Writing Again

Synergizing Success

NOTE:I recently created a virtual podcast with Notebook LM to summarize the Synergizing Success book.

Synergizing Success: Academic and Career Integration for CTE is a publication from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). This book itself is a synergistic effort involving many educators. It emphasizes the importance of integrating academic and career skills in CTE programs. It describes 17 different models of integrating Academic and CTE instruction in high schools. My co-editor and author is Dr. Jill Ranucci from Texas. In addition, another dozen writers offer their expertise and stories of effective collaboration among CTE and Academic teachers. This publication guides schools on academic and career integration in Career and Technical Education (CTE).

High school educators minimally aim to prepare students for success in the real world through diploma requirements and learning standards. However, deeper, more engaged learning is essential for students to be independent, confident, and prepared for success beyond high school. Traditional core subjects often lack relevancy for students to apply their learning to real-world problems. Likewise, CTE programs may develop technical and work habit proficiency but are weaker in developing analytical and critical thinking skills. Connecting Academic and Career and Technical Education (CTE) can improve student performance and assist in the transition to postsecondary education and careers. Collaboration among teachers is key to integrating academic content with real-world projects for deeper and more relevant learning.

The publication offers guidance for school leaders in determining and supporting models of integration for the existing school community by:

Defining CTE academic integration as the application of academic knowledge within technical skills, promoting lifelong learning and real-world problem-solving.
Understanding why integration benefits all school stakeholders.
Showing connection to existing school improvement initiatives.
Advocating for effective state roles for integration.
Identifying the obstacles to overcome.
Suggesting flexible actions to overcome obstacles.
Defining the important roles of school leadership.
Encouraging involvement of the community.
Reminding leadership of the supervisory role in implementation.
Encouraging staff professional growth.
Suggesting role of CTE student leadership organizations.

The publication discusses various integration models that can be used to incorporate academic standards into Career and Technical Education (CTE) instruction. These models include common-themed lessons, project-based learning, career-connected academic courses, career academies, and more. The models vary in the level of planning and collaboration required for effective integration. Examples are provided for each model, showcasing how they can be applied in real-world scenarios. The models cover a range of strategies, from enhancing literacy in CTE to empowering special populations. Different types of schools, such as comprehensive middle and high schools, technical high schools, and regional technical centers, can choose the most suitable integration models based on their organizational structure. The models aim to improve student engagement, academic achievement, and career readiness.

This book is only the beginning of sharing practices to enhance CTE and Academic Integration. Join us in the online community.

Career Pathways are Not Job Tunnels.

I am a Career and Technical Education (CTE) advocate because I have seen how participation in high-quality programs changes student lives toward a positive trajectory. I recently read with interest the article, The State of Career and Technical Education, in Charts. The article shared very positive statistics such as over 80% of U.S. high school student take at least one CTE course. The disaggregation of data displayed popular career fields, mainly in information technology, human services, and business. The data implies that schools need to show more success in enrolling students in low-enrollment careers such as engineering, construction, and health care. There are many reasons for the gaps, including student interest and the cost of programs. Also, remember that this is only at least one diploma credit. Another data set pointed out that many students earning post-secondary technical degrees did not follow that same career path in high school. The tone of this article implies that schools should promote more vital career pathways to prepare students for career fields that provide employment opportunities. That is an admirable goal but unrealistic.

A strength of the US secondary education system is diversity and choice. Students are not locked into a career path and can change interests as they grow and experience different careers. Career pathways and CTE in high school are good; however, we need more students taking more than one unit. A career pathway, in any career cluster, is a valuable learning experience, even if the student changes and follows a different career. The relevance of learning, hands-on projects, teamwork work, and developing essential behaviors learned in any CTE instruction is valuable learning. However, we should never push students to an early career pathway that becomes a tunnel to a specific job. Nor should the value of CTE be discounted when students shift to a different field, which wastes time and resources.

My experience in education is primarily built on observation and listening to students in hundreds of schools. I recall one student’s comment that insightfully described the value of CTE, even if it is not in the student’s ultimate career goal. Years ago, I visited the DeBakey School of Health Professions, , one of the best schools in the country. As a competitive entry magnet school, all students focus on health careers. I was interviewing senior students and asked about their career plans. These students did not simply replay becoming doctors or nurses; they already had their goals set in specific fields, such as pediatric oncology. However, one student indicated she was pursuing a career in automobile design. Surprised, I asked her if she wished she had chosen to attend a different school since she had spent time in patient career, health science, and research. She smiled and said, “No, I would still come to DeBakey. It is the best high school.”

