I recently shared an article on our group Facebook page, "Do Laptops Help Learning?..." which was an article that delved into the use of laptops in the classroom in the state of Maine.  Essentially, the program was a "massive failure", according to Maine Governor Paul LePage.  Having technology available does not ensure any real benefit beyond cool PowerPoint presentations, and it is imperative that before tech is integrated, deep thought is put into exactly how it will best be used.  For homeschoolers, the costly mistake of assuming that throwing a laptop or iPad at a learner will help develop tech skills can leave parents very disappointed.  Because many educators can not quite envision how they might work with tech in their teaching, I thought I would share ways in which our family has worked quite successfully with technology, what forms we use, and why we find tech to be essential on some levels.  First, let me share the tools we have used:

Hardware We Have Used
1) Laptops for all
2) Ipads for all
3) Apple TV
4) DVD Player
5) TV
6) 3D Printer
7)  Digital Cameras
8)  Skype/FaceTime

Let me make it clear that slapping a laptop or iPad in front of your learner does absolutely nothing, and it is you, as the educator, who needs to guide how to best use the device for learning.  Here is how we put our hardware to good use!:

Laptops -  We started our kids off with keyboarding at an early age, and all can type a minimum of 50 wpm now.  Keyboarding is a "must" skill in our era, and if you have to drop something to fit it in your schedule, for goodness sake, drop handwriting.  Keyboarding is the way people communicate today, and speed helps ideas flow more smoothly when writing. We taught basic skills in word processing as well along with keyboarding.  

We have utilized math programs (Teaching Textbooks) that are disk based for years, and other programs that over time have gone to the cloud but were initially on disk.  

Sure, we have used them for PowerPoint presentations, but rarely, as we discovered early on that the the deeper exploration of topics we desired was set aside as the "slick presentation" became more the focus of the learning.  

Online courses are easily accessed with laptops, and we have had kids take AutoCAD, the History of Comic Books, Interior Decorating and many more online courses, both with interactive instructors and online textbooks.

Additionally, photo editing is far easier on a laptop than a small screened device, and three of our five have taken photography lessons and learned basic editing with free software on their laptops.

iPads -   Our early years would have been truly unfathomable without iPads.  With English Language Learners in particular, I can't imagine being without them, I mean this sincerely.  There is also an advantage to the iPad that many would never consider but which was imperative for us...the screen lies flat and there is no physical barrier between you and the learner.  The easy portability and magazine-like size meant this device was kept handy at all times.  Think about it, how many kids will actually lug a large, heavy dictionary to their table and look up a word?  With the iPad and the Dictionary.com app, access to new words was immediate and simple...that meant it was used constantly with my challenging them to look up new vocabulary words.  

The wide variety of apps available covered every topic imaginable, and we used them liberally on a daily basis.  There were apps that provided grammar practice, speech articulation mouth models, math facts drilling, history time lines, spelling and vocabulary practice (we could add in our own weekly spelling words from our workbooks), geography games, history quizzes, and much, much more.

More importantly was the handy and instant access to the internet.  Yes, even at the earliest ages, we allowed our kids to use the internet without blocking sites.  We read news articles every day and shared them around the table as we practiced speaking and summarizing skills.  When we were studying history or literature, and a location, landmark, work of art, or song was mentioned, we immediately Googled it to find an image or hear an mp3, thereby deepening our learning.  It became automatic early on, and it was a race to see who could share more about whatever the topic was.  The world was...and still is...literally at our fingertips and the ability to satisfy that instant curiosity has led to having young adults who are far more intellectually curious than many of their peers.  

Apple TV, DVD Player. TV -  We purchased a dedicated TV to fit on our school cart along with a DVD player and Apple TV so we could more easily stream video content for our "class".  If we had one or two students, we likely would have just used a laptop but to have five students and one teacher, we needed more visibility.  We have used it to stream TED Talks, YouTube videos, online courses for history, news clips, watch presidential debates and speeches, view lectures from The Great Courses, take a writing class on DVD, and much more.

