Kelly Cioffi- Vocational-Technical Schools

I chose to pick Vocational Schools because a lot of my friends went to this type of schooling and really enjoyed it, so i wanted to explore it and learn more about it. I also wanted to see if it benefits everyone or only certain people. So hopefully after doing some research on it, I will be able to answer these questions.

Its stated that a vocational school help students prepare to get a job by training them for specific trades and technical employment. Most vocational schools and trade schools do not teach liberal arts subjects (philosophy, humanities, etc.) Instead, vocational and trade schools prepare students for a career in a specific vocation or trade, such as fashion design, cooking, electronics, automotive technology, and aircraft maintenance.Most vocational schools and trade schools admit students who have successfully earned their high school diploma or GED. The credentials a student is awarded upon graduation include an associate degree, bachelor degree, a diploma, and specialized certificates. These degrees, diplomas and certificates are earned after completing courses in the classroom or lab and field work. The purpose of attending a vocational school or trade school is to obtain practical training and skills which you can utilize in the real world.

It is still extremely important to fully research any vocational school or trade school you are considering enrolling in. Many can be deceiving. I feel that if you know what you want to do with your life (whether it be a chef, hair dresser, or electrician) than this type of schooling would benefit you greatly! Also if you're not planning on going off to college, this would help you more for your future than a regular school would. As I've stated before it gives you on the job training and specific skills that you would need for your future career. There are different types of vocational schooling (high school and college). Both offering skills specifically for a particular trade. However, usually a high school vocational school, you are mandated to take basic school subjects (such math, science, English). You would do basic subjects one week and then the next week do your trade training. However, in college you only focus on your trade, nothing else. You do not need to take any of the basic subjects that most other colleges would require you to do.

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Education book: McNergney & McNergney (pg. 197)

http://media.studylink.com/finder?name=profile&pid=pid-mm-01-00957b&search-directory=default

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocational_school

Environmental Justice

What exactly is environmental justice you ask? Environmental justice can be defined as "The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” Environmental justice seeks equal protection from environmental and public health hazards for all people regardless of race, income, culture and social class. The article states that its not only an educator's have a responsibility not just to the children in our schools and classrooms, but also to the world as a whole. After reading the article, I feel that schools should in fact teach environmental justice. However, I do not think it should be stressed as much as the other subjects (math, history, English, etc.) Not only is it an educator's job to teach children about the environment, but also the parents job. Children have to learn that if something isn't done then the environment can be in great danger and might not be there forever.It doesn't hurt teaching a child about this topic. It is a prerequisite to children developing a connection to the natural world, and later, a commitment to defend that world. I think a great field trip would be a walk in the woods. This way the children can explore, learn, and play with the environment. I'm sure many would have a new look about it as a whole after the field trip.

Global warming is a huge concern in our society today, maybe if people are taught about this something can be done. For example, teaching environmental justice will teach children not to dump waste, eat healthy, go green, and cut down on pollution. Not only would you educate the child on this, but also the parents. Most children will go home and talk to their mom or dad about what they learned in school that day. Many parents in turn will listen and try to help them better understand it. I feel that if we start teaching it to children in school now, as time goes on more and more kids will learn about and the environment may see a change over time. Who knows, maybe it could be a start to a slow recovery of global warming.

Growing up in the Wakefield Public School Systems, I can remember going on walks through the woods and enjoying the scenery. However, at that time global warming was not that big of an issue. We were taught a little about the environment, but only when we went on these hikes/field trips. I felt that after these hikes many people had a new interest in the environment. I know that it made me appreciate it more. After the hikes, I cut way down on throwing wrappers on the ground. I know this may seem small, but imagine if every student did this. Do you know how much pollution would be cut down?




http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/23_04/edit234.shtml
http://www.mde.state.md.us/Programs/MultimediaPrograms/Environmental_Justice/ej_intro/index.asp
http://www.wondercliparts.com/holidays/environment_day/environment_day_graphics_02.gif

Teaching For Social Justice

I do want to teach for social justice because i believe that it is the best approach to use. In the article Creating Classrooms for Equity and Social Justice, it says "Unfortunately,too many schools are training grounds for boredom, alienation, and pessimism. Too many schools fail to confront the racial, class, and gender inequities woven into our social fabric." I totally agree with this statement. I feel that many students tend to drift off when learning strictly by the text. Also many of the students do not understand the material or can not relate it. When teaching by strict guidelines, many teachers become non enthusiastic and may not agree with what they are teaching. This just makes for a more worse of a time in the classroom. It also states that schools focus way too much on tests and good grades, rather than what the student has learned. School is not just about learning academic disciplines, but also learning about the realities of the world. This encourages them to think and form their own ideas and opinions about matters that are taking place. If teachers begin to use social justice, students will be learning about issues outside of the strict text material which is great in preparing them for the outside world. They will be able to ask questions and relate it to their own lives, which is very important. It also equips students to "talk back to the world." It will expand their horizons.

I enjoyed reading the article by Herbert Kohl. I think that he did a great job offering social justice teaching strategies for new teachers. My favorite one that Kohl stated was "First, don't teach against your conscience. Don't align yourself with texts, people, or rules that hurt children; resist them as creatively and effectively as you can, whether through humor or by developing alternative curricula." I totally agree with this statement. Your conscious is who you are, and you're not apt to change it. If you feel something is wrong, then you shouldn't be forced to say or teach it. Using this approach will bring out the good, not the bad to your students.

The only question I had for social justice was What does power have to do with fairness and justice? After research, I learned that When power comes into play, people begin to get power hungry, which causes the justice and fairness that people try to provide to become distorted and causes problems for others. However, this only seems to happen when the power controls you. People of power usually have the final say in things, and others listen/follow them. They usually don't speak out or share ideas if they do not have power.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice

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