Jean,
Many of these traits area not part of our curriculum per se, but in select fields of study, students must somehow acquire these needed behaviors and affect if they're to be successful. Methods to incorporate these important qualities can include role modeling, demonstration, and mentoring with those peers and instructors who regularly practice their craft with high standards.
Barry Westling
Lisa,
Yes, equipping them is the challenge, as each student will be stronger in different areas. I think good writing and math skills, critical thinking, and good communication, along with the career associated skills and knowledge help them the most in the job setting.
Barry Westling
I agree critical thinking, communication, professionalism and integretity is very important in any profession. I am an instructor in the health care field and I make every effort to incorporate the significance of these standards in my daily instructions. My goal is to assist in the education and development of exceptionally qualified nurses.
To prepare and equip student for their career.
David,
Providing the skills, knowledge and critical thinking abilities are among the chief goals, because in career schools, we're training for jobs.
Barry Westling
To prepare them for real time situations.
Janette,
I think it's amazing when instructors can create a learning environment where students are as excited about their training at the end of the program as they were when they enrolled. Creating excitement is certainly an admirable goal.
Barry Westling
To properly prepare students for their chosen career path, and to get them excited about their choice.
Michael,
From an employers standpoint, the expect skills and knowledge to be there, but the outstanding employees are the ones who are effective communicators, show initiative, critical thinkers, and seek ways to make improvements.
Barry Westling
To prepair them for a career. To teach them the hard and the soft skills they need to be successful.
Anthony,
Lifelong learning and the pursuit of using ones formal education into a pattern of using personal, community, employer, and public resources to achieve that goal. Taking a natural interest in the world around them just makes for better employees and citizens, as well as a creating more abundant, fulfilling life.
Barry Westling
Let me begin by acknowledging that university education has at least four interlocking goals:
A)Dissemination of knowledge (such that the knowledge of the older generation is preserved in the younger generation).
B)Training of people, aimed at the production of the man power needed for the preservation and progress of the nation and society (engineers, architects, bankers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, teachers, administrators, cabinet ministers, ...);
C)Training of researchers needed for the preservation and expansion of human knowledge;
D)The development and enhancement of the inner potential of individuals (intellectual, moral, emotional, physical, social, cultural, spiritual, ...) For the majority of students, the primary motivation for education is career advancement.
From the students' point of view, an efficient educational programme should increase their chances of finding a job and going up the career ladder. Hence, goal B is the most important from their perspective. However, as far as teachers are concerned, goal D is the most important. Hence the need to explore the potential conflict between the two.
Wenda,
In career education, of course there's the skills and knowledge that's needed for success on the job. Usually, this includes professionalism, communication, and critical thinking, which may not hard course objectives, but we help our students be better employees and citizens when we can provide training for these traits.
Barry Westling
The goal of educating students is an interesting question. I want my students to be able to use the information to somehow make their lives better. Whether by improving at a particular job/career, learning lessons that can be used in their everyday life, showing them what excites them (or doesn't excite them), and/or causing them to think about (or look at)something in a whole new way.
I just want them to increase in their knowledge and understanding about a subject. For knowledge can be powerful.
Amanda,
I always think of it like this: skills and knowledge; professionalism; communication; interpersonal interaction; and critical thinking.
Barry Westling
Jennifer,
Right. The ability to effectively communicate, interact with co-workers in a positive manner, and skillful in the tasks required for employment are all among the chief ways we should be preparing our students.
Barry Westling
To give them further knowledge on subject matter they did not previously know about. To continue to build upon information they have already learned and inhance their understanding about a particular subject.
My goal is to prepare each student for a future career. I've found that the "soft skills" are extremely important to put with the technical skills they are learning. A professional employee can sometimes overcome lack in technical skill. But unprofessional will never overcome even the greatest technical skills.
Kathy,
Critical thinking does make for better employees. Of course, skills, knowledge, and the ability to interact in a professional manner are assumed outcomes for students as well.
Barry Westling
The goal is to give the student the tools they need to solve problems in their career.
