BTC TEACHERS ENTHUSIASTICALLY EMBRACE CONTINUING EDUCATION

BTC teachers continually attend workshops and classes to remain on the cutting edge of technology and education. This summer many teachers used vacation time to do just that. Most of the BTC staff attended the annual Vermont Career Technical Education conference focusing on rigor and relevance in technical education. Teaching methods were introduced to integrate math, reading and writing skills into curricula. It was emphasized that math and reading levels required to handle technical materials are higher than the math and reading used in most freshman college courses.

Medical and Sports Sciences teacher Betsy McLane also attended a Molecular Diagnostics training this summer at Michigan State University's Graduate Certificate Program. Design and Illustration teacher Colleen Murphy attended the the College Board AP Studio Arts training so she can help students put portfolios together to get AP credit toward college. Mechanical Engineering and Design Technology teacher Bob Coulliard attended a two day training seminar at Vermont Technical College on a 3D modeling program called SolidWorks. The experience was a hands-on instruction for parts, assembly and drawing applications and teaching tips for using SolidWorks in the classroom. Guidance Coordinator Sandy Simonds attended the Model Schools Conference to explore the latest trends in education nationwide. Student Services Coordinator Joan Siegel attended the Education Law Association Conference to stay abreast of changes in the law as it relates to education. Wendy King participated in a Physical Therapy Conference focusing on Postural Respiration. This will help her stay abreast of recent changes in the PT field and allow her to address student questions raised as they participate in internships at area clinics.

These educational experiences translate into improvements at BTC that make our programs great experiences with big payoffs for students.