Blog 4: Communication in Career & Technical Education (Skyline Welding Program) REVISED

   

     Typically, I spend most of my teaching day is spent in a 30 x 30 classroom with no windows, so I often know little about what is happening outside the 200 building! Even in the hallway, I am surrounded by nothing except English teachers. Don't get me wrong--I like being a part of the English department, but occasionally, it's good to see other parts of the school and talk with friends and colleagues in other departments, so . . . this week, I decided to get out and about and find out what my friends are doing in professional writing and social media. As serendipity would have it, the first person I ran into was Mike Drobitsky, the welding teacher. He invited me over to see what his kids are doing and discuss professional communication with him. This turned out to be exactly what I was looking for (even though I didn't know it at the time!)

     Mike, or "D," as he is often affectionately called by both colleagues and students, was teaching his Advanced Welding class when I stopped by. I was impressed by the work the students were doing. They all got to work on their respective projects right away with no long instructions from D. In fact, it looked more like a professional welding shop than a classroom because of the caliber of students. Over the past couple of years, D has obviously taught students the basics (safety, different types of welding, etc.), but he has also taught them to be self-starters. Each seemed to have a mission, and was actively engaged in it. Listening to them talk, it was clear I had stepped into an unique place, one in which I didn't completely belong. D and his students have their own welding vocabulary (I would have understood more in a World Languages class), but along with that, they share "ways of acting, thinking, and interacting" with each other, making it a unique discourse community (Gee 17). They have a straight-forward communication style with each other, perhaps because they have worked together for the past 2 to 3 years and know each other well, or because this is a non-nonsense type of environment. When working with fire and hot metal, it's essential to get one's point across the first time! Politeness and polite language take a backseat to keeping everyone out of the ER! Yet, this informal--dare I say, rough--style of communication is simply part of their discourse community and has nothing to do with lack of respect or manners. D and his student welders seem to like and respect other; they understand the discourse of the welding shop and,  even though it was a bit foreign to me (as someone from outside the discourse community), it works for them.

  

     The welding students work on a number of charity projects throughout the year. D point out some of the projects students had been working on. Last year, they made metal name plates of all staff members at Skyline (I absolutely love mine!):

They have made a barbecue/smoker for a barbecue champion on the professional circuit:

They also made special "rods" for tying down wheelchairs for disabled athletes who throw discus:

     As a teacher, I am in awe of the work D and his students do. D is clearly passionate about what he does, and that passion has rubbed off on his students. These students will leave high school as both high school graduates AND certified welders, which makes them immediately employable! That's certainly more than I could claim after my high school graduation!

     As a student of rhetoric and writing, I am equally impressed with D's use of social media to promote both his program at Skyline, as well as CTE (Career and Technical Education), in general. D has a Facebook page (Skyline High Weld Shop) and a news feed that goes to students and parents. For D, communication is vital, in order to keep students and parents informed, as well as promote the work of his students. D notes that many people forget that the "C" in CTE standards for "Career." In addition, too often, in the rush to teach "College and Career Readiness Skills" and increase the number of students attending college, "career" takes a backseat to "college" in far too many high schools. As a certified welder, nationally certified teacher, and avid reader, D is working hard to change that, along with the stereotypes that surround many "blue collar" careers. One of the myths surrounding these career paths is that welders, mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, etc. don't need to read; D dispels that myth right away. Embedded in his curriculum is a great deal of technical reading. The welder who can't read is a safety hazard to herself and others. To be successful and 100% skilled, the welder must be able to read technical writing.

Student heating metal in a forge

Student shaping hot metal; D supervises

Student working on his welding project

     Teenagers are more likely to use Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter than Facebook these days; however, none of those formats would meet the needs of D and his students in keeping a running record of students' accomplishments and conversation. These would be wiped away quickly in other venues. D has obviously asked some of the questions consummate professionals ask themselves about their use of social media, including, What are the problems are to be solved?" and "Is social media meeting the intended goals?" (Fagan-Smith). D's reasons for having a Facebook page devoted to his welding classes are multi-faceted. Besides promoting the literacy aspects of CTE and keeping the "career" in CTE, D wants to showcase (and maybe brag about, just a little) the work his students do. D also uses the page as a positive public relationships tool for CTE, welding, and his students. Parents, students friends (e.g., former CTE teachers) and administrators are the primary audiences of the Skyline High Weld Shop Facebook. Too often, professionals write in abstractions, forgetting their are real people reading the writing (Zinsser 166); D is not one of those. Even though D must keep his diverse audiences in mind when writing, he maintains a warm, personable style on the page, never forgetting the real audiences to whom he is communicating (Zinsser 166).

