Keith Keller

interesting... requires further study

I joined the US Nuclear Navy in the fall after graduating high school, and became an instructor training high school and college graduates how to operate a nuclear power plant.

After discharge ten years later, I was an adult learner obtaining a BS in Chemistry in three years, while working full time in food processing industry as an environmental engineer, with a wife, 3.5 children, a mortage payment, etc. 

I migrated to the semiconductor industry, back to the food industry, then back to the nuclear industry, before coming back to my Alma Mater to teach technical students, at age 58. … >>>

I thought for this forum, i would take the individual "Reflection Questions" and address each one in response to this forum.

1.     What is your opinion of competency-based education?

From a military point of view: competency based education trains a high school or college grad from knowing little to how to fire a rifle, drive a tank, fly a military jet, or operate a navy nuclear propulsion plant on an aircraft carrier or submarine in the shortest time possible, by “untrained” educators who went thru the identical training before them, and doing it effectively so that the military… >>>

I was an instructor in the US Nuclear Navy, teaching high school and college grads how to operate a naval nuclear power plant.

6 months of high intensity 8-4 pm classroom instruction, with studying from 4 to midnight and 6 - 8 am; Followed by 6 months of "prototype" training operating a land based nuclear power plant under instruction on swings-mids-days shiftwork. The prototype training was "Competency Based" in a student learning environment (self learning required systems) in a one-on-one instructor checkout signing of a qual card (equivalent to "badges"). 

I didn't learn educational theories... I taught how i was… >>>

Not sure where this goes: 

In Nuclear Navy training, if a student did poorly on an exam or practical, an "REMEDIAL" was issued.  This was in addition to the standard qual card, requiring a student to make up, re learn, recheck out or requalify on the items missed.  It required extra effort to maintain timing of the program requirements. This also happened with qualified operators at times. 

in civilian education, Some professors have given make up exams or second (even third) exams so that students could get good grades... and demonstrate knowledge or proficiency... wanting to be on the students… >>>

in the military (nuclear navy) and qualification card was use to docuement knowleges and skill... if you could demonstrate knowledge, or perform this skill, you would get a signature on the qual card (similar to badging in the civilian education world). If not, you studied more, and were trained more, until you could pass the knowledge check or demostrate proficiency.

Think Forest Gump assembling his rifle.

If the institution is ABET accredited, having a new instructor complete ABET documetion, without any guidance, seems problematic with ongoing periodic trends. 

Part of IDCTE is to train teachers - specifically new teachers, and to certify them to some standard level. 

Orienting new teachers and assessing their capabilities should be the educational institutions responsibility, with IDCTE as a partner, which goes beyond the initial week of orientation.... Deans, department heads, program directors and whomever else should be part of the orientation and assessment team.  Mentors should be assigned.  A year long program of 1 semester observation, then 1 semester "student teaching" should be followed, with feedback to the new instruction.

1st year observation should not be the new instructor sitting in the… >>>

An interesting take on these generational differences is Morris Massey:

What you are now is what you were when...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6rPiehHQu8

There are modern updates to his theory that i was introduced to back in 1985.

One other concept that should be considered for this course is Helicopter parents

Helicopter parenting, defined as overprotective, micromanaging involvement, became prominent with Baby Boomers raising Millennials (Gen Y) in the 1990s/2000s, driven by economic shifts and perceived dangers, but is now increasingly seen in Millennial parents raising Gen Z and Gen Alpha, focusing on self-esteem and success, sometimes leading to indecisiveness in their children. 
Key Generations & Their Parenting Styles:
Baby Boomers (Parents): Often the original "helicopter parents," hovering over their Millennial children to ensure success, sometimes overly involved due to economic prosperity and anxiety.
Generation X (Parents):… >>>