Innovation
Apr. 4th, 2010 03:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crankyoldmanSo, Wednesday and Thursday I was at an open house for a fancy smancy PhD program for what is called Engineering Education. And I'm totally psyched for it and will be spending some time getting my shit together to apply in December. I'm especially fond of one professor, who does cognitive theory and works out methods for teaching as well as methods for learning and is essentially the shit I find Very Interesting.
It was also a slightly surreal experience, because if you've ever heard me talk about academia during my undergrad, it was never very FRIENDLY to me. In fact, it was downright hostile sometimes. But here I had a couple of professors that sound like they'd COMPETE for me, which I'm really a wtf about. I mean, what, me being varied and nontraditional is a HELPFUL thing here?
Definitely going to be emailing the professors who showed an interest in me, and see some possible classes I can take before admittance, and also talking with work about how much part time I can do with them remotely (tech companies are great like that, I admit).
This gives me plenty of time to get all my affairs in order too.
Anyway, this entry is titled innovation for a reason. See, I was watching The Right Stuff last night, and I got wibbly as I do with most movies about the early space program. And it hit me why that always happens, why I even majored in Aerospace Engineering for my undergraduate.
I've always wanted to be an innovator.
I think part of my disillusionment in undergrad was the fact that the program really didn't encourage innovation hardly at all, and when it did it was almost too late. Out-of-the-box thinking doesn't let you pass classes. I got through it despite, because I'm stubborn and really believed that I deserved that engineer title, but I didn't feel the same excitement. And part of it is that I believe that NASA and others have lost their edge the bigger they've gotten; bureaucracy has taken over.
I think we can agree this to be the case with a lot of institutions these days.
I don't think people realize how on the cusp we are of something and how ill-prepared for it we are. When our schools are teaching to tests and our national identity is that of consumers, not creators, then we are not prepared. But I believe that perhaps we could be prepared, and I want to do my part towards that. I want to find ways that we can all learn to our best abilities and not lose the creativity that we all once had.
I have seen the lengths that people go to in their hobbies (aka fandom), the energy and brilliance put into it and I want to see that EVERYWHERE. I know that's where my bit of idealism lies.
I don't want to babble on, I just wanted to say I think I've found a way to be a legit innovator, so let's hope it works out!
It was also a slightly surreal experience, because if you've ever heard me talk about academia during my undergrad, it was never very FRIENDLY to me. In fact, it was downright hostile sometimes. But here I had a couple of professors that sound like they'd COMPETE for me, which I'm really a wtf about. I mean, what, me being varied and nontraditional is a HELPFUL thing here?
Definitely going to be emailing the professors who showed an interest in me, and see some possible classes I can take before admittance, and also talking with work about how much part time I can do with them remotely (tech companies are great like that, I admit).
This gives me plenty of time to get all my affairs in order too.
Anyway, this entry is titled innovation for a reason. See, I was watching The Right Stuff last night, and I got wibbly as I do with most movies about the early space program. And it hit me why that always happens, why I even majored in Aerospace Engineering for my undergraduate.
I've always wanted to be an innovator.
I think part of my disillusionment in undergrad was the fact that the program really didn't encourage innovation hardly at all, and when it did it was almost too late. Out-of-the-box thinking doesn't let you pass classes. I got through it despite, because I'm stubborn and really believed that I deserved that engineer title, but I didn't feel the same excitement. And part of it is that I believe that NASA and others have lost their edge the bigger they've gotten; bureaucracy has taken over.
I think we can agree this to be the case with a lot of institutions these days.
I don't think people realize how on the cusp we are of something and how ill-prepared for it we are. When our schools are teaching to tests and our national identity is that of consumers, not creators, then we are not prepared. But I believe that perhaps we could be prepared, and I want to do my part towards that. I want to find ways that we can all learn to our best abilities and not lose the creativity that we all once had.
I have seen the lengths that people go to in their hobbies (aka fandom), the energy and brilliance put into it and I want to see that EVERYWHERE. I know that's where my bit of idealism lies.
I don't want to babble on, I just wanted to say I think I've found a way to be a legit innovator, so let's hope it works out!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-05 03:52 am (UTC)I wish you could do that school someday. That is what I wish.
And I wish I could be there to help.