You are on the mark with your ambivalence... in my opinion.

"voc ed" can track kids, especially kids of color and lower socio-economic, away from college.

"Career Technical Education", in a context of a comprehensice high school program, can and should give kids hands-one, active learning experiences that prepare them for both work and tertiary education... and keep them in school. 50% of Latino kids drop out of high school.

You are an argument for cloning harry.

Be my principal.

And I understand it's being pushed on the administration to push on us, but our administration is shooting down anything we throw at them, and I can't figure out why.

And tania, library is 40 minutes for the kids to go find a book to read for fun or do research for other classes, that kind of thing. In computer, they seriously learn how to use a computer, from turning it on to printing, saving, formatting text, surfing the web, stuff that we take for granted that they don't have access to at home, even though they have every gaming system ever known to man.

Have them run around the school while farting a tune into their ipod, drawing a vulgar illustration in a book all the while.

You have recorded, subjective instruments to measure in each case. Rate them according to a created rubric based on catching the fart recording, it's actual "tunefulness", the vulgarity of the illustration, and whether it relates to any of the content found in the book used. 1-4. Easy.

We used to call classes like these "electives."

And I would bet good money they are the ones you remember....

(also, thanks P of D)

Welcome.

I wish they'd let us come up with specific grade/content assessments, since lumping them together makes it look like they don't give what we teach any credence or value at all.