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ERIC Number: EJ992832
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1253
EISSN: N/A
Guiding High School Students through Applied Internship Projects in College Environments: A Met School Story
Hassan, Said
Education Canada, v52 n5 2012
Many high school students are faced with the dilemma of "what next?" as they go through their final years at school. With new-economy jobs becoming more complex and career paths increasingly convoluted, the decision-making process is no simple task. What do these jobs and careers entail? How does what they are studying in school relate to them? A few students with good scores do end up in their profession of choice, normally a well-known career such as medicine, engineering or law, but many others face the challenge of picking something that is within their reach, interests them and possibly has some career prospects. In 2009 the author met a science teacher from Seven Oaks Met School, a school with a unique vision and model of teaching and learning. It didn't take long for him and his colleague at Red River College, Philip Cheng, to be all ears, listening to and imbibing the concept of Met School. They learned that, as part of their educational model, Met School students spend time twice a week in a work environment of their choice. They then share their learning and experiences with their schoolmates and teachers through project presentations and other activities. As the author reflects on his experiences with Met School students and other mentorships he has taken on, he can't help thinking that this model could certainly be part of the answer to the "what next?" question, a small part but a crucial one nevertheless. College environments present some advantages as incubators for such projects. College programs tend to be a closer simulation of actual work environments while maintaining academic components. Besides, the emphasis on direct application of learning to solving industrial problems, in his opinion, is a strong motivator to high school students who are disillusioned with the value of what they learn at school.
Canadian Education Association. 119 Spadina Avenue Suite 705, Toronto, ON M5V 1P9, Canada. Tel: 416-591-6300; Fax: 416-591-5345; e-mail: publications@cea-ace-ca; Web site: http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A