3D Printer -   This was an unplanned venture into tech and was a self-directed learning project for one of our sons.  It was designed on a desktop computer he built himself, then using AutoCAD he learned online he then designed the customized 3D printer, then built it, then taught himself how to create many designs, jewelry, and replacement parts with it.  

Digital Cameras -    In early years we did a lot of field trips and travel learning, and digital cameras were used to document trips to Monticello, New York, Colonial Williamsburg, and following the Lewis and Clark trail.  Images were then used to accompany written essays and journals.

Skype/FaceTime -   Transporting one's self to another location, learning face to face with otherwise inaccessible teachers, all has been possible with Skype and FaceTime used either on the laptops, iPads, or TV.  We have had Russian lessons for years with a native speaker/teacher in Kyrgyzstan, art lessons from an amazing artist in Salt Lake City, and ongoing writing instruction and book studies with a guest teacher in Massachusetts.  From rural Colorado, the world and wonderful educational experiences have been available to us solely through the use of technology.

Using technology well requires intentional thought, creativity, and an understanding that it is just a tool to access information and resources.  The hardware itself does very little to enhance learning, it doesn't make a learner "smarter" in any way, nor is it a magic bullet.  It can, in fact, be a very expensive replacement for a typewriter if the instructor doesn't have a strong sense of how to best implement the use of various technologies in an educational setting.  However, used appropriately and with foresight, technology literally opens up the world to a learner! 

Our son, Matthew, graduated high school this past June just shy of his 18th birthday.  For the past two years, we have considered all kinds of options for his post-high school years.  Being a student who has tested as both Gifted and Learning Disabled (2E = Twice Exceptional in school lingo), we had much to contemplate.  He is truly a lover of learning, and yet we recognized that his writing disability as well as slow processing speed where language was concerned would make college pretty challenging to keep up with, regardless of whether his intellect would have been well suited.  We explored the idea of taking CLEP tests and distance learning so he could test out of courses, which he would have done with ease, and yet the entire time we were talking, it felt we were trying to fit him in the wrong box.  

Matt is an eager learner who devours content like it is root beer (his favorite).  A voracious reader, he is a young man with eclectic and unusual interests...we call him the Renaissance Man around the house.  He is the keeper of arcane knowledge that always ends up being fascinating when he shares it, can drop quotes both famous and obscure at just the right moment to illustrate some principle, is a lover of art and his phone is filled to the brim with images of famous works, modern paintings, beautifully photographed city and landscapes, and more.  He also is the most self-directed young man you will ever meet, who sets goals and works with great diligence until he achieves them.  He attained the highest rank in Civil Air Patrol, something only 2500 kids in the history of the program have ever done.  He designed and built his own customized 3D printer after learning autoCAD at 13, he has designed a couple of pieces of jewelry and replaced some complex plastic pieces by creating the design himself from broken parts.  At 16 he researched and installed an entire 16 camera security setup at our store by himself.  He is reading Solzhenitsyn for fun and has had a college reading level since 8th grade.

What do you do with a kid like this?

You trust him.

When he tells you that college doesn't feel right for him, and he has decided he would like a career in tech where certifications and ability matter far more than a degree, you trust him.  When he tries to find the words to explain that he has grown so used to deep learning on his own, and how much he feels enriched by the opportunity to have input and not have to jump through hoops learning things he is not interested in, you listen.  When he tells you that he can't imagine not being self-employed, and that he wants to create a life of meaning and not feel tied to the norm, you listen.

He's earned our trust, he has proven himself handily, so we trust him.

My husband and I sat down, and discussed what would be appropriate, then we sat down with Matt and began to plan out what "Uncollege" might look like for him.  We offered him the following opportunity:

1)  We will treat this time like college.  You will have 4-5 years to learn as much as you possibly can, and we will pay for that learning, for projects stemming from that learning, and for your room and board.  

