Dallas Business Owner Publishes 'The Book' On Education
As co-founder and president of Dallas-based Brattle Publishing, Richard Lena is in charge of developing and creating educational books and products for educators and students, Pre-K through college. Technology in education was the specialization of Lena's master's degree from Harvard Graduate School.
Why did you pursue a master's degree?
"When I made the decision to pursue an master's in education, I was already in a management position in educational publishing. It was almost a decade beyond my undergraduate experience. A master's in education, specifically instructional design, was necessary to help me gain a further understanding of the learning theory and evidence-based instructional strategies that I employed in my products designs. I needed to understand the foundations of learning and obtain the credibility that my customers expected and many of my peers had already achieved."
What would you tell someone who is considering returning to school to earn a master's degree?
"Prospective students should have their end goals identified. Why do I want to earn this master's? How will this help me achieve my professional or personal goals after I've finished the program? These are the questions that you should have clarity on before you spend your time and money on a graduate program. I learned over the years that many people enter programs without thinking this through in advance."
What was the biggest challenge you faced when pursuing your master's degree?
"Reconciling what I learned in the classroom with business decisions and practices in the companies in which I worked was a challenge. I worked throughout my graduate program and the two worlds were often at odds with each other. Many development decisions were based on evidenced-based instructional strategies and the science of the brain, others were made by financial or resource constraints and not typically considered in the classroom."
What was the biggest reward for earning the master's degree?
"The greatest reward has been the ability to design and create products that are based on evidence-based instructional strategies into innovative and motivating contexts for young children. My master's degree has opened doors with clients and employers that would likely have not considered working with me before. The degree has also led to the development of my own publishing house, Brattle Publishing, a company that promotes literacy through solid instruction and engaging content."
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com
