject, this dynamic classroom strategy has been shown to foster deeper thinking and promote a positive impact on academic outcomes.

There are numerous benefits to incorporating dialogic teaching methods into classroom practice, including:

1. Encouraging active student participation, which fosters a sense of ownership and engagement in their learning journey.

2. Developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as students are challenged to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.

3. Facilitating the development of strong communication skills, as students learn to articulate their thoughts and ideas effectively.

4. Creating a positive attitude towards learning, as students experience the joy of discovery and intellectual curiosity.

5. Building a sense of community and collaboration in the classroom, as students learn from and support one another in their pursuit of knowledge.

The work of Robin Alexander and Barnes and Todd (1995) highlights the transformative potential of dialogic teaching in fostering critical thinking and enhancing academic outcomes. By embracing the power of conversation as a tool for learning, educators can create a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that empowers students to reach their full potential.

‍

Dialogic Teaching Strategies: Encouraging Student Voice and Participation

Dialogic teaching strategies, as fertile soil nourishing the seeds of knowledge, provide a fertile ground for students to cultivate their voice and participate actively in the learning process.

These methods, rooted in educational theories such as Sociocultural theory and Child development theories, emphasize the transformative impact of dialogic education on students' intellectual and social growth. To foster a vibrant and engaging classroom environment, educators can implement the following actionable ideas:

1. Encourage open-ended questioning, promoting deeper levels of thinking and stimulating rich, meaningful discussions.

2. Utilize think-pair-share activities, allowing students to explore and exchange ideas with their peers before sharing with the whole class.

3. Implement Socratic seminars, fostering critical thinking and collaborative inquiry through structured group discussions.

4. Incorporate role-playing activities, enabling students to explore various perspectives and develop empathy.

5. Create safe spaces for reflection and self-expression, empowering students to share their thoughts and ideas without fear of judgment.

The work of Lyle (2008) and Resnick et al. (2015) emphasizes the significant correlation between oracy and student outcomes, underlining the potential social impact of dialogic teaching strategies. By offering ample opportunities for children to engage in meaningful dialogue, educators can inspire students in school to become confident communicators, critical thinkers, and compassionate members of society.

‍

‍

‍

‍

What are the five key principles of dialogic talk?

Dialogic teaching strategies create a rich and engaging learning experience that promotes student voice and participation. At the core of this approach is the use of dialogue during classroom teaching, which fosters an environment that nurtures the development of critical thinking and collaboration. Drawing upon evidence from classroom practice, we can distill five key principles of dialogic talk:

1. Collective: Engaging students in a shared learning experience, where knowledge is co-constructed through dialogue and collaboration.

2. Reciprocal: Encouraging the free exchange of ideas, where students listen to one another, question, and respond thoughtfully.

3. Supportive: Creating a safe and inclusive environment, enabling students to express their thoughts and opinions without fear of judgment.

4. Cumulative: Building on prior knowledge and understanding, allowing students to develop a deeper comprehension of the subject matter.

5. Purposeful: Ensuring that classroom discussions are focused and meaningful, with clear learning objectives in mind.

The research conducted by Alexander (2006) and Mercer and Dawes (2014) highlights the significant impact of dialogic teaching strategies on oracy and student outcomes. By fostering learning practices that emphasize the value of dialogue and interaction, educators can create environments in which children thrive, developing the skills and confidence needed for success in today's interconnected world.

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

By adhering to these key principles in the classroom, students will not only increase understanding of their prior knowledge but also cultivate a sense of curiosity and ownership over their learning journey.

Jerome Bruner, a prominent theorist in the realm of dialogic talk, posits that culture, rather than biology, shapes human life and the human mind. Bruner builds on Vygotsky's notion that most learning in most settings is a communal activity, emphasizing the importance of social interactions in shaping our understanding of the world.

Bruner's research underscores the vital role of positive classroom cultures in fostering effective learning experiences ( Bruner, 1996). He suggests that educators have often underestimated children's innate predispositions for particular kinds of interactions, and by understanding the types of interactions that resonate with children, teachers can create more engaging and meaningful learning environments.

Furthermore, Noddings (2005) highlights the importance of fostering a caring and supportive classroom culture, where students feel valued and understood.