2)  We will see results, or the deal is off.  Results means certifications earned at a reasonable pace for the computer field.  It means project based learning that has a point that we can see a direct result of new learning from.  It means growing skills in other areas as well, such as preparation for business ownership, so accounting courses, marketing, etc.

3)  We want to see a broad range of learning, not just tech...that means we support ongoing efforts to expose yourself to great literature, art, and other pursuits, just as you would at college.  We want him to develop into a well rounded man.

4)  We want to continue to see volunteer efforts either on an individual basis, or in a larger setting.  In time we want to see him pursue unpaid internships and other opportunities which will provide real life learning as he comes closer to figuring out the exact arena in tech he wants to enter.

5)  We want to see a true daily schedule which you will adhere to, and you will study at least 4 or 5 "courses" a semester.

6)  We expect adult behavior, adult responsibility, and full participation in the family.  He is expected to act like a man, to handle his own finances as opportunities grow, to handle his own laundry, cooking when no one is home (and once in awhile for the family), to share in outdoor work, and more.  This is really a non-issue as he always has been a mature acting kid and never would consider otherwise, but we wanted it confirmed that it was expected.

7)  We emphasized that he would never have an opportunity like this again to immerse himself in learning of his choice, and we expected him to appreciate it and what it takes to support that effort.  We wanted him to "Go Big or Go Home" and that we expected great things of him.

This being clear and agreed upon by all three of us, he and I set about creating a "freshman year". This was not mine to suggest, this was his to lay out and I would be his "Accountability Partner" and we would touch base once a week to see where he was in his pursuits.

Oh my, when he really grabbed hold of the fact he could study anything he wanted, order any course he wanted that was reasonably priced, order any textbook that made sense...he found it quite easy to create a years worth of learning!  

First of all, we divided his learning into specific content areas, "Professional Development" which would include any and all tech related courses and studies, "Personal Development" which would include literature and arts, and feed his love of history.  Finally, we had a classification for "Business Development" in which we dumped math courses as well as economics, and will eventually include things like business law, accounting, etc.

For Professional Development, we already had a strong program in mind, as Matt studied with ITProTV.com in his senior year, and earned two professional certifications as an industry recognized Certified Computer Repair Technician.  This program is really the backbone of our confidence in moving forward in this way with him.  This web site offers solid video training and tons of resources for just about every major computer industry certification available, including Apple, COMP-TIA, Windows, Amazon, Linux, and more.  This is the real deal and their materials did a phenomenal job in training him well to pass the independent certification tests.

Matt then explained he needed to learn more Calculus, so he needed not only a regular Calculus course (He had Pre-Calc in high school), but Lamda Calculus (for programming) as well.  Off I went to research, and we are using Thinkwell video courses for Calculus and he is independently working his way through a Lamda Calculus textbook we found on Amazon.  

I asked and he agreed to work on a personal finance course with his siblings that we just never got around to during his high school years, so we added that in.  He also wanted to study the history of the Middle East with us, which we are covering this year, so he will join in for that.

We already knew he had one large item we had taken for granted was happening and was also part of his UnFreshman year...and that was working toward obtaining his pilot's license.  Through Civil Air Patrol he has the opportunity to get top notch training at a discounted rate, and so that became part of his learning this year as well, and is not a lightweight subject, either.

Thinking we might be done, I started typing up a list of his courses, but like the Ginsu Knife commercials of the past, "But wait, there's more!"  After hearing me assign our other kids 3-4 novels of their choice for the year to read, he gave me sad puppy dog eyes and asked if that meant him, too, a and how could I turn him down?  So I told him to pick something of substance and yes, he could have it.  He selected Jung, Dostoevsky, and a book about White House Chiefs of Staff as his "lightweight" book.  Then, I should have known better, The Great Courses catalog arrived, and he salivated, and I gave in as he selected an International Economics course along with a Statistics course.

