Mr. Wilson | Science and Technology at Heart
While many of us recognize Mr. Wilson as our program director for Black Male College Explorers, you may not know that he has a heart for science and technology. Prior to his work in our college, Mr. Wilson led the way for FAMU to design and create high level technology and scale up classrooms. This semester, Mr. Wilson's students boasted a 100% pass rate on the FTCE Science Subject Area Exam. Way to go Mr. Wilson and our FAMU COE students!
What is the most important issue we face in education that you have focused on recently?
The most important issue that I have focused on recently is the reduction of the achievement gap with Black male youth in the state of Florida. While the overall performance of Black males in the state of Florida continues to improve each year, Black males continue to record some of the lowest graduation rates of all ethnic groups across the state of Florida. We continue our effort to make an impactful difference by reducing the achievement gap of this target group.
How has the Black Male College Explorers program (BMCEP) impacted our state under your leadership?
Under my leadership as Director and Principal Investigator, the Black Male College Explorers Program continues to meet and/or exceed performance metrics in program enrollment, retention for prior year participants, high school graduation, and college readiness. Our strategic partners at Bethune-Cookman University, Edward Waters College, and Florida Memorial University work together to ensure that we provide comprehensive mentoring, supplemental instruction, healthy living counseling, academic planning, and mental health counseling to our participants across the state of Florida.
Specifically, BMCEP participants with year-over-year participation have high school graduation rates above the state average for the same target group. Additionally, we are leveraging student participation to foster increased parental engagement with Local Education Agencies, and utilizing diagnostic data to implement a strategic learning focus through prescriptive course development. We have begun planning for a statewide distance learning application that will focus on non-cognitive factors that improve academic and personal success for our program participants and those students that are not currently served by Florida A&M University or our strategic partners across the state of Florida.
Finish this statement, "technology in education is"...
a vehicle which provides an opportunity to facilitate learning and its principles and practices. Technology fosters a climate that promotes learning, exploration, collaboration, and engagement at every level and in every relationship education has with its end users.
Share some of your top strategies for motivating students in our college programs:
My top strategies for motivating students are:
- Knowing the students' backgrounds, their dreams, and their goals, then speaking affirmatively to them! Affirmation removes impediments!
- Remind them always that they are smarter than they believe!
- Celebrate small successes!
Share a teaching/learning moment that had great impact on your life:
FAMU Professor of Anatomy, Dr. Jaunita Coats-Brooks, was well known for her direct, no-nonsense demeanor and teaching style. Successful completion of her course represented a significant accomplishment. Dr. Coats-Brooks challenged me to perform well, and I did. Her affirmation fueled my desire to do the work necessary for a successful outcome. Her unwavering faith in my ability to learn and achieve academic excellence in her class went well beyond my expectations and beyond her classroom. It served as the foundation for my steadfast belief in each student's opportunity to learn and experience academic success!
