Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As result of the Covid pandemic and schools being shut-down, the district where my wife works is starting remote learning. Although they had ordered the Chrome Books for the students months ago the computers arrived after the school was shuttered.
Very rough getting started. But the students seem to love the opportunity to see their teachers and classmates remotely.
My wife says the best part will be the elimination of the need to make-up Snow Days. When weather or other Force Majeure events force the closure of the schools for a day, the students will have the ability to view Teacher instruction and submit their assignments from home.
Same for individual absences attributed to extended family vacations or illness.
But: Will the teachers be able to master the tasks of filming and archiving their instruction lectures, or preparing their subject matter notes in a Powerpoint format so that the students and their parents can view them remotely?
One point that many of you are ignoring is the role of supervision.
Supervision isn't the primary aim of education, but don't underestimate its importance.
And most parents want their kids to go back to bricks-and-mortar schools. They don't want to stay home with them.
All so true. I'm fortunate that I can work from home. However, my day is pretty much from 5 am to 11 pm at this point. Why? I work from 5 to 8 am. Then I have to supervise the kids throughout the day. I can't sequester myself in the office to do work. I need guide them through doing their schoolwork. In the process, I'm trying to teach them independence but as of yet, none can be left to their own devices to complete their schoolwork without constant micromanaging.
Even with that, they drag their feet all day. Sometimes they don't wrap up their school day until about 5 pm. At which point we have dinner and then I work from 6 to 11 pm to complete my day.
I'd also imagine the teachers do a better job than I do. They are probably also much more patient.
However, I do like spending more time with the kids. I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances where I have to badger them to get their schoolwork done. It is a miserable situation for all involved.
I think it would be a utter disaster for elementary and middle school aged students and I'm saying this as someone who is usually very pro technology. Possibly it could work for some high school students who are highly motivated but I don't think it would work for the majority of k-12 students.
Is West Springfield also a Vo-Tech? Very few school systems could afford, or even find the staff, to offer those courses at every high school. That why some states have school systems in a consortium to offer them at just one centrally located school.
You also have to remember some of the politics involved. For much of my career talking trades or even mentioning Vo-Tech to a student was a guarantee that a formal counseling session with the Administration was going to happen if the parent let them know. Persisting would be a Teacher Compliance Form listing insubordination.
We were required to have a College Corner in our rooms (yes, it was an observation "look for"), not a Career Corner.
Many, but not all of those courses are at that HS, but if not they are offered at a number of others across the district. Offerings do vary by school and yes, it would be almost impossible to offer all at one school. Students from a school can go to another if the course isn't offered at theirs. Some course descriptions will also show " - transportation may be provided". I'm not 100% sure about how that works.
My point is these types of programs are offered. I understand they aren't offered in such a wide array, but to paint a picture of no public schools offering trade education isn't accurate. Many students participate and we aren't discouraged from talking trades. As evidenced in the districts web pages, I think the programs are well supported.
It seems there has been a move away from the "encouraging 4 year college for all" over recent years.
Re-imagining the High School Experience in Fairfax County The conversation with these high school students reflects the changes happening in Fairfax County Public Schools as we strive to create more opportunities for students to explore career options that can lead to high demand high wage professions either directly out of high school or continuing on to a 2 or 4 year college degree. It is essential that we empower today’s young people with the skills and work experiences to develop a mindset that they can succeed.
...
My point is these types of programs are offered. I understand they aren't offered in such a wide array, but to paint a picture of no public schools offering trade education isn't accurate. Many students participate and we aren't discouraged from talking trades. As evidenced in the districts web pages, I think the programs are well supported.
It seems there has been a move away from the "encouraging 4 year college for all" over recent years.
...d.[/i]
They pushed the college for all the entire time my kids were in school. Vo-Tech was largely missing from the schools almost entirely. In fact, in our local school district, the superintendent was pushing to terminate all the home-ec teachers his last couple years before he retired. It's only with the election of our new governor that the idea of skilled trades is a discussable topic in schools around here. Not that they can do anything to teach it since the shops and teachers are pretty much gone now.
distance teaching is the wave of the future. Attend class one day a week, the rest is done at home online. Will drop educational costs dramatically.
I think once a week classes is far to little but maybe 3 or four days a week with online components could work? Also dropping costs should not be the goal. The goal should be to produce educated citizens. It drops costs for example to not have vocational training at high schools but our country sorely needs more skilled tradesmen. It drops costs to not have school lunches or moving solely online but again none of those things will help the students.