Finally, he came to us with his first project, as he wants to create an 8-bit computer and teach himself circuitry with it.  (Sounds like I might know what he is talking about when I say that so comfortably, right?  Uh...no...hahaha!)

And like that...we had created an Unfreshman year of self-directed, deeply enriching learning, much of which will eventually (hopefully!) lead to a career.  Frankly, he could go out right now and be a computer technician and earn solid money...but he wants more, he wants to dive in, to finally learn everything he wants to about topics he is interested in!

Now, this may not sound all that "Blue Collar-ish", as I recognize Matt is a different learner who is rejecting the notion of college to pursue learning the old fashioned (And thank goodness, affordable!) way.  But I am convinced there are many kids out there like him who really can't easily fit into the mold, but are bright, interested in particular topics, and for whom an "uncollege" experience could just as easily be crafted.  It takes creativity, trust (Big Time), research for the right tools and materials, and an investment.  

How could you do this for a more traditional trades oriented youth?  Let's brainstorm this for a moment.  There are a vast number of basic trades and careers available for distance learning.  Check out our link here for more options but  Stratford Career Institute offers courses I know are solid, as does Penn Foster.  For a possible auto mechanic you can set up a free internship with a local body shop, boat engine repair, or mechanic to expose to a range of careers.  You can find a Quickbooks course to teach basic accounting, you can find inexpensive marketing and social media marketing courses to have your learner take.  This is also a time when they can learn "soft skills"...purchase books to be read and have discussions about sales techniques, job interviewing, etc.  Have them job shadow several community members if they have no clue what they want to do, and see what might be of interest.  Take a hobby and see what can be built as a career out of skills that are aligned.  Look at courses offered from places mentioned above like Udemy, etc. which offer more than tech courses.

Encourage business ownership with small ideas...house cleaning, window washing, and more...and look on Amazon for books that teach the business skills for those particular businesses and create an uncollege year around business learning.  There are ways to learn just about anything if you think outside the box!  Often even a youth headed for trades would benefit from a year of maturing beyond 18 at home as they dip their toe in the pool of plumbing, electrical, drywall or more but self-study a few related skills in "how to be a good employee", "How to ask for a raise", and more.

In creating a post-high school "uncollege" plan for your child, here are things I highly recommend:

1)  Agree before on expectations...expectations for learning, expectations for living in your home as an adult, and expectations around financing the learning.

2) Set a budget (recognize as you do that if you do this right, and you see real progress and are pleased with the results, you have saved yourself an ENORMOUS amount of money versus college, so if your child is serious and can be trusted, be willing to spend a reasonable amount...learning for careers doesn't come free in any setting.)

3)  Build in accountability, if not with you, with an online school, an outside family friend, or whatever works best for you and your learner.

4)  As the parent, you will still have to "work it".  You will have to help find resources, help find internships, and help find opportunities.  You aren't done homeschooling yet, though it will look different and the teaching may not come from you at all.

5)  Agree ahead of time on consequences for failing to live up to expectations.  Will they be expected to get full time employment if they don't hold up their end?  Move out?  Go to college where they are held more firmly accountable and don't have as much freedom to do as they wish?  Make sure all are clear on what happens if things fall apart...and then enforce them.  

I know this has been an incredibly lengthy post, but I have received so many questions I wanted to do it justice.  If you have more questions, please feel free to ask!  Our email is linked above, or you can find us on our Facebook page at Blue Collar Homeschool.  

I have a dear friend whose son just began his first year at the University of Southern California.  He is the quintessential college student, absolutely prepared, a true academic, and one who loves nothing more than burying himself in the world of ideas.  I have not a single doubt that this was the right decision for him, and that he is headed toward a career in which a degree from a big name school will benefit him greatly.  For some kids, it would be a downright shame if they didn't go to college, and it IS a shame that some are held back from a world that would offer them so much solely because of finances.  

