by Brianne Stratton
As a senior at the College, I look back on the past three years and often think of how many times I was asked “Oh you’re a technology education major? So you’re like, a computer teacher?” If you are a technology education major, or know someone who is, which you probably don’t, then you know that question makes us cringe.
No, we are not computer teachers.
While some of you may be thinking, “Then what are you?” the rest of you are probably thinking, “We have a technology education major here?”
I am convinced that technology education is the most unknown major on this campus. However, this is not a surprise to me, since you will only ever find us in two rooms in one building — Armstrong Hall 112 and 114, the technology education home base.
Yes, we are located in the School of Engineering, not the School of Education. Weird, right?
We are somehow caught between needing to know how to teach and needing to know everything about wood and metal working, electronics, and design.
We complete both student teaching and senior design. Yes, both. It’s no wonder no one knows about us — we aren’t with other teachers and we aren’t with other engineers, but are an entity all our own.
Still wondering what we do? Everything.
Think back to any elective in school that wasn’t art, music, or gym and we could probably teach it. Technology is designing solutions to societal needs and wants. While the rest of the students at the College spend nights in the library writing papers and studying for tests, we spend them in the shop designing and building.
Thinking about switching majors? I’ll give you two reasons to pick technology education.We are one of only two colleges in the state that offers the major and are highly in demand, which means you will get a job, and we are a closer group of friends than any other major on this campus. How many majors do you know have their own semi-formal and truck at Homecoming tailgate, or spend all day and night in their building just to hang out with each other?
I know it’s taken me a couple of years to write this but hopefully when I’m graduated and gone, people around this campus will finally stop asking that damn question.
