[Unschooling-dotcom] Career programs (was giftedness (yuk))
Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall
>something to put my kids in a box to be something. OrHi all. I must admit I have not been kepping up with the list lately due to a severe case of life that smacked me in the face this fall. I have been struggling with chronic illness, fatigue and alergies. We also have a family of four (friends of ours) living with us temporarily, as they are having financial difficulties.
>maybe its the trap up "keeping up with the Jones"
>
>Got any words of wisdom anyone? Sandra?
>
>Peace,
>Samantha
BUT!! When I saw this thread on giftedness, and saw that Sandra was commenting, well I just had to take a peek. Being the breed of bird that I am, once I had peeked, I had to peep too.
I wonder if you all have heard about the new "career" identification program in the public schools. It is sweeping close to being implemented on a national level now. Some schools make it mandatory for graduation, while others leave it optional. What is it, you may ask? It is a program in which Highschool Juniors must choose a vocational direction (like Medical, or Public Services, etc) and take the corresponding courses as part of their graduation requirements.
Some folks, even staunchly institionalized families, are screaming pigeon-holing, but proponents are touting career education, advanced opportunities, "real life" experience. Does anyone else have any more information, or thoughts or comments on this issue?
Nanci K.
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Tracy Oldfield
There was a thing on the news the other day about
psycometric testing being brought in in our schools,
'to help students choose courses in keeping with their
aptitudes.' Blech! Problem is, who's setting and
marking such tests? What personal biases do they have
towards certain types of intelligence? Ugh Ugh! Scary
stuff, let's all sit in our boxes and be told what
we're going to be good at...
Tracy
the list lately due to a severe case of life that
smacked me in the face this fall. I have been
struggling with chronic illness, fatigue and alergies.
We also have a family of four (friends of ours) living
with us temporarily, as they are having financial
difficulties.
BUT!! When I saw this thread on giftedness, and saw
that Sandra was commenting, well I just had to take a
peek. Being the breed of bird that I am, once I had
peeked, I had to peep too.
I wonder if you all have heard about the new "career"
identification program in the public schools. It is
sweeping close to being implemented on a national level
now. Some schools make it mandatory for graduation,
while others leave it optional. What is it, you may
ask? It is a program in which Highschool Juniors must
choose a vocational direction (like Medical, or Public
Services, etc) and take the corresponding courses as
part of their graduation requirements.
Some folks, even staunchly institionalized families,
are screaming pigeon-holing, but proponents are touting
career education, advanced opportunities, "real life"
experience. Does anyone else have any more
information, or thoughts or comments on this issue?
Nanci K.
--------------------------------------------------------
----
Show off your pagan (and Idaho) pride, get Idaho Pagan
Mail(tm) today!
Sign up at http://www.idahopagan.com/
psycometric testing being brought in in our schools,
'to help students choose courses in keeping with their
aptitudes.' Blech! Problem is, who's setting and
marking such tests? What personal biases do they have
towards certain types of intelligence? Ugh Ugh! Scary
stuff, let's all sit in our boxes and be told what
we're going to be good at...
Tracy
>something to put my kids in a box to be something. OrHi all. I must admit I have not been kepping up with
>maybe its the trap up "keeping up with the Jones"
>
>Got any words of wisdom anyone? Sandra?
>
>Peace,
>Samantha
the list lately due to a severe case of life that
smacked me in the face this fall. I have been
struggling with chronic illness, fatigue and alergies.
We also have a family of four (friends of ours) living
with us temporarily, as they are having financial
difficulties.
BUT!! When I saw this thread on giftedness, and saw
that Sandra was commenting, well I just had to take a
peek. Being the breed of bird that I am, once I had
peeked, I had to peep too.
I wonder if you all have heard about the new "career"
identification program in the public schools. It is
sweeping close to being implemented on a national level
now. Some schools make it mandatory for graduation,
while others leave it optional. What is it, you may
ask? It is a program in which Highschool Juniors must
choose a vocational direction (like Medical, or Public
Services, etc) and take the corresponding courses as
part of their graduation requirements.
Some folks, even staunchly institionalized families,
are screaming pigeon-holing, but proponents are touting
career education, advanced opportunities, "real life"
experience. Does anyone else have any more
information, or thoughts or comments on this issue?