To captivate students' interests and facilitate deeper learning, educators must provide context and purpose for the learning material, employing stories, images, metaphors, and analogies to make abstract concepts more accessible.

In addition, it is crucial to create opportunities for students to practice using language appropriately, as this fosters the development of effective communication skills and promotes a greater understanding of the subject matter. By integrating these principles into their teaching practices, educators can nurture a positive classroom culture that empowers students to thrive academically and socially.

‍

‍

What are the benefits of dialogic teaching?

The benefits of dialogic pedagogy can be seen in its other uses. In business, it enhances employee and customer communication, and in politics it builds constituency. As the science behind dialogic pedagogy has come to light, many schools and organisations have adopted it. We recommend that schools use it to further develop their students. Tata Power Group developed a school in Mumbai where dialogic pedagogy has been integrated into the curriculum.

They observe a daily 20 minute break and allow students to discuss in a group. What impact does dialogic pedagogy have on attainment?

In another study conducted by EEF, they looked at how much time was spent talking about topics such as history, geography, maths and science. They compared three groups: one which had no formal instruction; one who received traditional teacher-led lessons; and one who received an interactive lesson plan. They found that those who were taught via the interactive method achieved higher levels than both the control group and the traditional group.

‍

‍

‍

How should I implement Dialogic Teaching?

There are several ways you could introduce dialogic pedagogy into your class room. The best way would be to start with small steps. You may wish to try out some of the activities suggested below and use them as the basis of starting your own dialogic teaching project.

1) Start off by asking questions. Ask open ended questions. These help build up conversation. When you ask a question, wait for someone else to answer before moving onto the next topic.

2) Use visual aids. Visual aids can include pictures or diagrams.

3) Provide multiple choice options.

4) Allow students to take turns speaking.

5) Have students write down key points from each person's contribution.

6) Encourage students to share opinions and experiences.

7) Give feedback after every turn.

8) Make sure there is enough silence between speakers.

9) Don't interrupt when people speak.

10) Be prepared to listen carefully.

11) Let everyone finish speaking.

‍

‍

‍

Embracing a dialogic learning environment

There are numerous guidelines relating to this pedagogical approach but they shouldn't be seen as straitjackets. Provide teaching staff with the principles and some underlying resources such as a dialogic teaching framework. Afford teachers the opportunity to take educational theory and use it in their own classroom practice. If the concept becomes a tick box exercise implemented by a well-meaning management team then the classroom teacher can easily become demotivated.

We have been trying to systematically increase levels of thinking by increasing the complexity of student thinking. Using the Universal Thinking Framework, we can carefully guide dialogic discourse along with the critical thinking that accompanies it. By carefully taking a student through a certain cognitive route we can positively effect their discourse about the content. The collaborative learning that entails has a positive impact on both the classroom talk and the cognitive development of the student.

This dialogic learning gets to the very essence of what Vygotsky theorised. Scaffolding approaches like this means that we can support the learning process for all of our students.

‍

Creating dialogic teaching guidelines

The following principles outline what makes up an effective dialogue between teachers and students. They have been developed from research into successful schools where there was a high degree of student participation in learning activities. The principles also reflect the views of many practitioners working with young people today.

1) Students' voices matter - they must be heard by everyone involved in the lesson. This means not only listening to them but actively engaging with their ideas and opinions. Teachers need to make it clear that they value this input. The levels of engagement need to be strong even among self-declared introverts.

2) Everyone's voice counts - if we want our learners to feel valued then we must ensure that everyone gets a chance to contribute. We cannot assume that just because somebody speaks first that they will get more airtime. If we do so, we risk creating hierarchies within classrooms based upon power rather than ability.

3) All contributions count equally - even though some might seem less important than others, all contributions still add something valuable to the discussion. This type of democratic engagement builds the foundations of a truly dialogic classroom.

4) Every idea has its place - don't let anyone dominate the debate. There needs to be space for different perspectives on any given issue. Classroom interactions can harvest some new and interesting perspectives.

5) No one knows everything - nobody has all the answers. Instead, we should encourage pupils to think critically about issues and challenge assumptions. This will help raise the quality of classroom talk and raise the levels of thinking.

