Tim Sanders, technology education teacher at Hefner Middle School, is an alternatively certified educator who brings with him experience from the world of finance and programs serving children in need of help. Now, in his second year of teaching, Sanders takes time out to explain how technology education is beneficial to students in their future careers and why he wanted to join Putnam City Schools. Our lives are becoming more and more dependent on technology. For that reason technology literacy is very important for everyone. Having Tech Ed in our schools is good because it allows students to explore a variety of activities related to many areas of human endeavor.
Tech Ed provides students with daily, hands-on exploratory experiences and insights into technology and career opportunities so that they can make meaningful educational and occupational choices. The program is design
ed to provide a means through which other courses such as math, science, English and social studies can be applied in a practical manner within a technology-based situation.
Tech Ed is different from the traditional classroom in that the class is set up with different stations which students rotate through. This allows students to work on many different activities at once, many of which involve hands-on activities. For example, at a robotics module, students may read about robotics, and then they can perform the hands-on activity of programming a robotic arm to perform a specific task. Students receive instant, real-time feedback on their performance, which motivates them to work harder and achieve higher scores.
Students enrolled in Tech Ed may have the opportunity to explore 16 career clusters, which are broad occupational groupings of specific industry-based jobs. They learn about flight and aviation, structural engineering and many other career areas.
Tech Ed helps prepare students for tomorrow’s careers. It helps students relate their educational experience to their future goals and aspirations. Students also develop problem-solving strategies and work habits that will be useful in almost any career or occupation.
Before teaching I was in the finance industry for over 10 years. Before that I worked with the Oklahoma County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program serving abused and neglected children. I also served in a domestic Peace Corp program, where I set up an after-school tutorial program at a low income housing complex in Louisiana.
I went through the alternative certification process several years back because I knew I wanted to teach. I wanted to get back to serving children. I feel blessed to be where I am not only because of the great kids but also because of the incredible staff. The support of my principals and my colleagues last year was overwhelming, and I had the best mentor a person could ever have.
Putnam City has a rich tradition of excellence among the students and teachers. I wanted to be a part of a district that has experienced such success over the years.