CTE is an option in most U.S. high schools and benefits all students regardless of career goals. We should keep options and choices open for students and parents. Expanding student experiences in CTE will make high school more relevant and help students identify their interests and abilities. Career pathways, constructed well, create multiple paths for students and post-secondary education and are not a narrow tunnel to a mandated job.

WBL- Career Learning Option Gets a Fresh Look and Needs Different Data Practices

Work-based learning (WBL) is getting increased attention and gaining a fresh look in schools. WBL has always been a learning strategy in career education. The opportunity to learn from professionals in a real workplace with authentic materials and customers is the oldest form of career learning. However, over the last several decades, WBL has been an afterthought as Career and Technical Education focuses on building laboratories, preparing and certifying teachers, and requiring accountability with technical assessments and credentials. All of these efforts have greatly improved the quality of CTE as a more popular and successful learning pathway in K-12 schools.

Greater interest in WBL is occurring for several reasons. First, there is greater interest in CTE in general because students seek more contextual learning, and simply continuing to college without a career goal can be an expensive waste of money. WBL provides a less expensive option for expanding CTE, which has little need for facilities and difficulty recruiting CTE teachers. Further, the diversity of careers and sophistication of technology make operating dozens of programs cost-prohibitive. The environment for expanded WBL is very positive.

In a survey conducted by American Student Assistance, 79 percent of high school students expressed interest in participating in work-based learning experiences, but only 34 percent were aware of any opportunities within their age group. A report, K-12 Work-Based Learning Opportunities: A 50-State Scan of 2023 Legislative Action, by American Progress, highlighted the array of WBL state initiatives such as promoting increased access to and equity for learning opportunities, amending youth labor laws, providing dedicated funding for WBL, establishing private-public partnerships, and strengthening program requirements and data reporting. Thirty-four states now use work-based learning in their size, scope, and quality definitions for CTE-required accountability.

Education data has many purposes and audiences and WBL data needs a fresh look. WBL is an instructional unique form, and the data measured in CTE are not necessarily effective with WBL. Three important data uses to consider with WBL are improvement, advocacy, and accountability.

WBL data improvement differs from other CTE instruction because employers provide the instruction, and teachers/administrators have little direct observation of student work. More data must be collected to decide the scope of student learning and where and when improvements should be made. This demands greater use of technical and work habit descriptions and student portfolios describing work.

WBL advocacy data is also different because administrators cannot observe student engagement and learning in school labs. Student learning is a partial answer to convince school leaders of the value of WBL, but also testimony and perceptions of employers are important external advocates for WBL. In addition, WBL hours can be converted to dollar value as an economic impact of how important WBL is to the community.

WBL accountability is often superficially measured in hours completed. This is a convenient measure, but additional data needs to be collected on the type of WBL. For example, job shadowing hours are a very different learning achievement than operating a CNC manufacturing lathe.

I am thinking about WBL and data since I will be presenting on the topic next week at the ACTE Region 1 conference in Manhattan. I prepared a paper on WBL Data Practices, which is available online for download. As CTE grows in schools and work-based learning expands, we need to simultaneously enhance data collection and use.

Teaching in a World of Generative AI

As someone who has worked in education for over 50 years, I believe this is one more technological advance that teachers, administrators, and parents will ultimately adjust to. Still, there will be bumps and bruises along the way. It is up to us to teach students how to use these apps for positive learning.
I am preparing my contribution to ethically and effectively use this technology in schools. I teach a graduate course in Education Leadership for prospective school administrators in Integrating Technology in schools. I have been teaching this course for eight years, and its content has changed significantly as rapid technologies have invaded schools. Last year, I introduced the topic of Generative AI, which triggered questions and conversations among educators who needed more awareness of this new technology. This year, we will dive deeper into ways to use AI as a teacher tool and how to help students use the tools effectively and ethically. Simply ignoring or banning the Generative AI is not a solution. Neither is trying to punish suspected AI use since the current tools to detect AI writing still lack accuracy.

