Career And Technical Education Essay

In the United States, the history of Career and Technical Education evolved within four major periods. First, the Awakening period which began in 1776-1826, when the right to a free public education was expressed. During this era, educational opportunities in labor and industrial education were being demanded. The rising working class began to press for an education that were more appropriate for their labor and industry’s needs (Awakening 1776-1826, 1976). Even Benjamin Franklin who represented the Awakening middle class was on board with the rise of technical and vocational education which were taught primarily by private masters or contracted apprenticeships (Cohen, 1976).
Second, the Independent Action period from 1826-1876, was a time when the workforce and public education systems began to work together to train workers for various types of jobs. The Lyceum of Science and the Arts became one place for technical and vocational education to blossom. Moreover, the Rensselaer Institute was a house for the new idea to combine chemistry, natural philosophy, and Mathematics with agriculture and mechanics (Rensselaer, 1976). Agricultural education during the Independent period was

promoted mainly through societies. Some of the focus were scientific in nature while other focus on practical farming.
Third, the Vocational Education Age period from 1876–1926, students focused on learning work ethics along with work skills.

The first manual training school, established in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1879, set the foundation for modern career and technical education (Association for Career and Technical Education, 2013). The St. Louis Manual Training School became a model for other schools, establishing a long-lasting relationship with public education using hands-on learning as one of their techniques. By the 1900, domestic science reached the public school systems which began the rise of the Home Economics program (Vocational age emerges, 1876-1926, 1976). The evolution of Home Economics will evolve several times before it is finally known as Family and Consumer

Sciences.
Fourth, the Coming of Age period from 1926-1976, highlighted several major Acts and financial aid that would catapult CTE. For example The Smith-Hughes Act which provided financial stability for the CTE and Home Economic program. The George Deen Act of 1936, authorized Congress to appropriate an amount of money not to exceed the total authorization of the act. A new budget was determined each year (New association is born, 2002). The first large-scale acceptance of Career and Technical Education came after World War I.
According to the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), the program expanded to include adult education and retraining of citizens to re-enter the workforce. World War II caused a surge in career and technical education as technical skills were needed for defense (CTE Research: History of CTE, 2014). Moreover, from a conceptual perspective, CTE programs of study have traditionally focused on curriculum and instructional practices. These practices were based on the industry specific skills and technologies that would assist students in transitioning into skilled wage employment (Gordon, 2008a). Currently, many middle and high schools house Career and Technical Education programs.

Later on, girls and women were given the opportunity to learn from CTE teachers. They learned by doing. The school used hands-on techniques within the classroom. Near the turn of the 20th century, agricultural education started to thrive (CTE Research: History of CTE (b), 2014). Student participates in contextually relevant learning environments where they discover and apply new information, solve problems, gain access to expert perspectives, participate, and practice. The elements of Situated Cognition include authentic content, activities, and assessment; observations of multiple roles and perspectives; collaborative knowledge construction; reflections, articulation, and scaffolding (Hansan, 2002).
In other words, students are learning by implanting the subject or lesson within the experience(s), and by developing the chance for the student to experience the subject or lesson in real life situations. For an example, Real Money Real World (RMRW) is a financial literacy simulation program that provides the opportunity for students to make lifestyle and budget choices similar to those made by 27-year-old adults (Real Money Real World, 2013). The RMRW curriculum was developed by The Ohio State University Extension. Moreover, the RMRW curriculum has been used by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Family and Consumer Sciences teachers in the Central Virginia Region as well as the business communities. These types of simulations can prepare students for various CTE Assessments as well as the Mathematics SOLs testing.