The T speaks to Manufacturing
I wish I could do more for the manufacturing folks. My heart has always been close to the manufacturing, despite my more "academic" education. It's why I took a job with a small engineering consulting firm after I got my Master's degree. I wanted to get closer to the actual production of real products.
Maybe it started with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers who showed those great films on how things are made.
Whenever I talk with teachers, I remind them that the T is not just computers. It's that thing that we used to call (in my days) votech, industrial arts--and today, it's a missing skill set in industry. I talked with a local manufacturer who deplored the lack of "middle tech" (as opposed to "high tech"), and many students need to know about this option. They know they can do better than the production line unskilled laborers, but don't feel they have what it takes to be an engineer or scientist.
In a way, the military has been the best career opportunity for these learn-by-doing kids who get enamored with technology itself. A smart teacher can leverage this fascination with things (vehicles, light, computers, animation, etc) into a technology career.
References:
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| image by mokra (Marcelo Mokrejs), via rgbstock.com |
Maybe it started with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers who showed those great films on how things are made.
Whenever I talk with teachers, I remind them that the T is not just computers. It's that thing that we used to call (in my days) votech, industrial arts--and today, it's a missing skill set in industry. I talked with a local manufacturer who deplored the lack of "middle tech" (as opposed to "high tech"), and many students need to know about this option. They know they can do better than the production line unskilled laborers, but don't feel they have what it takes to be an engineer or scientist.
In a way, the military has been the best career opportunity for these learn-by-doing kids who get enamored with technology itself. A smart teacher can leverage this fascination with things (vehicles, light, computers, animation, etc) into a technology career.
References: