Arianne Huene, a twelfth grade student at Stelly’s Secondary School in Saanichton, near Victoria, flies Schweizer SGS 2-33A gliders and reads Anne Rice mysteries. So what’s this got to do with her decision to enroll in Technical and Professional Communications 12?
"I decided to take Technical and Professional Communications 12 because I’m interested in aviation and criminology, and there’s a lot of professional writing in both fields," says Arianne.
For Arianne, the way writing had been taught didn’t "stick" with her in everyday situations that require crystal-clear writing. But Stelly’s, known for its high academic standards, community-centred programs, and vibrant student-teacher interactions, is a great place to learn about communicating well.
For Arianne, the TPC approach to learning English suits her. "When I am writing about real things and situations, it makes the writing of crystal-clear communication important. I learn it very naturally—it just seems to stick."
Martha Oleson teaches Technical and Professional Communications 12 at Stelly’s and enjoys the course because it’s useful, dynamic, and attracts a multitalented group of students. Recently, Martha planned a wide range of stimulating learning activities for her students. "Students are planning their community-based, end-of-term projects [worth 20% of their final mark]," says Martha. "One is planning a Web-based online magazine; another is writing about First Nations land agreements; a third will write a hands-on manual for teachers and students new to using personal computers; and a fourth is working on a project that will improve his father’s trucking business." These projects motivate students to write clear, meaningful documents important to their specific audiences.
"Martha’s teaching style is really open," says Arianne. "I like the fact that she gives us challenging assignments, cares enough to ask us how we can improve the course, and assigns work we can be proud of. I know that the course is helping me reach my goals."
Technical and Professional Communications 12 reminds Martha of "archaeological report writing." While living in Rome for four years, Martha researched Roman pottery while her husband finished his doctorate in archaeology. She observes that even esoteric subject areas such as archaeology have become high tech. "At archaeological digs today, everyone has his or her laptop and writes detailed records of observations and finds. It’s a mix of the old and the new in a way that’s never been seen before."
She describes Arianne as a "thoroughly modern young woman" who is poised, outgoing, and has a real thirst for knowledge. And Martha says Technical and Professional Communications 12 may be the "most important and useful course" her students will ever take.
As for Arianne’s love of flying, it’s clear that it relates to her love of freedom. "The freedom of flying is great," Arianne says. "But you still need structure." And what kind of structure does this thoroughly modern young woman want? "Right now, I want to structure my thinking more," she says. "I’d like Technical and Professional Communications to help me organize my thoughts and find effective ways of writing and communicating."
For her community-based, end-of-term project, she’s writing about the "privatization of airports and what privatization means to the aviation community." It’s something that will make an impact on Arianne and other aviators. "There’ll be fees for taking off and landing, for example. And there could be concerns about contracts and safety, too."
Her writing project is challenging, but Arianne knows what she likes. "I like writing that’s clear and concise," she says. In particular, she likes air cadet manuals for their preciseness and simplicity and likes Anne Rice for its gruesome detail and "what Rice says about human nature." Does she see anything in common between these two, very different genres? "Well, Anne Rice is clear in the way she makes you think about things, and air cadet manuals are clear in the way they present very technical, factual material. So I guess clarity is the common element."
Indeed. And Technical and Professional Communications 12 is part of Arianne’s clear-headed approach to developing the communications skills she needs to deal with career realities and soar even more confidently into the life she chooses to lead.
Bridges Lesson Plans
On our CFAA website at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/cfaa, we have got a whole set of terrific lesson plans on Applied Mathematics 9 and 10 and Technical and Professional Communications 12. Teachers interested in these courses get a terrific boost with engaging, topical lesson ideas that meet the needs of today’s inquisitive students.
Applied Mathematics 9/10 Lesson Ideas of the Month (Summary)
Formula for Success: Market Analyst
Most of us want to play the stock market to earn more money on our savings than we get by leaving our money in a regular bank account. But picking the right stocks isn’t a matter of luck; it’s a matter of research, intuition, and mathematics. Learn the formulas used by a market analyst, and then pick the winners yourself.
Technical and Professional Communications 12 Lesson Idea of the Month (Summary)
Will It Fly? Aerospace Engineer
Your students work at hypersonic speed when they edit a technical document on hypersonic flight for use as a press release. Will it fly? They’ll be the judge.
UBC Accepts Applications of Physics 11 and 12:
The [Senate Admissions] Committee recommended that the combination of Applications of Physics 11 and 12 would be considered equivalent to Physics 11 for the purpose of admission to the University of British Columbia (UBC) and as a prerequisite for further physics courses.
Langara College now accepts all four Applied Academics subjects for admission!
Details…Complete details about the articulation of Applied Academics at UBC, Langara College, and all other post secondary institutions are published in the Guide to Post Secondary Articulation of Applied Academics. This guide will be distributed to all secondary schools and post secondary institutions in May 1998. Details are also published on the CFAA website (http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/cfaa/artic.htm).
MOVING FROM SECONDARY TO POST-SECONDARY STUDIES:
WHO CAN HELP STUDENTS PLAN THEIR PROGRAMS?
The Center for Applied Academics (CFAA) has as its mission: "To better prepare a larger number of high school graduates for entry into post-secondary education and the workplace." The BC Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) includes as part of its mandate statement: "To facilitate admission, articulation and transfer arrangements among the colleges, university colleges, institutes, and the Open Learning Agency (OLA), and the universities." CFAA and BCCAT encourage secondary students to continue their education by following appropriate paths in the post-secondary world.
