Capstone Experiences in Career and Technical Education
Capstones are culminating experiences in which students synthesize subject-matter knowledge they have acquired, integrate cross-disciplinary knowledge, and connect theory and application in preparation for entry into a career (Fairchild and Taylor 2000). Durel (1993) evocatively describes them as a "rite of passage" or "liminal threshold" through which participants change their status from student to graduate. A capstone course should be both a synthesis—reflection and integration—and a bridge—a real-world preparatory experience that focuses on the postgraduation future (Fairchild and Taylor 2000; Rhodus and Hoskins 1995). In career and technical education (CTE), capstones are most often found in postsecondary business, agriculture, and allied health programs; in their emphasis on integration, experiential learning, and real-world problem solving, they would be valuable in any CTE field. This Brief discusses the rationale for capstones, presents evidence of their effectiveness, and describes ways to use them in CTE.
Why Capstones?
Many types of work now require more than technical expertise (Fairchild and Taylor 2000; Magney 1996). In many fields, a wide range of nontechnical skills is now essential: leadership, teamwork, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, interpersonal communication, information management (Fairchild and Taylor 2000; Rhodus and Hoskins 1995). For example, in organizations with flatter hierarchies, management responsibilities are now being downshifted to technicians (Magney 1996). Information technology graduates need not only specialized technical skills but also project management skills and awareness of global concerns and business practices (Novitzki 1998). Nurses must be prepared for change management, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration in the volatile health care field (Rains, Richardson, and Fowler 1999).
To achieve these outcomes, the objectives of a capstone course, project, or experience typically include the following (Fairchild and Taylor 2000; Rhodus and Hoskins 1995; Thomas 1998):
. To provide students an opportunity to synthesize knowledge from formal and informal
learning and apply it to contemporary issues in the field
. To help prepare students for a successful career by providing experiences that
enhance their labor market advantage
. To increase students' understanding of the big picture, including ethical and social
issues related to the field
. To help students understand the relevance of theory and research to practice
How Effective Are Capstones?
What benefits do students receive from capstone experiences? Agriculture capstone graduates (Andreasen and Trede 1998) recognized the application of knowledge from other courses as the most beneficial outcome.
Internet is advancing every day, parents have no idea what their kids are doing in cyberspace and are contemplating the idea of spyware. In the article, “The Undercover Parent” by Harlan Coben, he argues the idea of parents putting spyware on kids’ computer is a good idea to keep the child safe. Many American parents have no idea what happens in cyberspace; sex, bullying, and drugs. Parents are torn between protecting their child with spyware and allowing the child to have privacy. Coben uses his friends’ personal experiences to support his argument without leaving room for counterarguments. By using strong emotional appeals, weak qualifiers, and sugary word choice Coben creates a weak argument that lacks persuasion.
Career and technical education courses are intended to prepare high school students to enter the work force in a skilled trade. It equips the students with the experience and education necessary to succeed in an average skill level job while maintaining the student’s interest. In an article that focuses on an aviation CTE program, a “senior policy analyst at the Morrison Institute, said that Career and Technical Education provides another opportunity for students who struggle in high school.” The assumption is that students who struggle in high school presumably do not want another four years of education to attain a bachelor’s degree. Until recently, schools have been excessively geared towards college readiness. The dogma was elementary school, high school, college, without exception. With this “one size fits all” education system in place, a different education course had to evolve. CTE courses offer a break from the tedious grind by introducing career readiness as an alternative. In place of the four years in a college, CTE programs gives student...
Although I believe I am competent in the above specified areas, I am still not confident that I will get sufficient support in the hospital environment in terms of knowledge sharing, moral support and being given constructive feedback. Constructive criticism increases confidence in the work role and reduces stress in an individual (Doody, Tuohy & Deasy, 2012). In my previous professional placements, I have been able to demonstrate my competency to work in the healthcare environment. I have received positive feedback from placement educators, buddy nurses, and patients. Despite being competent in a range of the above areas, NGNs may still face transition shock.
Cronenwett et al emphasises the key competencies for nursing are not only providing patient centred care, ensuring safety, team work but also quality improvement, suggesting all nurses must embrace change. However embracing change can be difficult due to many barriers. Brown et al and Gerrish identify some of these barriers such as time constraints, communication issues and differences professional issues.
...o earn more advance education. This author thinks that a BSN is critical to better patient outcomes and collaborative work among team members. When enter a health care related field education should continue on though out the career continuously advancing. Leadership roles as nurses are important to the advancing health care field and in order to achieve such positions advanced education is essential. A BSN is what a standard minimum for a professional career in nursing with expected desire for furthering beyond.
All in all, I believe that I have gained many skills throughout my time with my employer. I hope that once I do receive my degree healthcare management, I can apply even more skills to everyday challenges that may arise. In a field that’s growing rapidly, one can be assured that conflicts will always happen, and people will not always work together. With several team building activities, a higher employee morale can be achieved.
Marriage is a commitment that seems to be getting harder to keep. The social standards placed on an individual by society and influenced by the media inevitably lead some to consider divorce as a “quick-fix” option. “Have it your way” has become a motto in the United States. It has become a country without any consideration of the psychological effects of marriage and divorce. The overwhelmingly high divorce rate is caused by a lack of moral beliefs and marital expectations.