      The Facebook page is open only to those who have been invited in, which keeps inappropriate comments and unintended audience participation to a minimum. In addition, the beauty of the welding Facebook page are the ensembles of modes involved. The text is mixed genre--combinations of informative, narrative, and persuasive-- and  include multimodal aspects of the media; D has a variety of posts (written by him, students, or other "friends"), as well as pictures, short videos, and links, all purposely placed for maximum positive effect (Kress).

     Social media has been used to keep students and parents up-to-date on important school-related information for the past decade or so. The use of Facebook pages to promote a high school program, however, is fairly new. Other than D, I don't know one single high school teacher who has a Facebook page devoted to his/her classes or program at my school. I applaud D and his students on their use of social media to promote the work they do!

     On a completely "social note" . . . D has two female students in his Advanced Welding class. It was fabulous to see them there! I mentioned to them that when I was in high school, girls weren't allowed in either welding or auto mechanics classes and, even if they had been allowed, most of us wouldn't have taken either class because of peer pressure. It just "wasn't something girls did" in the 1970's. 😢

All I can say is . . .

YOU GO, GIRLS!!!!!!

Works Cited

"Business Writing: Writing in Your Job." On Writing Well: 30th Anniversary Edition, by

     William K. Zinsser, Harper Collins, 2006.



"Discourses and Social Languages." Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method, by

      James Paul Gee, Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2014.

Fagan-Smith, Barbara. "The Changing Role of the Communication Professional."

     https://www.iabc.com/the-changing-role-of-the-professional.

"Multimodality, Media, and Genre."Literacy in the New Media Age, by Gunter R. Kress,

     Routledge, 2003.



Blog 5: Globalization & Intercultural Communication

     As a teenager growing up in the 1970’s in Yuma, Arizona, the world came to me via Richard, our newspaper boy, who delivered “The Yuma Daily Sun” each afternoon. Almost everything I knew about people and events outside Yuma, came directly from the local newspaper. (On days when we were really lucky, the rabbit ears allowed us to get the one channel on television, and we watched Walter Cronkite on the evening news). Communication was one-way and access to information was limited, primarily due to technology. “Letters to the editor” were the closest people could get to two-way communication!

My hometown newspaper

     Twenty-first century technology has expanded our worlds far beyond the boundaries of our hometowns or local television channels. People have access to information (news, as well as other genres) from almost anywhere in the world; we know more about people and events around the globe than any other generation in history. In addition, people can engage in conversations with people globally via Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram in real time. With the ability to communicate farther and wider, new questions need to be asked about "globalization” and “intercultural communication." How can we prepare students for the types of communication they will need in the not-too-distant future?

An example of a global media outlet



What is “Globalization” and “Intercultural Communication?

     The questions you might be asking are, “What is globalization and intercultural communication, and how is ‘intercultural communication’ different than any other kinds of communication?”  Globalization scholars define “globalization” as “the increasing interdependence and integration of social, cultural, political, and economic processes across local, national, regional, and global levels. People, artifacts, symbols, good, and services are exchanged more rapidly, frequently, and intensively, facilitated by the Internet, airline travel, wireless networks, and migration” (qtd in Starke-Meyerring 470- 471). “Intercultural communication” is a form of global communication that occurs across different cultures and social groups. In many ways, “intercultural communication” requires different skills than communication within one’s social and/or cultural group. When speaking with someone from the same culture, messages are more easily interpreted by each other due to shared values, beliefs, and expectations. When speaking with someone from a different culture, however, there can be problems in message transmission. Messages by be misinterpreted due to differences in communication expectations.

Non-examples of Intercultural Communication

     Let me illustrate the importance of “intercultural communication” through non-examples. Theoretically, news reporting is supposed to be unbiased, with reporters using the 5 W’s to drive the writing, but in the 1970’s, “The Yuma Daily Sun” wrote from only one perspective, usually Caucasian middle/upper class—decidedly not “intercultural”! I remember, quite vividly, reading an article on Cesar Chavez and the UFW. The article was less than flattering to Chavez (who just happened to be one of my father’s friends), but the “powers” in Yuma owned farms, so . . .  the article was written for the perceived audience. In the 1970’s in Yuma, Arizona, the audience (and economic support) for the local newspaper was small and consisted, primarily, of those involved in the agricultural community—farmers, farm equipment salespeople, and agriculture brokers. Even though a large percentage of the agricultural community was comprised of migrant farm workers, the paper did not consider their feelings about the UFW because they were not the targeted audience. It’s impossible to determine if the journalist who wrote the Chavez article knew there was an alternative perspective, but ignored it, or if he was completely oblivious to the concept of different points of view. Either way, the article was clearly biased and failed to consider minority voices. Reading an article like the one on Chavez today, most readers would recognize the bias right away.

