December 7, 2001
Editor : Steve Czech
Presidents Message
Public Education in Minnesota has recently managed to grab the attention of a vast number of citizens in our state. The media is enjoying the frenzy unfolding in Osseo, and I believe there will only be more to follow. The district I work in, Anoka-Hennepin, is faced with cutting 10.5 million dollars. I must admit this situation has been interesting to observe. Having invested most of my life in education, it has been painful to accept the reality of the predicament we are in. Please keep in mind how we got here. Legislative inaction on public education, property tax reduction , and rebates totaling over one billion dollars have left schools underfunded. As we face increasing class sizes and cutting programs, remember that electing legislators and a governor who value and support public education must be the goal of every educator.
In future editions of The Echo, you will see a variety of editors working to provide membership with new developments, ideas, and strategies for working with our students. The Transition program in Richfield will complete January's publication, The Transition program in St. Paul will work on the edition for March, and Anoka-Hennepin's Transition program will publish a final edition in May.
MnACTE/SNP has identified the following goals to work on for the 2001-2002 school year.
- Working closely with MnACTE and other affiliates to secure Career and Technical Education Funding and on a greater scale K-12 and post secondary education funding.
- Continuing to improve communication with membership by creating an interactive electronic system of information sharing.
- Expanding our website to include historical and financial information about our organization as well as employment opportunities.
- Planning our statewide conference for 2003.
We will be having guests at our January and February meetings. Jayne Spain, Transition Coordinator at CFL, will attend our meeting in January. She will share the latest news on transition in Minnesota. Tom Strom, Work Based Learning/Career and Technical Education Supervisor at CFL, will attend February's meeting. Their presentations will begin at 1:00 pm and I encourage members who can attend to be there.
I wish all of you happy holidays. Enjoy your vacation.
Steve
Czech
MnACTE/SNP President
Transition Plus
403 Jackson St., Suite 206
Anoka, MN 55303
(763) 506-7621
czech@anoka.k12.mn.us
Eric Lampman Finds Opportunity in Youth
Apprenticeship Program
My name is Eric Lampman and I'm a junior at Irondale High School. I have been given the opportunity to be in the Youth Apprenticeship Program through Northeast metro 916. I have always dreamt about being a carpenter and now my dream is a reality.
The standards for the Youth Apprenticeship Program are high. First of all, in order to get accepted into the program I needed to have good attendance, be highly motivated, get decent grades, have my own transportation to the work-site and display a strong work ethic.
My typical day starts at 7:30 in the morning at Irondale taking general course work. I then leave Irondale at 11:00 a.m., go have lunch, then drive to the building site I'm working at. I put in a good five hours of paid work a day. On Friday's I go to the college and take classes that are related to this specific apprenticeship carpentry program.
The construction company I was placed with is Loger Builders and the mentor I was assigned to is really a neat guy. He's the one who teaches me everything I need to know about constructing a home.
Thank you to Beth Quest for encouraging Eric to submit this article.
Minnesota Produces Two National Award
Winners
Recently, two MnACTE/SNP award recipients were nominated for and received national awards through the National Association of Vocational Education Special Needs Personnel (NAVESNP). Congratulations to Chris Becker, a 2001 graduate of Intermediate District 287, and Bonnie Jackson, a work coordinator in the St. Paul Public Schools. Chris was awarded the NAVESNP/Piney Mountain Press Student Award and Bonnie the NAVESNP Outstanding Vocational Special Needs Teacher of the Year Award. These awards will be presented on December 15th at the NAVESNP luncheon in New Orleans which is held during the ACTE national convention.
Upcoming Events
- Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Conference, New Orleans, LA. December 12-16, 2001. Eight MnACTE/SNP members will be in attendance.
- Career and Technical Education Week February 10th - 16th.
- Winter Conference, February 11th and 12th, 2002. MnACTE, MACTA, and MnACTE/SNP plan to organize conference activities for the afternoon and evening of February 11th. February 12th will be legislative day at the capitol. More information to follow.
- Region III Conference, Bloomington, MN. June 19-21, 2001
- MnACTE/SNP Statewide Conference 2003. Planning is underway, and it appears we will be holding the conference in February.
Call For Curriculum Ideas!
Many of us have found little gems of curriculum that we have used in the past that have worked for us in our classrooms or on job sites. Sometimes they can be a great up-to-date video, a terrific text book, a good speaker or other vocational programs that work coordinators might be able to use. The ECHO would like to be able to pass this information on to all state-wide members. In the future, we may be able to have curricular topics for each issue. So-- Send your curricular gems to: tom.carlson@aonoka.k12.mn.us
I have found a good video on job interviewing called:
- Working III - "Getting Your Foot In The Door" created by James Stanfield, Ed.D. and published by James Stanfield Company, Inc. Santa Barbara, CA
This video is full of very good information with an excellent teachers guide that comes with the three tapes. The actors show how to do the interview in the worst possible way- my students really thought this was very funny. They also have the same actors redo the interview correctly.