‍

‍

‍

Coming to a conclusion about dialogic pedagogy

Before we move on to criticisms of dialogic talk, let's briefly touch on how you can assess a structured classroom discussion as it may be difficult to grasp exactly what the students understand from the questions. The first way to assess understanding is through active participation. If a student is participating more than others, you can assume they have a better understanding although this is not always the case. Let's move on to the criticisms of dialogic talk.

Another problem with the theory is that the teachers voice is the guiding source in the lesson however, many teachers lack the tools necessary for planning effective whole class dialogues. Dialogic talk must be structured and implemented effectively to have an impact.

It requires time and effort which are often lacking in teacher education programs. In addition, it takes practice and experience to become proficient at using these techniques. Finally, it is very easy to fall back onto old habits when teaching. As such, I would suggest that teachers who wish to use dialogic methods should start small and work towards implementing larger scale lessons.

To conclude, when students are given the opportunity to form their own opinions and share their thoughts about a topic, they will have a better understanding of the subject. The power of classroom talk also extends to the development of good language skills as they engage in spoken and written discussion. By developing vocabulary and engaging in effective conversations, students will become more able to use their minds to comprehend and recall information.

Further Reading

Philosophy for Children (p4c) is a wonderful way of bringing teachers and children together to discuss things that matter. It has many benefits for both groups. He has published widely including books, articles and chapters in edited volumes. For example, it helps develop empathy by encouraging participants to consider other people's points of view. It encourages children to express themselves freely without fear of being judged or ridiculed. And finally, it provides opportunities for children to learn new words and phrases.

‍

A new classroom tool for classroom talk

At structural learning, we have developed a new collaborative pedagogy that helps children talk and think about their learning. Using specially designed building blocks, children can construct sentences, timelines along with all types of curriculum content. The key to the pedagogy is children articulating their ideas to one another. As groups of learners build with the blocks, they nearly always justify and reason verbally. This natural way of problem-solving promotes deeper thinking and better conversations. You can find out more about this pedagogy on our block building page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dialogic Teaching: A classroom guide for better thinking and talking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dialogic Teaching: A classroom guide for better thinking and talking across your school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Explaining the dialogic processes of teaching and learning: The value and potential of sociocultural theory

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Within the broad field of research on learning, culture and social interaction, sociocultural theory is now commonly used as an explanatory conceptual...

# data[].attributes.headline
Dialogic teaching involves ongoing talk between teacher and students, not just teacher-presentation.When students are given opportunities to contribute to classroom dialogue in extended and varied ways, they can explore the limits of their own understanding. At the same time they practice new ways of using language as a tool for constructing knowledge.

# data[].attributes.subject
Dialogic teaching involves ongoing talk between teacher and students, not just teacher-presentation.When students are given opportunities to contribute to classroom dialogue in extended and varied ways, they can explore the limits of their own understanding. At the same time they practice new ways of using language as a tool for constructing knowledge.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Dialogic Teaching" means using talk most effectively for carrying out teaching and learning. Dialogic teaching involves ongoing talk between teacher and students, not just teacher-presentation.

Through dialogue, teachers can elicit students' everyday, 'common sense'perspectives, engage with their developing ideas and help them overcome misunderstandings.

When students are given opportunities to contribute to classroom dialogue in extended and varied ways, they can explore the limits of their own understanding. At the samue time they practice new ways of using language as a tool for constructing knowledge.

By engaging students in dialogue, teachers can:
- explain ideas
- clarify the point and purpose of activities
- 'model' scientific ways of using language
- help students grasp new, scientific ways of describing phenomena.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
centre for education and international development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
research for equitable access and learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
centre for research on play in education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Dialogic Teaching" means using talk most effectively for carrying out teaching and learning. Dialogic teaching involves ongoing talk between teacher and students, not just teacher-presentation. Through dialogue, teachers can elicit students' everyday, 'common sense'perspectives, engage with their developing ideas and help them overcome misunderstandings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DRAFT_6-12 Prototype_Sample Grab and Go Lesson_Teacher Facing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DRAFT_K-2 Prototype_Sample Grab and Go Lesson Plan

# data[].attributes.headline
Creating a Mini- Portrait of Strengths, Interests, and Values

# data[].attributes.subject
Creating a Mini- Portrait of Strengths, Interests, and Values

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are Your Students Ready for Their Best Possible Future?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A K-16 curriculum designed for life and career readiness, a discovery journey matching strengths, interests, and values to life's opportunities.