Nanci K.
--------------------------------------------------------
----
Show off your pagan (and Idaho) pride, get Idaho Pagan
Mail(tm) today!
Sign up at http://www.idahopagan.com/
Samantha Stopple
> > I wonder if you all have heard about the newThanks for bringing this up. Its helped me see that
> "career" identification program It is a program
> in which Highschool Juniors must choose a vocational
> direction (like Medical, or Public Services, etc)
> and take the corresponding courses as part of their
> graduation requirements.
>
> Some folks, even staunchly institionalized families,
> are screaming pigeon-holing, but proponents are
> touting career education, advanced opportunities,
> "real life" experience. Does anyone else have any
> more information, or thoughts or comments on this
> issue?
what I need to maybe focus on is that my kids are
having fun. First of all they are very very young
still. Some of the things they are interested in now
could be normal growing development some could be life
long hobbies/ learning/ pursuits some maybe their
'career.'
I remember having to do a report on what I wanted to
be when I grew up when in jr. high. I had no clue what
I really wanted to be. I thought the project was
stupid.
I decided would be a mechanic. I picked it because I
felt it to go against the grain of the upper middle
class carreers most of my classmates were choosing. My
best friend at the time decided to do her project on
being a trucker. We decided that we would be a team
she would drive the truck and I could fix them.
In college I entered into a Electrical Engineering
Degree more to prove a point that I could because I
was a woman rather than because I really wanted to.
When I decided that wasn't for me I fell into a trap
of so what now. I looked through the university
catalog which is basically based on professional type
degrees.
I crossed out everything that didn't appeal to I got
down to Architecture. I like the classes then decided
to specialize in Landscape Architecture. I liked it
but to some degree ;) this was a default education. I
wonder if I spent some time out of school/ unschooled
myself that I would have gone a different direction.
This is problably more that anyone wanted to know
about my life but its reminding more why I chose to
unschool my kids that I want them to be able to create
a job/ work whatever you want to call it that might
not fit into the current cultures concept of work!
Peace,
Samantha
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Elizabeth Hill
>In college I entered into a Electrical EngineeringOh, I did that to, but went all the way in that major. Now I am scratching
>Degree more to prove a point that I could because I
>was a woman rather than because I really wanted to.
my head trying to figure what I want to be when I grow up. ("Retired"
doesn't seem very impressive.)
Betsy
Dennis/Laurie Brown
My only real thought or contribution at
this time is that I've seen it coming for over a decade and haven't liked it at
all. I think we will see much more of it and it will start much
earlier. Many schools are not waiting until high school.
IMO it's another matter of preparing
good worker bees and has little to do with real education. It's a
major reason we homeschool.
FWIW,
Eiraul
I wonder if you all have heard about the new "career" identification program in the public schools. It is sweeping close to being implemented on a national level now. Some schools make it mandatory for graduation, while others leave it optional. What is it, you may ask? It is a program in which Highschool Juniors must choose a vocational direction (like Medical, or Public Services, etc) and take the corresponding courses as part of their graduation requirements.
Some folks, even staunchly institionalized families, are screaming pigeon-holing, but proponents are touting career education, advanced opportunities, "real life" experience. Does anyone else have any more information, or thoughts or comments on this issue?
Nanci K.
kalima
I am sure it is a different test than what I took in 11th grade but I
remember taking this silly test my mom so wanted me to take to see what
career would be best suited for me. At the time I had no idea what I
wanted to be so I took it to make mom happy and to see what it would
say.
Never did I laugh so hard in my life. And my husband and I still laugh
about it. My best suited career was to a be a parole officer. I could
never in my mind ever imagine little old me trying to do that job. Nor
would I want to . Not that it isn't a good job but it isn't for me. I
remember telling my mom and she was in shock as she had so hoped it
would say I would be become a artist. I am sure that wasn't even the mix
of results. *L*
Shelly
Mom to 5
Connecticut
remember taking this silly test my mom so wanted me to take to see what
career would be best suited for me. At the time I had no idea what I
wanted to be so I took it to make mom happy and to see what it would
say.