Tom
Carlson
Transition Plus
403 Jackson St., Suite 206
Anoka, MN 55303
Bemidji State Goes Online with Teacher
Coordinator of Work-Based Learning Licensure
For those of us who have encountered difficulties obtaining a work coordinator license due to proximity, a solution has been presented through Bemidji State. At least two MnACTE/SNP members are working toward licensure using this format.
Description
This is a Minnesota licensure endorsement that can be used in conjunction with a regular teaching license for individuals who are interested in coordinating a variety of work-based educational opportunities for students.
Course Delivery
To accommodate students regardless of their locale or work schedule, all of the required courses will be available on the web. However, it is important to understand that web-based courses will be scheduled with start and stop dates within semesters, and will require students to participate in scheduled chat rooms for each course. Courses will be scheduled on a rotating basis, with one to two courses offered each semester, including summers. For some students, classes may also be available on ITV, and in limited cases, on-site.
Required Courses
IT 4839/5839 Student Organizations in Industrial/Career
and Technical Education (2 cr.)
IT 4850/5850 Foundations/Philosophy of Career and Technical
Education (2 cr.)
IT 4887/5930 Career Development Theory and Practice (2
cr.)
IT 4888/5888 Work/Occupational Assessment of Learning (2
cr.)
IT 4889/5889 Coordination Techniques of Occupational
Education (2 cr.)
Course Equivalencies
Teachers who have already completed courses similar to the required courses should consult with the Director of Career & Technical Education for course equivalencies. Individuals will be asked to provide transcripts and catalog descriptions of courses they wish to substitute.
Next Course Offering:
IT 4887 Career Development Theory and Practice (Web-Based delivery) Start Date: October 15th. To register, call 218-755-2068 Note: please DO NOT attempt to register until Oct. 1st. NOTE: E-Class Dates (Required Chat room participation) are Tuesdays, Oct. 23, Nov. 6, Dec. 10, all 8:00-9:30 p.m. Tuition: $141.17/cr. U.G., $189.33 Grad.
Tentative Course Offerings for Spring Semester
IT 4889 Coordination Techniques of Occupational Education
Start Date Jan 21st
IT 4839 Industrial/Vocational Student Organizations
Questions/Inquires
Dr. Jim McCracken, Director, Center for Career &
Technical Education,
233 Bridgeman Hall, Bemidji State University, 1500 Birchmont
Dr. NE, 56601-2699
218-755-2998
jmccracken@bemidjistate.edu
Anoka-Hennepin STEP Plans Changes For
2002-03
The Anoka-Hennepin Dist. 11 Secondary Technical Education Program (STEP)
STEP is currently located at Anoka-Hennepin Technical College. Juniors and seniors attend STEP for half of their day and their home high school the other half. Thanks to AHTC, MnSCU and Anoka County, a new building is under construction on the grounds of AHTC with plans to open in the fall of 2002. There are currently 14 technical courses with plans to add up to seven more next year. Many of the courses offer one to six concurrent enrollment credits that are recorded on AHTC college transcripts. In addition to technical courses, STEP will be offering core classes such as English, social studies, math, science, and chemistry allowing students to attend STEP all day if they choose. In addition to District 11 students, we hope to open the program to other school districts in the area. For more information contact Pam Durand (763) 576-4867.
Pam
Durand
STEP
1355 W Highway 10
Anoka, MN 55303
Teacher Coordinator of Work-Based Learning
Licensure Course Descriptions
IT 4839/5839 Student Organizations in Industrial/Career and Technical Education
Designed to acquaint the student with the issues of planning and implementation of student organizations. Additional topics include student organization at the secondary and post secondary level and their relationship to state and federal policy and legislation.
IT 4850/5850 Foundations/Philosophy of Career and Technical Education
A study of the history, philosophy, and practices of career and technical education. Includes a survey of curriculum characteristics, certification requirements, professional organizations, and career options.
IT4887/5930 Career Development Theory and Practice
A course designed to acquaint professionals with the various phases of career development, to develop an understanding of the principles, methods and procedures that can enhance the occupational development of an individual.
IT 3888/5888 Work/Occupational Assessment of Learning
An investigation into the use of informal and formal techniques used in the design and implementation of occupational assessment with school systems.
IT 4889/5889 Coordination Techniques of Occupational Education
This course involves the role of the teacher-coordinators in the design and implementation of internships and other cooperative experiential learning methods.
