APPLIED ACADEMICS NEWSWIRE
Volume # 17 June 4, 1999
Helping educators to bring the real world into the classroom

In this Issue...

1. NOT JUST RIDING THE RETRO TREND
   An ambitious review of the Sullivan Report's legacy ten years later

2. PLAN YOUR ESCAPE
   This summer, go AWAL!

3. TAKING A COMPASS BEARING FOR TPC 12
   Be part of the TPC 12 review.

4. TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A FRUSTRATING FAX
   Update on the Newsflash fax-outs

5. CONTACT INFORMATION

In the last year, we have seen the return of disco, 70's fashions and a general glorification of anything retro. With that in mind, it would be easy to dismiss the Sullivan Forum '99 as simply riding the retro trends. Nothing could be further from the truth!

In 1988, a Royal Commission on Education released a report examining the then current state of education, and the kind of educational world that we wished to create in the years ahead. Throughout the many recommendations and findings was an emphasis on the relevance of education and the need for greater choice, access and flexibility for students. The Sullivan report served as a map to chart the course of education during the next decade.

The CFAA and Malaspina College are teaming up to host a forum to review the legacy of Sullivan '88. June 14-15, educational leaders will converge on Nanaimo's Malaspina University College to discuss how the report has shaped our secondary schools, and how it might be further implemented in the next millennium. Speakers and participants include school district superintendents, university and college educators, Ministry of Education officials and original Commission staff members.

One of the key findings in the 1988 report was that "the curriculum is startingly inadequate at the senior secondary level for learners not planning to attend a post-secondary institution." It discovered that "what was requested by most of the secondary students, even those headed to college or university was a greater variety, choice and relevance in course selection." This provided a framework for applied academics within the secondary school system.

Want more info on the Sullivan Forum '99? Why not check www.mala.bc.ca/sullivan? Those of you planning on attending should remember that registration closes on June 8th, so act soon.

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Now is your chance! People are busy, no one is looking, and you have the opportunity to escape. Like other teachers around the province, you could go AWAL this summer.

AWAL (Applications of Working and Learning) is a single day pro-d activity that offers the chance for educators to leave their classrooms and see how the curriculum they teach is used in the workplace. Teachers are then encouraged to use what they learned in the workplace environment to develop relevant classroom activities. The classroom activities are pooled in a province wide database (www.bced.gov.bc.ca/cfaa/awal.htm).

The Summer AWAL program allows teachers to have a job placement for a day. In the past, AWAL participants have escaped to BC Hydro, BC Tel, the Business Council of British Columbia, IBM, Chevron Canada, Gibralter Mines, Pacific Press, Vancouver Island Recycling, Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment and other interesting work sites.

If you are looking to escape this summer, why not go AWAL? E-mail Donna Palmer at dpalmer@bcit.ca or call 1 877-293-CFAA.

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Navigating uncharted waters can be tricky. There are no known landmarks, and everything is new and yet to be discovered. Implementing a relatively new course such as Technical and Professional Communications 12 is quite a similar experience. It is often difficult to know exactly where you are on the route to your destination.

As a result, the CFAA is in the process of reviewing the progress of TPC 12. We are taking a compass bearing. We are interviewing teachers and students for their feedback regarding the course's effectiveness. Our goal is to collect feedback from as many sources as possible.

If you are teaching this course (or have taught it in the past), and have yet to be contacted, please call Bruce Deacon at (250)704-0141. He can also be reached at cfaanews@islandnet.com.

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Who would have thought that one little fax program could provide so much excitement/aggravation? Currently, the Newsflash is being distributed to individuals and schools in the Lower Mainland. We hope to have it distributed province wide in the near future.

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5) CONTACT INFORMATION

APPLIED ACADEMICS NEWSWIRE is a service of the Center for Applied Academics.

Center for Applied Academics
Suite 702 - 555 Seymour Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6B 3H2 CANADA

Phone: 604/412.7634 Fax: 604/688.5924
Toll Free: 1 877 293-CFAA

Internet: www.bced.gov.bc.ca/cfaa
E-mail at cfaa0010@bcitvm.bcit.ca.

Should you have questions about the CFAA list, please contact:
Bruce Deacon at cfaanews@islandnet.com

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