Unlike many in the Blue Collar world, I do not have a disdain for the college educated I encounter, though many have made the assumption through the years solely because I do not have a degree myself and neither does my husband despite the fact that both of us were absolutely "college material".  Others refuse to see what I will continue to ardently express, and that is that a college degree is not the key to a happy life, and often these days, it is not even the key to a profitable one when one accounts for factors such as interest on high dollar long term loans.

While college IS the right avenue for many, I read an article recently that made me pause and think about what the real benefits are to obtaining a college degree, and how those benefits differ from/are similar to those who elect to go another route.  Here are some of those benefits I have come up with thus far:

1)  A diploma - Duh!  For some careers, this isn't really a benefit, the diploma it self allows entry into certain careers.  We all understand that we aren't going to allow people to become teachers, doctors, or lawyer without degrees.  But we also aren't going to let electricians touch our homes without contractors licenses, nor beauticians touch our heads without cosmetology licenses!  What many people fail to recognize in their arguments for college diploma's is that for many non-college careers you still need that "piece of paper" to move forward in your career, and that license takes a lot of hard work to obtain.  Just ask anyone who has taken licensure tests for fields such as pest control or insurance (Yes, I have studied for and been licensed in both fields...not easy and you really need to know your stuff!)

2)  Networking - Students at college develop strong referral networks with fellow students and alumni that can help them advance in their chosen careers, or get their foot in the door somewhere.  So how is that any different from a young trades person or entrepreneur joining their local Chamber of Commerce, gaining network contacts from friends and family or from their chosen trade school?  Networking is networking, and if it leads to work in your field, that is what matters.

3)  Diversity of Course Offerings - Many big universities have hundreds of courses to choose from, with skilled professors sharing their knowledge on a wide range of topics.  And with the internet being the great equalizer, virtually ANY class you want to take you can find at low or no cost on web sites such as Coursera, Edx, Udemy, and more...many taught by those very same professors.  Is it knowledge we want, or the piece of paper?  And in our quickly changing economy, will the diploma have the value it always has to an employer, or will the proven ability to perform on the job mean more?  In this Inc. magazine article, This CEO Just Made a Brilliant Argument for Not Going to College. Here It Is in 1 Sentence, CEO Tony Guo of RunRex LLC makes some interesting observations about why the college path may not be the best one for a number of young people.  Also, attend any Trade or Technical school and you will often find a diversity of course offerings available, too,  but in career fields spanning everything from welding, to GPS surveying, to radiology.  It may not be offerings in philosophy or linguistics, but to each his own, right?  The idea that learning and exposure to new ideas can only happen on a college campus is really pretty absurd these days.  

4)  The "College Experience" -  Living on campus and away from home for the first time surrounded by a diverse group of people.  Ok, a little partying, a little freedom, a little alcohol, a little learning to be self-directed, a little of everything...and even somethings we really don't want to know about!!  I get it, there is something "unique" about college life.  But really, how "diverse" is it when you leave high school where you are surrounded by a bunch of kids your own age all having basically the same experience...pursuing academics, and then you head to a college campus where really, you are still surrounded by mostly kids in the same relative age group pursuing the same thing?  Why do we discount the "Real Life Experience" of a young person working on an internship or apprenticeship program, a first job, or a trade school where they may be surrounded by a far more diverse age group of workers whose life experiences are far more diverse and wide ranging than the average 20-something college student.  "Experience" in life and learning to be more independent doesn't have to come ONLY at college, it just looks different, but has enormous value either way.

