It seems like in today's society, you are only considered well-educated if you go to a 4-year university and sit and learn from books all day. The one thing I learned from this experience is that I didnt learn how to do anything. I got a degree in reading books and writing papers. Doesnt really translate to too many real-world jobs. Dont get me wrong, Im proud of my degree, but didnt come away feeling like I had a skill that I could apply.
I learned so much more from going to a trade school and learning to cut hair from people who know that skill. When I left I had feeling of accomplishment and I felt like I had learned a skill that I could use.
I like the idea of watching someone work and then applying that skill and practicing it myself. I also think being able to apply your work in many different settings and situations before getting out and actually working builds confidence that you just cant learn from a book or a classroom.
I think there are some good examples of higher ed programs that come closer to apprenticeship, like Engineering, NC State's College of Design, and perhaps landscape and regular Architecture. Professional schools seem more successful with modeling practices, coaching, and fading. Even Colleges of Education do this to some extent through field teaching experiences where a regular teacher and the student's campus advisor model good practices, coach the field teacher to apply the same, and eventually fade those scaffolds as the teacher takes off on his/her own.
ReplyDelete