LISD TECH Center Principal's Blog

The Big Picture

ryanrowe — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:35:43 +0000

Integration of Career Tech

ryanrowe — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:25:05 +0000

Press release from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) regarding a report, Learning to Work, Working to Learn, which Elizabeth Bauer, a member of the Michigan State Board of Education, was a member of this study group.

Alexandria, Virginia—State education leaders are calling for the complete integration of career and technical education programs into the middle and high school curricula as a means to offer all students a range of learning experiences that encompass academic, career and 21st century skills. The recommendation comes from a year-long study of the state of career technical education (CTE) in American education reform by state board of education members. The report, Learning to Work, Working to Learn, is being published by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). Elizabeth Bauer, a member of the Michigan State Board of Education, was a member of the study group. The traditional concept of vocational education with its emphasis on skill training and non-academic instruction—auto repair and cosmetology, for example—has evolved in recent years into a career-focused and academically demanding 21st century workforce preparation program now known as career technical education. This transformation offers educators significant opportunities to expand the breadth and depth of educational opportunities to students both in their K-12 learning and post-secondary careers. “The modern day career technical education program is not your father’s vo-tech shop class,” explained Brenda Welburn, NASBE Executive Director. “We simply cannot make effective high school reforms without incorporating CTE into these improvement plans. CTE prepares students to succeed in the global workforce and offers those students most in danger of dropping out of high school with multiple educational and career opportunities.” Among the other recommendations that will be distributed to national, state, and local education leaders is a focus on incorporating CTE coursework into existing state academic standards and to develop multiple assessments to measure skill and knowledge attainment. The report also suggests facilitating partnerships between industry leaders and schools, better state recruitment and compensation strategies for CTE instructors, and improving the transitions for students from high school to their post-secondary careers.

“Knowledge that’s Worth More”

ryanrowe — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:42:21 +0000

The Next Challenge:

Seeking Ways to Develop “Knowledge That Is Worth More”

Two Related New Efforts to Explore:

An International Baccalaureate Career-related Certificate (IBCC) and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) as Programming Options for Students.

Summary: Over the next several years the LISD will explore the feasibility of adding an International Baccalaureate Career Certificate (IBCC) to the existing Career Technical Education LISD TECH Center programs and expand Project Lead the Way (PLTW) programming options between local middle and high schools and the LISD TECH Center. The goal is to provide students with knowledge that is worth more in this increasingly completive world economy.

In an increasing competitive world in which students will be seeking successful long-term careers, it is important that students be provided with skills and experiences that continue to give them a strong competitive edge. When many traditional basic skills jobs are now out-sourced across the globe practically overnight, what will be the skills that can provide students with the ability to have successful careers in this rapidly changing economy? What are the sets of skills that will continue to best serve them as content and information grows and changes? This skill set can be described is as “Knowledge That Is Worth More”. During the next year the LISD will explore the following two ways to address this need.

An International Baccalaureate Career Certificate (IBCC): This is a new concept that is currently being piloted at 10 sites across the globe for the next two years. The LISD has been encouraged to explore the possibility of being in the second round of expanded sites beginning in 2010-11. It is called the International Baccalaureate Career related Certificate (IBCC). It combines for students an International Baccalaureate (IB) High School content experience with cutting edge Career Technical Education (CTE). The components of the IBCC build upon the CTE skills and content by adding a 2^nd world language requirement, a theory of knowledge course, a community volunteer experience, and a reflective project based on the student’s CTE content focus.

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) – a partnership between middle/high schools and the LISD TECH Center: The PLTW program started formally 10 years ago in New York State using project based and teamwork experiences for student to better focus on increasing knowledge and skills in the areas of science and engineering. PLTW helps to make math and science relevant for students. Project Lead the Way has expanded across the country and Michigan has a PLTW coordinator. It is laddered across middle school, high school, and career technical education centers. Students are first introduced to PLTW project based experiences in middle school and when the program is fully implemented have up foundation courses, specialization courses and a capstone CTE course. This will require content and instructional coordination between a local district middle school, a high school and the LISD TECH Center. One way to explore and learn about this coordination effort is the develop PLWT pilot programs with up to 3 local districts and the LISD TECH Center.

Over the next year additional information will be gathered, assessed and an action plan, guidelines, and timelines developed so that in the near future students can truly have training and learning experiences the provide “Knowledge That Is Worth More”.

LISD TECH Center Open House

ryanrowe — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:50:57 +0000

The LISD TECH Center Open House will be this Sunday, October 19th from noon until 3:00. We welcome all visitors and guests to tour the facility. Come visit to see your new LISD TECH Center!

Stan Masters-October 15th

ryanrowe — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:21:32 +0000

Stan Masters
October 15th, 2008 at 10:41 am · Edit

Given that our nation has been susceptible to a lack of understanding of global energy competition, perhaps deliberate dialogue may be needed to learn from each other about America’s energy policy choices. I invite you to visit the LISD Curriculum website at http://www.lisd.us/curriculum to learn more about a National Issue Forum public dialogue around energy. This will be held at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The website allows you to download a Policy in Brief document to learn more about the approaches to our dialogue.

Welcome to the LISD TECH Center

ryanrowe — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:59:17 +0000

A personal message from Principal Ryan Rowe ~

This text will be replaced

Stream or download the Windows Media Video version

The Era of Globalization

ryanrowe — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:31:41 +0000

The process of teaching and learning has and will continue to be examined for centuries. It is now, however, that the world has truly become one global society. Educational institutions, business and industry, and most importantly society are questioning the role that we as educators will have in producing students that can contribute to living as a global citizen. The United States is in desperate need for those that can think differently. Innovation has always been an American strength. We must again rely on our most valuable asset, our youth, to move us from production to innovation, from careless to contextual. We must train our teachers to instruct in a way that promotes the very talents that students are begging to use. By questioning, designing, working with others, communicating with cultures across the globe, examining theories, and applying knowledge learned to project-based activities, students will have the opportunity to contribute and our country will have the opportunity to compete in this global society in which we live. This monumental shift must begin in an educational setting with the tools to make this transition a success. Career and technical education’s role in the era of globalization is to lead this initiative of discovery by design with delivery. The goal is to teach in a way that allows students to think, create, and discover so that each individual will have the opportunity to prosper in this global society in which we live.