CREATED BY CAROLYN KNODE OF WASHINGTON COUNTY MARYLAND
Planning Your Capstone Course
Identification of Resources
Technological Resources (include access to labs and amount of access available, software, LMS, simulations, memberships, websites, etcetera that may be of value)
Hardware: Three Business Education Labs available before and after school by appointment, during
teachers’ planning periods which vary year to year, 50-minutes each day during regular
Capstone Project period.
iPads for all students attending South Hagerstown HS will be available 2013
Software: Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher)
PeachTree accounting software
QuickBooks accounting software
MyBigCampus learning management system
Safari Montage
AudoCad Lite 2000
Macromedia Dreamweaver, Flash, & Fireworks
Movie Maker Live 2012
Websites: FBLA national website – Virtual Business Simulation
http://www.fbla-pbl.org/web/module/events/eventid/12/main_interior.asp
Safari Montage www.safarimontage.com
(other software available in other departments and schools needs to be identified)
National Academy Foundation – Internship Packet http://naf.org/internship-information
Junior Achievement – JA Job Shadow https://www.juniorachievement.org
Human Resources (include all that you believe will support and contribute to your project see some examples below)
ü Business education instructors
ü Media specialist
ü Business Education Advisory Committee
ü Academy of Finance Advisory Committee
ü SCORE
ü Hagerstown Rotary Club (sponsor for Interact Club)
ü Washington County Chamber of Commerce
ü Hagerstown Community College – Articulation Committee members
ü HCC’s Technical Innovation Center (TIC) (Western Maryland’s largest and most comprehensive technology-based business incubator)
ü Kaplan University – Articulation Committee members
ü Mason-Dixon Council, Boy Scouts of America
Active CTSOs
ü CTSO’s Future Business Leaders of America
ü Interact Club sponsored by Hagerstown Rotary
Programs that may support your project
ü CTSO – National & Maryland Future Business Leaders of America leadership conferences, competitive events
ü Service Organization – Hagerstown Rotary
ü Hagerstown Community College & Kaplan University partnership
ü Advisory Groups – Business Education, Academy of Finance
ü Potential Existing Showcase Events – Open House August, fall and spring Meet the Teacher Night, CTE “Celebration of Excellence”
ü Current employers or groups who meet the needs of students seeking employment, internships, or job shadowing experiences
Other Possible Resources:
ü American Management Association, HCC
ü Economic Development Commission
ü Maryland CPAs – specifically Elliott, Kearns & Associates
Constraints
ü Coordinating facilities and personnel
ü Scheduling around High School Assessments, AP Exams, midterms, and finals as well as school events (prom, sports, band, play, etc.)
ü Maintaining a manageable class size. Current policy dictates a minimum of 15 students to establish a class. Recommendation: 1 to 15 teacher ratio as the maximum class size for the capstone project
ü Administrative support and recognition of the challenge faced by the students and the coordinating teacher/mentor
capstone planning questions
When will the capstone course be offered? Fall 2014 and/or spring 2015
What will be the Duration? Fall August – January (1st semester) – meeting M-F for 50 minutes each day
Spring January – May (2nd semester) – meeting M-F for 50 minutes each day
How many individuals will be teaching the course? Considering the low enrollment in Business Education programs, probably one instructor will be designated as the Coach/Mentor for the Capstone Project course.
Generally, how will the course be scheduled?
Frequency of Meetings: daily
Length of Meetings: 55 minutes each day
Location of Meetings: Business Education classroom/lab
What students will likely enroll in the course? Students enrolled in the Accounting & Finance and the Business Administration pathways will be scheduled for the Capstone Project course.
Will the course cross-completer programs? WCPS Student Handbook: “Students must also earn credits to satisfy the University of Maryland Completer Program and/or a Career and Technology Education Completer Program.” Operative word in the preceding sentence is “or.” The emphasis has been on all students achieving the University of Maryland Completer Program status ONLY!
Estimated enrollment size? Hopefully the enrollment size will be no more than 15. County policy dictates a minimum class size of 15.
What, if any, unique challenges do my learners pose?
ü Unique challenges teachers face concerning learners:
o Varied ability levels – emotionally disturbed, special needs, 504 students with accommodations
o Varied interests
o Varied learning styles
ü Learners specifically face
o Limited access to websites because of current WCPS Internet access policy
o Limited access to software that would enhance the experience (see software listing above)
o Inability to blog or use social media
o Lack of access to virtual business simulations
What type of projects do I envision supporting?
ü Research
ü Case studies
ü Business plans
ü Virtual business simulations
ü Internship experiences
ü Community service projects
ü FBLA competitive events as a springboard for a capstone project
What types of resources will I be using?
Existing: Business Education computer labs
Media Center
Business community
Local community colleges – Hagerstown Community College, Kaplan University, Shepherd College,
University of Maryland, Hagerstown campus
Needed: ePortfolio software
social network access
Web site hosting capability
What obstacles or challenges may exist?
ü Time constraints – 45-minute class meeting daily for only ½ year
ü Administrative support
ü Instructor planning time
Will you be incorporating your county’s advisory group? Yes
Please, identify all individuals who will be involved?
ü Student program completers – Accounting & Finance, Business Management pathways
ü Business education instructor serving as the coordinator/mentor
ü Staff and administration
ü Business Education Advisory Council
Who will be your assessors?
ü Administration
ü Staff
ü Business leaders from the community
ü Peer evaluators
Will you be able to incorporate a showcase? Yes
If yes, when, where, and how will the showcase occur?
When: December/May
Where: school cafeteria
How: “Celebration of Excellence” – FBLA, Interact, & Business Education Completers
* 5-6:30 p.m. Capstone Presenters
* 6:30-7:00 p.m. Banquet
* 7:00-8:00 p.m. Awards
Will you incorporate achievement recognition or awards? Yes
Certificates of Completion for each student program completer
Cash Awards for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place capstone project
Do you envision the incorporation of a competitive element? If so, will the projects be judged by category or holistically? Will you seek sponsorship for prizes and/or scholarship awards?
Yes . . . judged holistically
Sponsors will be identified to underwrite cost
Will exemplary projects be stored? If so, where? Yes, in the Business Education storage room
Will a website be created to support the program? Hopefully
Do you envision the incorporation of local media? Yes, Herald Mail and WHAG-TV
Budget Estimates
Minimal $250
Optimal $350
Use the following table to prepare a budget to support your course
Item / Purpose / Number of Units / Cost / TotalMonetary cash awards / $100 – 1st place
$ 75 – 2nd place
$ 50 – 3rd place / 3 / $225.00 / $225.00
Certificates / Recognize all capstone project completers / 20 / $ 25.00 per pkg / $ 75.00
Refreshments / Cookies, punch, etc. / Service for 100 / n/a – donations / $ 0.00
TOTAL / $300.00