Full-Stack Development

Miscellaneous ‐ Showcase Preparation

Lesson 02.25.showcase

Essential Question:

  • How do we effectively prepare to present our technical projects to industry professionals at the STEAM showcase?

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify purpose and structure of the STEAM showcase
  • Develop a concise elevator pitch that communicates our project and technical skills
  • Design professional networking materials including business cards and LinkedIn profiles

Standards:

  • New York State Learning Standards CDOS 3b Students who choose a career major will acquire the career specific technical knowledge/skills necessary to progress toward gainful employment, career advancement, and success in postsecondary programs.
  • IT Career Cluster Framework ITC02.01.02 Demonstrate ability to assist customers in a professional manner.
  • IT Career Cluster Framework ITC09 Employability and career development:know and understand the importance of employability skills. Explore, plan, and effectively manage careers. Know and understand the importance of entrepreneurship skills.
  • NYS Next Generation Learning Standards SL.6.11-12 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Materials:

Scaffolds:

Bridging Learning Gaps:

  • Sentence starters provided for elevator pitch creation
  • Step-by-step checklists for assignments
  • Guided pair work for students who benefit from collaborative support

Differentiation:

  • Various mediums of guides are provided to students
  • Pre-made templates for business cards provided at varying complexity levels

Extensions:

  • Mentor peers who need assistance with professional materials

Opening Task (30 Minutes)

Scholars will complete opening task on Schoology reviewing concepts of the showcase model:

  1. Match the 4 pillars of the STEAM framework to their correct definition
  2. What types of guests will be present at the annual showcase? (Choose all that apply)
  3. What are 3 specific things you hope to gain from participating in the showcase?

Randomly selected scholar will facilitate review with peers

Showcase Overview (15 Minutes)

Instructor facilitated discussion about the annual showcase including:

  • Logistics: date, time, location, schedule, setup requirements
  • Reminders about decorum and professionalism:
    • Appropriate dress code expectations
    • Professional language and communication standards
  • Focus of the showcase: scholars building social capital through meaningful conversations
  • Success metrics: connections made
  • Q&A for student concerns or clarification needs

Professional Scenario Modeling (25 Minutes)

Scholars will demonstrate both effective and ineffective showcase interactions through scenario modeling.

Then, randomly selected scholars will role-play various scenarios of interactions between a student presenter and a guest, including:

  1. Technical Jargon Overload: Student uses excessive technical jargon with non-technical guest
  2. Prepared Professional: Student has elevator pitch ready, engages in productive conversation, exchanges contact information
  3. Underprepared Presenter: Student lacks clear explanation of project, cannot answer basic questions

After each scenario class will discuss the interaction using the following guiding questions:

  • Was the presenter prepared? What evidence do you have?
  • How could this interaction have been improved?

Break (10 Minutes)

Station Rotation (60 Minutes)

Scholars will rotate between 3 stations (20 minutes each) to create materials in preparation for the annual showcase:

Station 1: Business Cards

  • Example business cards avaiable to students
  • Students have option of designing on blank a business card first
  • Review of effective business card elements
  • Creation of business card design using Adobe Express
  • Peer feedback on business card clarity and professionalism

Station 2: LinkedIn Profile

  • Review of example past student LinkedIn profiles
  • Checklist of essential LinkedIn profile elements
  • Highlighting technical skills and projects
  • Profile picture guidelines and options

Station 3: Elevator Pitch

  • Enhancement of prior elevator pitch(es) to be more focused on self
  • Template with key elements (problem, solution, skills, call to action)
  • Practice in pairs with feedback
  • Recording final version for self-evaluation

Instructor + TA will rotate between groups and provide additional guidance and instructions as schoolars complete each task.

Students will be grouped based on their teams, 2 teams at each station.

Exit Ticket (05 Minutes)

Scholars will complete a quick exit ticket to assess their preparedness:

  1. Rate your confidence in presenting your project (1-5 scale)
  2. What aspect of your preparation still needs the most work?
  3. What is your primary goal for the showcase event?

Cleanup / Dismissal (05 Minutes)

Showcase Materials Checklists

Business Card

  • Full Name prominently displayed
  • Professional email address
  • LinkedIn URL or Personal Website URL (QR Code)
  • Lists your technical focus area/job title
  • Has clean, professional design with appropriate colors
  • Text is easily readable
  • No spelling and grammatical mistakes

LinkedIn Profile

  • Professional profile photo
  • Headline that states your technical focus
  • Summary that highlights your skills and career goals (3-5 sentences)
  • Education section with both STEAM and Home School listed
  • At least 5 relevant skills
  • Work experience or volunteer activities listed
  • Certifications listed
  • No spelling and grammatical mistakes

Elevator Pitch

  • Your Name & Pathway
  • Explains your project and problem focus
  • Specific technologies/skills mentioned
  • Limits technical jargon
  • Ends with a clear next step or call to action
  • No spelling and grammatical mistakes