A former technology education teacher in Guilford County Schools, Dr. Jerianne Taylor is professor of career and technical education (CTE) in Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education. She is program director for Appalachian’s CTE undergraduate degree and its six concentrations.

Appalachian’s CTE program has a long-standing commitment to excellence in CTE teacher preparation and is well-respected at the local, state, national and international levels.

Appalachian’s CTE program is “a community of practice committed to furthering the education and development of our students through real-world experiences.”

Dr. Jerianne Taylor, CTE undergraduate program director

What excites you, motivates you or otherwise inspires you about CTE as a degree field?

The opportunities! This is a degree that is user friendly but still based on the needs of business and industry. Career and Technical Education is a hot topic now in education and industry because of the “skills gap” that exists. Finally we have a degree that connects the dots of technical skills, business foundations and soft skills.

Why did you choose to come to Appalachian to teach?

I have been at Appalachian for over 10 years now and started out in what is now the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment. As a teacher educator, I realized that Appalachian was intentional in its efforts to integrate teaching with real-world experiences.

What is your research specialty and how does it fit into and/or strengthen your teaching?

My research focuses on STEM-related competitions and career and technical student organizations (CTSOs). As future CTE teachers, our students are expected to understand the importance of their specific CTSO and integrate it into the classroom. My research has shown the value and importance of the competitions in CTSOs and how they impact students and their future career choices.

I am able to share my experience and research with our students through our methods and management courses. For our Workforce concentration students, research has shown what business and industry are looking for in the workforce of tomorrow. Relationships established through CTSOs and work-based learning experiences will help them as they transition to the world of work and into new roles in their chosen fields.

What do you hope students take away from the classes you teach?

To love learning. The value and importance of Career and Technical Education. Finally, that their CTE faculty are always there for them as a resource.

Why should a student interested in becoming a CTE major choose Appalachian?

We are a community of practice committed to furthering the education and development of our students through real-world experiences connected to Career and Technical Education.

About the Reich College of Education

Appalachian State University offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students in its bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degree programs, with offerings that span multiple fields — from teacher preparation, counseling, and therapy, to higher education, school and student affairs administration, library science, educational leadership and more. With over 10,000 alumni employed in North Carolina public schools, there is at least one Reich College graduate in every county in the state. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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