National Sponsors
February 19, 2004 The Goldendale Sentinel | |
©
The Goldendale Sentinel. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 7 (7 of 16 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
February 19, 2004 |
|
Website © 2024. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader |
USE SUBJECT TO LICENSE AGREEMENT. REPRODUCTION, DISSEMINATION, STORAGE, DISTRIBUTION PROHIBITED.
RY 1~RUARY 19, 2004
PAGE 7
iona
I
By BOB MOCO
The Sentinel
education, now
"career and technical
n," (CTE) has been
long time.
experience was a
I took in ninth
pretty" sure I had a
in the eighth
but darned if I can
anything about it).
several projects
in metals was the
Land making of a "cold-
We first had to
design before being
forge and hammer
Well, my drawing
bad, but my skills at
something to be
My end product
more like one of those
they used to put
together with in
rather than a chisel
that is to be used for chiseling.
Of memorial note in this
class was the one or two swats
I received for "misguided"
behavior. Mr. Hubbard, the
metals
teacher, had
forearms as
big as my
thighs and a
paddle with
holes about
three feet long
(well, it looked
like three feet
to me then).
Any breech of
shop safety
(his definition
-- ours, he was
in a bad mood) was dealt with
a swat.
My next encounter with a
vocational class was electron-
ics in the tenth grade. Mr.
DeLong was the complete
opposite of Mr. Hubbard. His
demeanor and aggressiveness
was akin to Mr. Rogers', of
television. I really enjoyed the
class although if I attempted
to practice at home what I
learned in class, I certainly
would have become a street or
foster child (read: I was dan-
gerous when around electrici-
ty). I learned Ohm's Law and
a few other neat things of
which I remember nothing.
So, electronics wasn't my forte
either.
In eleventh grade, I had the
opportunity to take auto shop.
Aren't all males at that age
supposed to be interested in
cars? I was, but only for trans-
portation purposes (and did it
have a large back seat?).
Without going
into great
detail, I defi-
nitely was not
at that time in
my life
mechanically
inclined
(although
today I can put
together a TV
stand and even
follow the
directions!). In
fact, I used to
ovm a VW bus and VW bug
and do repair work using the
Idiot's Guide for
repairing VW's.
I shouldn't for-
get typing.
Strangely, I did
OK in that and
didn't get my fin-
gers entangled
too much in the
keys.
Fate would
have it that the first couple of
years as a teacher at GHS, I
taught typing using the same
manual Olivet/is I learned on.
(I think most of them from
GHS are now used as sturgeon
buoy anchors.) Before wrap-
ping up this article and mak-
ing my point, I must mention
chemistry. I was so inept at
lighting a Bunsen burner (I
blame it on the strikers we
used), that the teacher and
class would move to the other
end of the classroom while I
was trying to light that blasted
thing!
What does vocational edu-
cation mean to me? My expe-
riences in high school educat-
ed me to the reality that I did
not have the ability to do any
hands-on work whatsoever.
(though my dad was a carpen-
ter, so I guess genetics aren't
everything.)
So what we call CTE now
taught me then that I was not
cut out for these types of occu-
pations.
But just as important were
the successes of some of my
fellow students in
these same techni-
cal courses - stu-
dents who ended
up taking three
years of auto shop
and securing good
jobs after high
school.
Is it important
for GHS to offer
various types of vocational
and hands-on classes?
Absolutely. Along with our
Career Pathway program, our
mission is to expose students
to as many occupational areas
as possible for them to deter-
mine their interests, abilities,
and aptitudes.
Last year, we wrote an arti-
cle celebrating
the 3oth year of
the CRT pro-
gram. This com-
munity has
embraced the
training and
exposing of our
students to vari-
ous occupation-
al areas that we
cannot possible
cover on-cam-
pus at GHS. Our
agricultural sci-
ence program
(par excellence) speaks for
itself. Our business education
program now teaches graphic
arts, produces the school
newspaper and yearbook, cer-
tifies students in different lev-
els of Microsoft Training, and
has produced, what I feel, is an
unusually high number of
CPAs due to their exposure of
accounting principals in our
accounting class.