      Even today, there are examples of global media outlets who do not think interculturally, although it is often more subtle than my Cesar Chavez example. Last October, Al-Jazeera Online ran a news story about the 100^th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. The headline includes the tag line, “everything you need to know about it,” but it is clearly written for an Islamic audience, or at least an audience who supports Islamic Palestinians. At the same time, “Jewish News Online,” another global outlet, also ran a story about the 100^th anniversary, but the story was about the celebrations being held for the “Jewish homeland.” These two articles—written on essentially the same topic—reveal decidedly different messages, appeals to only one cultural point of view. Each is a “single story”; it is only when read together that the more complete, balanced picture emerges.

Language is more than just language

     As the world expands and social media becomes even more ubiquitous, it is more important than ever that students learn to communicate well with others, particularly those from different cultures. It is highly likely that many students who are in high school today, will soon be part of globalized markets and transnational corporations, and even though many will never leave the United States physically, they will become part of a “digital” discourse community where speaking the same language (English, e.g.) is only the beginning. These future global employees and communicators will need to adopt the “mood, attitude, and actional possibilities of that place” (Bazerman 13). In other words, success in the world of global communication depends upon entrance into a specific discourse community. As James Gee observes, “We continually and actively build and rebuild our worlds, not just through language, but through language used in tandem with actions, interactions, non-linguistic symbol systems, objects, tools, technology, and distinctive ways of thinking, valuing, feeling, and believing” (13). If we want our students to truly communicate globally to diverse audiences, what and how we teach will necessarily need to shift.

Food for Thought: Moving from traditional curriculum to transnational

     Knowing that the world is becoming more connected and that students require expanded sets of communication skills begs the question, “How can education meet the needs our students?” First of all, we may need to ditch—or, at the very least, intensely augment—the usual 5-paragraph essay instruction in favor of teaching critical literacies. Students need to leave high school with the ability to “understand, critically assess, and productively use symbol systems (visual and verbal as well as multimedia systems)” (Starke-Meyerring 470). In addition, school districts may need to think beyond the walls of its schools by “partnering globally and building networked open-learning spaces that offer regular, just-in-time, and anytime opportunities for learners to interact with instructors, peers, and professional communicators in collaborative or coordinated courses, programs, or projects . . . and invite the voices and perspectives that are normally absent from textbooks and closed classrooms” Starke-Mayerring 495).


     I don’t know exactly know what instruction will look like in a few years, but I definitely know what it won’t look like:

Only Tangentially Related, but worth a watch!

     Below is a link to a tedtalk I discovered earlier this year and showed my students to help underscore the importance of viewing ideas from multiple perspectives. Even though Adichie is talking about literature, her thesis, "There is danger in a single," holds true for any type of writing. It is completely applicable to global communication! If you have never seen this, I highly recommend you watch this.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=adichie+ted+talk+the+danger+of+a+single+story&&view=detail&mid=EEFAA5D9D3CE19D33011EEFAA5D9D3CE19D33011&rvsmid=D64804F15F96EF00FE9CD64804F15F96EF00FE9C&FORM=VDQVAP

Next blog: Will be coming soon and be on Slam Poetry

Works Cited

Bazerman, Charles. “Genre and Identity: Citizenship in the Age of the Internet and the Age of

Global Capitalism.” Rhetoric and Ideology of Genre: Strategies for Stability and Change, 

          

          edited by Richard M. Coe, 2002.

“Discourses and Social Languages.” An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method,

          by James Paul Gee, Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2014.

     Starke-Meyerring, Doreen. "Meeting the Challenges of Globalization: A Framework for Global

     

          Literacies in Professional Communication Programs." Journal of Business and Technical 

          

          communication, vol. 19, no. 468, Sept. 2005, pp. 468-499. 

Blog 4: Communication in Career and Technical Education (Skyline's Welding Program)

    Typically, I spend most of my teaching day in 30 x 30 classroom with no windows, so I often know little about what is happening outside the 200 building! Even in the hallway, I'm surrounded by nothing except other English teachers. Don't get me wrong--I like being a part of the English department, but occasionally, it's good to see other parts of the school and talk with friends and colleagues in other departments, so . . . this week, I decided to get out and about and find out what my friends in other disciplines are doing in professional writing and social media. As serendipity would have it, the first person I ran into was Mike Drobitsky, the welding teacher.  He invited me over to see what his kids are doing, and discuss professional communication with him. This turned out to be exactly what I was looking for (even though I didn't know it at the time)!

