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Donald Maley

Dr. Maley was born in 1918 in Buena Vista, Pennsylvania. He graduated from McKeesport Technical High School and worked for five years at Fort Pitt Steel Castings Company in McKeesport. He later earned a bachelor's degree with a major in Industrial Arts from California State Teachers College (1944) and, upon graduation, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he received his master's degree (1947) and doctor's degree (1950) in Industrial Education from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Maley held various positions during his lifetime including Foundryman/Musician (1936-1940), Teacher (1943), PT 106 - Ensign/Executive Officer/Captain (1943-1945), Instructor (1946-1951), Associate Professor (1951-1953), Professor (1953-1957), Professor & Chairman (1957-1974), Acting Dean (1974-1975), Professor & Chairman (1975-1987), and Professor Emeritus (1987-1993). Dr. Maley was internationally known for his innovation in Technology Education and Vocational-Technical Education. He served as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Maryland for 47 years and also contributed his expertise to school systems in Maryland and in 30 other states and several other countrys.

During his professional career Dr. Maley authored 160 articles and four books. He received dozens of professional awards including Man of the Year - ACIATE, Award of Distinction - AIAA, Illustrious Alumni Award - California State College, Industrial Arts Educator of the year - AIAA, Distinquished Technology Educator - ITEA, The Chancellor's Medal - University of Maryland, Distinquished Alumni Medal - University of Maryland College of Education, Professor Emeritus - University of Maryland, Senior Fellow - ITEA, Award for Leadership in Prepaing Youth for the Future - NASA, and the Visiting Scholar Award - University Council for Vocational Education.

Maley became a national leader in Technology Education through his development of K-12 Technology Education programs including The Maryland Plan, a junior high school Industrial Arts program based on the "...study of technology and industry with their implications for man and society." The Maryland Plan placed an emphasis on the psychological and sociological needs of the individual as well as his/her resourcefulness and capabilities. The program was designed to take advantage of or make use of the following:

  • the integration of mathematics, science, communications, and the social sciences into the Industrial Arts activities;
  • the maximum use of the community resources extending from the total school to the state, national or even international sources;
  • the use of a wider range of reading materials at all levels of difficulty and sophistication;
  • the extensive use of inquiry, problem solving and experimentation in the arriving at solutions and procedures to follow:
  • the effective and meaningful use of "role playing" as a technique for greater student living-learning involvement and greater direction by the student;
  • the extensive use of a broad range of student activities and experiences that will permit a diversity of involvement, a greater display of talents, and a greater use of the individual's special abilities; and
  • the development of experiences in keeping with the behavioral characteristics and developmental tasks of youth.

Developmental tasks of early adolescence served as guideposts for certain educational strategies involved in the Maryland Plan. In addition, the program design gave serious consideration to the individual differences, interests, capabilities, and objectives of students. The developmental tasks of early adolescence that were considered in the program were:

  • establishing independence from adults.
  • establishing behavior based on a strong peer group code.
  • achieving a broadened base of personal experiences.
  • achieving effective use of lanquage and communications.
  • increasing control and use of the body.
  • expanding mental ability from concrete reasoning into abstract reasoning.
  • achieving acceptance of self as a worthy and valuable person.
  • learning to control and test emotions.
  • building and testing a value system.
  • learning to live in an industrial and democratic culture.
  • relating to the opposite sex in an approved manner.

The Maryland Plan promoted the point of view that "Schools should contribute to the development of individuals capable of living and contributing to a technically and socially changing democratic society." To this end the Plan focused on the development in students the tools of learning and placed strong emphasis on developing and using:

  • student resourcefulness,
  • student problem-solving skills (not limited to laboratory problems),
  • student inquiry skills and techniques, and
  • a zest for learning.

The Maryland Plan for a junior high school program in Industrial Arts involved three phases as shown in the following table:

GRADE LEVEL CONTENT APPROACH
7 The study of certain basic elements common to all civilized mankind and their contributions to the growth of civilization. "The Unit Approach"
  1. Tools and Machines
  2. Power and Energy
  3. Transportation and Communication
8 An in-depth study of the raw materials industry and high production industries. "The Group Approach"
  1. The Group Project Method
  2. The Line Production Method
9 Increased depth in the study of modern industry and contemporary technology. Selected according to student needs and informational objectives.

Dr. Maley also developed elementary and high school level Technology Education programs. The high school program featured "Research and Experimentation" and "Group Project Initiatives" with a contemporary focus on the environment, etc. His research included studies of innovative teaching methodologies and the further definition of Industrial Arts and Technology Education. Maley traveled to many other countries including Russia to promote his Technology Education programs and the Maryland Plan became the national Technology Education program in Greece.

In the broader area of Industrial Education Maley experimented with utilizing "the cluster concept" and other techniques to enhance and improve student learning. He also designed innovative presentation facilities that allowed the use of a wide variety of audio-visual delivery systems. These innovative classrooms were duplicated in many other institutions throughout the United States.

Many of Dr. Maley's doctoral level students receiving degrees in Industrial Education from the University of Maryland assumed leadership positions as university faculty members and administrators (including community college and university presidents) throughout the United States. This resulted in the basic concepts of The Maryland Plan for Industrial Arts being incorporated into curriculum efforts at all levels of the educational spectrum.