JCTC programs active in learning, working

May 25, 2011|Vanessa Ruda | JCTC

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As many folks around here know, springtime is a busy time for the local agricultural community. Here at the Jessamine Career and Technology Center (JCTC), the season is no different. From equine studies to livestock fitting and greenhouse management, students have participated in a variety of activities that have allowed them to put knowledge gained in the classroom, quite literally, to work.

Learning by doing is an integral part of career and technical education, just as it was in the vocational courses of decades past. However, the methods by which learning takes place have changed dramatically. Oh yes, we have “cows” at JCTC. They have names like Bessie, Taurus and Daisy. These bovine beasts are just as mobile as those grazing throughout Jessamine County. However, rather than beef or milk, these cows provide dramatically different resources to allow students to have the world at their fingertips. C.O.W. is an acronym for Computers on Wheels. Each C.O.W. is equipped with laptops to accommodate one classroom of students but is shared among departments throughout the building. This enables classroom space to be maximized and the need for separate computer labs to be eliminated.
Studying farm management, creating income and expense reports, and identifying anatomical parts of horses and livestock may not seem like it would keep you awake during school. Grinding through the concepts of mitosis and meiosis as well as the physiology related to heat cycles of goats and heifers may even sound rather painful. Then, evaluating fecal samples under the microscope for the purpose of identifying parasites will probably turn your stomach. However, applying these topics of the classroom to the activities associated with your 4-H project or FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience Program enables these lessons to take on a whole new meaning.

Then there’s the periodic table, with calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorous and on and on and on. Memorization and utilization of this material is, of course, critically important to passing chemistry. Applying these concepts to the principles of agronomy for the purpose of growing greenhouse plants as revenue for JCTC programs allows for real-world experiences to compliment these lessons at school. Developing exceptional high nutrient feed rations to provide for the nutritional needs of your livestock and horses places these foundations of science as a high priority. Through the implementation of core academic skills, we provide students with the necessary foundation needed for today’s highly competitive labor market. We also realize, however, the incredible importance of “soft skills” as they relate to the success of our students as they transition into their careers.

Studies show as many as 90 percent of all workplace dismissals are as a result of issues such as attitude, work ethic, lack of initiative and the inability to get along with others. For this reason, we are piloting a new program in hopes that every student who takes courses at JCTC will become familiar with these skill standards. We call these the “Super 7.” These standards include properly introducing oneself, appropriate methods of communication, digital citizenship, making commitments and following through with them, self advocacy, handling adversity and contributing to conflict resolution, and defining respectable measures of ethics and etiquette.

As we celebrate the achievements of this school year, we delight in the progress of our students and in the hope that they are well prepared for the years to come. Believe me when I tell you our community is in good hands as we seek to produce the cream of the crop for Kentucky’s commonwealth. It’s no wonder “Progressive Farmer,” the most widely circulated agriculture magazine in the United States, ranks the Jessamine County agriculture program among the top five places in America to get your high school agriculture education. So, when you see these students around the county participating in growing and showing events throughout the state this summer, be sure you tell them we are just fine with them doing a little “showing off.”

Editor’s note: Vanessa Ruda is the Pathways to Careers coordinator and equine science instructor at Jessamine Career and Technology Center.

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