Newspaper column
Jan. 2, 2014
Innovation and tradition have
always worked hand in hand. Take Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, a company
that did not exist 20 years ago. Bezos recently purchased The Washington Post,
itself a product of 19th century innovation, which was nonetheless struggling
to adapt its medium to a world that had transitioned from print to electronic
communication. We don’t know yet how the new configuration will play out with
Bezos at the helm, but it is easy to have confidence that the combination of
innovation and venerable tradition stands the best chance of success.
Education is also adapting to
changing times, taking advantage of new approaches and modern delivery systems.
Teachers use technology every day to enhance learning, tapping into the new
world their students inhabit, while continuing to meet traditional educational
needs.
Of the innumerable benefits we all
know education confers, high on the list is preparation for the world students
will enter when their schooling is complete. That task can be tricky.
Technology evolves at such a
dizzying rate that we must prepare students for jobs that do not yet exist. The
new Common Core curriculum will help students acquire the foundation they need,
providing students with the core knowledge and critical thinking skills that
will enable them to be agile and able to learn what arises in real time.
Career and technology education
continues to play a crucial role as well. Those programs embody a career
exploration model that takes teaching and learning to new levels and uses
traditional vocational and career programs to elevate academics to even higher
standards.
Our county’s ROP/CTE programs
continue to fill critical needs in helping students acquire job-related skills
of the highest order, while demonstrating concrete uses for academic learning.
This approach can be seen bearing fruit countywide.
The strength of ROP/CTE, an acronym
for Regional Occupational Programs/Career and Technical Education, has always
been its adaptation to the needs of the time. Since the program’s inception
decades ago, its virtue has been its linkages and strong partnerships with
local businesses and industries. These partners have informed our program
regarding current workplace needs, a crucial element in making sure our
programs remain cutting-edge. They also reinforce the need for the knowledge
and skills learned in the classroom, applying those basics to real-world needs.
Modern times demand this approach.
The jobs we envisioned yesterday are being filled today, and our ROP/CTE
programs are making sure students have the needed skills through
state-of-the-art model programs countywide.
Here’s a quick sampling:
The Graphic Communications/Design
Lab at Cabrillo High School in Lompoc is a state-recognized program that has
sent many students to the Oakland School of Art and Design, and provided
several jobs and internships for Lompoc students. Teacher Scott Schaller has
provided outstanding career and technical training and opportunities for his
students, while incorporating basic academic training seamlessly into the
program. His students learn typography, letterforms, and graphic design. They
work on logos, building signs, labels, and a host of modern uses for a
traditional art form.
The Dons Net Café at Santa Barbara
High School is a nationally recognized Virtual Enterprise program that focuses
on ecology and real-world applications of academic learning. Teacher Lee Ann
Knodel teaches computer accounting and computer business applications along
with virtual enterprise. Her students also help members of the community with
their tax forms, using the most up-to-date software applications.
Students of Chip Fenenga, at Santa
Ynez High School, use three-dimensional scanning to solve problems and conduct
research, connecting with the global effort to preserve historical sites in
digital formats. Students in the Environmental and Spatial Technologies Program
are the first in the world to use Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging to
capture millions of points of data and then create a three-dimensional image of
an object. Using that technology on buildings and historical sites can be of
particular value in reconstruction should a tragic fire or flood damage the
building, helping preserve the cultural heritage for all time.
The Engineering Academy at Dos
Pueblos High School has won state, national, and international awards for it
robotics program. Director Amir Abo-Shaeer founded the program with a mission
of gender equity among the students taking part, making sure the mix of boys
and girls remains at 50-50. Robotics programs, which integrate textbook
learning with hands-on, project-based applications, are skyrocketing in
popularity among students. In fact, robotics programs can be found countywide,
including Orcutt and Santa Maria.
ROP courses ranging from vintner
programs to automotive repair continue to serve students by merging innovative
technology with traditional academic and practical needs.
Innovation and tradition. This is
the future. We are very fortunate that it is here, now, in Santa Barbara
County, bearing fruit for students every day.
