Alaska Pacific University

EDUC 58074 – Ò21st Century Workforce ReadinessÓ Syllabus
http://lone-eagles.com/workforcesyll.htm

 

 

 

I. Course Description

This 21st Century Workforce Readiness online course integrates digital literacy, civic engagement through community service, and broadband entrepreneurship, with careful attention to the unique needs and interests of all participants. This unique course is suitable for educators teaching at all levels; elementary, middle school, high school, alternative high school, and programs for youth Ònot in school.Ó Growing an entrepreneurial culture, starting in primary grades, is necessary for the fundamental cultural shift that new broadband in Alaskan villages and communities enables.

 

Using Web 2.0 social media tools in a mastery learning format, career explorations and resources will be presented with emphasis on emerging broadband-enabled Internet employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. This course introduces financial, business, media, information, and entrepreneurship literacies with links to extensive resources by grade level.

 

Each lesson is presented in two parts; (concepts and skill-builder activities) with the opportunity for the participating educator (and/or students) to customize each lesson for ongoing local use. The lessons in this course provide components designed to be Òstudent readyÓ for student-driven service learning activities utilizing short hands-on skill-builder modules suitable for community workshops lead by educators, students, and/or interested citizens. Examples include student-created online electronic resumes to showcase web media products students have created themselves, such as free ecommerce websites for local artists and businesses, Òshow and tellÓ video captures to share new skills, and more.

 

This course is designed to support innovations related directly to over $180 million in new rural broadband infrastructure in Alaska including developing 21st Century workforce readiness skills and behaviors for growing an entrepreneurial culture.

 

The target audience is Alaskan K12 educators. This self-paced online course is presented in a mastery learning format with instructor support for questions of any nature.

 

 

II. Course Format

 

Self-paced asynchronous online course for Alaskan educators; Three 500 level credits, students may start at anytime with one year to complete the lessons. Eight four-hour lessons with one 8 hour final project. Frequent interaction with the instructor and other students is required.

 

a. 3.0 credits; 500 level.

b. Course is entirely Web based featuring a self-study design with constant interaction (on the Web) with the instructor and other participants. 40 hours or more are required to meet minimum course requirements.

c. Does not apply to any degree or certificate at API.

d. Lab fees may be assessed for this course to defray the cost of materials and/or services used or consumed by participants.

e. Coordination with other departments at APU is not required for this course.

f. Students may reregister for a one year course extension for only $90 IF they do so within 90 days of the course one year deadline date. Otherwise students much pay the full registration in order to finish the class and receive credit for work previously performed.

 

III. Course Objectives


            ATTITUDES: The Participants will

á             Demonstrate proficiency with effective class interaction using required collaborative tools
 encouraging sharing of new media resources related to 21st Century workforce readiness

á             Provide an overview of trends, best practices, and issues related to growing an entrepreneurial culture
 involving school and community interaction for students, parents, community members, and peer
 educators

 

            PROCESSES:  The Participants will

á             Increase the ability to identify and deliver appropriate 21st Century workforce readiness resources for
  K12 students

á             Increase the ability to directly incorporate new media learning objects in original youth 
  entrepreneurship teaching units

á             Increase the ability to stay current and leverage effective collaboration to both send and receive
  new 21st Century workforce readiness educational resources via social media on an ongoing basis

á             Demonstrate new media production skills for creating rich media workforce readiness K12
  curriculum

 

            UNDERSTANDINGS or SKILLS: The Participants will

á             Increase knowledge in broadband training best practices related to 21st Century workforce readiness

á             Provide resources and online presentations for students, peer educators, and local communities 
 to raise awareness of broadband-enabled local ecommerce and telework opportunities.

 

IV. Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Participants must have Internet access, basic computer, Web browsing, and e-mail skills. Participants must be able to create electronic folders and know how to save and move files. Otherwise, three are no course prerequisites or corequisites for this course. It is strongly recommended participants first take the "Making the Best Use of Internet for K-12 Instruction"  a 3 credit, 500 level course.

Participants are required to consult directly with the instructor to discuss their broadband speeds, local filtering limitations, prior experience with online learning, web authoring , web 2.0 authoring tools, and social media.

V. Course Evaluation

 

Course grading will be PASS/FAIL based upon the following –

As a student you will be expected to:

á             Complete all required articles and lesson text reading assignments, showing a competent
   understanding of material presented.

á             Complete all online videos viewing, and resource exploration assignments presented in the
  lesson, showing a competent understanding of material presented.

á             Complete required written essays, postings, and contributions to the interactive class discussion
  for each lesson, including sharing new resources of interest, and demonstrate ability to
  effectively encourage others in the class

á             Complete required essay writing assignments with the minimum word count shown for each a
   assignment

á             Complete all media product skill-building assignments as core authentic assessments for each
  lesson.

á             Complete the lesson evaluation requested at the end of each lesson

 

Participation on the Listservs - 30%

Participants must complete eight self-paced instructional modules

Lessons - 70%

Lessons submitted via e-mail and web pages created make up 70% of the grade. Lessons or web pages determined to be sub-standard will be returned for revision.