What does vocational edu-
cation mean to me? Here are
some comments taken from a
narrative two of our students
had to write in competing for
the WAVE Award
(Washington Award for
Vocational Excellence). Our
candidate will be competing
against other candidates in the
15th legislative district (only
three per district can win) for
a fee and tuition waiver for
two years at any public college
or university in Washington.
"Public speaking, project
organization, marketing,
sales, bookkeeping, interper-
sonal relations, and the busi-
ness competitions at the
state/national levels, are just a
few learned skills developed
while involved . . . This
important vocational educa-
tion I have received at the high
school level has certainly given
me an advantage over other
students that may begin to
learn those skill during their
college years."
"To me vocational educa-
tion has meant a lot in the
sense of my future. The skills
I have gained from this pro-
gram have not only given me a
wider range of knowledge but
a knowledge that has proven
useful outside of the class-
room. This knowledge has
been my link to numerous
opportunities and my future
career plans."
A |oo, k at some of the
r -- 10 rs and in News.
|IBECKYto TheBAREsenfinel a comprehensive career guid- The CAPS advisor is ve,ry ten years
ance experience, monitor stu- important to the students ago of pro- (~ ~ ~1~ IP~ ~01 LS,
dent progress throughout day-to-day school experience, viding accu- (~r~4' L ~f¢:~=~_____~
_ been more than lo high school, and provide It sa return to the homeroo,m rate and up-I/~ f~ People.
"race the career path: important workplace skills concept in which a teacher,s t o - d a t e~ ~
~Pt was introduced lessons. For example, a grad- role is to become,the student ,s, career and ~ \ ~ ~ V When it comes to
nplemented at uate from GHS will have the advocate, the tour guide' post-high ~',K~-'~~/k~ ('¥J/~ J k
e High School. A opportunity to listen to a min- through the high school school edu- 1._¢--. ~ A~'~~ ~-~ /~, Klickitat County,.
~e 1993 Strategic imum of 24 professionals talk process. The CAPS advisor cation infer- -"'JY/ v([|_~~---/l~¢/~ / I~"
COmmittee com- about their careers, personal- helps his/her students select mation to all "" ~ I~r '/~r ~7 The Sentinel has
COmmunity, stu- ly visit at least one job or edu- classes that meet their career s t u d e n t s. ~ I ~ "~[ / U/] /
educators became a cation site that is a possible goals, administer workplace But CAPS /~ '~,dA~/ / I / it all.
hen the voters career interest (job shadow), skills lessons, and provide has evolved ~,~ ~/j( "~K~J.-~/[ [/
le support funding write aresumeandcover let- encouragement, praise, and to become a "~/~ [- \ /// I~ Subscribe
! 1994 school levy. ter, complete a work applica- individual interest. The CAPS means to
ho graduated prior tion, practice the interview advisory groupofteacherand see to the
lone resource for process, and learn how to students is another network day-to-day all the de 1 today!
school education locate schools that meets of support, correct informa- needs of each student and cis'ons to be met
guidance, the high their career goals using the tion, and a positive grouphelp guide him/her through during high school. Just $22 in Goldendale.
dance counselor, internet, experience. As a CAPS
have a advisor, I enjoy getting to $29 by mail.
~ ,.^_____]~ cc career-court_ know each student over 509.773.3777
and career spe_secretarv to port, which allows fun and
~t tb ~ sometimes very serious
TW~ ' e guidance
~,Setor in hel
-oo~ents n_~ ping
" ~ os uetermine
! P t-high school
~. In addition, stu-
• ~s also.L meet with
list
~, hi~t~ school advo-
• [' heir Career
.., ~sway Advisor, four
• ~r ~ io ~' weel