BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Jerry Bromenshenk <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 16 Dec 2015 22:36:08 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (37 lines)
Mark said:

"Knowing something about the Craft Guild System which includes the designation of Master Craftsman, it has always struck me funny that someone could become a Master Beekeeper without first having been an Apprentice Beekeeper and then a Journeyman Beekeeper."
 
 
For better or worse, we in academia in the  USA inherited the concept and terminology from the US land grant extension service.  In doing a quick review, it appears that this dates to Master Gardener programs started in 1972 in Washington.  
 
I  don't claim that either a Master Gardener or a Master Beekeeping training program, even the most rigorous program, will ever be equivalent to the years of training in the Trades to acquire the Title of Journeyman, etc.  We've considered building a commercial beekeeping curriculum; we've got a Business School, a heavy equipment driving and maintenance program in the Missoula College of UM, etc.  Obviously, that would be a lot more than our three courses, and I don't know that that would make anyone a Master in the same terms as the Craft Guild System.
 
I would hope that none of our students ever conclude that they've MASTERED beekeeping.  I know I haven't.  However, we make them work to get their certificates, and the Title reflects a verfied progression of accomplishment.   We hope to provide them with more than simply reading, memorizing, and regurgitating.  We don't give out Certificates for simply following along.
 
There were lots of Master Beekeeping courses when we got into the game.  We were asked to provide something along these lines as an alternative to internet gurus by our State Beekeeping Association.   Clearly, we can't look over the shoulders of our students as mentors, but we can try to do the best that we can do in an ONLINE format.  And we have to advertise the courses as something our prospective students might recognize.

We're pleased to hear people like Przemek say that we proved to him that online courses aren't necessarily easy.  And folks like Charles commenting to do it for the education, not the title.  When someone like Charles tells us that "Its amazing some of the things we don't actually know.  So for me it was an learning experience." we feel that we've accomplished what we  set out to do.  And we've gotten several former Apprentice students who had tried to keep bees for up to 5-6 years or more with little success, and who then finally manage to keep colonies that survived year round and thrived.

One thing I do know, if we advertised these courses as "Attempts to become a Beekeeper", Level 1, II, III; we wouldn't have gotten many registrations.  People are looking for classes that fit a model with  which they are familiar.  So, we loosely followed what the public recognized as a means of formally learning more about gardens or bees.  We hope that we do more and do better than most of the other Master Courses out there, but it's never going to be a perfect solution.


Two things we really like to see in each class of students:  1)  Experienced beekeepers taking  our Journeyman and Masters courses - that has potential benefits  for all, and 2) international students who bring new perspectives and a knowledge of different practices to the course.  Although most of our international students are fluent  in  English, we have now  captioned all of our  videos  and animations in English.  That helps these people, even those from other English speaking countries, understand our dialects, which range from the flat tones of Montana with occasional hints of Texas cowhands (myself) to the Georgia Shift of Scott.  Generally people from Australia and NZ have  trouble understanding any of us, so the captions help.  One does have to be able to read and write in English g to take our courses - we don't have translators -  yet.

And in Australia, they do list their beekeeping courses as Level 1, II, III.   If anyone has a better option for naming these courses, let me know.



 
 






             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2