Avenues to success--developing a thriving technology education program: Greenfield-Central High School, Greenfield, Indiana.

Publication: The Technology Teacher

Publication Date: 01-FEB-08

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COPYRIGHT 2008 International Technology Education Association

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Across the USA, technology education has faced many challenges over the past several decades. Educational changes and reform at all levels seem to have had a positive effect on the required classes or "core" courses. As a result, "elective" courses seem to be delegated to a secondary role in a student's education.

Several years ago a friend asked if I thought it was possible to maintain a thriving technology education program with all the changes that have been taking place over the last ten years. He said that, with outside forces such as NCLB, state-mandated exit exams, and the push for students to enroll in more math and science, technology education was becoming an afterthought in some schools.

At a recent ITEA Conference, fellow teacher Trent Taylor and I explained in detail the almost 30-year evolution of the technology education program at Greenfield-Central High School, Greenfield, Indiana. Through the years, the curriculum, students, teachers, and administrators have changed, but one constant remains: the positive attitude that the community has for technology education.

Our school's journey to develop a thriving technology education program has taken many twists and turns. We have had numerous challenges that have affected both the program and the methods we have used to instruct our students. The following are some of the influences that we have encountered and how we adapted to them.

Change in School Administration--Learning to Act as a Team

In life there are times you can point to the exact moment that a movement or change occurs. In our department's case, it was the hiring of a visionary high school principal, Mr. Robert Albano. Mr. Albano came to our school after being an administrator at one of Indianapolis's finest vocational career high schools. At the time Mr. Albano was hired, the GCHS technology education curriculum was a disorganized hodgepodge of industrial arts- and industrial technology-titled courses. Students enrolled in the courses were learning, and good things were taking place but, on the whole, the department did not have a vision or direction.

Getting Organized

Mr. Albano was a master...

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