University of Central Missouri

College of Education

Department of Career and Technology Education

CTE 5000: Special Projects in Career and Technical Education

Course Syllabus

Spring 2009

Instructor of Record: Arranged Based on Department Scheduling (Contact: Dr. Bart Washer)


I. Instructor Contact Information:

Dr. Bart Washer, Assistant Professor Department of Career and Technology Education

Grinstead 235 660.543.4580 (VOICE)

660.543.8753 (FAX)

Office Hours for Spring 2009: Mondays & Wednesdays: 12:30pm – 3:00pm (or by appointment)

II. Course Specifics

Course Title: Special Projects in Career and Technical Education

Course Number: CTE 5000

Instructor: Arranged / Instructor of Record Based on Department Scheduling (Dr. Bart Washer)

Semester Credit Hours: 1-3 hours

Course Cost: Consistent with current semester fees

Class Location: Arranged

Class Meeting Sessions: Arranged

Class Meeting Time: Arranged

III. Required Texts:

ALL STUDENTS:

TBD: Readings for this course will be determined locally by the instructor of record to meet the course objectives.

University of Central Missouri (2008). Thesis manual 2008-2009. Warrensburg, MO: The Graduate School. Available at http://www.ucmo.edu/graduate/current/manual.cfm

American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.

NOTE: APA is cited as an example. Students should choose the style manual of their Department per the University of Central Missouri Thesis Manual 2008-2009. The appropriate style manual will be required to create scholary papers in this course.

IV. Course Description:

Per the UCM Graduate Catalog, This course involves the investigation of contemporary problems and issues in technology and occupational education by selected individuals or groups. The course may be repeated for a maximum of 6.0 credit hours, and requires the following prerequisites: Written contract/proposal with objectives and written department consent.

This course is only offered for graduate credit, and the students enrolled in this course are expected to perform consistent with graduate education. Objectives and criteria for assessing whether or not these course objectives are met will be developed consistent with the course content and purpose and will be described in this syllabus.

V. Course Objectives

The major course objectives will be developed at the time the problem statement is developed. Objectives will be communicated both by this course syllabus and by a written student contract signed by both the student and instructor of record.

VI. Course Requirements:

1.  Each student is required to meet with their instructor of record for this course and plan a series of activities that meet the course objectives (as agreed upon by the student and the instructor and listed on the student contract).

2.  The student must meet the hour requirement for the chosen number of credit hours:

a.  3 credit hours = 90 hours of contact time

b.  2 credit hours = 60 hours of contact time

c.  1 credit hours = 30 hours of contact time

3.  The student and instructor of record must identify one major task to be completed during the course. This activity must be documented on Attachment B.

4.  The student must document the activity, dates, and hours spent during the course (See Attachment B).

5.  Unless otherwise specified in the student contract, the student will provide a scholarly term paper documenting the course’s experiences.

6.  Optional: In the event this course includes work with the student’s direct supervisor, a summary letter from the supervisor which (1) documents the student’s experiences and (2) evaluates the student’s performance may be required.

VII. Student Assessment:

Unit and final grading for this course is based on “criterion-referenced” assessment rather than “norm-referenced” assessment. Simply stated, student work will be assessed per a pre-set level of criteria (criterion referenced) rather than “comparing” students to each other (norm-referenced, which would assign grades based on the statistical normal curve). There will be 550 points for this course which is a combination of the student log (Attachment A), a major term paper (unless alternatives are presented in the student contract), and the final student project assessment per the student contract. An additional graduate capstone project is also required that will require the student to implement the required learning from this course into the student’s environment.

Assignments:

Points GRAD

1. Documentation Log (See Attachment A) 50 9%

2. Term paper (summarizing the activity: see Attachment D) 200 36.4%

3. Project Assessment (per the Student Contract) 200 36.4%

4. Graduate Capstone Project (To be determined, if applicable) 100 18.2%

Unit and final grading will be based on the following scale:

100-90: A

89-80: B

79-70: C

69-60: D

59-Below: F

At the option of the student and depending on the instructor’s time availability, most work (unless specified by the instructor) can be submitted at least seven days early for review (with no grade assigned). This will allow the student to review the instructor’s comments on that assignment and (at the option of the student) edit the assignment before it is submitted for a grade. Major examinations are not included in this early submission/review option.

IX. Learning Center / Writing Center Assistance:

The University of Central Missouri Writing Center assists students with a wide range of academic skill development. A majority of course points will be directly related to writing ability, and therefore the student will be assessed on course content that includes their scholarly writing. The Writing Center is available to all UCM students and is located in Humphreys 116 on the UCM campus. They can also be contacted at 660.543.4367 or www.ucmo.edu/writingcenter. For short questions regarding grammar, usage, or spelling, call the Grammar Hotline at 660.543.4367.

