My+Inquiry

= An Inquiry: Dirt,  = = Devaluation of Trades, and Technology Education    ﻿  =

//**The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.**// //**- Aristotle**// My inquiry started with a list of questions I have found myself asking over the years.I began to notice certain trends and views in society and people. As I continued on my journey of learning, I began to form more questions related to my future occupation as a Technology Education teacher. Here are a few of my questions I found myself asking over the years:

Whatever happened to eating dirt? Is there a correlation between the devaluation of craftsmanship and trades as a profession and society’s fear of dirt? How do you change these perceptions? How do you encourage students to enroll in Technology Education? How do you make Technology Education appealing to both students and parents alike?

//**You narrow your perspective when you are peering in rather than gazing out.**//
 * Here is the One Pager where it all began to come together.**

What Ever Happened to Eating Dirt?!
Over the years I have seen the growing trend in the devaluation of craftsmanship and trades as a profession. It seems that society frowns upon manual labor and pushes people towards academia. There is such a push towards academics that education inflation has ensued and a Bachelor’s Degree has become almost meaningless.

I have also contemplated the fear society has developed regarding dirt. Everywhere you look, you see hand sanitizer and antibacterial soap - even instructions on how to wash your hands! In stores you see aisles littered with cleaning tools that you use and throw away. Not only are these products wasteful, but they make me wonder: just how dirty can a house be that people can’t even touch the tool they are cleaning with AND have to throw it away when they are done cleaning?!

In pondering theses interesting trends, I recall what it was like when I was a child. I thought of dirt. I thought of the adventure of searching through ditches for frogs and bugs; the magic and fulfillment of jumping into a giant puddle covering me and everyone around me with water; playing in the dirt and mud – perhaps even eating some. In reminiscing about my childhood and feeling all the emotions those amazing moments evoked in my body, my mind, and my soul I realized that those were some of the most amazing and creative moments of my life.

Those extraordinary moments and experiences lessened over the years as I grew-up and became ‘socialized’ – creativity stifled, curiosity curbed – and dirt became evil. At some point during my adolescent years I decided to reclaim that childhood awe and curiosity. I began playing in the dirt, getting my hands dirty, feeling the earth squish between my toes. I was… am still… determined to embrace my inner child and hang on to it as if it were going out of style.

These observations and self-reflection caused me to evaluate the dilemmas of dirt-fearing and education inflation and contemplate my role as part of a larger solution. At first, I felt over-whelmed and even defeated; after all, I am only one person. The more I pondered and the deeper I delved into the inner recesses of my Self, the more I realized my potential. As an educator in Technology, I am in a prime position to be able to reach both youth and adults alike. I can strategically market my classes so they appeal to both the ‘academic’ students and the ‘non-academic’ students; hooking them in, then showing them their true potential, unleashing their creativity, and unlocking their inner-self. I will show them how to once again get dirty and they will learn to love it and appreciate all the invaluable skills involved in working with one’s hands.

Teaching Technology will allow me to aid my students in developing and nurturing skills that they may not learn in the world of academia – teamwork, design, creativity, problem solving, and adaptability to name a few. I will facilitate an environment in which my students can create and build a project that they are proud of. I will enable them to feel satisfaction and pride in both their mental and physical capabilities and track their progress and personal growth. I strive to make learning creative and fun. I will design new projects with the students that are relevant and important to them to establish a sense of community and ownership for the projects they build. I hope to challenge them to challenge themselves. This will increase their pride in their work and inspire them to shoot for the stars. I hope to change their view of trades so they can hopefully change their parents’ and friends’ views of trades. I hope they remember just how much fun it is to be dirty :)



Mmmmmmm DIRT!!!

To access my Inquiry Prezi, [|Click Here!]


include component="comments" page="My Inquiry" limit="40"