As the director of the Medical program I feel it is essential to teach the students real life experiences along with the knowledge they will learn from their text books. I explain to them the importance of attendance, because if it was a job they would have to show if they want to be paid, or keep their job. Also their apperance is crucial, because you want to look and act professional while in the classrooms.
Syed,
All instruction ought to lead to application that's relative to the real world work setting, including problem solving, critical thinking, and adherence to employer expectations.
Barry Westling
In my field of technology, It's not only about passing the certification exam and getting that job or promotion they wanted. I strive to provide basic to advance skills of systems they will be supporting. The education and training I provide is primarily focused on giving them the confidence in their skill set and deep insight of the system they will be working on in the real world.
Brenda,
True - the soft skills of dealing with others, professionalism, communication, attendance and punctuality, these are important attributes to groom as employers tend to look at these as much as the technical aspects of the job.
Barry Westling
I feel that we need to educate our students on the skills and information they need to mastr but also I feel many need to learn skills of dealing with people many students are in need of these skills in order to excel at the professional skills they learn in my class.
Re: Goal of educating students
by Fredrik Gulliksen
The goals of education is to prepare students for the real life work place. Knowledge, skills behaviors etc.
Christine,
I agree. In fact, I think it's difficult NOT to provide additional skills, behaviors and professional demeanor while in the process of teaching our trades, especially when the topics are related closely to the work setting. For me, this occurs through examples, descriptions of past situations or circumstances, and stories from my past work history.
Barry Westling
I have found that the goal of educating students is a multi-faceted job. While we are educating them academically, we are also a role model to a set of behaviors or standards that they may have not been exposed to previously. Soft skills, metacognition, and employability all fall under the scope of educating our students.
Curran,
Wonderful. There's a principle somewhere that students will perform, participate, and achieve higher levels of understanding when they collectively feel their instructor cares, and is willing to assist them be successful.
Barry Westling
when UTI decided that "The student experience" was one of our primary focuses I was relatively resistant to it. it was told to us that if a student enjoys the class they will learn more. I wasn't so sure but I went after it anyway. I since have been able to expect quite a bit more from each of my students after they see that I not only care about preparing them for a career but also that I care about them enjoying this career.
Jason,
We are the expert in the room, although teaching aids and resources can make classes more interesting. But the instructor is the individual that brings life and meaning to all the educational pomp and circumstance.
Barry Westling
Almost anyone can be given prompts, flip charts, powerpoint presentations, etc. and stand in front of a class speaking to each point written for them. But, to educate is to add context and meaning to the information being presented. Just as some of the other contributors have suggested, life lessons are added whether we intend to or not. So, in a sense, an educator can add life to the material, thereby driving his or her points home in a more meaningful way.
Michael,
Life skills are so valuable for graduates seeking employment, and keeping it. Professionalism, attendance and punctuality, writing and verbal communication, math skills, and problem solving abilities are among the traits an employer will value and will contribute to sustained employment.
Barry Westling
Kurt,
Yes, students enroll in our programs most often to train for a new career. But their inner motivation is probably more related to achieving inner peace, satisfaction, happiness, and a better life.
Barry Westling
In my field we find that in addition to teaching motorcycle mechanic's we are also teaching life skills. i.e. how to study. interact with other people and all the soft skills needed to be successful in American society.
In the vocational setting, it is to give a student the skill set needed to begin or advance in a career. It is totally life changing!
Daniel ,
Yes, critical thinking, practical application, and work preparedness will serve our students well.
Barry Westling
The goal of educating students is to prepare them for the workforce. As instructors we need to lead by example to teach them to “think outside of the boxâ€.
Patricia,
Even as a newbie I think employers expect that their new employee has mastered the skills needed for the job, and less time needed for orientation. But you're correct -- one of the key goals is to prepare students with the knowledge, skills and behaviors appropriate for the profession.
Barry Westling
to provide an opportunity to develop skills to begin a career in real life settings.