Dr. Frank Gelin, executive director of BCCAT, spoke with the editor of the CFAA Newsletter editor recently and provided information about the work of the Council as it pertains to high school students contemplating post-secondary studies. He emphasized that it is important for high school students planning to enroll in Applied Academic courses to know whether or not these courses will satisfy admission requirements at post-secondary institutions. While some high school graduates who take Applied Academics courses may attend university directly, others may attend a college to work toward achieving a certificate or diploma attain sufficient college-level credits to gain admission to a university.
To provide relevant information, BCCAT surveyed university requirements for students not eligible for direct entry but who can gain admission by first attending a community college. Entitled University Entrance Requirements, this information is available on the websites of both BCCAT (http://www.bccat.bc.ca) and CFAA (http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/cfaa/).
Dr. Gelin also pointed out that BCCAT annually publishes a Transfer Guide that lists all courses in colleges, university colleges, institutes, and the OLA that receive credit at the university level. The Guide, which is widely distributed and available in all secondary schools, is also found on the BCCAT website. Secondary teachers, counsellors, students, and parents should be aware of this Guide, a valuable tool in planning the transition from secondary to post-secondary studies.
The CFAA website has information about how high school graduates who have taken Applied Academics courses may gain acceptance into a variety of post-secondary institutions.
As more students successfully complete Applied Academics courses, proceed through studies at the college level, and undertake university courses in a variety of disciplines, the acknowledgment and support of Applied Academics will increase and expand to the benefit of all.
The first Applied Academics grade 12 examinations will be held in June 1998. Those will be Applications of Mathematics 12 and Technical and Professional Communications 12. Subsequent exams will be held every August, January, and June. The first examination for Applications of Physics 12 will be offered in June 1999 and then will follow the regular exam schedule.
Information Technology
Are your Information Technology students ready for the rigors of post-secondary education? To answer this question, we are conducting a study that will show how well graduates of Information Technology 11 and 12 fulfill the computing prerequisites for typical post-secondary programs. Seven post secondary colleges and institutes have described the skills and knowledge made for successful entry into their business and computing programs. From this foundation we built a database of 200 assessment items associated with these competencies and will be conducting a field trial with several secondary schools this spring. Results of the assessments will be available in September 98.
Contact: Bill Howorth, Program Head, Computer Systems Technology, BCIT (bhoworth@bcit.ca).
Applications of Physics 11 and 12
The Applications of Physics 11 and 12 Instructional Resource Package (IRP) has just been released and is available on the internet.
Applications of Mathematics
Applications of Mathematics courses are stimulating interest in a wide variety of jurisdictions, including Ontario, where the province is looking at a new secondary mathematics curriculum.
Some of the most exciting work is in learning-resource development. Educational publishers such as ITP Nelson and Addison-Wesley Longman are developing resources for the classroom. ITP Nelson, for example, is developing a teacher resource to support the applied nature of the courses that can be used with a variety of other text materials already on the market. This resource should provide teachers with both large and small-scale applications that will provide activities, exercises, and assessment for several main units of Applications of Mathematics 9.
Addison-Wesley Longman (AWL) is developing a full text resource for the Applications of Mathematics 10, 11, and 12, with British Columbia teachers supplying mathematical and writing talent to the project.
If you are interested in piloting either of these two new resources, contact Malcolm Sneddon (malcolm.sneddon@gov.bc.ca).
Technical and Professional Communications
Thinking about offering Technical and Professional Communications 12 for the first time in September 1998? If so, contact us to get your personal copy of a TPC12 Start-up Kit, complete with course outlines, applied projects, sample lessons, and student handouts. Version 1.0 of the Start-up Kit is available now! To get your own copy, contact Vickie Shillington.
CFAA and BC TEL Interactive are proud to announce a collaborative partnership featuring Applied Academics on the World Wide Web, Sympatico’s Discover Learning website for students, teachers, and parents. Linda McKinley, product marketing manager, Sympatico Discover Learning, says, "Our strength lies in partnerships with education organizations such as CFAA to provide the most up-to-date and relevant content for our audience."
The website is located at http://www.discoverlearning.com/; you’ll find Applied Academics in the Learn Online area of the site. Find out what’s new, how to become involved in Applied Academics, participate in discussion forums, and more!
Does Applied Academics interest you? If you need support, please send a fax with your name, address, and other relevant contact information, and we’ll get in touch with you. The CFAA fax number is (604) 688-5924 or e-mail us at cfaa0010@bcitvm.bcit.ca.
Applied Academics Conference
October, 22–24, 1998
Kelowna, British Columbia
Contact: CFAA (604) 412-7634
Applied Academics Summer Institute
Summer School
Contact: CFAA (604) 412-7634
For events in your region, please contact the Field Services Team of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology (http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/branches/skills/fs/welcome.htm).
CFAA has developed a resource kit to help teachers implement Applications of Mathematics courses for grades 9 to 12 and Technical and Professional Communications 12. Developed by teachers who broke new ground with their innovative teaching methods, the kits are available now. For in-service on the kit—or to learn about ways to teach applied courses—contact the Center for Applied Academics (cfaa0010@bcitvm.bcit.ca).
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