E-mail contact
John Enright
jje782@aol.com

Teacher Bio
John Enright teaches Vocational Education in the SNAP program at Madison Park Technical Vocational High. For the past eight years he has been an active member of his school's Instructional Leadership Team and represents this School to Career School on the BPS Teachers Advisory Council. Project-based learning, vocational tours, and career mentoring are his way of introducing students to the development of related work skills. With his extensive computer background, John's goal is to show students how to combine twenty-first century technology with traditional crafts.

Subject Areas
Vocational Education

Grade Levels
9

Students
Students with special needs explore vocational careers. Adaptable for any middle or high school student enrolled in shop or carpentry class.

 

 
 

Rx for Tired Classrooms ~ Voc Ed to the Rescue

Authenticity

Key Question How can Voc Ed students make lasting impressions throughout the school?

Overview Students, who are just beginning to investigate building and carpentry careers, refresh and redo classroom display and storage areas. They advertise their shop know-how. and enhance classrooms by installing white boards and bulletin boards along with rehabbing chalkboards and creating storage areas throughout the campus. They recycle materials commonly labeled unusable, manage their time, and analyze and solve problems while improving the learning environment. Seizing the moment to explain their project, these fixer uppers document it with oral presentations in the restored classrooms. Here's a prescription that not only revitalizes tired classrooms but also endows Voc Ed participants with confidence and skills that last a lifetime.

Active Exploration + Applied Learning + Adult Connections
Classroom Activities
Community Activities
Career Activities
• Brainstorm effective ways to display student work.
• Identify need for additional schoolwide display areas.
• Create public service announcements & flyers to advertise rehab project.
• Review Woodworking Glossary terms while developing work plan.
• Read classroom specifics for work plans & schedules.
• Write contract for each installation.
• Compare shop & research supplies & vendors.
• Review construction techniques.
• Organize individual roles & delegate responsibility.
• Document construction process for future presentation.
• Install objects & reflect on results.
• Locate classrooms that need more display & storage areas.
• Distribute flyers throughout school.
• Respond to rehab requests by scheduling classroom visits.
• Consult with classes & suggest installation options.
• Take measurements during visits & agree on proper placement of objects.
• Explain steps & sign contract with classroom teacher.
• Explain process after installation is completed to students & teacher.
• Hold open house at the end of the year.
• Display Voc Ed to the Rescue prints of digital photos & demonstrate how to build, hang, & recycle classroom display & storage objects.
• Review proper workplace behavior.
• Research careers in building materials and technology.
• Discuss & develop solutions to real-life problems in the building & contracting trades (schedule conflicts, cost run overs, deadlines, etc.).
• Collect data on materials cost, time on task to create itemized model bill.
• Assess installations, reflect on activities & make connections between this experience & students' career plans.


Academic Rigor
Learning Standards Math
• Use computation and estimation procedures to solve problems.
• Explore the real world to use appropriate tools in measuring objects.
• Collect, organize, and describe data.

Learning Standards Science
• Use technologies to present information effectively.
• Collaborate on a project that applies learning to educate others.

School to Career Competencies
• Practice Communication and Literacy Skills.
• Complete Entire Activities.
• Solve Problems.
• Take Responsibility for Career and Life Choices.
• Act professionally.

Assessment

SNAP Exploratory focuses on student investigation of various career choices. Participants are informally assessed on a daily basis and are tested periodically. Students also evaluate their own performances by following the daily grade sheet rubrics. During final student oral presentations that describe process, materials, requisite tools and skills for completed project, teacher and student audience evaluate and provide feedback.

Software or Materials Used For research and documentation: Internet, Digital Camera, Microsoft Office; for materials: 3/8" Cordless Drill; Concrete Drill Bits; 4'x 8' Sheets Whiteboard and Corkboard; 4'x 8' Sheets Homosote; 10" Compound Miter Saw; Router Table; Hanging Screws and Anchors.

Teacher Developed Materials Guidelines for work plan and contract, grade sheet rubrics for products and oral presentations, Web Site List Rx for Tired Classrooms, photos for documentation

Student Developed Materials public service announcements, flyers, work plan, parts list, contract

Web Sites Web Site List Rx for Tired Classrooms

Final Words Voc Ed to the Rescue allows students to explore career avenues while providing an important service to the community. Students feel invested in the school as they create a lasting legacy for classrooms they have improved.

Teacher Tip It's important that students create a work and parts list before venturing into classrooms. Each student should be aware of their role in the project so that they understand time management skills.

 
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