     Mike, or "D" as he often called by both colleagues and students, was teaching his Advanced Welding class when I stopped by. I was impressed by the work the students were doing. They all got to work on their respective projects right away with no long instructions from D. In fact, it looked more like a professional welding shop than a classroom because of the caliber of students. Over the past couple of years, D has obviously taught students the basics (safety, different types of welding, etc.), but he has also taught them to be self-starters. Not one single student was standing around, waiting for D to tell him/her what to do. Each seemed to have a mission, and was actively engaged in it. Listening to them talk, it was clear I had stepped into a unique discourse community. D and his students have a straight-forward communication style with each other, perhaps because they have worked together for the past 2 to 3 years, or because this is a no-nonsense type of environment. They have their own welding vocabulary (I would have understood more had I been in a World Language class!) and manner of interacting, which is very different from the stereotypical classroom environment. Of course, when working with fire and hot metal, it’s essential to get one’s point across the first time! Politeness and polite language take a backseat to keeping everyone out of the ER! Yet, this informal—dare I say, rough—style of communication is part of their discourse community and has nothing to do with lack of respect or manners. D and his student welders seem to like and respect each other—they understand the communication of the welding shop and even though it was a bit foreign to me (as someone from outside the discourse community), it works well for them.  

     The welding students work on a number of charity projects throughout the year. D pointed out some of the projects students had been working on. Last year, they made metal name plates for all the staff members at Skyline (I absolutely LOVE mine!); they made a barbecue/smoker for a barbecue champion on the professional circuit; they made special “rods” for  tying down wheelchairs for disabled athletes who throw discus. 

Students made nameplates for all Skyline High Staff

D is showing his students' work (BBQ)

Student heating metal in the forge

Specialized  "rods" for wheelchair-bound athletes, used to stabilize
wheelchairs when throwing discus

Students shaping hot metal; D supervises

Student working on his welding project

    As a teacher, I am in awe of  the work D and his students do. D is clearly passionate about what he does, and that passion has rubbed off on his students.  These students will leave high school as both high school graduates AND certified welders, which makes them immediately employable. That’s certainly more than I could claim after my high school graduation!

    As a student of rhetoric and writing, I am equally impressed with D’s use of social media to promote both his program at Skyline, as well as CTE (Career and Technical Education), in general. D has a Facebook page (Skyline High Weld Shop) and a newsfeed that goes to students and parents. D feels that communication is vital, in order to keep students and parents informed, as well as promote the work of his students. D notes that many people forget that the “C” in CTE stands for “Career.” In addition, too often, in the rush to teach “College and Career Readiness Skills” and increase the number of students attending college, “career” takes a backseat to “college” in far too many high schools. As a certified  welder, nationally certified teacher, and avid reader, D is working hard to change that, along with the stereotypes that surround many “blue collar” careers. One of the myths surrounding these career paths is that welders, mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, etc. don’t need to read; D dispels that myth right away. Embedded in his curriculum is a great deal of technical reading. The welder who can’t read is a safety hazard to himself and others. To be successful and 100% skilled, the welder must be able to read technical writing. 
   

     Students are more likely to use Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter than Facebook these days. However, none of those formats would meet the needs of D and his students in keeping a running record of students' accomplishments and conversations. These would be wiped away quickly in other venues. D’s reasons for having a Facebook devoted to his welding classes are multi-facted. Besides promoting the literacy aspects of CTE and keeping the “career” in CTE and the Az CCRS highlighted are parts of it. Another reason is to showcase (and maybe brag about, just a little) the work his students do. D uses the page as a positive public relations tool  for CTE, welding, and his students. Parents, students, friends (e.g., former CTE teachers) and administrators are the primary audiences of the Skyline High Weld Shop Facebook. The Facebook is open only to those who have been invited in, which keeps inappropriate comments and unintended audience participation to a minimum.

                              

          Social media has been used  to keep students and parents up-to-date on important school-related information for the past decade or so. The use of Facebook pages to promote a high school program, however, is fairly new. Other than D, I don't know one single high school teacher who has a Facebook page devoted to his/her classes or program at my school. I applaud D and his students on their use of social media to promote the work they do!

      On a completely "social" note . . . D has two female students in his Advanced Welding class. It was fabulous to see them there! I mentioned to them that when I was in high school, girls weren't allowed in either welding or mechanics classes and, even if they had been allowed, most of us wouldn't have taken either class because of peer pressure. It just "wasn't something girls did" in the 1970's. :-(
 All I can say is . . .

YOU GO, GIRLS!!!!!

 Next Week's Blog: Intercultural Communication

Works Cited