Welcome!
Welcome to Desert Hills Middle School Technology Education! We offer a variety of courses designed to help students increase their technological literacy, as well as offer students an introduction to a world of exciting careers. We also offer extracurricular opportunities for skill development, social interaction, and more through our VEX Robotics program. If you haven’t yet signed up for one of our Technology Education courses, please contact Dr. Furse or your guidance counselor. Please use this website to access course information, announcements, and assignments. You can access each course page by using the menu bar above.
Program Goals
Technological Literacy
Technological literacy for all students is one of our major goals, and we hope to offer something for everyone, regardless of whether they are currently interested in pursuing a technology-related career or not. You do not need to be a prospective engineer to gain valuable experience from technology education courses. In a society which increasingly depends upon technology to make life better, it is critical for all to be able to understand, use, manage, and evaluate technological systems, and their impacts on the human experience. Our courses offer hands-on experiences focused on critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, design, and creativity.
Career Exploration
In addition to technological literacy, another goal is to expose students to a wide range of rewarding career opportunities. All of our courses will investigate a variety of career options, including guest appearances from industry professionals. In addition, the structure of our courses helps students gain in-demand ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills which can lead to fulfilling careers in any industry.
Extracurricular Opportunities
Desert Hills Robotics offers an extracurricular option for students interested in technology. This enhancement to the regular curriculum offers additional skill-building opportunities, interscholastic competitive events, more in-depth career exploration, leadership, and social activities through the VEX Robotics program.
About Your Instructor
Dr. Joseph S. Furse is the Technology Education teacher at Desert Hills Middle School. Dr. Furse was born in St. George, and spent his childhood in Hurricane where he attended Hurricane High School, graduating in 2005. After spending three years working and volunteering in California and Texas, Dr. Furse enrolled at Utah State University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Technology and Engineering Education in 2014 while working as an engineering intern at YESCO Electronics. After completing his undergraduate studies, he was awarded a research fellowship to pursue a doctoral degree. While attending graduate school, he also taught electronics at USU. In 2019, Dr. Furse graduated from Utah State University for the second time, with a PhD in Education specializing in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Career & Technical Education. Dr. Furse is excited for his third year teaching at Desert Hills Middle School!
Dr. Furse's teaching philosophy centers around providing real-world, hands-on experiences for students to help them build their skills in problem solving, critical thinking, design, teamwork, and creativity, while promoting technological literacy and facilitating career exploration in technology-related fields.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Dr. Furse enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, woodworking, beekeeping, playing musical instruments, and running ultramarathons. Dr. Furse and his wife, Jenny, have two children ages 2 and 4.
Dr. Furse's teaching philosophy centers around providing real-world, hands-on experiences for students to help them build their skills in problem solving, critical thinking, design, teamwork, and creativity, while promoting technological literacy and facilitating career exploration in technology-related fields.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Dr. Furse enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, woodworking, beekeeping, playing musical instruments, and running ultramarathons. Dr. Furse and his wife, Jenny, have two children ages 2 and 4.