5)  Being Independent - Moving away from home and being on one's own can certainly help develop critical life skills.  Doing your own laundry, keeping yourself organized, dealing with your own health care on your own and more all happen when we move out. What doesn't happen for most?  Financial independence.  Most often, kids in college are still being largely supported by their parents for most financial day to day needs.  So, how independent ARE college kids really?  Kids going to trade or tech school, kids who remain home and begin their first jobs with the hope of climbing the ladder, kids who decide to self study online at home are often doing the same things as college kids in terms of learning independence gradually, and yes, they are often just as financially dependent on their parents for 4 or 5 years as college kids are.  The difference is that somehow, kids who elect to go the non-college route are often seen as "sponges" living off their parents even when they are pursuing work and education in a different setting, as compared to their college counterparts, who are somehow elevated in people's minds despite the fact that really, they are often costing their parents MORE than Blue Collar kids do!  

Perception is everything, and often our perceptions are skewed.  I agree wholeheartedly that college is a terrific avenue for our best and brightest go fulfill their potential.  Where I would argue that our thinking is biased is in our assumption that the benefits of college don't have equivalents for kids taking other paths.  We simply fail to see them and lift them up because, well, I guess they are not impressive enough.  There is as much diversity, growth in independence, opportunity for networking, and much more for kids working hard at carving out a career in the trades, business ownership, or technical careers as there is for any young person going to college...it just presents differently.  Both experiences have terrific benefits, and both are worthy of praise!!

There is a gulf in this country as wide as the Grand Canyon, and it is an unnecessary one.  It isn't just the gap between the wealthy and the poor, or black and white.  We have created "sides" every which way we turn...radically religious or antagonistic atheist, "real men" who are glorified as loving NASCAR, Budweiser and burping versus golf loving, non-tattooed desk jockeys, or the good old standby Liberal Elite versus Conservative Extremist.  It doesn't matter if we are talking about religion, politics, or education, everywhere you look right now, we have decided to divide ourselves, and it plays out in how our kids are educated and guided toward their futures.

We have lost our middle.

We have lost our common sense.

We have lost our understanding that, in order to function well, our nation needs all kinds of workers.

We have lost our respect for ALL people. The rich judge the poor, but the poor judge the rich as well.  

It seems that somewhere along the line, we gave ourselves permission to disdain ANYONE whose life doesn't look like our own.  We also insisted that everyone has to pick sides, and where does that leave us?  With broad, empty space right in the middle.

And you know what?  The middle is the sweet spot!  It is where extremes meet, where crossover happens, where two disparate groups manage to learn from one another.

We can't let this happen to our kids with their education any longer.  We are causing great harm when we intentionally abandon the great swath of youth in the middle.  It has never been true that your only options are a college degree or the drive through window.  It has never been true that the only way to a decent standard of living is through the gates of the Ivy League or you'll end up lined up at the Welfare Office.  Yet this is what we have been telling our kids for over 20 years now.  Public education has cut out the middle, left them hanging feeling inadequate and future-less.  

We have lied to our youth, and we have failed them.  We have let the divisions in the world around us bleed over into education.  In 2012, our government cut funding by 20% for career and vocational training while increasing overall education spending by 11%.  We devalued millions of learners and careers...typically middle class kids looking toward gaining skills in essential trades.  We continue to tell an entire generation of students that it is OK to write off those whose aptitudes or heart's desires lend themselves to manual labor, technical careers, or work outdoors.

Why is it either or, rather than "and", as it used to be?  Remember when Occupational Programs in high school were thriving, and kids could graduate with a skill that would allow them to earn far above minimum wage?  We often use the analogy of the Walmart worker to typify retail sales and how "dead end" they are, but why is it that those who obtain a high school diploma and have no plans for college are told they are doomed to a life working a cash register?  Do you recall all the auto body and mechanics that high schools used to graduate?  Or the dental hygienists?  The florists?  Apprentice level plumbers and electricians?  Hospitality Managers and EMT's and trained office personnel?  Remember the work study programs that used to exist in almost every school?

Those wonderful careers are still available to kids...it is the TRAINING that is not!

