Examples of Technical Math Problems

The British Columbia Institute of Technology has posted a database of examples of applied technical math in a variety of career fields at  Applied Technical Math Problems .  The page is divided by career field and by math discipline.  The BCIT and Maple TA are launching the "Building Better Math" project, a subscription service for assignments and lessons involving applied technical math.

Central Valley Construction Careers Event Set for 4/13/12

The Central Valley Construction Career Awareness Day is set to take place at the Fresno Fairgrounds on 13 April 2012.  Approximately 1,400 Fresno area high school students, CTE teachers, ROP coordinators, apprenticeship programs, and colleges will participate in hands-on activities showcasing construction and trades-related careers available in California.  The event is hosted by the Associated General Contractors of California, San Joaquin District, among many others.  http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/construction/1287-fresno-event-to-promote-construction-jobs

Lucia Mar District Will Require Graduates to Choose Career Pathway

The Lucia Mar Unified School District (in the Santa Maria, CA area) will require graduates of Arroyo Grande and Nipomo high schools to take a freshman level career class and choose one of four career pathways in order to graduate beginning in 2016.  The four pathways will include:  college/university focus for those students planning on attending a four-year university out of high school; a college/career focus for those planning on attending a community college or taking ROP courses; a specialized program focus for those attending the local New Tech High School or pre-engineering IDEA Academy; or an individual program focus for those who choose a program focus and later change it.  While there is some remaining debate and discussion over the new programs (modeled after Santa Rosa), ROP Superintendent Jim Souza explains that the school board will consider pathways and curricular changes, as well as related changes at the middle school level over the next several months.  http://santamariatimes.com/news/local/education/district-to-require-career-pathways/article_3d58286e-73eb-11e1-8390-0019bb2963f4.html

President Proposes Additional Community College CTE Funds

The President recently announced a proposal to add $8 billion in funding for a Community College to Career Fund for career-technical training partnering with business, focusing on sectors such as clean energy, health care, and manufacturing.  There would also be a component for on-line and brick-and-mortar training for entrepreneurs.  Education Secretary Arne Duncan cited Nevada community colleges as a model for the program which provides local direction to meet immediate local workforce development needs. 

In additional budget provisions, the President proposed to infuse an additional $1 billion into high school career academies and other secondary CTE programs, plus additional money into Race to the Top for K-12 education, including making funding available to individual districts.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/13/us-usa-budget-education-idUSTRE81C1Z620120213

"The Art of the Future" by Jim Brazell

In "The Art of the Future," well-know futurist Jim Brazell has undertaken a new "web-text-book-blog-thing," as he calls it (or an example of "eXtreme writing" on-line) regarding the future, innovation, STEM, the arts, and often touching on education reform for the 21st Century. 

As stated in his 7 November 2011 keynote address in Austin, Texas, his view of the current student incorporates career-technical education and high academic rigor.  Brazell feels that the "fundamental question for the 21st Century is how do we organize for and produce innovation and innovators?" and he sets out to provide thought-provoking clues related to digital convergence and "technopolis" public-private partnerships.  http://theartofthefuture.squarespace.com/  Upon closer reading, one can find many similarities to the environments/locales that he uses as examples, and that of the greater Antelope Valley region.