My preliminary thoughts on how administrators, teachers, and students can use AI productively in teaching and learning are below.

Craft Clear Policies: Establishing clear policies on the allowed and prohibited uses of generative AI in assignments is crucial. Not all generative AI is a form of plagiarism. Apps can be used to brainstorm, organize, and revise. This clarity ensures that both teachers and students understand responsible AI use.
Communicate Expectations: Some schools have set policies defining levels of AI use, and teachers communicate to students which AI uses are appropriate for each assignment. Clearly communicate to students the appropriate and inappropriate use of generative AI tools in technical skill assignments. Guiding on when and how AI can be used and the consequences of misuse helps set expectations.
Do Your Homework: A teacher must explore many new apps and understand their features. There must be more time to be an expert on these, but be curious, listen, and keep yourself informed. The Common Sense organization website shares excellent suggestions and links to the most used education apps. There continue to be dozens of articles on this new technology. Stay active in your professional organizations and literature.
Modify Assignments: Teachers can modify written assignments to minimize the effectiveness of generative AI. Following are some ways to modify assignments. Teachers can even use AI to alter this. The app MagicSchool.ai has many teachers’ tools for writing and will also rewrite your student assignments to make this more AI-proof.
- Make Assignments Personal: Design questions that are personal, reflective, specific, and local examples, making it more challenging for students to use AI to write a whole assignment simply and with little thought.
- Encourage Higher Order Thinking: Designing assessments that promote higher-order thinking skills, such as analyzing, evaluating, and creating, can deter students from relying solely on generative AI tools.
- Scaffold Assignments: If the learning goal is to improve writing, break down assignments into chunks, requiring students to provide outlines, first drafts, and final papers explaining their decisions and learning process. This approach focuses on the process rather than just the final product.
- Incorporate Video Presentations: Include oral or video presentations where students explain their work and learning, adding a layer of accountability beyond written submissions. In some cases, replace a written assignment with a video and PowerPoint to reveal what students have learned.
- Relevant Assignments: Focus on student tasks that require hands-on application, problem-solving, or practical demonstrations that are challenging for AI to replicate accurately.
Analyze AI Power and Limitations: With older students demonstrate AI tools, analyze AI-generated content from different perspectives related to academic integrity, authority, validity, and trust within the course context. Have students analyze AI-generated work in groups, focusing on evidence, sources, bias, and other critical aspects of the course content. AI can be a powerful learning tool.

These ideas will get you thinking and talking as I work on my plans for updating my course graduate students this summer.

Embracing AI in Writing: Overcoming Apprehension Towards Technology

I have always explored new technology, trying to understand it and think about ways it might make my work more productive and efficient. Recently, like many people, I have thought a lot about AI Large Language tools that have burst onto the scene. I write to convey to others my perspective on learning, and I teach a course for educators on writing a Literature Review as part of an Ed.D dissertation.

Writing is hard, and it takes focus to transfer thoughts to clear writing. I appreciate tools that make the job less time-consuming. Re-writing has always seemed a boring task, I admire professional editors, but that is a job I do not aspire to. Spell and grammar checkers do make the editing process almost fun to keep score to reduce my errors. Even more important than fixing my writing, I appreciate the prompt feedback I get.

Search tools help me recall a book reference or famous quote that is a foggy memory in my brain. Now, comes along Large Language Generative AI that can produce written scripts about any topic. This could be a bigger breakthrough to make my writing more efficient. My writing personal blogs are one thing, but I worry about my graduate students and the ethical questions of what constitutes original writing in a dissertation. I remind these doctoral candidates that their dissertations will become their first major scholarly work published and available online for anyone to search for perpetuity. It is critical that they ethically write their publication and cite any reference that is not their thoughts. But, why not use the best technology to support your thinking and writing? The goal is to create a quality dissertation, not necessarily a rating of their writing skills.

I have been using the app Grammarly for about two years now, and it is a regular part of my writing process. I don’t always agree with its rewrite suggestions, but it does a great job of finding errors and helping improve my work. I also have experimented with a couple of AI tools, ChatGPT and Perplexity. It is fun to experiment with what the tools can write based on prompts. Brainstorming with one of these tools is almost like chatting among a team of peers searching for ideas.

