Doctoral Program Thoughts

Doctoral Program

• How can rural America succeed in the 21st century?

Areas of Potential Study

• Educational Technology/Leadership
• Economic Development
• Public Administration & Planning

Skills to Develop

• App Development
• Grant/Organization Development
• Content Creation

Rural Education for the 21st Century

• Are we preparing children for the right future?
• How can technology be used to create a new education system?
  • Democratized Content Creation & Distribution
• How can rural communities be reinvigorated by a new education model?
  • What does rural mean?
  • What challenges do rural communities face?
    • Past
    • Present
    • Future
  • What new strategies can be employed with emerging & current technologies to overcome historic challenges?

For Consideration and Contemplation

For a while now I have been contemplating what the 21st century means for rural america.  I want to find that answer…or at least create a model or two which might allow access to the democratization power of today’s technology while harnessing the strength of community inherent in rural areas.  Rural communities by and large have been dwindling for some time now as strength in today’s economy has been defined in massive numbers, multinational corporations, and a technology infrastructure of significant expense.  However, this means that rural America is poised to rebound with some smart infrastructure choices and development choices which attract the youth to stay and second career individuals to settle.

Education concepts which do not require daily school facility attendance.  Public Administration concepts which provide companionship and support for coders and technology savvy individuals (geeks, nerds) to stay in little communities where their YouTube video or mobile app or ebook will catch fire and sell 500,000 copies/views based on viral impulse.  Economic concepts which will allow rural communities to survive in this era of massive numbers that do not exist in a 500 person town.  Technology concepts which will make the actual infrastructure needed for such pursuits to become reality.

This has been what I have wanted to create with CountryMouseTech.com, and still do.  That being said, I need a foundation from which to draw.  I have also been underemployed for almost 2 years now.  Kind of a bummer.  As a result I have started to contemplate doctoral programs which might help provide me the time (and financing) to create this foundation.  The end result would likely be a non-profit or low-profit corporation.

I would be more than appreciative of any helpful hints and/or directions of institutions and programs which might find such pursuits of significant value.

My e-mail address is jamespgagnon@gmail.com

Loyalties and Marketing

With all the twitter and buzz about social networking tools we are being asked to make a decision about who we support the central hub of our various tribes.  It’s competition, and competition is good.  It’s a competition for who can collect the largest and most vigorous community for the purpose of transforming that community into revenue from marketing.

Hyper local and hyper individualized, right?  Which is a good thing, or at least can be.  Here’s the thing.  If you are going to use me to attract marketing dollars, great.  It’s the American way and I get it.  But for the love of Pete, if your attempt at marketing is the online equivalent of the stupid debt help calls I get on a regular basis (I’m looking at you Facebook, if I see another free (what a joke you criminally insane credit agencies)creditreport.com ad I’m gonna break) that isn’t what I’m looking for.  If I tell you I don’t like a particular marketing tool, listen.  That being said, there are some great commercials!  Respect the Van from Honda (can we say A-Team?) is a perfect example.

If you want my participation and information, I don’t really mind.  But treat me as an individual.  Something I know we have trouble doing in our society from education to marketing and even psychology.  With every multiple choice questionnaire I answer, there are answers beyond the provided choices.  We have the technology, we can be more dynamic.