Never did I laugh so hard in my life. And my husband and I still laugh
about it. My best suited career was to a be a parole officer. I could
never in my mind ever imagine little old me trying to do that job. Nor
would I want to . Not that it isn't a good job but it isn't for me. I
remember telling my mom and she was in shock as she had so hoped it
would say I would be become a artist. I am sure that wasn't even the mix
of results. *L*
Shelly
Mom to 5
Connecticut
Lynda
There for a while they were doing what was called out here, Careers 2000.
You couldn't graduate from a high school if you hadn't taken that class.
Now, that wasn't a "bad" class. It was an exploration class. You
investigated various jobs and learned how to fill out a job application and
how to do a resume. They did mock interviews and they held a careers day
where folks from all walks of life and careers AND ethnic origin came in and
had boothes where the kids could pick up information. Kids liked it because
they spent a day at the local junior college and a day at the local
university. They went on trips to various employers in the community.
It did NOT mandate that they make any choices except for one report they had
to do (interview a professional that they thought had an interesting job).
Now, when I was in school (back in the dark ages) you did choose a track to
be on, college prep or vocational. You were not, however, required to stay
within the bounds of either track. So, you could take algebra, geometry,
Latin, foreign languages, honors English and history all in junior high. If
you choose the vocational track you could take typing, filing, home ec,
woodshop, metalshop or various other "vocational" classes in junior high.
In high school the classes got serious with algebra II, trig, and prep
classes for college. The vocational classes went so far (and our local high
school still does) as to build a house each year, build cars and actually
race them, etc. They also had a complete range of the arts (which somehow
fell into the vocational category, go figure) and our high school orchestra
played with the SF symphany.
The difference is choice and being able to not be labeled.
Lynda
You couldn't graduate from a high school if you hadn't taken that class.
Now, that wasn't a "bad" class. It was an exploration class. You
investigated various jobs and learned how to fill out a job application and
how to do a resume. They did mock interviews and they held a careers day
where folks from all walks of life and careers AND ethnic origin came in and
had boothes where the kids could pick up information. Kids liked it because
they spent a day at the local junior college and a day at the local
university. They went on trips to various employers in the community.
It did NOT mandate that they make any choices except for one report they had
to do (interview a professional that they thought had an interesting job).
Now, when I was in school (back in the dark ages) you did choose a track to
be on, college prep or vocational. You were not, however, required to stay
within the bounds of either track. So, you could take algebra, geometry,
Latin, foreign languages, honors English and history all in junior high. If
you choose the vocational track you could take typing, filing, home ec,
woodshop, metalshop or various other "vocational" classes in junior high.
In high school the classes got serious with algebra II, trig, and prep
classes for college. The vocational classes went so far (and our local high
school still does) as to build a house each year, build cars and actually
race them, etc. They also had a complete range of the arts (which somehow
fell into the vocational category, go figure) and our high school orchestra
played with the SF symphany.
The difference is choice and being able to not be labeled.
Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nanci and Thomas Kuykendall" <tn-k4of5@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 5:00 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Career programs (was giftedness (yuk))
>
> >something to put my kids in a box to be something. Or
> >maybe its the trap up "keeping up with the Jones"
> >
> >Got any words of wisdom anyone? Sandra?
> >
> >Peace,
> >Samantha
>
> Hi all. I must admit I have not been kepping up with the list lately due
to a severe case of life that smacked me in the face this fall. I have been
struggling with chronic illness, fatigue and alergies. We also have a
family of four (friends of ours) living with us temporarily, as they are
having financial difficulties.
>
> BUT!! When I saw this thread on giftedness, and saw that Sandra was
commenting, well I just had to take a peek. Being the breed of bird that I
am, once I had peeked, I had to peep too.
>
> I wonder if you all have heard about the new "career" identification
program in the public schools. It is sweeping close to being implemented on
a national level now. Some schools make it mandatory for graduation, while
others leave it optional. What is it, you may ask? It is a program in
which Highschool Juniors must choose a vocational direction (like Medical,
or Public Services, etc) and take the corresponding courses as part of their
graduation requirements.
>
> Some folks, even staunchly institionalized families, are screaming
pigeon-holing, but proponents are touting career education, advanced
opportunities, "real life" experience. Does anyone else have any more
information, or thoughts or comments on this issue?
>
> Nanci K.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> Show off your pagan (and Idaho) pride, get Idaho Pagan Mail(tm) today!
> Sign up at http://www.idahopagan.com/
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