Grammarly Go is a new AI-based subscription service offered by Grammarly. It helps writers begin the writing process, brainstorm ideas, develop a research plan, and create a potential outline, Users can improve their writing with various advanced features, such as a check for plagiarism checker, vocabulary enhancement suggestions, and a tone detector that can analyze the tone of their writing and provide feedback and suggestions to improve it. Grammarly Go is an impressive tool for anyone looking to improve their writing skills and take their writing to the next level.

Information on Grammrly Go can be reviewed in this recent. Blog on Grammarly Go Also, this recent webinar Making the Generative AI Leap demonstrates using Grammarly Go and includes a thoughtful higher education discussion by Univ. of Florida professor Sidney Dobrin author of AI and Writing.

I plan to continue to use and learn about Grammarly Go to improve my writing and produce more ideas in written form. I will share this with my graduate students as well. Discussing this openly is the best way to avoid them thinking this is a shortcut to creating a Literature Review or making it easier to obscure plagiarism. Discussing this with students helps to avoid those unethical behaviors. Their goal is still to develop their thinking to create a comprehensive research document. There is always some reluctance to embrace new technology, and somehow, in the back of our minds, that technology will diminish real learning from the “good ole days.” I plan to embrace AI tools just like I enjoy Internet searches over thumbing through a library card catalog.

Current CTE Writing Project

I am excited about my current writing project in CTE. ACTE has agreed to publish a book on Models of Academic Integration in CTE.

This book is needed because the integration of connecting academic concepts in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs is losing momentum. There was a burst of activity when Common Core was introduced in many states a decade ago; however, the politics of common core dwarfed the significance of this effort. Now, most states have settled in with their own version of academic standards, even though much of this work is duplicated in CTE standards. The July 1, 2019, introduction of Perkins V CTE legislation stressed the importance of academic standards. While connecting CTE students’ accountability included academic achievement, most students will meet these benchmarks with little effort from CTE instructors. CTE Academic integration is not just important because it is established in regulation; it is important for student success. The message from industry leaders is clear that they desire employees with technical expertise and professional skills such as critical thinking, analytical skills, problem-solving, and communication (writing and speaking). CTE must continue to embed these skills in CTE projects and student work.

In public forums, many question “college for all” goals for student achievement. This is an opportunity for the growth of CTE, not as an alternative to academic college prep but as a joint venture to develop student ability to apply cognitive skills and knowledge in real-world CTE projects. Many successful models build connections with academic subjects, such as career academies, team teaching, and high-level CTE courses. No single model will serve every school setting. There is a need for a comprehensive reference for school and CTE leaders to display the various models for CTE integration.

This publication will describe why CTE Academic integration is essential and existing models for connecting CTE and Academics. It will offer case studies as suggestions for school leaders to implement academic integration in their school setting. The target audience for this publication is school administrators and Career and Technical Education Leaders. CTE directors, high school principals, and district curriculum and instruction leaders can better support CTE instruction by understanding the many options and models for connecting academic concepts with CTE instruction.

We are partnering with several education practitioners familiar with each model to share their perspectives, experience, and suggestions for administrators to support each model successfully.

If you would like to learn more or have suggestions on content for this publication, don’t hesitate to contact me. The goal is to have this complete by the end of the year,

What is Rigorous CTE and Why Is It Important?

Rigorous describes something rigid and difficult, and imposes hardship, such as taking a rigorous hike. Some might avoid rigorous tasks such as weeding a garden to avoid hardship. Others might embrace a rigorous physical workout because the goal of athletic performance drives them. Tasks can be categorized by degrees of rigor, and each person chooses whether to embrace or avoid rigorous tasks based on their goals.

When rigorous is applied in education, the term means something slightly different from difficult, arduous tasks. Rigorous education is not more physically difficult or necessarily a more extended test or exotic and difficult questions. Rigorous education differs from other learning in requiring more thinking before finding a solution or completing a task.

Rigorous CTE, just as in other subjects in schools, is defined on a continuum of learning from low levels of thinking to high levels of thinking. The notion of moving from low to high is not measured in the quantity of how many facts someone knows. High levels of academics are measured in the complexity of thinking, not the rapid recall of facts, such as a Jeopardy Game Show winner.

