On electricians and computers

I am sure not everyone shares my views about electricians and computers. Many contractors consider electricians specialized laborers that need few if any intellectual skills or what we call cognizant learning. I recall a contractor telling me that all he wanted was electricians that could bend and install pipe. He didn't care if they knew ohms law or how to use a meter, as long as they could run pipe and do a days work. That is all he cared about. However, this same contractor's wife ran the office for him using a computer. She did the payroll, the taxes, the billing, money in, money out, and all of it. The contractor himself could hardly turn the computer on! By the way this contractor is now retired and collects old automobiles for a hobby. He lives in Nome, Alaska, the last I knew.

Now about my views. I recently purchased two current college Calculus textbooks. Both contain CD's and both incorporate the use of computers and software such as Mathematica and Maple into the text assignments. The modern process is to use computers as a tool to increase understanding, learning, and perceptual intuition. A computer can in seconds graph a complex function and repeat the same process over and over with new inputs so a student can learn faster and better. I believe computers can be used the same way for electricians. The Table 310.16 calculator, for instance, can be used to better understand how wire size, derating, and overcurrent protection are related by speeding up the process so one can immediately see accurate results with new inputs.

I think this makes better electricians. It also enlightens us and allows us the opportunity to integrate computers into some of our tasks. I believe the NFPA should set up a department that accepts and evaluates, and endorses software that makes using the Code easier and faster.

It is in this respect that I am creating my next online continuing education course on computer applications for electricians.