When the Northern States abolished slavery, blacks could begin building a life in freedom. The North was now the land of freedom. This had a huge impact on the thousands of slaves and indentured servants who ran away trying to reach freedom and their dreams of a better life. The southern slave owners viewed the act of running away as disrespect. They had paid money for the slaves and therefore owned them as their property. The advertisements served as a resource for them to regain their possessions, both the human and material possessions. The descriptions of the indentured servants and slaves that were given in the advertisements clearly attest to the fact that slaves were viewed as property. The advertisements offer great insight into what the life of a slave was like, and why they would risk running away.
As with most life transitions, divorce can be liberating, depressing, frustrating, or traumatic to any person who experiences it. Perhaps the most painful part on the process of divorce is when the children get involved and when they all get trapped in the situation. These children may suffer significant losses in their lives and unless the situation can be handled in a civil manner, they will become prone to the psychological torment that could affect them for the rest of their lives. The issue of divorce however is becoming more and more intense since for the past ten years the divorce rate in the United States has skyrocketed to a record high of almost fifty- percent. It is also believed that the divorce rate in the United States is the highest in the world and the reason for this are primarily the ever-changing role of the husbands and wives in their household, early marriage, infidelity, extra marital affairs, domestic violence, financial instability and psychological incapacity.
Oedipus is a hero, as defined by Johnston. According to Johnston, ‘a hero is someone who confronts fate in a very personal manner and whose reaction to that encounter serves to illuminate for us our own particular condition’ (Johnston, Part 2). Oedipus definitely confronts fate in a personal manner. Among other things, he challenges the mysterious qualities of fate by pursuing the Shepherd despite warnings from Jocasta (Sophocles, 71). Oedipus follows through on confronting fate with his individual approach of uncompromising persistence and integrity (Johnston, Part 3). Even at the end of his downfall, Oedipus maintains that Kreon should banish him and that he must obey the curses he himself ordered for the murderer of King Laios (Sophocles, 89-90). Despite being so broken and publicly shamed, Oedipus still persists with his former way of interacting with fate : noble defiance (Johnston, Part 3). Although this quality itself is admirable, Oedipus takes uncompromising to the extreme, losing insight on everything else. Oedipus becomes ignorant to his surroundings, leading to his downfall (Johnston, Part 3). Oedipus’ story also challenges the fundamental belief that life should be rational and just. (Johnston, Part 3) His story illuminates that fate is arbitrarily cruel and will sometimes pick the gre...
Oedipus is a man of unflagging determination and perseverance, but one who must learn through the working out of a terrible prophecy that there are forces beyond any man’s conceptualization or control. Oedipus’ actions were determined before his birth, yet Oedipus’ actions are entirely determined by the Gods who control him completely. In the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus took many actions leading to his own downfall. He tried to escape Corinth when he learned of the prophecies that were supposed to take place in his life. Instead, he fell right into the trap of the prediction by unwittingly killing his father and later marrying his mother. By doing this, he proved that his life was predetermined by fate and there was nothing he could do to change it. He could have waited for the plague to end, but out of compassion for his suffering people, he had Creon go to Delphi to plead before Apollo to relieve the curse of the plague. Instead of investigating the murder of the former King Lauis, Oedipus took matters into his own hands and cursed the murderer, now the curse would effect him as well, because he was the one who killed Lauis.. “Now my cursed on the murderer,/Whoever he is, alone man unknown in his crime or one among many, let that man drag out his life in agony, step ...
Sophocles is perhaps one of the greatest tragedians ever. Sophocles said that a man should never consider himself fortunate unless he can look back on his life and remember that life without pain. For Oedipus Rex, looking back is impossible to do without pain. This pain stems from his prideful life. Oedipus is aware that he alone is responsible for his actions. Oedipus freely chooses to pursue and accept his own life's destruction. Even though fate victimizes Oedipus, he is a tragic figure since his own heroic qualities, his loyalty to Thebes, and his fidelity to the truth ruin him.
When he discovers what he destined to do, he tries to avoid it because he realizes the tragedy of the prophecy. During Oedipus’ rule of Thebes, he was a benevolent king who only wanted to do the right thing for his people. Near the beginning of the play, Oedipus displays a large amount of care for his citizens: “I grieve for these, my people, far more than I fear for my own life.” (Sophocles 159). However Oedipus’ benevolence is set aside for his other ambitions, like discovering his past. When Oedipus discovers what really happens, he becomes distraught, and eventually punishes himself in many ways, but in doing so also reveals that he cares about doing what is right for his people, his children, and for
There are several nurses that have established themselves successfully in the work I am pursuing. The work mainly involves care management, client teaching and patient advocacy. Care management focuses on ensuring that the care that various health care providers offer is cohesive to meet the patients’ needs. Client teaching deals with enabling patient gain knowledge about the medications and health. Patient advocacy is involved with protecting and advancing patients’ rights.
Oedipus is depicted as a “marionette in the hands of a daemonic power”(pg150), but like all tragic hero’s he fights and struggles against fate even when the odds are against him. His most tragic flaw is his morality, as he struggles between the good and the evil of his life. The good is that he was pitied by the Shepard who saved him from death as a baby. The evil is his fate, where he is to kill his father and marry his mother. His hubris or excessive pride and self-righteousness are the lead causes to his downfall. Oedipus is a tragic hero who suffers the consequences of his immoral actions, and must learn from these mistakes. This Aristotelian theory of tragedy exists today, as an example of what happens when men and women that fall from high positions politically and socially.