Title of Project:

• Career Choice Song

Teachers and Courses Involved:

• Mr. Kevin Schell, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Gulf Coast High School
• Ms. Lynn Anthony, English, Gulf Coast High School
• Graphics/Photography class, Gulf Coast High School
• TV Production, all TV production teachers around the district

Description of the Integrated Curriculum Project:

• Collier County provides its students with every possible opportunity the county can offer. Being in the classroom with students each and every day made me understand what catches their attention and makes them get excited about their future. In an effort to reach this new, high-tech, fast-paced generation, I collaborated with TV production teachers around the school district to reach upcoming eighth graders in a media they would embrace. The purpose of the project was to educate students in Collier County about the pathways, academies, special courses, and career guidance available to them at the high school level in a fun, upbeat, and entertaining way.  Instead of a typical, three-fold brochure presenting the equivalent information, the Career Choices Song captivated a audience familiar with the media of music (rap) and movies. The students basically made a music video.

  
  

Student Involvement, Reactions and Benefits:

• Probably the most interesting and exciting part regarding our Career Choices song is that it was written and performed by teachers and students at Gulf Coast High School. I see different types of students every day in my classroom. Some have sports as an esteem building outlet but others do not and I want those students to not miss out on an important part of their high school experience. This song allowed many of those students not involved in high school sports to have a hand in something with an esteem building effect and provided them with an outlet to express some of their great talents, creativity, and imagination. Not only did the students involved in the songwriting and performance stages of the project benefit, their classmates', friends' and peers' reactions made me grasp the true success of this project. The other students were supportive and enthusiastic about our final product. Desere Hernandez, a student involved in the project said, “I was given a great opportunity to express my talents with an awesome group of students. It just goes to show that people can really work together for educational purposes. Doing that song helped me to see what I truly love to do!”

Plans for Future Continuation, Modification:

• My hope for the project is in the future we have an opportunity to create a new song. As the career pathways change along with the next generation of Collier County students, if the occasion arises to team up with forthcoming students, it would be a great experience for them to expand on the basis of what these students have already tested. It is possible that a tentative curriculum incorporating the ideas and processes of this project would be beneficial and thrilling for students of Collier County in the future.