Mrs. MacFarland
College & Career Readiness
Meridian World School
2555 North IH 35, Round Rock, TX 78664
Phone: (512) 660-5230
email: m.macfarland@mwschool.org
Tutorials:
Mon. 7:45-8:15 a.m., 4:05-4:35 p.m.
Wed. 7:45-8:15 a.m
Announcement for 2023-2024, new schedule, Secondary will start at 8:25-4:05 MTTHF and Wednesday 8:25-1:30
Helpful Links for College and Career Readiness Units: Calendar & Syllabus, Standards Based Grading, Unit 1: Careers & Success, Unit 2/5: ACT/SAT Practice, Unit 3: College Exploration, Unit 4: College Application Process, Unit 6: Personal Project Report and Expo, Unit 7: Budgeting & Savings, Scholarships and Financial Aid, Unit 8: Debate, Research, Summer Enrichment Ideas
Helpful Links for Personal Project: Timeline, Generating Ideas, Global Contexts, Planning, Success Criteria, Research, Personal Project Paper, Applying Skills, Reflecting, Expo, Requirements, Supervisors, Helpful Links, Process Journal, Rubric, Learner Profile Traits, Inquiry Cycle, Meetings with Supervisor
Course Description
OVERVIEW: College & Career Readiness is a 10th grade course that offers a student-centered curriculum where students apply approaches-to-learning skills geared toward their own interests and future career paths. Students will explore and answer questions such as: What careers interest me? What are my career goals? What education do I want to pursue after high school? What are some effective habits and skills for success? What do I need to do to prepare effectively for college or trade school? Overall, students will prepare and begin implementing goals towards their long-term college and career plans with a teacher acting as a mentor and a facilitator. The course emphasizes self-awareness, career and college readiness, goal setting and planning using an inquiry- based process through real life applications and scenarios.
CAREERS: Students will explore personality and interests in a career exploration learning about advantages and disadvantages of potential careers. They will also conceptualize what success means to them.
COLLEGES: Students will also explore education options after high school (4 year colleges, 2 year colleges, trade schools, military pathways) based on their interests and learn the fundamentals of the college application process and the overall steps for preparation.
21st CENTURY SKILLS: Students will gain some 21st Century Skills with technology, presentations, and learning to make a budget. Students will also develop ATL skills including research skills and organization and will learn to formulate an argument and debate.
TESTING: Students will be exposed to two college entrance exams: the PSAT in the fall and the ACT in the spring as a mock exam. The goal is to familiarize students with the format and types of questions on the PSAT and ACT and for students to recognize their strengths and areas for growth. Please note that the class is not a test preparation class, but an avenue to help expose students to the test and recognize areas for growth.
PERSONAL PROJECT: Students will also be guided through the steps for planning and developing their MYP Personal Project, an independent exploration where students develop a line of inquiry and research and develop their own product and paper. The personal project formally assesses students' Approaches to Learning (ATL skills) for self-management, research, communication, critical and creative thinking, and collaboration.
Link to College Readiness Syllabus
Link to Personal Project Brochure
Helpful Links: Click on the image below to access the link.
Students who need access to the gradebook should email skyward@mwschool.org for a username and password to be set up. Student Access to Gradebook through SkywardTeacher Access to Gradebook.