The most common frameworks for defining levels of cognitive learning are the six-level Bloom’s Taxonomy and 4-level Webb’s Depth of Knowledge. Common to both of these frameworks is low-level thinking of acquiring and recall in bits of knowledge. The Rigor/Relevance Framework is another Teaching/Learning framework that defines both rigor and more relevance. CTE teachers can see in this framework where their teaching of technical skills is commonly at the high relevance level but also can set student aspirations on both.

All these frameworks define the higher halves of the scales of more rigorous learning using terms such as analytical thinking, creativity, reflection, and extended thinking. So Rigorous CTE is when instruction helps to develop higher-level thinking, typically seen in higher-level academic courses. Rigorous CTE does not mean making CTE courses more difficult or raising cut scores on a Technical Assessment. It means planning instruction which increases the complexity of student thinking. This is where there needs to be greater collaboration between Academic Teachers and CTE Teachers.

Why is Rigorous CTE important? Workplace standards and not educator-developed standards drive CTE curricula. Practicing craftsmen and employers describing the required abilities to be taught. In those conversations, employers often identify specific technical skills but also expect human or professional skills such as communication, problem-solving, analytical thinking, and critical thinking.

The best path to Rigorous CTE and teaching the thinking skills employers seek are collaborating on lessons with experienced academic teachers. (FYI, the best path for Academic teachers to develop Relevance that engages students is collaborating with CTE Teachers). Academic teachers in secondary school design learning activities in the disciplines of Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies. When CTE teachers only expect students to learn fundamental technical skills, the content is exclusively within the CTE subject area. However, when attempting the stretch the student’s technical skills to problem-solving and analytical thinking, the content broadens to include content from these academic subjects. CTE teachers may have the academic depth to teach these skills in some situations. But for many, the collaboration of academic teachers can provide ideas to make the lessons and assessments more effective.

Students may perceive rigorous lessons as obstacles, but they are essential challenges leading to future success. Academic challenges wrapped in real-world CTE projects are perceived differently from most students’ prior academics. Consider Rigorous CTE and Integration as one in the same strategy. Rigorous CTE, striving to meet employers’ expectations, requires collaboration and blurring the lines of delineated subjects. Teachers working together can better prepare students for the ever-changing workplace.

The CareerEd Lounge community group on the Integration of Academics and CTE will continue to share ideas and practices on this topic. All educators are welcome

THE PUSH AND PULL OF STUDENT LEARNING

Teaching is challenging! Many times, at the end of the day, exhausted teachers wonder if they are making any headway in moving a reluctant student toward success. Having to repeat safety procedures, reminding students to replace their tools, or tutoring a student for the third time on multiplying fractions can create the unsettling feeling that learning is impossible. The Greek legend of Sisyphus comes to mind as an apt metaphor for this kind of frustrating teaching — endlessly pushing a boulder up a hill, never making any progress.

The boulder could well represent some of our students, who require considerable effort to push them to the place where we hope they will be, on the mountain of education achievement. The mental image of the weary teacher and a massive, impassive student boulder is not healthy for teachers or student learning.

Working with reluctant learners feels like pushing students across the finish line of passing a course. Instead of thinking of teaching as a “pushing” exercise requiring considerable effort, reimagine it as pulling. Your immediate reaction might be, “Wow, pulling an object up a hill is even more challenging than pushing.” However, think about using an internal pull rather than thinking about an external pull of you trying to pull the boulder uphill. Shift the mental model of the teacher working externally to pull or push students toward a learning goal to one of facilitating the student’s internal pull toward that goal. This is the push and pull of student learning. Teachers pushing students to learn is exhausting and frustrating. In contrast, the feeling is very different when the student feels an internal pull to accomplish a learning goal. Setting up an internal pull still requires effort, and teachers may exert more time planning and facilitating learning. Still, the results are rewarding for students and teachers.

What drives our students? And how can teachers create an internal pull that motivates students? In his book Drive, Daniel Pink describes the three inner motivators that move people, in other words, that pull people toward a goal. Pink points out that it is not rewards and punishment that drive people; it is a shared purpose, frequent measurement of mastery, and the ability to make autonomous choices. First, we are motivated when we adopt a clear goal or objective, especially when we share that common purpose with others we care about. Second, when people can frequently measure that they are gaining proficiency in their work through frequent recognition, feedback, or even self-reflection, it drives them to continue to practice and improve. Finally, when people have greater autonomy in what they do, and when they do it, it increases their drive. These motivating principles apply to students as well.