Many, but not all of those courses are at that HS, but if not they are offered at a number of others across the district. Offerings do vary by school and yes, it would be almost impossible to offer all at one school. Students from a school can go to another if the course isn't offered at theirs. Some course descriptions will also show " - transportation may be provided". I'm not 100% sure about how that works.
My point is these types of programs are offered. I understand they aren't offered in such a wide array, but to paint a picture of no public schools offering trade education isn't accurate. Many students participate and we aren't discouraged from talking trades. As evidenced in the districts web pages, I think the programs are well supported.
I didn't suggest that vocational Ed. classes aren't offered at all but they are not offered widely enough to be an actual alternative to traditional education. For that to happen they would have to be offered nationwide to everyone.
Districts love to portray expansive catalogs when the reality is each class offered in Auto Shop, for example, can be listed as a half-dozen separate classes while in reality they are all the same class with different course numbers. Sometimes I sub in a class where there are 25 kids on 6 different rosters each with a different title and course number. Meanwhile everyone in the class is doing the exact same assignments.
Most high schools across America don't even offer Voc.-Ed. classes and the ones that do usually offer basic survey classes, not in-depth technical courses a student needs to become proficient in a vocation.
What I would like to see is vocational education available to all at a level where a kid graduates from high school with the skills to support him/herself in a chosen profession. Right now we graduate many kids after 4 years of mindless coursework who then go to a trade school to learn a marketable skill.
Implementing this would require a complete restructuring of school systems where students go to schools based upon their chosen field rather than being assigned by their neighborhood.
Last edited by Futuremauian; 04-21-2020 at 09:40 PM..
They pushed the college for all the entire time my kids were in school. Vo-Tech was largely missing from the schools almost entirely. In fact, in our local school district, the superintendent was pushing to terminate all the home-ec teachers his last couple years before he retired. It's only with the election of our new governor that the idea of skilled trades is a discussable topic in schools around here. Not that they can do anything to teach it since the shops and teachers are pretty much gone now.
I didn't suggest that vocational Ed. classes aren't offered at all but they are not offered widely enough to be an actual alternative to traditional education. For that to happen they would have to be offered nationwide to everyone.
Districts love to portray expansive catalogs when the reality is each class offered in Auto Shop, for example, can be listed as a half-dozen separate classes while in reality they are all the same class with different course numbers. Sometimes I sub in a class where there are 25 kids on 6 different rosters each with a different title and course number. Meanwhile everyone in the class is doing the exact same assignments.
Most high schools across America don't even offer Voc.-Ed. classes and the ones that do usually offer basic survey classes, not in-depth technical courses a student needs to become proficient in a vocation.
What I would like to see is vocational education available to all at a level where a kid graduates from high school with the skills to support him/herself in a chosen profession. Right now we graduate many kids after 4 years of mindless coursework who then go to a trade school to learn a marketable skill.
Implementing this would require a complete restructuring of school systems where student go to schools based upon their chosen field rather than being assigned by their neighborhood.
I understand.
I do think our district does a pretty good job, so it's possible. Of course smaller districts wouldn't offer such a wide array, but they could provide some.
I didn't suggest that vocational Ed. classes aren't offered at all but they are not offered widely enough to be an actual alternative to traditional education. For that to happen they would have to be offered nationwide to everyone.
Districts love to portray expansive catalogs when the reality is each class offered in Auto Shop, for example, can be listed as a half-dozen separate classes while in reality they are all the same class with different course numbers. Sometimes I sub in a class where there are 25 kids on 6 different rosters each with a different title and course number. Meanwhile everyone in the class is doing the exact same assignments.
Most high schools across America don't even offer Voc.-Ed. classes and the ones that do usually offer basic survey classes, not in-depth technical courses a student needs to become proficient in a vocation.
What I would like to see is vocational education available to all at a level where a kid graduates from high school with the skills to support him/herself in a chosen profession. Right now we graduate many kids after 4 years of mindless coursework who then go to a trade school to learn a marketable skill.
Implementing this would require a complete restructuring of school systems where students go to schools based upon their chosen field rather than being assigned by their neighborhood.
Part of the problem with vocational education in the United States is that of insurance. Having minors operating power tools and other equipment that has the possibility of causing severe injury if misused is a serious liability issue for school districts.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
