M. Branham, a CTE agriculture teacher who has been teaching the past five years shares her views on CTE education, funding and academics. When asked what changes CTE courses needed, she stated there needed to be a stronger focus on workplace skills, students needed to have student ownership and to be responsible. In the high school arena, students are still quite immature when dealing with people and being good employees. Other areas that needed focused on are things like showing up for work on time, completing assignments (job duties) and over-all being responsible.
In the area of funding. Mrs. Branham stated that funding would be increased, but still funding lies in census. The more students in CTE programs the more funds would given. Perkin's Funding, which is a federal funding program, in the future will be easier to obtain. More grants are are in the works.
Academics still needs to be a primary focus, although students may not be interested in them. Incorporating academics with CTE programs shows students how important academics are and how they will use them once out of school, giving geometry as an example in building a home.
Changes are being seen with more a more positive outlook than in the past few years. We can only hope that positive changes will become the norm and programs will not regress in the future.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Why Students are Choosing Career and Technical Courses
In a question and answer session, Health Services seniors in a low-income area high-school, were asked three questions. 1. "Why did you choose to take this program?" 2. "How does this program differ from your academic courses?" and 3. " What would you choose for a career if CTE courses weren't available?"
The overwhelming response to question one, "Why did you take this program?" was that 100% of the students wanted to go into nursing or a health care field. In addition to this response many felt the Health Services program would give them a head start on their career and would help them when they got into college.
The second question, "How does this program differ from your academic classes?" was again an overwhelming response; with academic courses, they didn't receive the hands-on experiences they had with CTE, and academic courses were "all textbooks and reading"; they learned from doing hands-on experiences. One particular student stated" this program differs from my academic classes because I feel more at ease and comfortable with this class, I like it and it is what I am interested in."
With the the third question, "What would you choose for a career if CTE courses weren't available?" The answers varied somewhat, one student stated she would take over her father's business, some responses were they would go into teaching, others stated they would still go into nursing, and one response was " I guess I would not even go on to college because I am just not interested in all of the academic classes."
We find students have a desire to learn when they find something they are interested in. The key is to find out what that desire is, and nurture it. We may have to go about nurturing their desire to learn in different ways, it may be hands on experiences, reading books, computers or a combination of all. The important thing is that programs be available for where ever their desires may lie.
The overwhelming response to question one, "Why did you take this program?" was that 100% of the students wanted to go into nursing or a health care field. In addition to this response many felt the Health Services program would give them a head start on their career and would help them when they got into college.
The second question, "How does this program differ from your academic classes?" was again an overwhelming response; with academic courses, they didn't receive the hands-on experiences they had with CTE, and academic courses were "all textbooks and reading"; they learned from doing hands-on experiences. One particular student stated" this program differs from my academic classes because I feel more at ease and comfortable with this class, I like it and it is what I am interested in."
With the the third question, "What would you choose for a career if CTE courses weren't available?" The answers varied somewhat, one student stated she would take over her father's business, some responses were they would go into teaching, others stated they would still go into nursing, and one response was " I guess I would not even go on to college because I am just not interested in all of the academic classes."
We find students have a desire to learn when they find something they are interested in. The key is to find out what that desire is, and nurture it. We may have to go about nurturing their desire to learn in different ways, it may be hands on experiences, reading books, computers or a combination of all. The important thing is that programs be available for where ever their desires may lie.
Monday, April 13, 2009
What is Career and Technical Education?
What is Career and Technical Education? The Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) describes the goals of CTE as including"...helping students, workers and lifelong learners of all ages fulfill their working potential. " The same source states that CTE emphasizes contextual learning, employability skills, and career exploration. CTE also represents training and added degree opportunities for the unemployed and others seeking to broaden their skill sets, thus improving their employability and chances of career advancement (ACTE, 2007).
