Bulletin Board

Members will receive several VTEA newsletters throughout the year, can participate in regional meetings and training, and can serve on a wide variety of VTEA committees.

 
Why You Should Join the VTEA

When I was a high school technology teacher I, like many of those in our profession, spent many years building the technology department in my school. After 14 years of improvements, new equipment, learning new technologies and adding a new teacher to the department, I was finally pleased with the results of my efforts. Unfortunately, something unexpected also happened during those 14 years. I, like many other teachers, became isolated in my classroom. I participated in local meetings within other technology teachers in my county and attended a conference here and there over the years but as far as I was concerned, technology education outside my four walls didn't affect me. Then I met George Wilcox.

If you don't know George, you should make the effort to do so. He is the technology specialist for the state of Virginia and one of the driving forces that makes the VTEA what it is today. Our first meeting was at a conference. I was in between sessions and offered to help George with an Internet class he was teaching. We met again when George visited my school district to help us develop some long-range goals for our countywide technology education program. Within a few months of that meeting, I received a request from a board member of the VTEA asking if I would consider serving as a regional president for the Southwest region. I was surprised at the request and felt honored to be asked to serve. I had never really thought of technology education outside of my county but I was interested in discovering what others in our field were doing.

                What an eye opener! I had the chance to meet and speak with teachers from all over the Southwest Region (now the Blue Ridge Region) of Virginia. I also had the opportunity to meet the people who make things happen in technology education throughout Virginia by attending my first VTEA board meeting.  It was hard to believe that we were discussing issues that would impact Virginia's technology education teachers and I had input into these decisions! These board meetings also brought me in contact with some of the brightest and most energetic teachers, professors and administrators in the state. What fun!

                For the next few years I became close to many of these volunteers and gained an enormous amount of respect for the job they do to promote and improve Virginia's technology programs. After a board meeting or helping out with a conference, I always returned to my school energized and ready to take on new challenges. Working with this group of people was the most influential experience of my high school teaching career and one that all teachers should share.

                I have since taken a job teaching as a drafting instructor at a Virginia community college and no longer have a professional reason to continue to serve the VTEA. Problem is, I don't want to leave.  This excellent group of individuals is a joy to be around and they all share my passion for my former profession. I was fortunate enough to be asked to act as the co-webmaster for the VTEA website with Chris Kelly in 1999 and then to oversee the entire website in the year 2000. I had found my way to continue to serve the VTEA and hope to continue in this position for a few more years.

                The interesting thing here is that you too can have this experience. The VTEA is always looking for energetic elementary, middle or high school technology teachers to serve on committees or to take board positions. They are woefully understaffed, thus leaving a small group to handle too many projects. More participation at the leadership level by VTEA members would help distribute the load and broaden the scope of what the VTEA could accomplish.

                There are many different ways to participate in the VTEA. You could write an article for this publication. Chris Kelly is always looking for input from teachers throughout the state. (Writing articles for publication can be used to earn recertification points.) You could attend the VTEA state conference or choose to serve on a committee. I chair the communications committee and am always looking for articles, photos, or stories to place on the VTEA state website. You could also research the variety of committees and find one that suits your specific talents.

                It may be time to ask yourself if you have become isolated in your teaching situation. If the answer to that question is yes, remember that there is a way to broaden your experiences, help improve technology education in the state, and meet a great group of men and women who share your passion for education.  There is a big world outside your individual program. Maybe the time has come for you to experience it! 

Biography

Robert Huffman is a former high school technology teacher and is currently an assistant professor of drafting and design at Danville Community College in Danville, Virginia.

This site is maintained by the VA Technology Education Association
About this site.