Using guest speakers to support learning is a structured Career Awareness activity in which students listen to a presentation to learn about the speaker’s career, business or organization and industry, and ask questions to help them consider whether they might like to pursue a career in the industry.
Designed to meet specific learning outcomes, guest speaker presentations are educationally rich, are tied to the curriculum, and help students connect what they’re learning in school with the workplace. Presentations are usually conducted at the school, but in some cases guest speakers may visit a classroom via Skype, Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams or some other technology; and the activity is conducted through the use of a remote classroom. There are also virtual simulations available where a recording of a live guest speaker activity can be viewed online and serve as a foundation for an activity and/or discussion in the remote classroom.
Guest speaker presentations are one activity in the continuum of authentic work-based experiences provided to all students engaged in career-related programs or course of study in New York City schools.
In New York State, this includes certified work-based learning coordinators and others who facilitate, arrange and support work-based learning activities for students.