Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, has said that, "Every industrial revolution brings about a learning revolution." Over the past 25 years, the growth of the personal computer and the advent of the internet have revolutionized industry as much as introduction of the steam engine did a century and a half ago. While the first industrial revolution and child labor laws led to the development of trade schools and vocational education in the United States during the early 20th century, the computer inspired revolution of the 21st century has not resulted in a similar step change in the way we educate our future blue collar workers. I want to change this.
As a doctoral candidate, I feel I bring a unique skill set to the table. I have been programming computers since the mid-seventies have spent the first forty years of my professional career as a technician in an industrial environment. I have been my future students, learning in the traditional trade school environment. I know how they are feeling now and, more importantly, know what skills they will need as they progress through their professional lives. Lastly, I understand and believe in Educational Technology. My time in the Boise State program has served me well. I did not receive my undergraduate degree in education, but rather relied on the MET program to provide the tools I needed to be a better educator.
I plan to work with Vocational Education for the remainder of my career. I believe strongly in the art of the technician, and that a well-trained, blue collar workforce will be vital going forward. Not only do I want to have a voice in what they learn, I want to provide better tools for how they learn. I plan on taking the knowledge gained over the next four years and using it to better the instruction for the next generation of technical professionals.
