It's been some time since I've last posted, yet, it has been a very busy time indeed!
January, 2015 started with a professional development workshop down in D.C. with the Arts Business Institute.
It was an engaging time and I learned a great deal more about the Made in the U.S.A. movement as well as how the concepts of entrepreneurship interact with wholesaling art (many forms). It was very interesting and engaging. At ESC, we have a great deal of students who are interested in both art and starting their own businesses. I thought this experience would lend itself well to the creation of a Residency...The Business of Art for 2016. Site:
http://www.artsbusinessinstitute.org/workshops
Next, I have been giving future career plans significant consideration. For the last couple of years I have been investigating different doctorate programs. This fall, I took the plunge and applied to Columbia University, Teacher's College to pursue the Ed.D. in Adult Learning, Technology, and Leadership program. In March, I learned, I 've been accepted! It's quite a feat given they only accept 6% of students who apply. The program allows students to transfer in 45 credits (graduate) and therefore, I am just 45 credits or 11-15 courses away from the credential.
My goal is to study a great deal more about adult education, specifically, transformative education, and how educational technology can be an integral component for change. I am curious if the development of MOOCs (free online courses facilitated by some of the finest institutions in the country) will lead to a movement of "lifelong learning." In conjunction with this potential correlation, I am interested to research and discover how online learning (free) either through MOOCs or OERs (open educational resources) can be used to address social problems (homelessness, poverty, child abuse, domestic violence, etc.) and yield a positive impact (by decreasing the numbers of...).
Specifically, poverty increases stress and motivation. What if free courses/materials could be designed specifically for people impacted (those receiving public assistance, unemployment, medicaid, food stamps, utilizing shelters, etc.); where, the courses could be interactive, include motivational tools, were student centered, and were freely accessible. Maslow's Hierachy implies that those who are focused on surviving may not be able to engage in higher levels of functioning, yet, recent studies have shown that Maslow's theory has not yielded reliable nor valid results. I consider this, hope!
President Obama began an initiative to have more adults graduate with college degrees by 2025, yet, funding for such programs have diminished and the cost of an education has risen so substantially, it is now a deterrent. In connection, the U.S. has continued to lose jobs since the 90s. We currently see jobs are added and that brings good news (as we are not losing jobs); however, the perception is skewed, as we are only now filling jobs to reach the "norm" or trend but there are not enough jobs yet, to push our economy to where we were before the recession, let alone, provide a true increase. This is important to note, as each year more and more people enter the job market thus creating a pool of workers far larger than the available jobs that match their skill set. We are in an age of "The Disposable Worker." This is daunting label, although true, as pensions are just about an obsolete term, job security is a notion of the past; in fact, we are often encouraged to change jobs every few years in order to increase our income (since most employers have not provided raises in years). This news is daunting and for some is a deterrent to progress.
On a much brighter note, what if we can use free education (whatever that might be for people) to spark creativity, ingenuity, and hope! What if by creating such a venue, program or process we encourage people to learn for the sake of learning! That in its very essence leads to a society with less poverty, crime, etc. As a business instructor, I teach leadership. Most theories of leadership support the notion that leaders have overcome great obstacles in their lives (not that they were "born leaders" but that certain circumstances supported and provided the way to leadership). While we all have struggles, some have greater supports than others. Those with the least support are at great risk for stressors and a life of hardship. I am curious to research and to create a means to provide educational support to those who are at great risk (the children of the adults who are least supported).
Until next time...
January, 2015 started with a professional development workshop down in D.C. with the Arts Business Institute.
It was an engaging time and I learned a great deal more about the Made in the U.S.A. movement as well as how the concepts of entrepreneurship interact with wholesaling art (many forms). It was very interesting and engaging. At ESC, we have a great deal of students who are interested in both art and starting their own businesses. I thought this experience would lend itself well to the creation of a Residency...The Business of Art for 2016. Site:
http://www.artsbusinessinstitute.org/workshops
Next, I have been giving future career plans significant consideration. For the last couple of years I have been investigating different doctorate programs. This fall, I took the plunge and applied to Columbia University, Teacher's College to pursue the Ed.D. in Adult Learning, Technology, and Leadership program. In March, I learned, I 've been accepted! It's quite a feat given they only accept 6% of students who apply. The program allows students to transfer in 45 credits (graduate) and therefore, I am just 45 credits or 11-15 courses away from the credential.
My goal is to study a great deal more about adult education, specifically, transformative education, and how educational technology can be an integral component for change. I am curious if the development of MOOCs (free online courses facilitated by some of the finest institutions in the country) will lead to a movement of "lifelong learning." In conjunction with this potential correlation, I am interested to research and discover how online learning (free) either through MOOCs or OERs (open educational resources) can be used to address social problems (homelessness, poverty, child abuse, domestic violence, etc.) and yield a positive impact (by decreasing the numbers of...).
Specifically, poverty increases stress and motivation. What if free courses/materials could be designed specifically for people impacted (those receiving public assistance, unemployment, medicaid, food stamps, utilizing shelters, etc.); where, the courses could be interactive, include motivational tools, were student centered, and were freely accessible. Maslow's Hierachy implies that those who are focused on surviving may not be able to engage in higher levels of functioning, yet, recent studies have shown that Maslow's theory has not yielded reliable nor valid results. I consider this, hope!
President Obama began an initiative to have more adults graduate with college degrees by 2025, yet, funding for such programs have diminished and the cost of an education has risen so substantially, it is now a deterrent. In connection, the U.S. has continued to lose jobs since the 90s. We currently see jobs are added and that brings good news (as we are not losing jobs); however, the perception is skewed, as we are only now filling jobs to reach the "norm" or trend but there are not enough jobs yet, to push our economy to where we were before the recession, let alone, provide a true increase. This is important to note, as each year more and more people enter the job market thus creating a pool of workers far larger than the available jobs that match their skill set. We are in an age of "The Disposable Worker." This is daunting label, although true, as pensions are just about an obsolete term, job security is a notion of the past; in fact, we are often encouraged to change jobs every few years in order to increase our income (since most employers have not provided raises in years). This news is daunting and for some is a deterrent to progress.
On a much brighter note, what if we can use free education (whatever that might be for people) to spark creativity, ingenuity, and hope! What if by creating such a venue, program or process we encourage people to learn for the sake of learning! That in its very essence leads to a society with less poverty, crime, etc. As a business instructor, I teach leadership. Most theories of leadership support the notion that leaders have overcome great obstacles in their lives (not that they were "born leaders" but that certain circumstances supported and provided the way to leadership). While we all have struggles, some have greater supports than others. Those with the least support are at great risk for stressors and a life of hardship. I am curious to research and to create a means to provide educational support to those who are at great risk (the children of the adults who are least supported).
Until next time...