Students who are pursuing a Career in Technical Education often see an enormous divide between their academic studies and their career path. Students in a CTE program usually excel in the technical and career side of their program where they are engaged in their learning and challenged and stimulated by their study. I firmly believe that if these students could see the relevance of their academic studies and how it would benefit them outside of the classroom they would be more motivated to excel. By stimulating students and engaging them in real world scenarios, teachers can close the great divide that exists between the CTE path and the academic path, providing students with an authentic, engaging curriculum that will motivate them and provide them with real world skills that they can immediately employ in the work force. I believe that CCLS can promote the goals of CTE and provide a clear framework for better preparing students for career readiness. I think the key to success is choosing authentic materials that promote the career field and are seen as authentic opportunities that will help prepare them for their career field.
Mrs. McCloe's response
ReplyDeleteThis year I am currently attending a professional development called Building Bridges. Teachers participating in this program are visiting area businesses to learn what positions are available and the skills needed in order for students to seek employment upon graduation from high school or college. After participating in a few sessions thus far, it is obvious there is a need for educational changes at the high school level. Students need to be aware of the careers and skills that are needed to succeed in the 21st Century in order to be competitive and successful in the workplace. It is our job as educators to inform our students of these changes and to arm them with the necessary skills.
Not all students will be attending college and therefore we have to reevaluate the career paths these students could embrace. Students are unaware of the careers available without a college education. Now that NYS is implementing the CCLS, educators are faced with the responsibility to make sure our students can attend college and focus on the career path of their choosing or be able to seek entry level employment after leaving high school. When students are ready to seek employment, I agree with Aaron that students need to know how to prepare a resume and understand the process of a job interview, how to budget their pay, etc. In other words, all students need to be able to make appropriate personal financial decisions. These are the topics that I teach in Career & Financial management. Therefore, a certified business teacher needs to be in the one instructing on these topics.
The business and technology departments are currently working on the career paths that students at NV could pursue with a college education or seek entry-level employment. We are also evaluating the skills necessary for entry level employment. I can only see the CCLS positively impacting CTE. Our economy is in a tough place at this time. Can students leave high school and seek entry level employment and work his/her way up in a company? Absolutely; as long as they are provided the necessary skills.
The major challenge with the CTE course has been finding material that students believe ties into their career track and work at B.O.C.E.S. Students think of English as reading literature and poetry, and do not often connect this with their own professional lives. When integrating more financial literacy, career planning and career research, students began to become more engaged, but it was a challenge to overcome this initial stigma associated with English.
DeleteThoughts to ponder from the Building Bridges program…
ReplyDeleteProgram goals are:
• To consider the extent to which “learning for earning” should be part of the curriculum at different levels of formal education.
• To explore ways to foster workplace behaviors and competencies through regular academic subjects at all levels of education.
I'll see how many copies of 21ST CENTURY SKILLS: LEARNING FOR LIFE IN OUR TIMES by Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel we still have around to let you use for this project.
ReplyDelete