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Preparing kids for the real world
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Posted on Jul 28 1999
Grade school students may not understand what math and science mean to them. Unless the significance of things discussed in the classroom is properly demonstrated, it may be hard to ignite students’ interest, according to studies in the United States.
These studies, according to a visiting educator from Ohio, gave rise to the introduction of career exploration program in many schools in the U.S.
Harry Drier, president of Career, Education and Training Associates, Inc., said the career exploration program “integrates the world of work around us and using that as an intriguing motivators.”
“It’s like bringing work to school through inviting employers, using video, games and other activities and putting them in the context of [subjects like] math and science,” said Drier, a delegate to the 16th Annual Pacific Education Conference, which is ongoing at the Marianas High School.
The program, Drier explained, demonstrates the importance of classroom activities and how these can prepare students for their future careers.
“For example, if a student wants to be a mechanic, it is critical for him to learn, say, multiplication,” Drier explained.
“Students learn best if they know why they have to learn something; why they have to know science, why they have to know math, why it is important to be on time; or why it is important to dress properly,” he added.
Citing studies in the U.S, Drier said many students “start fading away from school” upon reaching sixth grade level because they don’t get the sense of what they are being taught in the classroom.
“They’re not achieving and the main reason is that don’t have a focus,” Drier said.
What the program seeks to achieve, Drier said, is to motivate the child toward focusing on a certain direction.
Drier cited studies which indicated that a child who has a sense of what he wants to be can be motivated to achieve a goal.
The career exploration program has been in existence since early 1970’s, Drier said.
He added that schools which have adopted this program in their curriculum have produced students with high achievement rates.