Most people think of CTE as elective courses in high school with such courses as Auto Mechanics, Marketing, Agriculture, Carpentry, Health, and Industry. The CTE curriculum appeals to a diverse group of students, with almost every high school student earning at least some credits in CTE courses. (Scott, Sarkees-Wircenski) The goal of CTE is to prepare students for the workforce, and to give employeers trained workers. Historically, the purpose of CTE has been to prepare students for entry level jobs in occupations requiring less than a baccalaureate degree. Over the last decade CTE has developed academic, vocational, and technical skills of students. Incorporating these skills have helped develop math skills, reading skills, a renewed interest in science, and developing ever-changing techology skills. Students take more interest in academics when it is incorporated with CTE courses. When learning "hands on" and how math, science and reading fit in the real world, it makes sense to the student why they need these academic courses. Instead of sitting in a class room, they put in use fractions, anatomy, geometry, reading and following directions into something they can see and use.
With an interest in CTE courses, it is highly likely students may have difficulty with regular academic courses but those who are potential drop-outs will want to stay in school. In the post-secondary setting, with unemployment numbers rising each day, CTE courses train laid-off workers for new job skills in areas where employment is likely to be higher.
Most people think of CTE as elective courses in high school with such courses as Auto Mechanics, Marketing, Agriculture, Carpentry, Health, and Industry. The CTE curriculum appeals to a diverse group of students, with almost every high school student earning at least some credits in CTE courses. (Scott, Sarkees-Wircenski) The goal of CTE is to prepare students for the workforce, and to give employeers trained workers. Historically, the purpose of CTE has been to prepare students for entry level jobs in occupations requiring less than a baccalaureate degree. Over the last decade CTE has developed academic, vocational, and technical skills of students. Incorporating these skills have helped develop math skills, reading skills, a renewed interest in science, and developing ever-changing techology skills. Students take more interest in academics when it is incorporated with CTE courses. When learning "hands on" and how math, science and reading fit in the real world, it makes sense to the student why they need these academic courses. Instead of sitting in a class room, they put in use fractions, anatomy, geometry, reading and following directions into something they can see and use.
With an interest in CTE courses, it is highly likely students may have difficulty with regular academic courses but those who are potential drop-outs will want to stay in school. In the post-secondary setting, with unemployment numbers rising each day, CTE courses train laid-off workers for new job skills in areas where employment is likely to be higher.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
The Problems that Career and Technical Education Teachers Face and How We Prepare Them
The view of Career and Technical Education teachers for many years was that their occupational abilities were the only abilities they needed to teach, but as time progressed we have learned this is not the case. Career and Technical Education teachers are now expected to incorporate academics by teaching students who may have problems with reading and math skills or those with learning disabilities. Even though these teachers are top-notch in their profession, they may not have the skills or knowledge to teach math and reading, or how to incorporate an individual lesson plan. They weren't trained to be teachers, they were trained in their profession as nurses, carpenters, and mechanics. While studying nursing in a vocational school setting, we were trained to be nurses and create care plans, not lesson plans. Math and reading skills were not part of the curriculum, nor were teaching them. Technology was a four hour course on a computer. It was also thought that those with good occupational and technical skills, although having little teaching skills, was a recipe for a good CTE teacher. A 2001 research study states "It is clear that the old adage that people from the workplace are always a natural teacher is hogwash." Not that we are facing a teacher shortage, how are we preparing these teachers to teach? (W.Camp)
Three decades ago, in the state of Florida, universities had graduate and undergraduate programs for CTE teachers. As years have passed these CTE programs have gradually been reduced. In order to further stay the reduction of these programs, Distance Learning was developed by the American Distance Teaching and Learning. These course were developed for online use with a strong emphasis on standalone units that were designed with short bursts of learning in mind, with a variety of media and problem-based learning techniques. The CTE online programs are an updated, no nonsense approach to learning, using a variety of sources(Blank and Hernandez 28) Other views regarding long distance learning were that using these programs will not achieve the desired results fro CTE educators. (W. Camp 16)
Recent research studies have shown that there has been a decline in CTE teacher education programs in the past decade. Studies also reveal in the upcoming decade there will be an increase in technical programs and an increase in students taking these programs. In the state of Michigan, St. Claire Technical Education Center has developed an on-site program to obtain, keep, and to meet the needs of teachers who have come from occupational jobs and going directly into the teaching field. Their focus was to blend together teacher education, professional development, and other activities to avoid further stress on new teachers by putting in the time and money to do these sorts of activities. (K. Szuminski 28.) Other researchers felt to increase student knowledge, reform efforts were needed. As Linda Darling-Hammond stated "Substantial evidence from prior reform efforts indicates that changes in course-taking, curriculum content, testing, or textbooks make little difference if teachers do not know how to use these tools well, and how to diagnose their student's learning needs."
