Interests

I am married to a wonderful Dutch lady, who goes by the name of Bernadette van der Vliet. I met her at her sister’s (Mariette) martial arts class. She is the joy of my life, and I would be absolutely lost without her. We have three dogs; Gator, Sandy, and Luke. Each of the dogs are wonderful but came to use with baggage. Gator spent about one and a half years in the kennel. Sandy came from an abusive household. Luke was run over as a puppy. I have two children from my first marriage; Christopher and Cassandra. My son lives in Omaha, Nebraska, and my daughter is living in California.

I am involved in a variety of activities. I teach a martial arts class (Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu) twice a week. We have a small group in Laramie, and train every Monday and Wednesday night.

Somewhere over the past 20 years, I have managed to get some classes under my belt. I earned Bachelors Degree in Information Systems Management through the University of Maryland Global Campus and a Master’s Degree in Computer Technology in Education through Nova Southeastern University. Presently, I am pursuing a Doctorate in Education through the University of Wyoming through the Department of Adult Learning and Technology focusing on Distance Education. I am now working on my dissertation with a completion date of December 2012.

I also enjoy learning about close-up magic. I am a member of International Brotherhood of Magicians; specifically, Ring 250, the Presto-Digitators of Fort Collins, Colorado.

When I am not teaching martial arts, I am actively involved with the Wyoming Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. Right now I am the Squadron Commander; I am responsible for CAP activities for the Laramie Valley Composite Squadron.

Finally, I have also taken up geocaching. Because of geocaching, I have seen things I would not have normally. It is walking with a goal.

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Research Interests

There are a number of topics that give me pause where I want to explore more.

  • Informal Learning – Since we spend 70% of our lives involved in informal learning, I want to learn more. It is the focus of my dissertation.
  • Gamification – I am interested in improving instruction through game mechanics and game theory.
  • Flipped Instruction – By changing the model of education, I believe we can improve it and make it more rewarding.
  • Objective Mastery – Very simply can someone do something or not. Let’s measure an individual’s knowledge through demonstrated performance.
  • I also wrote a little paper while at the Air Force Academy Prep School that has got a little traction. The Rumored Death of Paul McCartney.