http://www.edutopia.org/new-way-learning
In this article, I found some inspiration. The article explains some of the ways that educational innovators have begun to change the face of high schools. One idea, which I have seen in a limited form in my district, are for schools to offer academies within the school setting. Students take their core classes, but also learn about a career. Since the governor of Florida has determined that students entering high school must choose a major, schools have begun to offer some training academies.
Another step that high schools are taking, according to this article, is to use vocational testing and training to help students determine what they want to do upon graduation. The idea is to help the students who are not planning to attend college and keep these students from falling into the cracks in the educational system. I feel this is a very important step that all students should be getting BEFORE they pick a major for high school. Many students have no idea what they want to do, but they are forced to pick something that may end up being completely irrelevant to waht they will face after graduation.
The inspiration I found is:
1. Others are starting to act on the items I have been so passionate about for years; and
2. Public high schools are beginning to act on the needs of their students to prepare them for the future.
I do plan to use extensive vocational testing and training in my school.
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I find it interesting that they call this "a new way of learning" when this is actually an old concept. I live in Jacksonville, FL and when I attended HS we had a "Skills Center" that allowed students who were not going to attend college after graduation the option to learn a skill. The skill could be auto mechanics, carpentry, computer training, etc. When these students graduated from HS (i.e., the "Skills Center"), they were better prepared to get a job once leaving HS. Unfortunately, they did away with the "Skills Center" which left students not planning to attend college in a precarious situation, but its nice to see that some school districts have developed the "new" training academies.
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