It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Shop Class Anymore!!
It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Shop Class Anymore!!
By: Patty Thomas, CTE CORE Consultant, Tennessee Department of Education, Division of College and Career Readiness
Career and Technical Education (CTE) is alive and thriving in school districts across East Tennessee. Career and Technical Education, formally known as vocational education, offers students career preparation in 16 nationally recognized career clusters. These programs provide students with the opportunity to pursue rigorous and relevant programs of study that not only prepare them for future jobs, but also provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to seamlessly pursue postsecondary opportunities. Many high schools have partnered with local community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology to create dual-credit, dual-enrollment, or other articulation agreements that promote college and career readiness.
In addition to ensuring that students are enabled with the skills necessary to become successful, there are several programs across the East Tennessee region that give students the chance to participate in “green” initiatives. The Knox County School System opened its first ever Career Magnet Academy (CMA), this year, in conjunction with Pellissippi State Community College, allowing students a chance to pursue postsecondary credits while attending high school. The school also provides a first-of-its-kind program of study in sustainable living, as well as programs of study in homeland security, teacher preparation, and advanced manufacturing. Another Knox County school has students “thinking green” in home construction. The carpentry program at Byington-Solway Career and Technical Center is involved in building energy efficient cabins. The size of these cabins allow them to be easily moved to campgrounds or personal property, while the design offers space-saving but comfortable accommodations.
In Lenoir City, Rhea, and Johnson County school districts, students in agriculture programs of study are learning and experiencing both aquaponics and hydroponics. Within the walls of their greenhouses, students are raising tilapia and growing hydroponic plants. Under the supervision of Lenoir City CTE Director, Melanie Harris, and agriculture teacher Josie Miller, students are growing aquaponic herbs, lettuce, and tomatoes. These fresh vegetables are being utilized by a new culinary arts program of study within the school. With Miller’s guidance, agriculture students are experimenting with small-scale hydroponic units, which resemble modified fish aquariums, and hope to use the natural fertilizer from the fish in order to grow both Romaine and Butterhead lettuce.
Another earth-friendly initiative is underway in Monroe County. Under the direction of Leah McCall, fashion design instructor, students at Tellico Plains High School are creating beautiful, runway-worthy garments out of recycled materials. McCalls’s students have been featured in many local television and newspaper stories and received the spotlight in the Tennessee Department of Education’s Classroom Chronicles last year. The annual fashion show draws a huge audience waiting for a glimpse of the student models who walk down the runway in gorgeous gowns fashioned from materials such as plastic shopping bags.
CTE in East Tennessee offers students the chance to explore a variety of careers such as those found in healthcare, hospitality and tourism, transportation, and finance. CTE also aligns with industry partners to foster interest and skills in advanced manufacturing, within programs of study such as Mechatronics and Electromechanical Technology. Students within each of the 16 career clusters also have the opportunity to take part in Work-Based Learning (WBL) experiences. WBL offers high school credit and enables students to complete internships, apprenticeships, and paid work experiences within their chosen fields of study.
CTE is alive and thriving in East Tennessee. With green initiatives, post-secondary articulations, and Work-Based Learning experiences, CTE is no longer just your “grandfather’s shop class”. For more information on Career and Technical Education programs in Tennessee, please visit the division’s website at http://www.tn.gov/education/cte/ or contact Patty Thomas, East Tennessee CTE CORE Consultant at patty.thomas@tn.gov.