ssues & ideas EDITOR KATE RICHARDSON THE VOICE, THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 2016 7 Education adapts to tech shifts Educational institutions at all levels are changing to meet student and industry needs LINDA NGUYEN photo Ben King teaches high school students at John Oliver Secondary School, where they take classes in many areas of tech-ed. Teens torn between two techs Two different streams of education mean students may be choosing careers too early By LINDA NGUYEN wo types of technical education programs are vying for student’s attention at Vancouver second- ary schools. Technical education at secondary schools in the district falls into two broad categories. The first is focused on trades work experience and tools skills, encourag- ing students to begin apprenticeships in trades work. This program is known as ACE-IT (Accelerated Credit Enrol- ment In Industry Training program.) The second are STEM programs (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) that “combines all of these subjects and applies them toward learning how to solve hands-on engi- neering problems in technology, me- chanics and the environment,” accord- ing to the school board website. Rory Brown, president of the Van- couver Secondary Teachers’ Associa- tion and a trades advocate, thinks schools aren’t pro- C C viding diverse enough programs. Tech education is Tech edu- cation is in a crisis of in a crisis of pur- pose.” Brown said. purpose RORY BROWN “High school stu- dents should be ex- posed to all techni- cal aspects” before deciding on a ca- Teer. ; PRESIDENT, VAN- John Oliver Sec- = C@QUVER SECOND- ondary School pro- ARY TEACHERS’ vides the most di- ASSOCIATION verse technical education program of all South Van- couver high schools, according to Ben King, a technical education teacher at the school. King praised the program’s variety, which aims to meet the chang- ing industry demands and student in- terest. “We are looking at students who are interested not just in doing shop for trades,” King said. The school’s technical education cur- riculum teaches metalworking, auto- motive repair, electronics, drafting and design, woodworking and graphic arts. A STEM program was introduced this year, said King. “The one we’re most interested and proud of is the STEM program we are offering. We are in our first year.” According to King, it is the second STEM program offered in Vancouver, with another being offered at Temple- ton Secondary School. “ACE-IT is one facet,” said Brown, praising the development of STEM programs and speaking highly of the program John Oliver provides. “STEM is a great, general exploration pro- gram.” Other South Vancouver schools like Killarney Secondary School will not be adapting to newer programs until the next school year. Dies 1 Automotive service technician 2 Baker 3 Carpenter 4 Industrial mechanic {millwright) 5 Hairstylist 6 Painter and decora- tor 7 Plumber 8 Professional Cook Source: www.learnnowbe.ca Enrolment is up as new building construction enters final phase “Over the last five or six semesters Langara science department bursting at the seams there has definitely been a huge in- crease in demand for students wanting to take computing courses and comput- ing programs,” Koehler said. “We are still teaching biology like we did in the 70’s,” said Mario Moniz de New tools solve old problems Assistive technology aims to remove barriers for stu- dents on campus By LUIS MINA ray of assistive technologies for students with disabilities. Assistive or adaptive technologies are meant to “reduce or mitigate a bar- rier that students face in the post-sec- ondary setting,” said Suzanne Munson, manager of disabilities services. The types of technologies vary depending on the needs of students, in two distinct categories: hardware and software. Langara hardware includes: ergo- nomic equipment as well as CCTV, which “is a high-definition colour mag- nifier where you can put a book or text underneath and view a magnified ver- sion,” said Munson. Software technologies are mostly for students with visual impairments or learning disabilities. These technolo- gies include speech to text software and mind mapping tools that allow stu- dents to speak their ideas into a com- puter and have the computer create an outline of ideas, said Munson. William Januszczak, a Langara stu- dent registered with disability servic- es, wants more disability-oriented space. “It’s frustrating with other people there. Having some smaller single rooms for people to write [examina- tions] in would [help], if they really needed that.” The learning lab in the library hous- es most of the assistive technologies available at the college. There are also test rooms in the disability services of- fices where students can write exams. Disability services also helps stu- dents with grants enabling them to re- ceive individual assistance. Working with Assistive Technology British Co- lumbia, they see “the nature of the dis- ability, the courses the student is tak- ing and come up with a plan that will work for the student,” said Munson. Dwayne Doornbosch, project man- ager of Bird Construction, said there is no lab specifically for students with dis- abilities in the new science and tech- nology building. -—— With files from Scott Drake Ls College offers a diverse ar- By JASON HAMILTON Sa, assistant chair of the biology de- partment. He pointed to bioinformatics as a place where science and technolo- gy meet. The bioinformatics program com- bines aspects of traditional biology and computer software tools to analyze and interpret biological data such as DNA sequencing and Genome mapping. “With advances in technology we have come to a point where our ability to generate data far outweighs our ca- pacity to analyze it,” said Moniz de Sa. The new building will keep up with demand and new technology. Moniz de Sa said new curriculum additions are also in the works. The department has proposed to expand the biology and technology offerings in the new space. “The intention is within two or three years we would be offering a bachelor’s degree in bioinformatics,” said Moniz de Sa. science and technology education, Langara College is opening a new Science and Technology Building. Construction on the new building is set to finish this year. It will give Lang- ara the space to accommodate an in- flux of students, and house state-of-the- art science labs, a brand new lecture hall, collaborative workspaces and a food service outlet. While Langara’s director of facilities Wendy Lannard indicated that the in- frastructure of the building itself is both innovative and_ state-of-the-art, specific details of what new class- rooms, products and services will offer to students remains unclear. “We need the additional capacity to satisfy these demands,” said Brian Koehler, department chair of computer science and information systems. T: meet the growing demand for JASON HAMILTON photo Langara College’s new science and technology build- ing, slated for completion in 2016, will house most of the school’s science programs. MARK STUART photo The CCTV machine above is one tool available to aid students.