- 200 years
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- About us
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I am a passionate individual who is always trying to make things better. This suited to my teaching area of design that nothing is set in stone and developments can always be made to any situation. I like to think that every problem has a viable solution and that all you need are a few active ingredients with a method and the means to execute that method.
I am a family man who likes to spend time in the outdoors and walking. I like to travel and see the world to embrace other cultures as I feel that this gives you a better all round and grounded personality. I like to watch films and find myself encapsulated in a film from start to finish often arriving at the conclusion before the film ends.
I like following sport and like to stay active by going out jogging when i can and swimming. I have a particular interest in football and still play occassionally, I enjoy the physical side of the game but I also like to analyse football as a spectator and discuss tactics and perfomrance of the teams I follow. My team is Liverpool FC and having been a fan since i was a boy I have spent many days and nights going to watch them play at Anfield and sometiems away from home. I also find the time ocassionally to watch my hometown team Crewe Alexandra.
I teach because it is something that I am extremely passionate about and I believe that we can influence the next generation with our ideas and help them to develop these ideas and question them. In my case, it is design where I have been privileged to gain sufficient industrial experience of this area and it is my intent to use this experience to inform the next generation of designers.
I have managed to gain experience of teaching at levels 2,3,4,5,6 & 7 in engineering and design based disciplines and as such I have been able to effectively modify my approach depending on the level of student and this experience I feel makes me a strong advocate for bring the best out of people irrespective of their personal circumstances.
Given my teaching experience, I try to employ best practice in the delivery of new ideas to those who are willing to listen. If I make one design student more capable and confident in what they are doing then I feel I have achieved something.
I am a firm believer in the concept of 'Every problem has a solution'. I think that sometimes people get too concerned with the problem and focus on the negative side of the presence of the problem as opposed to being proactive in solving it. With this concept, they can manage a problem if they know that it can be solved.
My subject area Design and Engineering often help us to solve problems. We would not have ventured into space or travelled the seas, flown airplanes across continents and enhanced our standards of living, without it.
Now Product Design has become an integral part of society where we introduce new products every day and because of design, we have a better consideration of the end user. Hence the phrase
'We are what we make'
I will apply the principles of teaching and learning to a design environment. Initially posing a question to you about a given topic. We will explore various learning methods to work our way through the problem and arrive at a conclusion. These include lecture-based questions, tutorial questions that require further investigation, interactive quizzes and practical based problems to see if you have understood the topic area.
I will also invite you to demonstrate your understanding of the topics through presentations, critiques and assessments of various types.
I will then use varying methods to extract the information from you and with each topic there will be a plenary where you can feedback on the subject and give your opinion.
I will always expect the very best from every student and in turn will give you my very best.
PGCE in Teaching & Learning
MSc (Hons) Product Design & Management
BSc (Hons) Computer Aided Design
AGNVQ Engineering
NVQ 3 – Product Manufacture
HE Engineering Programme Leader & Senior Lecturer - Macclesfield College of Further Education
Senior Designer - Whitecroft Lighting Ltd
Product Designer - Whitecroft Lighting Ltd
CAD Operator - Warwick Developments Ltd
Duty Manager - Mitchells & Butlers Ltd
University Placements - Bentley Motor Cars Ltd
Modern Apprecnticeship - Rolls Royce & Bentley Motors Ltd
Higher Education Academy Fellow