Career and Technical Education offers some natural pull learning because the subject matter is usually not a requirement, students have some choice in what they study, and the courses have a clear, relevant purpose. Moreover, mastery is often visible because it is measured by performance in a real-world setting. That is why CTE students are generally more motivated than students in general academic courses.

Of course, even CTE teachers’ work can sometimes drift into feeling like teachers are pushing reluctant students to success rather than the learning goals pulling them toward success by their interest in the content. Teachers can rely less on pushing and facilitate more pulling by applying the Drive principles — shared purpose, frequent measurement, and autonomous choices — in a mental learning model.

A great way to think visually about push vs. pull learning is to use the Rigor/Relevance Framework™. The framework categorizes high and low levels of rigor and relevance. Low rigor/low relevance learning is what teachers seem to have to push students to complete. CTE is naturally highly relevant, but even CTE can sometimes become bogged down into low-rigor tasks. When students are challenged with real-world problems of high rigor and high relevance, solving that problem becomes a pull on student motivation. In these teaching situations, students will work to acquire the foundation knowledge of skills needed to solve the problem or construct the solution ultimately.

Think about your teaching. The more you can pull learning into your work with students, the more motivated they will be.

Try to include more pull in your CTE instruction, and at the end of the day, your instruction will seem less like the work of Sisyphus and more like the reason you became a CTE teacher.

Taking a Spin With ChatGPT

Much has been posted in education circles on the innovative AI tool ChatGPT. Is it a way for students to cheat? Is it a teaching tool? Should educators ignore it? In five decades of experience, I have seen educators embrace many forms of technology, and some were always reluctant. I took ChatGPT for a spin to try it out. After using ChatGPT, I believe this is an easy-to-use tool to improve writing and save time. Teachers are likely to use this more than students doing tasks such as writing teaching scenarios, content for online courses, and student feedback. ChatGPT and future AI products add to existing tools of SpellCheck, Grammarly, and GoogleSearch to make us more productive in our work.

To try ChatGPT, I posed this statement related to the Integration of Academics in CTE – It is important to teach academic skills when teaching technical skills

ChaptGPT “wrote” in a few seconds this clear and accurate passage.

Yes, it is important to teach academic skills when teaching technical skills. While technical skills are essential for performing a specific job or task, academic skills provide a foundation for lifelong learning and success in various aspects of life.

Academic skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communication, and time management are crucial for success in any field, including technical fields. These skills help individuals to approach tasks systematically, make informed decisions, and effectively communicate their ideas and findings.

In addition, technical skills often require individuals to research, analyze, and interpret data, which are all academic skills. Without these skills, individuals may struggle to perform technical tasks, especially when faced with complex challenges.

Moreover, academic skills can help individuals to adapt to new technologies and stay updated with the latest advancements in their field. This is particularly important in technical fields, where new technologies and tools are continually emerging.

In summary, teaching academic skills alongside technical skills can help individuals to become more well-rounded and adaptable professionals, who are better equipped to succeed in their careers and tackle complex challenges.

Teachers: Authentic Influencers

Remember the teachers who had a significant influence on you and that you still remember how they changed your life—hopefully, those memories are positive influences. I remember well several teachers in my childhood that challenged me to achieve more than I thought I could and built my confidence with timely compliments. Those teachers influenced my life, and I am thankful.

The term influencers is popular today. However, influencers is currently used more often to describe people who have thousands of online groupies who tune in regularly for the latest selfies, mini-videos, and tweets. These influencers do change people’s lives but in ways that are very different from those memorable teachers. Often today’s influencers are inauthentic, using enhanced images, rehearsed videos, and sponsored products to display. Online influence efforts are just a powerful form of visual marketing. Social media influence does sell products and feeds to the ego and bank account of the influencers, but it is a significantly different type of influence that teachers have.

The following chart identifies some of the contrasts between authentic and inauthentic influencers:

As the term influencer becomes linked to social media, it is fitting to add the adjectives such as marketing, celebrity, or ego-hungry to describe the true self-centered focus of social media influencers. Teachers, however, should continue to hold the title of authentic influencers who change students’ lives with positive influence in the two-way communication of listening and caring. Teachers are authentic influencers inspiring students to shape their future based on their aspirations rather than mimicking the inauthentic lives of others.