Friday, March 19, 2010

That's "Professor" MacDonald, thank you!

Life's Strange Tapestry:

A few months ago I received a 'cold-call' from Ontario's Haliburton School of the Arts ( http://www.haliburtonschoolofthearts.ca/index.cfm).

The college had decided to offer a kiltmaking course as part of their Fibre Arts Program, and that I was the person to teach said course.

Fortunately for me, I have done a great deal of instructional program design, so I'm not unduly worried about cramming a multi-year apprenticeship into 5 days!

I suffered through too many years of egotistical,incompetent and/or malicious 'teachers' to EVER inflict that on others - in fact since completing my teacher training I've become a real snob about 'quality of instruction' and the 'Competency-based Education' model. (which means that all other factors being equal: If you didn't learn anything it's because I didn't reach it to you correctly!)

Even with a 'pre-course package' that will teach everything that can be taught outside of the classroom setting, it's going to be a pretty intense week...

http://www.haliburtonschoolofthearts.ca/index.cfm/go/programs/sub/coursePT/code/013197/sc/HSA/q/sum/style/h.cfm

I take this extremely seriously for at least two reasons:

a) Each student will be laying out a great deal of money and if they don't feel that they've gotten their money's worth then they will (rightly) voice their discontent; and

b) There will be a number of people describing themselves as 'Kiltmakers trained by Rob MacDonald' released upon the buying public. If they do well it's due to their hard work, but their failures will be my failures.

I can't wait!