Tall Tales & Falsehoods

Ever since I started my grant work at Horry-Georgetown Technical College  I have had an ever increasing appetite for change in the classroom. As an adjunct professor I interact with my students on a level that is uncommon within the ranks of most of my peers. I try and incorporate a new teaching mythology that engages student participation and retention of course materials. Some of what I use in my classroom is not school supported. However, by working with fellow faculty members we are governing a new era of education.

To help spread what myself and fellow teaching members have learned I sent in a proposal to the Horry County Schools’  Office of Adult & Community Education for their Technology Literary Conference .

The proposal is below.  

Proposed Track:
Making the Transition: Are teachers preparing students to make the leap from K-12 to Higher Education?

Imagine a future where each and every student has access to the highest quality instruction and materials that supports the way THEY learn, where the walls of traditional learning environments have been torn down, time nor distance play a factor in education AND where teachers have quality information about the progress of their students and can dedicate time and resources in order to maximize success.   

THE FUTURE IS NOW.

Explore ways in which imagination becomes reality by fostering the development and adoption of technologies to enable more flexible teaching and learning environments. Help design a future for education by identifying emerging technologies that embrace new learning environments and educational techniques. Foster relationships that embark on new grounds of educational progress by sitting in on a round table discussion afterwords with Horry-Georgetown Technical College faculty, staff, administration and students to get a first hand glance of Making The Transition.

Proposed Track To Be Presented By:
André S. Pope
Mobile Web Technology Strategist at Horry-Georgetown Technical College

Round Table Discussion Participants:
TBD

I am really excited about the track because I think it something we need to address on a k-12 level …

It seems I am not the only one! As I sit here typing this blog post I just got confirmation that my proposed track has been accepted.  It looks like I will be presenting at TLC at the Beach; A Practical Approach to Integrating Technology into Literacy Teaching and Learning  on March 31 – April 2, in Myrtle Beach. If you can, make plans to attend. I will do my best to make sure you are not disappointed.

For the past week and a half I have been working on a grant based initiative for Horry-Georgetown Technical College. My roll is look at how students and faculty interact and communicate through the use of mobile web technology. It is very exciting for me because it combines a passion for education as well as a passion for technology and interaction.

My goal is take a realistic approach to the overall situation. Having a business background I understand the need to look at the entire picture. Technology has a high turn over rate, which is where too many institutions fail at addressing the real problem of infrastructure. By understanding this and the financial side of education I want to empower the institution not to invest to much in a certain gadget based technology, but rather look at ways of serving the technology brought in by the students. By having a good backend infrastructure, HGTC can continue to deliver new and innovative teaching methods without relying on particular gadget based equipment. Students will lead the way as far as gadgets go, but HGTC will lead the way in implementing theses gadgets in powerful teaching methodologies.

Wish me luck as I embark on a new journey!

The end of the term at HGTC has come and gone. A look back on my first year teaching at HGTC has gained me much perspective into higher edu. One thing that I took away from my two terms teaching at HGTC was a connection I felt towards the students. I have never been to attached to anything, but through teaching I had a sense of pride in my students. I wouldn’t say it was so much to the individuals, but more to their success. Seeing my students win advertising awards, Best Of Show awards and shine upon other marketing professionals, really had an impact to the way I looked at teaching.

Now that my students have be released into the wild I can’t help but to wonder if there success will continue. It is a tuff job market out there and they will be competing against students and individuals that have much more experience and schooling.  I hope that some of the knowledge that I bestowed upon them sets them apart and makes them better candidates.

I wish you all the best of luck.