Important details on how to begin and course format requirements are available in the "Welcome to the Class" bulletin at
http://lone-eagles.com/workforcewelcome.html

 

PASS:  To pass the course participants must

1) complete all eight lessons, including hands-on exploration of  key

resources, written interaction with peers and the instructor using

multiple forms of social media, specific demonstrated skill-building

activities and a web-based product outcome reflecting original

curriculum and resource development.

2) complete a final project that incorporates multiple social media

tools in an original web-based activity suitable for classroom and

community use

 

FAIL: Participants do not complete all eight lessons, participants do

not adequately interact with their peers or the instructor, or

participants do not complete the final project.

 

VI. Course Outline

 

Lesson 1: Becoming a 21st Century Learner and Earner

Everyone both learner and teacher, both consumer and producer, all the time.

1.      Getting comfortable with the online course format.

2.      Understanding  the challenges of the 21st Century workforce

3.      H.O.P.E. How Optimism Promotes Entrepreneurship (Attitudes 101)

4.      Developing Self-Directed-Internet-Learning Skills

5.      Learn, Earn, and Serve and Practicing Innovation and Creativity

 

Lesson Two: Health and Wellness Literacy

      1.     Self-assessment of our lifestyles, info-diets, and beliefs about
              ourselves, and our true full potential
      2.    Taking responsibility for personal self-actualization; self-
             determination developing for oneÕs own goals and directions,
      3.    Identifying oneÕs core values, passions, and orientation toward others
      4.    Review online health and wellness web sites

 

Lesson Three: Pre-employment Basics

1.      Softskills – How to make a positive first impression

2.      The Job Search, establishing a plan of action

3.      Online resumes, job boards, and selling yourself (in a good way)

4.      How to be a boss or project manager and dealing with personalities in the  
  workplace

 

Lesson Four: Information and Media Literacy

      1.    Information Literacy: Dealing with accelerating change; information
             overload, uncertainty, megatrends, future shock
      2.    Searching Skills: Just-in-time-inquiry-based learning, search engines – visual
             search engines, natural language search engine
      3.    Media literacy: persuasive media awareness and creating our own cultural
            norms:
      4.    Collaborative opportunities: with a little help from our friends, social
             activism trends in social media

 

Lesson Five: Financial, Business, and Entrepreneurial Literacies

1.      Definitions of these three literacies

2.      The changing nature of business, the knowledge economy and innovation
  economy dynamics.

3.      Keeping current in a world of accelerating change.

4.      Emerging trends: social entrepreneurship. Green businesses, corporate social
  responsibility, environmental activism, and community organizing

5.      Instructional entrepreneurship: Everyone both learner and teacher, consumer
  and producer

6.      Finding and sharing relevant ecommerce and telework success stories and
  videos.

 

Lesson Six:  Social Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprises:

1.      Doing Well by Doing Good. The latest trends in Business.

2.      Showcase Your Skills Via Community Service – Making a Difference

3.      Citizenship: ÒActing Locally, Thinking Globally.Ó

4.      Cultural Expression: Adaptability and Accountability

 

Lesson Seven: High Tech Business Startup Basics

1.      Copying successful business models

2.      Your elevator pitch, value proposition, market positioning and secret sauce

3.      The Art of the Start – Starting a business without a dime

4.      Where to get professional assistance for creating a business plan and getting loans.

 

Lesson Eight: Decision Time for Individual Action Plans

1.      Peer reviewing of participants action plans for our final month

2.      Launching our businesses

3.      Promotional options, writing letters

4.      Taking Action – Collabor-ACTION strategies

 

VII. Bibliography or References

Extensive online resources will be available in each lesson.

 

VIII. Instructor Description:


As president of Lone Eagle Consulting, Frank has enjoyed teaching online courses for ASDN since 1998. Frank served as a faculty for 13 years at the University of Montana, Western in Dillon, Montana, Frank received his BA degree in Psychology from the University of California, Davis, and his MasterÕs degree in Instructional Technology from the University of Wyoming. From 1988 to 1998, he was director of the well-known Big Sky Telegraph network, providing on-line courses to rural teachers. Frank's work has been recognized for excellence by four congressional reports, the White House, and dozens of books and publications.

 

Web 2.0 resources for this course are at http://web2fork12classrooms.pbwiki.com
Lone Eagle Curriculums and Guides are at http://lone-eagles.com/guides.htm

All Frank's resources, courses, articles, and inservice workshop services are at http://lone-eagles.com
(An internal Google search engine on the home page allows for specific topical searches; search ÒAlaskaÓ).

FrankÕs resume and published Alaskan history are at http://lone-eagles.com/articles/frank.htm 

2011 Lone Eagle Update at http://lone-eagles.com/expertise.htm International and national professional activities

 

Contacting the Instructor:

You may contact the instructor by emailing Frank at frank@lone-eagles.com. Morning consultations are preferred for voice and Skype consultations. Frank specializes in friendly mastery learning support of Alaskan Educators.
Ph/Fax: 406-683-6270, Cell: 406 925 2519

Skype ID: frankodasz