Techniques Jan 2013 - 14

Q and A

An Interview with Geralyn Stephens
Collaboration, Assessment and Learner Support. The winning course is the first career and technical education (CTE) course recognized by the program since its inception. The course, CTE 6010—History and Principles of Career and Technical Education is a requirement for Wayne State University’s online Master of Education in Career and Technical Education degree program and has been delivered in an online format since 1997. This course was selected as an entry because it has been so well received by students throughout the years. (For more information, see www.coe.wayne.edu/ted/careertech/med/overview.php.) ACTE: What are the principles of CTE taught in your course? GS: The course placed emphasis on the principles formulated by Dr. Melvin Miller in his book, Principles and a Philosophy for Vocational Education, written in 1985. In order to provide students with substantive information and relevance, a course assignment involved updating Miller’s 25 principles with more current definitions and examples of practice. Students also examine the legislative, social and political factors that influenced the direction of CTE in American secondary schools since its formal inception. The Blackboard Catalyst Award recognized how well the course management system (CMS) provided students with opportunities to collaborate. ACTE: What did you discover about CTE that you didn’t know before preparing this course? GS: One of the course projects explores Booker T. Washington’s influence and philosophies as they relate to the field of teaching in CTE. Through the required text, Up from Slavery, students are introduced to Washington and examine his principles and philosophies, which are easily incorporated into CTE classrooms today. Students in the course are practicing CTE teachers. They were able to share with their classmates how they planned to modify their instruction and student engagement activities based upon the influences from the text and the interaction with their peers. This summer session course included assignments that provided students with opportunities to discuss Washington’s strategies and techniques for industry-driven instruction, program development and fund-raising—all of which continue to be challenges for CTE programs today. This resulted in students formulating detailed instructional plans, fund-raising and other program support activities to be implemented in their schools and classrooms when they returned to work in the fall. This was important because it further supports the need for online courses to include activities that are immediately applicable to students’ lives. To provide more of these experiences, I plan to modify the online course to include real-life applications of the other assignments. For example, there is a writing assignment related to CTE legislation. In a future assignment, this may be modified to include learning more about the local and state factors which influence the dissemination of Perkins Added-cost funds. ACTE: Is this course solely theoretical? Are there any practical, hands-on aspects of the course for your students?
www.acteonline.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF RASHEDA K. WILLIAMS

Geralyn Stephens, an ACTE member and a professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, won the 2012 Blackboard Catalyst Award for Exemplary Course Design. Awarded annually, it is given to individuals who develop innovative and cutting-edge courses that represent the best in technology and learning.
ACTE: You won the Blackboard Catalyst Award for Exemplary Course Design for your course “History and Principles of Career and Technical Education.” Tell us about how you came up with this course and what it’s all about. GS: The Blackboard Catalyst Award for the Exemplary Course Program (ECP) recognizes course creators whose courses demonstrate best practices in four major areas: Course Design, Interaction &

Techniques

January 2013

Techniques Jan 2013

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