So, how are we preparing our CTE teachers? Online courses, on-camps classes, close contact with advisors and instructors are a great benefit. In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a workshop known as the New Teacher Institute is of tremendous value, along with the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program to new CTE teachers. In todays economy, one must take into consideration how will funding for education affect today's CTE teacher education, courses, and students? From the days of the Romans, career and technical occupations have been used. If one needed medical care, cars, homes, and technology, who would provide these services?
Three decades ago, in the state of Florida, universities had graduate and undergraduate programs for CTE teachers. As years have passed these CTE programs have gradually been reduced. In order to further stay the reduction of these programs, Distance Learning was developed by the American Distance Teaching and Learning. These course were developed for online use with a strong emphasis on standalone units that were designed with short bursts of learning in mind, with a variety of media and problem-based learning techniques. The CTE online programs are an updated, no nonsense approach to learning, using a variety of sources(Blank and Hernandez 28) Other views regarding long distance learning were that using these programs will not achieve the desired results fro CTE educators. (W. Camp 16)
Recent research studies have shown that there has been a decline in CTE teacher education programs in the past decade. Studies also reveal in the upcoming decade there will be an increase in technical programs and an increase in students taking these programs. In the state of Michigan, St. Claire Technical Education Center has developed an on-site program to obtain, keep, and to meet the needs of teachers who have come from occupational jobs and going directly into the teaching field. Their focus was to blend together teacher education, professional development, and other activities to avoid further stress on new teachers by putting in the time and money to do these sorts of activities. (K. Szuminski 28.) Other researchers felt to increase student knowledge, reform efforts were needed. As Linda Darling-Hammond stated "Substantial evidence from prior reform efforts indicates that changes in course-taking, curriculum content, testing, or textbooks make little difference if teachers do not know how to use these tools well, and how to diagnose their student's learning needs."
So, how are we preparing our CTE teachers? Online courses, on-camps classes, close contact with advisors and instructors are a great benefit. In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a workshop known as the New Teacher Institute is of tremendous value, along with the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program to new CTE teachers. In todays economy, one must take into consideration how will funding for education affect today's CTE teacher education, courses, and students? From the days of the Romans, career and technical occupations have been used. If one needed medical care, cars, homes, and technology, who would provide these services?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Beefing Up Career and Technical Education in Kentucky
"Kentucky Beefs Up its CTE Program" written by Mary Helphinstine, Larry Helphinestine and Wayne King reveals the combined efforts of the Office of Career and Technical Education and the Kentucky Department of Education. These two offices have been working together since 2001 to improve educational requirements students need, and what employers are asking for in the job force. The work industry requires students who are skilled in the technical and academic aspects of jobs.
An assessment process was developed to bring to light the strengths and weaknesses of career and technical programs. A team was developed to evaluate the programs using a scoring system of one through four. Along with state assessments, each school is required to do self- assessments to ensure continuity of growth and compliance.
Strengths, challenges, and concerns documented found student scores have increased, but CATS proficiency scores need to improve. Parent and community involvement has also improved. Some of the challenges were the need for more professional development, keeping teachers in the career-tech programs and improving academic scores. It is wise to note that Kentucky's Office and Technical Education was admitted by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement. The OCTE district now has the responsibility to oversee and provide support to area technology centers.
An assessment process was developed to bring to light the strengths and weaknesses of career and technical programs. A team was developed to evaluate the programs using a scoring system of one through four. Along with state assessments, each school is required to do self- assessments to ensure continuity of growth and compliance.
Strengths, challenges, and concerns documented found student scores have increased, but CATS proficiency scores need to improve. Parent and community involvement has also improved. Some of the challenges were the need for more professional development, keeping teachers in the career-tech programs and improving academic scores. It is wise to note that Kentucky's Office and Technical Education was admitted by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement. The OCTE district now has the responsibility to oversee and provide support to area technology centers.
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