X. Library Assistance:

You may access your library account, the online catalog, and electronic databases from James C. Kirkpatrick Library's website at http://library.ucmo.edu. For research assistance, you may contact the Reference Desk via phone: (660.543.4154), email () or Instant Messaging with AIM: JCKLReference .

XI. Special Accommodations:

University of Central Missouri, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, provides accommodations for the needs of persons with disabilities attending events sponsored by Central. Students with disabilities requiring academic accommodations should provide documentation of their disabilities and a request for services upon being admitted to the University and make new requests at the beginning of each semester. Timely requests are necessary in order for the University to provide appropriate academic accommodations.

A minimum notice of 48 hours is requested to accommodate programs such as Premier Performances, guest lecturers/speakers, and theater productions. Up to eight weeks notice may be required for accommodations in University housing, locations of classrooms, or some other assistance.

Contact the Director of Accessibility Services, Union 220, voice/TTY 660.543.4421, see http://www.ucmo.edu/access, or use Missouri Relay by dialing 711. For more information, see the current UCM Planner Handbook.

XII. Academic Honesty:

Consistent with UCM policy and simply stated, every student is expected to complete his/her own work. Per the 2008-2009 University Planner Handbook, “A violation against academic honesty committed by a student is any act which would deceive, cheat, or defraud so as to promote or enhance one’s academic standing. Academic dishonesty also includes knowingly or actively assisting any person in the commission of an offense of academic dishonesty” (p. 143). Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to plagiarism, cheating, and breaching standards of professional ethics. For more information and clarification on the Academic Honesty policy, the student should see the instructor and refer to the current UCM Planner-Handbook. An electronic version of the handbook is available at http://www.ucmo.edu/x2707.xml

XIII. Conceptual Framework of the UCM College of Education

Belief Statement: The Central educator is a competent, caring, reflective practitioner committed to the premise that all can learn.
Mission: As a cornerstone of the institution for over 130 years, the University of Central Missouri's Teacher Education Program develops teachers and other school professionals who are well grounded in theory, display competence in content knowledge and instructional strategies, and possess the dispositions to ensure success for all learners. The Teacher Education Program prepares individuals as professional educators for an ever-changing, culturally diverse population. Faculty and candidates provide support and service to schools in meeting their present and future challenges by developing communities that learn through research and scholarly activities. Educator preparation is a campus-wide responsibility, a commitment that reflects the honor and worth of serving a vital profession.
The complete Conceptual Framework is availble from the UCM College of Education, 2190 Lovinger, 660-543-4272, www.ucmo.edu/x94696.xml.

T&OE 5000 Course Syllabus Spring 2009 Page 1

Attachment A

University of Central Missouri

Department of Career and Technology Education

T&OE 5000: Special Projects in Career and Technical Education

Documentation Log

(use multiple sheets as needed)

Student Name:

Administrator Name:

School / City:

Semester: year

Major Administrative Project:

Date / Activity / Hours
Spent / Notes

T&OE 5000 Course Syllabus Spring 2009 Page 1

Attachment B

University of Central Missouri

Department of Career and Technology Education

T&OE 5000: Special Projects in Career and Technical Education

Term Paper Guidelines

The purpose of this term paper is to allow students to reflect on their learning throughout this arranged course.

The paper should summarize the major experiences and/or activities of the course, including the materials addressed in Attachment A (documentation log). In addition, students should also describe the objectives of this course and these objectives were met.

The paper should be based on the outline below, using the current UCM Thesis Manual for paper formatting (e.g., title page, table of contents, page margins, page numbering, and font/size) and the APA 5th edition for composition areas (e.g., English/grammar, citing references, reference list, appropriate number of headings/heading levels). The Thesis Manual may be accessed via the UCM website (http://www.ucmo.edu/graduate/current/manual.cfm) or by contacting the UCM Graduate School (660.543.4621).

While no suggested page count is provided, the author’s ideas should be fully developed per the following outline while being succinctly written. APA refers to this practice as being thorough but not overly detailed (see APA, 2005, Economy of Expression).

Title Page (per the Thesis Manual)

Table of Contents (referencing major headings)

Body of Paper

Introduction

Overview of Special Projects course

Overview of the Objectives of the Course

How the Objectives of the Course were Met

Reflection of Learned Materials

Summary of Paper

Reference List

Appendix (if applicable)

Appendix Cover Sheet

Actual Appendix

T&OE 5000 Course Syllabus Spring 2009 Page 1