Enhancing the Classroom Discussion: Circle of Knowledge

At the August 8 Back-to-School Kickoff Meeting, CTE teachers had the opportunity to learn about and simulate a classroom discussion using Circle of Knowledge.  We have received a lot of positive feedback, as well as interest in additional resources and tools to help implement the Circle of Knowledge in CTE classrooms.

There is a webpage specifically dedicated to this strategy that was put together for the Parkway Secondary Institute that was held in July 2013.  Please click here to learn more about the strategy and locate resources that you can use immediately with your students!

Our focus on enhancing classroom discussions is directly aligned to the Missouri Learning Standards, otherwise known as the Common Core State Standards.  In addition, the focus on communication skills and critical thinking specifically addresses the applicant shortfalls that were recently identified in the St. Louis State of the Workforce report.

A Circle of Knowledge discussion may not be a strong fit for every classroom discussion, but should have a place in each CTE course throughout our programs.  As you implement this strategy, please share what worked, what did not work and how you might alter the implementation of the strategy in the future so we can all learn from one another.

How Are We Preparing Our Students for their Future?

This morning I had the opportunity to attend the State of the St. Louis Workforce meeting at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  As I listened intently to the results of a regional employer survey, I could not help but think about connections to our work as secondary CTE educators.

One theme was clear - experience is preferred over education.  With that being said, how can we provide our students with experiences that will give them an advantage over their peers?  Profession-based learning, real-world, authentic experiences are all great ways to engage students, provide relevance for their learning and provide them with a value above and beyond solely delivering CTE curriculum.  How can we develop and design these learning experiences for our students so they are a guarantee for all of our students in all of our programs?

Another finding from the study dealt with the lack of applicant communication skills, work ethic and writing skills.  Are we creating opportunities for students to communicate their understanding verbally and through writing?  Should we be assessing both "soft skills" and technical skills in our programs?  Have we done enough to develop these skills in our students?

As you can see, I left this session with more questions than answers.  It seems that, if designed effectively, we could work at the secondary level to provide quality instruction and feedback to our students that would help them as they transition into their next educational or employment endeavors.