Students need authentic experiences that expose them to STEM careers. But how can future meteorologists, astronauts, and zoologists get real-world lessons? Virtual labs, of course! Simulations deliver lessons that might not be accessible in person so students can meaningfully engage with STEM professionals and content.
Why is career exploration important in high school?
It’s critical for students, especially those in high school, to learn about different types of career possibilities. They need to visualize themselves in future positions and professions or maybe even rule out certain career paths.
STEM career exploration helps students discover interests and passions. Students can explore tools to help them gain skills and knowledge. It also gives them an understanding of what will be expected of them to achieve their career goals. For example, specific career options for students may require college degrees or apprenticeships. Knowing this information makes planning for their futures easier!
What are virtual labs and how do they work?
Virtual labs, like ExploreLearning Gizmos and STEM Cases, are accessible online and simulate actual laboratory environments. They help students make connections and draw conclusions through an interactive design. With simulations, students perform experiments with virtual tools to practice procedures, adjust variables, and analyze results without physically being in a lab.
There are more reasons to love virtual labs. Rich visuals and virtual models support student understanding. Because students interact with digital tools, virtual labs also provide immediate feedback. Safety concerns are removed because there’s no need for actual chemicals or equipment. Virtual simulations are also cost-effective tools to use for career planning for high schoolers because students can explore a wide range of options without leaving the classroom.
Benefits of using virtual labs for career exploration
Virtual labs help students connect their education to the real world by allowing them to see how schoolwork helps with their future career goals. Students can explore careers through immersive, interactive, and authentic experiences. These realistic investigations provide a deeper understanding of job expectations than reading or listening to details of different occupations can do.
Virtual labs don’t require the preparations of traditional labs, so teachers and students are free to explore as needed without time and space constraints. This opens up opportunities for exploring a wide variety of careers, which takes the idea of a career fair to the next level.
Integrating virtual labs into career planning activities
Don’t just tell students about possible career choices. Show them with virtual labs. Here are just a few ideas for incorporating virtual labs into career activities for high school students (and middle schoolers, too!).
- Introduce students to new career paths with STEM projects that serve as hands-on training with virtual labs.
- Allow students to pursue their own interests with individual career planning and Gizmos.
- Plan collaborative career projects that strengthen communication skills through group work that mirrors real-world collaboration needed in every job.
- Host a virtual career day and follow it up with Gizmos for deeper understanding.
Supporting future STEM teachers with Gizmos
Gizmos uses an inquiry-based approach to learning validated by extensive research as a highly effective way to build conceptual understanding in math and science. Our researchers asked teachers about the extent to which using Gizmos and STEM Cases positively impacts student interest in math and/or science careers. The results showed that overall, 73% of teachers felt that Gizmos and STEM Cases played a role in increasing student interest in math and/or science careers.
What about future STEM teachers? Kenneth Jones, Master Teacher and member of the UTeach faculty at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, uses Gizmos in a demonstration lesson to illustrate the 5E Model and how technology can be incorporated as a component. “For using Gizmos with my future teachers, I liked that they were simple to use,” said Jones. “ Unlike some technology where you have to spend time teaching how to operate the tool, the Gizmos were intuitive and easy for students to figure out and then easy for them to explain and introduce to students when they used them in the classroom.”
When his students graduate and have students of their own, he hopes they have access to the Gizmos of over 550 simulations and use them effectively.
Preparing the next generation of STEM professionals
Are you searching for tools to prepare your students to enter STEM careers? Gizmos use research-based instructional strategies to bring fundamental math and science concepts used in STEM careers to life. With detailed graphics, vocabulary sheets, and customizable student lessons and activities, Gizmos can help address the challenges that English Language Learners and special education students face and help all students reach their highest potential.
Gizmos utilize research-proven best practices to expose students to STEM experiences:
- Rich visuals and virtual models support student understanding
- Allows for multiple modes of representation (discussion, pictures, graphs, writing, etc.)
- Varied activity levels scaffold and differentiate learning
- Provides opportunities for individual and guided practice
- Connects concepts and vocabulary to real-world experiences
Gizmos and Gizmos STEM Cases help students dig deeper into subjects and understand challenging concepts. Every Gizmo has extensive teaching resources that help make planning and teaching easy. Gizmos have you covered for whole group, small group, or 1:1 lessons. Take a free trial and connect your students with authentic STEM career exploration tools.