These are the jobs in the middle.  The rhetoric about the shrinking middle class is true, and you know what?  It is our fault.  We have stopped training kids for middle class careers, we continue to buy into the fact that ALL middle class jobs have been replaced by technology.  Sure, some have, but health care workers will always be needed, construction tradespeople will not be out of work due to technological replacement, and auto body specialists will be needed as long as people continue to text and drive ;-)

The world may lie to your kids, but YOU don't have to.  Expose your kids to all kinds of options, talk about various careers and trades as you encounter them, STOP knocking the idea of your son or daughter being a welder or working physically for a living!  The average welder makes almost $18 an hour!  Let's stop badmouthing valid options, and FORCING our kids into minimum wage jobs solely because we don't show them alternatives, or because we belittle certain careers that require manual labor.

And if your child has gifts and talents that lend themselves more to professional careers, then by all means, encourage them!  Take them to see college campuses, walk them through the application process!  

In other words, respect all options.  Sort of like we ought to respect all people, right?

I recently read an article from Intellectual Takeout, a web site I check often and don't always agree with, but which always challenges me to think differently and defend my position in my own mind.  The article was titled, "The Main Trait That Sets Vocational Students Apart From College Kids".  The main premise was that vocational students take more initiative in their lives, and demonstrate more "grit"...that new catchword being used by academia because of the now well known TED talk offered by Angela Lee Duckworth about the key to success being grit. 

But is this true?  Do things like grit and initiative set apart vocational students?  Aren't those also traits that many a successful college bound student exhibits as well?  I tend to be one who hates blanket statements without evidence, and I don't think there is much difference, in terms of these two particular qualities, between college and vocational students.  I think such qualities are found in both groups.

So I asked myself the question, what ARE qualities one might find more often in vocational students? What might stand out as unique to that particular group that led them down the path of voc-ed training?  I really pondered this, and came up with the following list:

1)  Lack of Disdain for Physical Labor - I think today's generation has been sold a bill of goods that they have bought, hook, line and sinker, about avoiding real labor.  How many times have you heard someone say to a child, "You don't want to have to work that hard to make a living!".  Where would we be without our men and woman who install drywall, work construction, dig for utility lines, and much more?  Yet we continue to discourage young people from "hard work", with the irony being then we complain about how kids today won't work hard!  Can't win on this one.

2)  Sense of Humility -  While this may not always be the case, many students who head towards blue collar work have been less successful academically, and have felt the sting of failure.  While no one wants this to create a sense of low self-esteem, it can lead to a greater sense of humility as they have often struggled and struggled, perhaps been in the middle of the pack or even at the back of the pack throughout their school years.

3)  Experienced - Kids who head into trades and tech careers are often drawn there because they have worked part-time jobs through high school, assisted a parent on their job, helped build things outside of school hours.  These young people often enter their post-high school training having really worked before, where academically oriented kids often have to focus so much on their school work and resume building for college applications that they can have little time for "outside" things like part-time jobs or true career exploration.  

4)  Poorer Literacy Skills - Literacy is crucial, and so often kids don't receive the interventions they need to gain those critical reading and writing skills.  Sadly, trade and technical bound students were often the ones that got left behind.  No one likes to admit this, but it is true for some students.  

5)  They are Bright and Engaged Learners! - Literacy is only one measurement of intelligence, and certainly not the best.  Voc-Ed students are often hands on Do'ers, they light up with excitement because they don't want to just be lectured at, they want to dig in and really figure things out.  They are often incredibly intelligent in areas of spacial relationships, logic, and much more as they put their terrific brains to use to fix complex mechanical problems, or repair systems.

6) Visualizers - Can you picture the layout of things in your head?  Can you rebuild something from memory?  Many of us can't, but many trades oriented folks can.  Vocational training can capitalize on gifts not often utilized in the standard school setting.  Kids with certain skill sets are glossed over in favor of strong "book learners".

These were a few of the things I think sets Vocational Students apart from college bound students.  I'd really love to hear your thoughts and see what else we can come up with!