It's time to bring out the cap and gown and the party tents - graduation season is upon us in full force! A myriad of topics closely associated with graduation season have been explored in this column over the past several years #- the culmination of a particular chapter in the journey through life, the prospect of embarking on a fresh start, the impact of artificial, socially constructed beginnings and endings of perceived accomplishment - the list of possible topics tied to this time of year is endless.

The conclusion of a school year, much like the ending of a calendar year, and the resulting proliferation of “new year's resolutions” provides a natural time to reflect upon progress toward goals established in September.

The fact that we refer to formal “completion” of a particular educational program is ironic in itself - for education teaches us that learning is in reality a continuous process, and the process of learning and acquiring new knowledge and skills is never ending, never complete. There's no coincidence that the smartest people I have ever had the good fortune to associate with not only loved to learn, but continued to perfect their ability to learn well beyond the end of their formal educational experience.

As I recently attended the June graduation ceremony of Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES, I was reminded of the crucial role of motivation in the formal educational process - from beginning to end.

After all, motivation is the fuel that drives us to become better, the impetus to press forward in the learning process. When I reflect on the programs that the BOCES students were graduating from, I immediately thought of the power of motivation. Why do I think this? Ask a student attending a BOCES program what they think of their experience. Watch the sparkle in their eye and listen to the excitement in their voice when they talk about their program.

I can guarantee that you will not be met with apathy or indifference. Why is it that students are so enthusiastic when they talk about their classes, their projects, their teachers? Because it truly is “theirs.” They are involved in a real process, a process with purpose they are passionate about. They are invested. They are motivated to create - to build a house, to assist a patient, prepare fine cuisine, design a software program or defend the helpless. It is the magical moment when education meets motivation. That is the secret that BOCES instructors have perfected, serving as a model to both traditional and non-traditional educational settings.

I must confess - my admiration for the programs, learning opportunities and personalities associated with BOCES was largely shaped from a firsthand, up close vantage point from my time as a teacher there.

While BOCES programs have frequently been viewed as “non-traditional” learning, wouldn't we be well served to bring many of the distinctive aspects of these hands on programs into the traditional classroom?

Methodologies associated with non-traditional programs actually closely resemble the work setting that our students will face upon graduation. As a result, it is imperative that active, engaging, task-connected learning strategies be introduced on a regular basis into the “traditional classroom.”

Isn't it really past time to stop placing artificial, antiquated labels on learning? Shouldn't the real issue center around whether or not we are setting the stage for purposeful, practical learning? Learning connected to life, that inspires and motivates. All educators would be well-served to reflect on why participation in and completion of BOCES career, technical and vocational programs have provided a defining moment for so many students.

Without question, there is much to gain from studying the model of learning that has come to embody these programs.

Thanks to the prospect of a brand new facility scheduled to open in the fall, the creativity and passion for learning already presented in the staff and students will meet the possibilities of modern, updated facilities.

What an unbeatable combination.

Shawn Bissetta is principal of Dana L. West High School in Port Byron.