One mans path to success

 I recently had a zoom call with a fellow student that I was paired with in one of my PIDP programs. The assignment asked us to meet and discuss trends in our fields and adult education. I found it very interesting to hear about my partner's field, the work that they do, and how they are helping others in learning. We discussed the trends in our respective fields and some of the challenges of the returning workforce post-Covid. Many workers do not want to return to an office setting, and are trying to find ways to work and learn remotely. There are benefits to this such as less distraction and cost effectiveness, but there are also downfalls, such as less accountability, and less personal connection. My partner and I discussed trends in adult education, from micro credentialing, to distance education and virtual classrooms, as well as an increase in course diversity for non employment related topics, such as stress and anger management, or confidence building. I fo...

 I have recently been doing research for a learning theory report, and I came across an article on behaviorism. The article lays explains the framework for a learning theory called behaviorism, and discusses "Skinners theory of operant conditioning" (Leeder, 2022). Even though the article is directed toward sport coaching, I felt it mirrored my practice very closely. Feel free to check out the article at the link below. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08924562.2022.2052776#d1e161 Citations: Leeder, T. M. (2022). Behaviorism, Skinner, and Operant Conditioning: Considerations for Sport Coaching Practice.  Strategies ,  35 (3), 27–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/08924562.2022.2052776

  A current trend in adult education I have noticed recently is the increase in micro credentials. Micro credentials are different than traditional degrees, in that students can tailor their skill set to employment opportunities, and do not need to take lengthy programs that may be outdated when completed. Employers are increasingly seeking prospective employees with practical skills and knowledge that relates to their industry, and micro credentials allow students to increase their opportunities by focusing on what’s current to a specific area of expertise. I have already notice implications of this in the way we instruct heavy equipment operators, as programs are becoming shorter and more equipment specific. Students can now take single machine programs such as folding boom crane or self-erect tower crane, programs that can take as little as two weeks to complete. In order to stay current with this trend, I may have to prepare increased machine specific learning cran...

  My field of expertise is mobile crane operation. I train the next generation of operators to operate all types and sizes of mobile cranes. In the world of heavy equipment, there is a trend at this time to move towards sustainable, environmentally conscious operation. One of the trends in the crane world is the production of electric mobile cranes. This is a challenging endeavor, as mobile cranes as heavy, and move constantly. It’s one thing to have an electric tower crane, that will sit in the same place for months or years, but what about a 60 ton machine that moves constantly, on and off highways and job sites? It may take a while before these machines make their way to my training site, but when they do, I will need to be prepared, The actual operation of the crane does not change, just how it is powered. We will need to implement the infrastructure to support these machines, as well as provide updated training modules for the students to gain knowledge of how to work with th...

  Hey everyone! Feel free to take a look at the VCC School of Instructor Education Facebook page. You don't have to have a Facebook account to take a look. Visit the link below! https://www.facebook.com/VCCSchoolOfInstructorEducation/ Photo by Zen Chung on Pexels.com

 Hello everyone! y name is Brad, and I am currently completing my PID program at Vancouver Community College. I live in Mission, and work in Maple Ridge as a Mobile Crane Instructor. I grew up on Vancouver Island, and have lived in various places throughout my adult life, but close to the island always feels like home for me. Maybe it's the smell of the ocean. I enjoy kayaking in my free time, as well as exploring all the wonderful outdoor beauty we have here in the lower mainland/fraser valley. I hope you get to experience it for yourself! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog post, and I look forward to sharing with you. Below is a photo I took while out kayaking. I hope you enjoy it!