Institutional Education Programs
8. How does this work for vocational education?
Learning-Focused instruction can be adapted to any instructional area, including vocational education. All instructors are faced with the same question: How do I plan and deliver instruction so that students can learn it faster and keep it longer?
The answer to the question is to use the teaching strategies in a consistent and pervasive manner. You must do this every day, in all content areas and in all schools.
Remember, this is a research-based model; the strategies presented in this model have been tested and retested. The results are always the same. When a school uses a strategy such as graphic organizers appropriately and in a consistent an pervasive manner, academic achievement increases in that school.
The same would be true for a vocational educator. A building construction teacher may create a graphic organizer on how to insure that a corner is square or the shelves on a bookcase are level. A welding teacher may have students create a summarization journal where the student welder reflects and summarizes on the days welds. The rule is: Adapt; not adopt. Work with your administrator and remember to be creative and to be open for change.